I used the word “exposed” repeatedly last night to characterize what happened to Kansas State, but I’m not certain that’s correct.
This is who the Wildcats have always been, even during those two lopsided victories against feeble competition to open the season. Maybe exposed to a national audience, but this was hardly a surprise. Don’t believe me? Ron Prince said as much afterwards. He’d been saying for weeks how concerned he was about pass protection and the play of both lines.
Now, I believe pass protection can be shored up. And it’s simple – protect Josh, and he’s as good as anyone around with time to throw. Allow him to get hit and he’s a shell of himself. It is what it is. Just protect the man – he’s your best offensive weapon. What’s troubling, in my estimation, is the defensive line. Shocking, right? Hardly any push on Hunter Cantwell. Stopping the run? The next open-field tackle will be the first. And this is where I disagree with Prince, who said all of the problem areas could be fixed – I’m not sure there is an answer already on this roster. The defensive scheme – multiple, 3-4, or whatever other mumbo-jumbo Tim Tibesar and Co. have concocted – is in place, and abandoning it now would be a disaster. But the playmakers up front? Where are they?
Last night was the first true example of the type of physical football K-State can expect at least half of the time in the Big 12 slate – Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Colorado and Nebraska – and the Wildcats, as Prince so eloquently stated last night, “failed miserably.”
For the third season in a row, it appears K-State has almost no margin for error in games. And by now, you’d think that wouldn’t be the case, especially when Prince has brought in many of his own guys – guys who would “row with us or get out of the boat,” I believe is how Ian Campbell termed it during Big 12 Media Days. Now, this isn’t the time to panic, because this team is the same team it was a month ago. Actually, maybe that’s reason enough to panic – there hasn’t much improvement in the last four weeks.
But things can only get better, right?
10 Comments
Things get better? Haha, didn’t know you were such a funny guy. I can see things getting a lot worse before they get better.
The boat is taking on water, better stop rowing and start finding life jackets.
JuCo’s hit stride midway through the season they say. So we’ll see.
So here’s my problem with the 3-4; Our LB’s aren’t disciplined enough to go from Sack the QB mode to change direction and go after the guy running down the field with the ball. Arm Tackles clearly aren’t taking anyone down. If KSU is really capable of running some multiple schemes, then why don’t we see the 4-3 more against teams that are gouging us with a running game? I wouldn’t have any problem seeing nothing but 3-4 against T-Tech and forcing a team that wants to pass to run on you, but on a team that is as balanced as L-ville as well as half of the big 12, why is KSU running a scheme that plays to the strengths of stopping pass happy offenses when people are rolling up 300 yards on the ground? Does Prince & Tibisar believe the 3-4 to really be the best possible scheme to stop an offense with a run game? Please ask them that…. I’m not a D-Coord, but to me, it seems a LB in a the 3-4 is either asked to blitz or drop back in coverage… either one of those scenarios is allowing a RB to gain 5+ a carry if you measly 3 D lineman don’t stop the run at the point of attack. Hell I don’t know… I’m just confused and tired of watching a soft D.
I think Prince is a competent coach. He knows where the weaknesses are. Maybe he just doesn’t have the personnell yet to get them corrected.
It seems to me that our blitzes were not effective. I’m not sure Tibesar is savy enough to devise blitz package adjustments during the game.
Why can’t Prince (and his coaches) do better with the offensive line. I thought he was much better at that at Virginia.
j-mart-
get rid of that schmap thing. it eats your bandwidth and locks up computers. just a terrible program overall.
J-Mart, where do you get off crediting Princess with a C for coaching last night?
His call of a fake punt with less than 2 minutes to go in the first half on their own 30 worked, but was incredibly STUPID. If that fails, it’s a short field for another 6. The Cats were fortunate to shut the Bird out of the endzone, and more fortunate that Ray Finkle bricked yet another chipper for a field goal. That call alone drops him 2 letter grades!
Worse, his stubborn attitude to stick with the 3-4, even when getting beaten like a rented mule by the run. How it is halftime adjustments make your team WORSE?
I think your article a few weeks back jocking Princess was sad. He got a real positive spin and had a head in the sand read to it.
I get that you have to keep criticism to a minimum as the beat writer, in order to maintain the ability to get inside access and the real info you need, bottom line, Price isn’t going to get it done.
Juco Rats are brought in to make you better immediately, to bring experience to the table. These guys looked like the had no clue how to tackle or protect.
The lines stink because Prince recruits tall athletic lineman, the best players in the trenches are wrestlers. Short, low center of gravity, balls of muscle. We’ll never run the ball because they cannot push anyone out of the way.
Jmart, in the next interview session when Prince compares our schemes to those of a successful NFL franchise please point out that he is an NCAA coach and few if any of his players have that kind of ability. If he wants to coach in the NFL maybe its time to polish up his resume.
There was nothing positive about last nights game, period. After the first drive, we looked inept on offense. Our defense looked soft, AT BEST. The smallest defense I’ve seen at KSU. The worst display of tackling I’ve ever see in a D-1 game, and I’ve seen a lot of games. Blitzes did not work. Blitzers were blocked at the line of scrimmage only to create large holes in the secondary for easy completions. There were times in the 2nd half where L-Ville was averaging 12 yds a play for more that 7 plays in a row!!!
Something has to be done, only I don’t know what. I don’t think the talent is there and you have to blame that on recruiting. However, neither systems worked, and you have to blame that on coaching…….it’s going to be a long season.
That was an embarrassment.
When you haven’t won a bowl game since 2002, it’s time to take a good look at your program. Sure, we won a Big 12 championship in that term, and some of those years where not Princes. But in all actuality, take a good look at Prince and what his bandwagon would look like without those Texas victories. The cupboard would be bare. It is sad to say, Stan Parrish has died and was reincarnated as Ron Prince.
Folks I gota tell ya, I like Ron Prince. Having said that, I just don’t understand the thinking on the sidelines. HCRP stated the Cats must do a better job establishing the run. It seems to me, if you want to establish the run… YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO RUN THE BALL!!! 12 attempts! The running game takes some time to develope. Maybe if you don’t rely on sideline slant patterns 8 plays out of 10. The opposing defense will be left guessing once in a while. Then you can really use that giant QB you have.
I don’t know, I’m not a coach, and I don’t play one on TV. All I can tell ya is I love the Cats and I want to see’em improve. That is not happening.
Go Cats… Beat somebody!