Sunday Rewind: K-State 51, Missouri State 9

Sept. 2, 20129:48 a.m.


Kansas State’s 51-9 victory over Missouri State on Saturday at Snyder Family Stadium was the closest 42-point victory you will ever see.

At halftime, the Wildcats led 9-6 and everyone feared this could be Eastern Kentucky all over again.

Early in the third quarter, the Bears tied things up at 9-9.

As the clock ran out, it was a blowout.

So how did K-State turn a game that was tied in the second half into the lopsided victory all BCS conference teams hope for on opening night?

Here’s a look at all that and more in this week’s Sunday Rewind:
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Crunching numbers on K-State’s defense

Aug. 6, 20121:24 p.m.


Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder and defensive coordinator Tom Hayes are using the same argument to explain why the Wildcats were better against the pass last season than the 263.3 yards per game they allowed indicate.

Said Snyder:

“Statistically, the defense against the passing game may have suffered, but you have to look at this conference. You look at the conference and there are teams that are throwing the ball an average of 400 yards per ballgame against some very fine football teams. In this league, statistics throwing the football are going to be significantly higher than they might normally be in most conferences.”

Said Hayes:

“Our stats are skewed somewhat in the way that we played against Oklahoma and Oklahoma State two weeks in a row. We didn’t play very well and they played very well and they were very talented on offense, both of them. We gave up a ton of yards to them and we lost both those games, but they kind of skew what happened in the whole scheme of things … They do that to everybody.”

There is truth in each of those statements. There is no shortage of offense in the Big 12. While K-State’s pass defense ranked a respectable sixth in the conference last season, it ranked an ugly 103rd nationally.

Maybe Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville said it best in Dallas last month when he described the Big 12 as “a points league.”

“You’re still going to have to score a lot of points no matter what,” Tuberville said. “You’re going to give up points in this league. This is a points league. I mean, we scored close to 40 points a game last year and won five games.”
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Deante Burton ready for freshman season

July 30, 20122:09 p.m.

Deante Burton had to feel weird playing in the Kansas Shrine Game on Saturday.

After working out with Kansas State football players all summer, he took a step back to the high school ranks where everyone is a little bit slower and the quarterbacks put a lot less zip on their passes.

“The quarterbacks we have at Kansas State have really mastered their craft,” Burton said. “Collin Klein, Daniel Sams, Tavarius Bender, those guys throw very well. It was a little different for me adjusting to a wider thrown ball, maybe an under-thrown ball, but it made me better.”

Though Burton was the most targeted receiver in the Kansas all-star game, the Wildcats freshman didn’t see a quality throw all night. He managed to catch three passes for 19 yards, but he spent most of the game leaping and diving all over the place for poorly thrown balls or watching them go way over his head.

But here’s the impressive thing about Burton: He still managed to show off his talent.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Manhattan product not only looked like the top receiver on the field, he looked like the most athletic receiver out there, too. He saw action as a kick returner, and amassed 127 all-purpose yards that gave his team’s offense good field position.

Fellow incoming freshman receiver Collin Sexton, a walk-on from Abilene and the younger brother of Curry Sexton, wasn’t surprised.

“He’s a good leader, he’s got great work ethic and he’s a great athlete,” Sexton said. “He’s so shifty and quick. I expect a lot of good things out of him.”
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‘Belldozer’ origins trace back to Collin Klein

July 24, 201210:26 a.m.

Some of the most interesting moments of Monday’s Big 12 Media Days session came near the end when Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops bumped into Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein in between interviews.

The two talked for a few minutes about all sorts of different topics. Football, marriage, honeymoons, country music, Blake Bell … They all came up.

For this blog post, we will focus on that last topic. Klein said Bell was in attendance for his wedding over the weekend, and then Stoops said something revealing. He told Klein that he got the idea to sub Bell (Oklahoma’s sophomore backup quarterback who once starred at Bishop Carroll) for Landry Jones as a short-yard specialist last year after watching Klein dive into the end zone week after week.

“I saw you running all these great plays,” Stoops said, “and I said, ‘Hey, I’ve got a guy with the same body over here. I need to borrow that.’ That’s where it all started.”

So the “Belldozer” origins trace back to Klein. Who knew?

A quick Google search reveals that Stoops has hinted at the connection before. And Bell’s breakthrough success as a power-running, touchdown-scoring quarterback certainly correlate with Klein. The 6-foot-6, 250-pounder scored his first collegiate touchdown against the Wildcats. Stoops must have watched lots of Klein film that week.

Bell impressed Stoops so much that he played in the remainder of Oklahoma’s games and finished the season with 171 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. Following a big spring game, Sooners fans have already begun clamoring for him to see more playing time.

Stoops said that is unlikely to happen yesterday. He doesn’t want to alternate quarterbacks, and likes the big-play capabilities Jones brings to the field with his arm. But Bell will definitely continue to be a threat near the goal line.

If not for Klein first rushing for 1,141 yards and 27 touchdowns as a junior, that might not be the case.

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A few minutes with … Sean Snyder

July 23, 20121:47 p.m.

Sean Snyder is coming off his first season as Kansas State’s special teams coordinator, and he can’t wait for year No. 2 to start. The son of Wildcats football coach Bill Snyder has been associated with the program for years, and he likes the direction it is going.

He thinks highly of both kicker Anthony Cantele and punter Ryan Doerr. With both coming back as veterans, he thinks K-State’s special teams unit is capable of big things.

While participating in Big 12 Media Days alongside his father, he discussed those topics and more on Monday. Here is the conversation:

How did you enjoy your first year as special teams coordinator?

I enjoyed it a great deal. The transitional part was interesting, because I had to just get my hands on a lot of different things. That was probably the most difficult part. But being able to get on the field and coach the kids and watch them develop was great.

One of the things that made it a lot easier is all our coaches are instrumental in special teams. We didn’t really have a major hiccup in the transition, because all of our coaches are involved in special teams and they have been for years. We all worked together and made the transition smooth. The players handled it very well.

K-State special teams appear to be in good shape with Anthony Cantele returning at kicker and Ryan Doerr coming back as punter. How much of an advantage is it to have two experienced guys at those positions?

It helps a lot. The more returners you have back the more comfort you have. What I like about those guys is they have the drive to get better. They want to get better and know how to get better. I think they have gotten better and I expect a strong year for them. That part of it is good. There is some stability and continuity there. The new guys who are coming on the unit can learn it fast.
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Collin Klein, Nigel Malone, Arthur Brown nominated for national awards

July 9, 201210:25 a.m.

The Kansas State football team was well represented on the national awards front Monday morning.

Three Wildcats were named to preseason watch lists for some of the most prestigious awards in college football.

Senior quarterback Collin Klein is up for the Maxwell Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s top collegiate football player. Senior cornerback Nigel Malone and senior linebacker Arthur Brown are both up for the Bednarik Award, which is given to the nation’s top defensive player at the end of each season.

Klein is one of 65 total players, including 11 from the Big 12, named to the Maxwell watch list. He is the third player in K-State history to make the list and the first since Darren Sproles in 2004.

Brown was a semifinalist for the Bednarik last season, but Malone is in the mix for the first time. They are the third and fourth K-State players to be considered for the award and the first since Chris Canty in 1996.

A list of semifinalists for both awards will be announced on Oct. 29, with the field being cut to finalists on Nov. 19. Both awards will be presented Dec. 6 during the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show.

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How Arkansas locked down Bobby Petrino

Jan. 4, 20128:47 a.m.

BOBBY PETRINO

“The mirror image buyout provisions included in the terms of the agreement reflect both parties’ serious commitment to each other and the long-term success of Razorback Football.”

-Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long

Dec. 11, 2010

Even in the crazy world of college football, Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino’s contract is unique.

Petrino, just completing his fourth season with the Razorbacks, is signed through 2017 at a clip of $3.56 million/year, plus bonus clauses in tune to $300,000 for winning the BCS, $150,000 for playing in the BCS title game and $125,000 for just getting in a BCS bowl game.

Phenomenal numbers, sure, but for a football nomad like Petrino, it’s the buyout clause that makes you think he might be in Fayetteville for a long time.

Under the parameters of Petrino’s new contract — signed last December after the Florida job came open and Petrino quickly became a candidate to replace Urban Meyer – he owes the school $18 million if leaves this year (it goes down a paltry $25G in 2013), $14.5 million if leaves in 2014, $10.8 million in 2015, $7.4 million in 2016 and $3.9 million in 2017, the final year of the deal. Conversely, the school owes Petrino the same amounts if they were to fire him in any of those years.

So if you want to find Bobby Petrino from now until 2017, just look on the Arkansas sideline. Or in the Razorbacks’ new, $35 million football complex – nicknamed, of course, “Bobby’s Bunker.”

Click here if you’d like to get a look at the contract itself.

I’m out.

TA

 

By Tony Adame | Tags: , , Filed under Football | Comments Off

All about Arkansas

Jan. 3, 20128:50 a.m.

Joe Adams (3) and Tyler Wilson (8)

I’ve been in Texas since Saturday and have been spending most of my time focused on Arkansas and it’s been a lot of fun getting to know some of these players and coaches. They’re a confident bunch, as they should be, and they attribute most of that to the rigors of going through a season in the SEC and coming out 10-2. If you didn’t know by now, the Razorbacks’ two losses were both blowouts at the hands of the two teams in the BCS title game – fellow SEC teams Alabama and LSU – and they feel like had they managed to win one of those games they’d be in the BCS title game. Here’s five thoughts about the Hogs as we gear up for Gameday:

1. They feel like K-State is coming into their house – The Razorbacks are 3-0 at Cowboys Stadium, with all of their wins coming over Texas A&M in the Southwest Classic. That, and Arkansas alumnus Jerry Jones owning the stadium make them feel like it’s one of 3 places they have home-field advantage, along with Reynolds Stadium in Fayetteville and War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. Several players I talked to said they feel like K-State playing here for the first time also will factor in and it’s hard to disagree. Try getting on that field and not being a little bit in awe. But, as Arthur Brown told me, “We’re going to get all of our stares out of the way in practice so we’re not looking around during the game.”

2. Look up for offense – Arkansas QB Tyler Wilson pointed out, twice, that K-State’s secondary gives up a lot of big plays. And he’s got playmakers all around. Wilson’s eyes had to light up when he saw the passing totals put up against the Wildcats by QBs like Oklahoma’s Landry Jones (520 yards), Oklahoma State’s Brandon Weeden (502), Texas Tech’s Seth Doege (461) and Baylor’s Robert Griffin III (346). Wilson will test the KSU defensive backs early and often.

3. NFL material – Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino has done a great job of recruiting in almost four seasons in Fayetteville, specifically in bringing in NFL-caliber talent. A lot of the Razorbacks’ starters on both sides of the ball are guys you will see playing on Sundays, and if you want an example…

4. Try Alvin – Arkansas redshirt sophomore guard Alvin Bailey is already one of the best offensive linemen in the SEC and is only getting better. The 6-foot-5, 320-pounder from Broken Arrow, Okla., is the No. 1-rated guard in the 2014 NFL Draft class according to NFLdraftscout.com and of all the people I’ve talked to this week about who is ready for The League on the Arkansas roster, he’s the name that always comes up. Also, not a Cowboys fan. “It doesn’t matter how many times we play (at Cowboys Stadium),” Bailey told me. “I’ll always love the Ravens.”

5. Friday’s Eagle will be off the hook – This is the shameless, self-promoting part of this blog post. Check Friday’s Eagle for our special Cotton Bowl section.

I’m out.

TA

By Tony Adame | Tags: , , Filed under Football | Comments Off

When bad haircuts help a football team

Sept. 1, 20115:40 p.m.

As the Kansas State football team got deeper and deeper into fall training camp, coaches decided to reward players with a handful of shorter practices and a pool party.

That gave the Wildcats extra time to unwind and relax. It also gave them time away from the football field in which to bond as a group.

“Coach let us get our legs back and off the field a little bit,” said senior safety Tysyn Hartman. “We had the chance to come closer together as a team.”

Still, none of that could compare to what helped K-State players become better friends while living together in dorms: Haircuts.

Bad ones. Horrific looks you only allow when you know your head will be covered up with a helmet most of the time.

“Everybody new to camp got one,” senior cornerback David Garrett said. “Some of us made players look kind of presentable. A few people on offense just gave buzz cuts. The defense gave a bunch of forest cuts around the head. They were pretty bad.”
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A look at K-State’s new football field

April 22, 201111:31 a.m.

Kansas State will soon install new turf at Snyder Family Stadium. Above is what it will look like when painted.

The turf itself will be a special product from AstroTurf, called GameDay Grass. K-State will be the first Football Bowl Subdivision member to use it.

It will feature AstroTurf’s revolutionary new Horseshoe fiber, which is an “Omega” shape with two end columns with a thicker diameter. The design imparts mechanical memory so that the fiber remains upright longer — and looks like real grass — unlike other fields whose fibers quickly flatten and split or shred at the spine.

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