Does "New" Equal "Better" for Kansas State?
2 comments so far
August 8, 2006 by
Previewing Kansas State
No mention of Kansas State can open without the obligatory nod to Bill Snyder's accomplishment. Taking KSU from perennial cellar dweller to a conference champion is certainly laudable. However, the last few seasons of the Snyder era leave questions for first-year coach Ron Prince to answer. Coming off of consecutive losing seasons, what kind of team does Prince inherit? And, can the enthusiasm of this first-year head coach and his young staff make up for lack of experience?
Ron Prince is charismatic, thoughtful and hard working. Those are all great talents and traits for a head coach, but that doesn't change the fact that he's never been one before. There will be moments when he must learn on the fly, certainly. His assistants must do so as well. The offensive and defensive coordinators were both assistant position coaches at their previous jobs. I'm not saying they aren't talented or capable, just that their last assignments were a little bit further from the "line of fire" than many of their Big 12 peers.
Kansas State returns 17 total starters from last year's team. Though, that may not mean much as Prince and company have opened up competition for every starting spot. On offense, KSU has some nice skill players. Thomas Clayton is an explosive running back, and Jordy Nelson and Yamon Figurs offer experience at wide receiver. The question remains about how they'll adapt to the new scheme. At quarterback, Prince has options - maybe too many of them. Returning starter Allan Everidge and senior Dylan Meier lead a pack that includes freshman Josh Freeman. Prince must settle on one by season's start, because a starting QB is seldom successful when he is constantly having to look over his shoulder. The problem for KSU's offense may really be a relatively young and inexperienced offensive line. This group must develop and play well for KSU to be productive on offense.
On defense, the Wildcats are led by their linebackers, particularly All-Big 12 pick Brandon Archer. The healthy return of playmaking safety Marcus Watts would mean a lot for the defensive backfield. But, KSU must improve on last years anemic pass rush in order to improve their total defense.
Kansas State opens with a couple of cream puffs - Illinois State and Florida Atlantic. So, the team will have a chance to get their feet wet before the tougher non-conference games, Marshall and pre-season #13 Louisville. The outcomes of those games will tell fans an awful lot about this KSU team. Get out of those at 4-0 or 3-1 with a close loss, and Prince could have something cooking. If they are 2-2 or worse, that might be an indicator of a long season.
The conference schedule sets up pretty well for KSU, with two of their three south games coming against Baylor and Oklahoma State, who are predicted to finish near the bottom of that division. Though, I think their Sept 30th game against the improving Baylor Bears the week after their tussle with Louisville has all the makings of a "trap" game for the Wildcats. The other south tilt is against mighty Texas at home late in the season. Thankfully for KSU fans, they get the two teams most favored to with the North - Nebraska and Iowa State - at home. A win in one of those games would open the door of possibility. Whether they walk through that door will be determined by their road games against North schools. KSU plays at Missouri, at Colorado, and at hated rival Kansas to close the year.
So, can the Huskers get their first win in Manhattan since 1996? Wait, can that be right? Yep...1996. Nobody will know for sure until we see what kind of team and scheme Prince and company roll out. But, based on the teams' overall talent pools, and the fact that and KSU is knee deep in transition while NU is gelling under Callahan, I'd say the odds of an NU win are pretty good. That might make for a nice migration game, Husker fans...
Nothing is ever tougher than the first time you try it. Given the changes at the top, I'd say KSU fans should be very happy if the team qualifies for a bowl for the first time in 3 years. NU fans can relate to the frustration of having a potentially good defense hamstrung by an inconsistent offense (cough...2004...cough). So, I'm predicting 5-7 or 6-6 for KSU this year.
More 2006 Previews: Louisiana Tech, Nicholls State, USC, Troy, Kansas, Iowa State, Kansas State, Texas, Oklahoma State, Missouri, Texas A&M, Colorado
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phatcats Aug 08 06
I enjoyed reading your article, amazing as that sounds I know. Anyway, I feel that you are off a bit on the offensive line. In fact, that maybe where we have some of the most experience.
Last year as you recall KSU lost most of the OL starters early in the year, which opened the door for some of the younger guys to gain the much needed experience. With all those guys back, I feel that will help in the transition to an new offense.
darren Aug 08 06
Phatcats,
Glad you enjoyed the article. I tried to put my bile toward KSU aside, and write a fair preview. It wasn't about my personal opinion as much as what might happen this season.
About your o-line, that doesn't change the fact that they are redshirt freshman and sophomores. By default, that makes them young and inexperienced (i.e. not 3rd or 4th year players). I get what you are saying though. NU's O-line has similar situation with a couple of players (Slauson and Murtha) who got meaningful reps as Frosh last year, and could turn the corner this year. All the same, every team would rather have more experience than youth at O-line.