Four things to know about TCU’s next opponent, the Kansas State Wildcats
The payback tour from the 2023 season continues for TCU football this week as the Horned Frogs head to Manhattan to face Kansas State at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
Last week, TCU overcame a 14-point deficit to get payback against Deion Sanders and Colorado, who upset the Horned Frogs in the 2023 season opener.
TCU (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) will hope to have similar success against the Wildcats (2-4, 1-2), who pummeled the Horned Frogs 41-3 in Manhattan that same season. The previous year, Kansas State beat TCU 31-28 in overtime in the Big 12 championship game, though the Horned Frogs still advanced to the College Football Playoff.
It’s a pivotal game for both teams if they hope to keep pace in this season’s Big 12 title race. The Wildcats’ backs are already against the wall with two conference losses, and another would end their slim hopes of making it to Arlington.
TCU doesn’t have much room for error, either, with a brutal close to the season coming against the likes of Iowa State, BYU and now even a surprising Cincinnati team.
Here’s four things to know about TCU’s next opponent, the Kansas State Wildcats:
Another mobile quarterback
For the fourth straight week, the Horned Frogs will face a quarterback who is at his best outside of the pocket.
Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson was one of the most significant recruits to sign with the Wildcats and was deemed the future of the program last season. There was so much belief in Johnson that Kansas State encouraged Will Howard to enter the transfer portal, and he ended up leading Ohio State to the national championship.
Johnson’s second season as the starter hasn’t gone as planned, with the Wildcats underachieving amid some early struggles meshing with offensive coordinator Matt Wells. Johnson has played well in the past two games, including accounting for 416 yards (344 passing, 72 rushing) and three touchdowns in the Wildcats’ 35-34 loss to Baylor on Saturday. Johnson also had a quarterback rating of 91.5 in a 34-20 win over Central Florida on Sept. 27.
But it begs the question, was that about Johnson turning the corner or about the competition K-State has faced? UCF could be one of the worst teams in the Big 12, while Baylor has one of the worst defenses in the conference.
Johnson has thrown for 1,363 yards, 10 touchdowns and two interceptions this season while rushing for 209 yards and three scores on the ground. Despite his inconsistencies as a passer at times, Johnson will still be one of the most dynamic quarterbacks TCU has faced.
Dynamic skill talent?
Kansas State hasn’t been known for producing explosive skill players with the exception of Darren Sproles, but the Wildcats have more speed than usual on the roster this year.
Wide receiver Jayce Brown leads Kansas State with 390 receiving yards and three touchdowns. The Wildcats also aren’t afraid to use him in the run game; he has 104 yards and another score on the ground.
Brown is the best vertical threat on the team and is also elusive when he’s used in the screen game or receives jet sweeps.
Another name to know is running back Dylan Edwards, a Colorado transfer who is finally healthy and making a big impact. Edwards has 205 rushing yards and is averaging 6.0 yards per carry with two touchdowns, including rushing for 166 yards on 20 carries in the win over UCF. At his best, Edwards can impact the game as a runner, receiver and on special teams.
The rest of the Kansas State offense is solid, but these two players are the home run hitters who can produce the most chunk plays. TCU must keep both in check.
Strong linebacker duo
TCU linebackers Kaleb Elarms-Orr and Namdi Obiazor have an argument for being the best linebacker duo in the Big 12. Their biggest competition would likely be in Manhattan, as Austin Romaine and Desmond Purnell have been the Wildcats’ best defenders.
Romaine, a preseason All-Big 12 selection, is tied atop the conference with 30 solo tackles this season. Purnell has 23 solo stops and 32 total. Both are strong against the run and are better than one might think dropping into coverage.
Romaine can single-handedly disrupt an offense’s game plan if he isn’t accounted for.
What’s gone wrong this season?
Despite having some strong individual players, Kansas State has fallen well short of its preseason expectations of being a Big 12 and College Football Playoff contender. So what’s gone wrong? How could a team this talented lose to Army and struggle to beat North Dakota?
Part of it was the offense’s lack of an identity early after Wells got the bump up from co-offensive coordinator to leading the unit by himself. Johnson failed to throw for more than 200 yards in losses to Army and Arizona, only managing 88 against the Wildcats.
After going three games without scoring more than 21 points against power conference opponents, Kansas State has scored 34 in back-to-back weeks, which indicates some progress.
Defensively, the Wildcats have taken a step back and rank 93rd in the nation in scoring defense. Outside of sacks, Kansas State is the bottom half of most major defensive categories. The unit isn’t bad — it has too many playmakers for that — but it wasn’t good enough to overcome an offense that was struggling to find itself.
It should also be noted that all four of the Wildcats’ losses were by a single possession. Despite the flaws, Kansas State is a few plays away from being 5-1 or even 6-0.
The Wildcats can’t be overlooked, especially in Manhattan.
