Three questions for Kansas State football after a dominating victory over TCU
MANHATTAN — Much as the victory at Texas Tech the previous week was a testament to the Kansas State football team's resilience, Saturday's 41-3 blowout of TCU at Bill Snyder Family showed how good the Wildcats can be when everybody is on the same page.
It was easily the most complete performance by the Wildcats since the start of league play and kept them in the hunt for a spot in the Big 12 championship game at 3-1 with a 5-2 overall record.
"I thought when we left Texas Tech, we were becoming a little bit better football team in all phases, and it clicked tonight," head coach Chris Klieman said of the TCU game. "We talked about this: when a bunch of guys love each other and they don't care who gets credit, really special things can happen. It happened tonight."
The offense reached the end zone on its first three possessions and got points on five of six in the first half, piling up 587 total yards for the game with a season-high 343 on the ground. Will Howard and Avery Johnson alternated series at quarterback and both were productive, as were running backs DJ Giddens and Treshaun Ward.
Defensively, the Wildcats limited TCU to 300 total yards and kept the Horned Frogs out of the end zone. Redshirt freshman quarterback Josh Hoover, who threw for 439 yards the previous week against Brigham Young managed just 187 with no completion longer than 16 yards.
Back-to-back victories don't mean that there are no questions facing the Wildcats as they prepare for an 11 a.m. visit from Houston on Saturday, in a game that can be seen on ESPN2. Here are three to ponder going into the week.
Related: Kansas State football finds winning quarterback formula with Will Howard and Avery Johnson
Have the Wildcats settled on a quarterback formula?
Fans were clamoring for true freshman Johnson to take over at quarterback last week after a breakout performance at Texas Tech and a pair of subpar games from starter Howard.
The Wildcats' solution was to start them both, with Johnson lining up at wide receiver on the first play and running a jet sweep, though Howard got the first series behind center.
Howard completed 10 of 16 passes for 154 yards and three touchdowns, plus rushed for 62 yards on four carries. Johnson was 5 of 10 passing for 90 yards and a score with 73 rushing yards on 16 attempts.
So, will Klieman and offensive coordinator Collin Klein continue to deploy the two quarterbacks the same way going forward?
"I don't know. I don't think so," Klieman said of the rotation. "But like last week, it worked.
"Will Howard is our unquestioned leader on this football team, and it was hard on Will (the past two weeks), but he is the lifeblood of our offense, and that kid is still a captain, and that kid is still a guy that hoisted a Big 12 championship trophy. He played well (and) Avery played well. We're going to need both of those guys, as we have a lot of football left."
Related: Here are Kansas State football's grades after dismantling TCU
Was the TCU game a turning point for the defense?
That was certainly the best K-State's defense has looked since shutting down Southeast Missouri State and Troy to open the season.
Other than a couple of long runs by TCU back Emani Bailey, who rushed for 100 yards, they limited the explosive plays. That in itself was a triumph.
Even though they produced just two tackles for loss — both sacks — they made life difficult for young quarterback Hoover, who made just his second career start.
"That's a really good offense, averaging 40 points or something, but more importantly 80 plays," Klieman said of TCU. "We had a great plan and those kids executed at a high level."
But it should be noted that in all three Wildcat conference victories — Central Florida, Texas Tech and TCU — they have faced backup quarterbacks. That won't be the case this week against Houston and Donovan Smith, the Texas Tech transfer.
Related: Kansas State football vs. TCU: Scouting report, prediction
Has K-State's offensive line finally hit its stride?
The Wildcats' offensive line took heat early in the season for its inability to protect Howard in the passing game while producing mediocre results on the ground.
But now that it is back at full strength with the return of tackle Christian Duffie, the Wildcats have turned into maulers up front. Carver Willis has settled in nicely platooning with Duffie at right tackle, while Hadley Panzer and Taylor Poitier make a nice combo at right guard.
Hayden Gillum has been steady at center, and the left-side duo of All-American Cooper Beebe at guard and KT Leveston at tackle is as good as they come.
The 343 rushing yards Saturday were a high-water mark, but they now have gone over 200 on the ground in all five conference games, including 281 against UCF and 272 last week at Texas Tech.
Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Three questions for Kansas State football ahead of Houston home game
