2004 Kansas State Football
Game 4
(rv/rv) Kansas State (2-1/0-0)
at Texas A&M (2-1/0-0)
Saturday, Oct. 2, 2004
6 p.m. (Central)
Kyle Field (82,600)
College Station, Texas
Kickoff: 6:10 p.m.
Television: Live nationally on TBS/Superstation. Ron Thulin will call the play-by-play with Charles Davis serving as the color analyst. Craig Sager is the broadcast's sideline reporters.
Radio: Live across the 29-station Mid America Sports Network. Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play), Stan Weber (color) and Chris Allison (sideline) serve as the on-air talent.
On the Web: A live audio stream of all Kansas State football games is available via the Internet at K-State's official site, www.k-statesports.com. Click the “Live Audio” link on the left side of the home page.
Records: Both teams enter Saturday’s game with 2-1 records. Kansas State concluded its pre-conference slate with a 40-20 win over Louisiana-Lafayette, while Texas A&M was a 27-6 winner over Clemson in its final non-league tune-up.
Rankings: For the third straight week, Kansas State is receiving votes in both the AP Top 25 and ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll.
Series: Texas A&M leads the all-time series, 6-4, and has won the last three in a row over K-State, including the last meeting in College Station in 2000.
Coaches: Kansas State's Bill Snyder is 129-56-1 (.696) in 16 seasons with the Wildcats. Dennis Franchione is 6-9 (.400) in his second season with the Aggies. He owns a career mark of 161-82-2 (.661) in 22 years as a head coach.
Kansas State opens Big 12 play at Texas A&M
With its lone bye week of the 2004 season now in the rear view mirror, Kansas State gets back to work Saturday at 6:10 p.m. (CDT), when the Wildcats travel to College Station, Texas, to face Texas A&M. The game, which will serve as the Big 12 opener for both teams, marks the second straight year that K-State will be making its conference debut in the Lone Star State. It will also be the Wildcats’ second national television appearance of the young season as TBS/Superstation will be on hand to broadcast the game live with Ron Thulin (play-by-play) and Charles Davis (analyst) calling the action.
K-State, A&M out to keep things rolling
Both Kansas State and Texas A&M had an extra week to prepare for Saturday’s game and both will be looking to build on some recent success after concluding non-league play with 2-1 records. The Wildcats bounced back nicely from their setback vs. Fresno State with a 40-20 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette behind a school-record 292-yard rushing performance from Heisman Trophy candidate Darren Sproles. Texas A&M also appears to have gotten its season back on track. After a tough start at Utah, the Aggies have roared back to life with a 31-0 shutout of Wyoming and a 27-6 win over Clemson.
Cats Super on the Superstation
Kansas State, 4-0 all-time on the Superstation, will be making its fifth appearance on TBS. The Wildcats won both of their games on the Superstation during 2002, defeating USC and Iowa State. K-State also knocked off Missouri on TBS in 2003 last season. K-State's only other airing on TBS was a 36-7 victory over Kansas in 1982.
Conference call
Kansas State will make its first conference call of the season when the Wildcats travel to College Station. K-State is 4-4 and 2-4 on the road in Big 12 openers since the conference's formation in 1996, and will be out to snap a three-game slide in league lid-lifters. The Wildcats fell at Oklahoma in 2001, 38-37; at Colorado in 2002, 35-31; and at Texas, 24-20 last season after going 4-1 in conference debuts during the first five years of the league. Overall, Kansas State is 8-7 in conference openers under head coach Bill Snyder.
On the road again
For the sixth straight season, Kansas State will be making its Big 12 debut on enemy turf. Overall, the Wildcats are 2-4 when opening conference play on the road. Overall, K-State's 2004 league lid-lifter at Texas A&M marks the seventh time in the nine-year history of the Big 12 that the Cats have opened conference action away from KSU Stadium. Only Oklahoma State, which opens its 2004 league schedule at home vs. Iowa State on Oct. 2, has had more road debuts with eight. Texas Tech made its seventh on Sept. 25, at Kansas. And there appears to be no end in sight as Kansas State is scheduled to open its Big 12 season on the road in 2005 (at Oklahoma), 2006 (at Baylor) and 2007 (at Texas) as well, according to the league’s master schedule.
Cats back in Aggieland
Kansas State will be making its first appearance at Kyle Field in four years and just its second in College Station since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996. The Wildcats are 1-1 at Kyle Field since the formation of the Big 12 and 2-2 overall. K-State played its first game in College Station in 1912.
Deep in the heart of Texas
Kansas State has enjoyed more than its fare share of success against the Big 12’s Lone Star State teams. The Wildcats are 11-5 vs. the league's Texas teams since joining the Big 12 conference (not counting conference title match-ups), including a 5-3 mark on the road. All-time, K-State is 15-15 against the state of Texas’ Big 12 members.
Nocturnal Cats
Nighttime has been the right time for Kansas State of late. Since the start of the 2002 season, the Wildcats are a sparkling 11-2 in evening kicks, including a 10-1 mark in non-bowl games. In fact, K-State is riding a seven-game winning streak in non-bowl night games entering Saturday’s tilt at Texas A&M, with a 1-0 record thus far in 2004 in evening contests. The Cats are also 17-7 in televised night games under Bill Snyder.
Inside the series
Kansas State and Texas A&M are meeting for just the 11th time in a series that dates to 1912.
The Wildcats have won four of the previous 10 encounters and will be out to snap a three-game slide vs. the Aggies.
K-State is 2-2 all time in College Station, winning the first ever game between the two schools in 1912 as well as the first Big 12 meeting in 1996.
K-State and Texas A&M have split their four games since the two schools joined the Big 12, with each team winning once on the road and once at home.
Texas A&M handed Kansas State a 36-33 double overtime loss in an epic battle between the two programs in the 1998 Big 12 Championship game played in St. Louis. It is Kansas State’s one and only overtime game in the program’s history.
Three of the five games between K-State and Texas A&M since the formation of the Big 12 have been decided by a touchdown or less.
Big time in the Big 12
Since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996, no team has won more conference games than Kansas State. K-State, which has won over 75 percent of its Big 12 games (not including championship games), is 49-15 in league play and will be bidding to become the first team in the conference to hit the 50-win mark Saturday night at Texas A&M.
Cats also top dogs on the road
Since the inception of the Big 12, Kansas State has been the conference's top road team, winning nearly 70 percent of its games in enemy stadiums. In eight years, the Wildcats are 22-10 when playing on the Big 12 road. K-State brings a two-game Big 12 road winning streak into Saturday's game at Texas A&M. Including the 2003 Big 12 Championship game, K-State has won three straight Big 12 contests when playing away from Manhattan.
Southern comfort
Kansas State holds one of the Big 12’s best records in inter-divisional play. Not including Big 12 Championship games, K-State is 16-8 vs. Big 12 South opposition since the inception of the league. The Wildcats have posted perfect 3-0 marks against the South four times, going undefeated in 1996, ’97, ’98 and ’99.
Non-conference success
With its 2-1 pre-conference record, Kansas State improved to 57-12 overall vs. non-conference opposition under Head Coach Bill Snyder, including a 56-9 record since the start of the 1990 season... Of the nine losses since 1990, five occurred in bowl games, giving K-State a 49-4 record in all regular-season non-conference games over the past 15 seasons... The Wildcats' win over Louisiana-Lafayette improved K-State to 45-4 in all non-conference home games under Snyder, with a 44-2 mark at KSU Stadium since the start of the 1990 campaign... The win also secured K-State’s 15th consecutive winning non-conference record.
K-State has most wins since 1997
Since the start of the 1997 season, no team in college football has won more games than Kansas State. The Wildcats’ victory over Louisiana-Lafayette was its 74th. K-State is now in a three-way tie with Florida State and Nebraska for the most wins over the last eight seasons, including the young 2004 campaign.
Bye benefits
Giving Head Coach Bill Snyder's coaching staff an extra week to prepare had traditionally been bad news for Kansas State opponents. The Wildcats have had 13 previous mid-season bye weeks in Snyder's 15 seasons at K-State and have turned the extra week of preparation into a 10-3 record the following week. Still, Kansas State will be out to reverse a recent trend that has seen the Cats drop each of their last two games following a bye - in 2002 at Colorado and in 2003 at Texas. Below is a recap of K-State's results coming off a bye under Snyder:
Bye Week Next Game
Off 10/5/91 returned to beat Kansas, 16-12
Off 10/2/93 returned to beat Kansas, 10-9
Off 9/10/94 returned to beat Rice, 27-18
Off 10/1/94 returned to win at Kansas, 21-13
Off 9/16/95 returned to beat Akron, 67-0
Off 9/28/96 returned to lose to Nebraska, 39-3
Off 11/2/96 returned to win at Kansas, 38-12
Off 9/20/97 returned to beat Bowling Green, 58-0
Off 10/3/98 returned to win at Colorado, 16-9
Off 9/9/2000 returned to beat Ball State, 76-0
Off 9/15/2001 returned to beat New Mexico State, 64-0
Off 9/28/2002 returned to lose at Colorado, 35-31
Off 9/27/2003 returned to lose at Texas, 24-20
Bouncing back
Kansas State continued its trend of successfully bouncing back from a loss with its 40-20 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette. The Wildcats, who had their eight-game non-bowl win streak snapped by Fresno State, improved to 16-6 when coming off a loss following their victory over the Ragin' Cajuns. Overall, the win improved Kansas State to 9-2 in its last 11 games.
Field position flip-flop
After having an average starting field position of its own 28-yard-line in the first two games of the season, Kansas State produced a dramatic turnaround in starting field position last Saturday vs. Louisiana-Lafayette. On 12 drives, K-State’s average starting field position was its own 43, with six drives starting in Ragin’ Cajun territory. And the Wildcats were able to take advantage of the short fields, producing points an all six drives. In fact, just one of Kansas State’s seven scoring drives started in Wildcat territory, when K-State engineered a 12-play, 80-yard touchdown drive on its first possession of the second half.
Rushing to victory
With its dominating 393-yard rushing performance vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, Kansas State closed out the non-conference portion of its schedule by outrushing two of three opponents. Overall, the Wildcats have outgained the opposition by over 100 yards per game on the ground thus far in 2004, compiling 758 yards to 447.
Kansas State, which ranks No. 14 nationally in rushing this week with 252.7 yards per game, has outrushed 27 of its last 31 opponents. And when K-State has it rolling on the ground, the Wildcats have been nearly unbeatable. Over the last 31 games K-State is a sparkling 24-3 when outrushing the opposition. However, the Wildcats are 0-4 when failing to outgain a foe on the ground, including in their loss to Fresno State on Sept. 11.
Rushing machine
Kansas State’s 393-yard rushing outburst vs. Louisiana-Lafayette was just the latest in a long string of impressive rushing performances by the Wildcats. The figure, which stands as the seventh-best ever by K-State, marks the second time this season that the Cats have gone over the 300-yard mark on the ground. It is also the 12th time in the last 17 games and the 17th time in the last 24 games that Kansas State has rushed for at least 200 yards.
K-State’s performance vs. the ULL continued a trend that has seen the Wildcats become one of the nation’s most dominant rushing programs. In the last eight games of the 2003 campaign, the Wildcats piled up a number of staggering performances, including 292 yards vs. Oklahoma, 248 yards at Nebraska, 367 yards vs. Missouri, 257 yards vs. Kansas, 234 yards against Baylor and 356 at Iowa State. The Cats opened 2004 with 306 yards on the ground vs. Western Kentucky.
Five yards and a cloud of dust
Kansas State may have thrown the ball only 54 times this season, but when you’re averaging just a hair under five yards per pop on the ground there’s really not a lot of incentive for putting the ball in the air. And its not like the Cats have been padding their stats with long runs. K-State has just six rushes over 20 yards on the year with the longest being a 35-yard touchdown sprint by Darren Sproles vs. UL-Lafayette. Overall, Kansas State’s top three rushers are each averaging 4.7 yards per carry or better this season, including Sproles (6.0 ypg) and Thomas Clayton (5.4 ypc), who are both over five yards per attempt.
Ground game a staple at K-State
Kansas State’s prowess on the ground is nothing new in Manhattan. Thanks in large part to 2004 Heisman Trophy candidate Darren Sproles, Kansas State has rolled up over 3,000 yards on the ground in each of the last two seasons. K-State rushed for 3,429 yards during 2003, falling just shy of the school-record 3,433 yards the Wildcats ground out during 2002.
Kansas State has now topped the 2,000-yard mark and ranked among the nation's top 25 teams in rushing offense in each of the last seven seasons, including three straight top-10 rushing rankings.
Roaring to 40
Kansas State hit the 40-point mark for the first time in 2004 in its victory over Louisiana-Lafayette. And though it is the first real offensive outburst by the Wildcats this season, K-State has been one of the highest scoring teams in college football in recent years. Kansas State, which has ranked in the top 15 nationally in scoring in six of the last seven seasons, scored 40 or more points six times during 2003 and eight times during 2002, when the Cats averaged 44.8 points per game.
Return to sender
Kansas State’s most improved unit in 2004 just may be its kickoff return squad. Through three games, K-State is averaging 34.33 yards per return to rank fourth nationally and No. 1 in the Big 12. The Wildcats are also the only team in the top five without a kickoff return for touchdown. K-State’s kick return unit has been led by Heisman Trophy candidate Darren Sproles, who ranks No. 2 in the country with a 38.5-yard average.
Disciplined Cats
Kansas State has been one of the nation's most disciplined team in the early going. The Wildcats, who ranked third in the Big 12 in penalty yards per game at 48.4 last season, have been even better in 2004. Heading into the Texas A&M game, K-State has been penalized just 15 times for 104 yards for an average of only 34.7 yards per game to rank 14th nationally.
Sproles continues to roll
Senior running back Darren Sproles continues to put up staggering numbers on the ground. Sproles once again re-set the Kansas State rushing record with 292 yards vs. Louisiana-Lafayette. The 292 yards, which topped the previous school record of 273 yards set by Sproles vs. Missouri on Nov. 22, 2003, are the seventh-most in Big 12 history and the most by a Big 12 player since Colorado's Chris Brown rushed for 309 yards against Kansas on Oct. 12, 2002. It also marked the fifth time in the last eight games that the senior has rushed for more than 200 yards, including a 221-yard performance in the season opener vs. Western Kentucky. The rushing total against UL-Lafayette marked Sproles' 21st career 100-yard rushing performance, a figure that is just three behind Ricky Williams’ Big 12 record of 24.
A game in a quarter
Senior Darren Sproles continued to add to his impressive resume vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, posting his seventh career 100-yard rushing quarter with 104 yards in the first 15 minutes vs. the Ragin’ Cajuns. It is the second time already this season that Sproles has rushed for 100 yards in a quarter. Against Western Kentucky, Sproles ripped off 105 yards on 14 third-quarter carries.
Dating to last season, Sproles has now topped 100 yards in a quarter six times in Kansas State’s last nine games, including a career-best 130 yards against Oklahoma in the fourth quarter of the 2003 Big 12 Championship game.
The Heisman Trophy candidate also posted his best career half against UL-Lafayette, galloping to 195 yards by intermission. The figure surpassed his previous best in a half of 186 yards vs. Missouri in 2003.
Sproles eyeing Big 12 records
K-State's career rushing leader, Darren Sproles has amassed an incredible 4,211 yards on 662 carries in just over two seasons as a starter. The figure includes a nation-best 1,986 yards on 306 attempts in 2003 and 550 yards already this season. Sproles' career rushing total ranks third all time in the Big 12 Conference, 1,078 yards behind all-time leader Ricky Williams (5,289). He is also among the conference's top 10 in four other career Big 12 categories, including third in all-purpose yards (5,495), seventh in rushing touchdowns (36), sixth in rushing attempts (662) and ninth in total touchdowns (39).
Just the seventh player in Big 12 history to accumulate 3,000 yards rushing and the first Wildcat to do so, Sproles re-set K-State's single-season rushing record during 2003, shattering the mark he set in 2002 as a sophomore, when he gained 1,465 yards on 237 carries.
Next one's for No. 1
With his next touchdown, Darren Sproles will add yet another Kansas State record to his resume. Sproles notched his 39th career touchdown against Louisiana-Lafayette and now needs just one more to tie Ell Roberson atop K-State’s career touchdown chart. In the Big 12 rankings, Sproles’ 39 scores ranks ninth.
Stronger as the games goes on
When Darren Sproles first burst on the scene as Kansas State’s every-down back in 2002, many questioned the durability of the 5-7, 180-pounder. However, K-State’s “Little Tank” has certainly put to rest any concerns about his ability to handle the wear and tear. Of Sproles seven 100-yard rushing quarters, five have occurred in the second half with three during the fourth quarter. Sproles has also had seven games with at least 25 attempts in his career, including two 40-plus carry games.
Better vs. the Big 12
Since taking over as Kansas State’s feature back at the start of the 2002 season, Darren Sproles has fared much better vs. Big 12 opponents than non-conference foes. In 14 non-conference games, including three this season, Sproles has totalled 1,608 yards for an average of 114.9 per game. Against 17 Big 12 opponents since the start of 2002, however, Sproles has been over 30 yards per game better, gaining 2,506 yards for an average of 147.4 yards per game.
All-purpose, all the time
Darren Sproles, who ranks No. 1 nationally this week in all-purpose yardage, No. 2 in kickoff returns and No. 3 in rushing, re-set the Kansas single-game all-purpose record vs. Louisiana-Lafayette with 351 yards. In addition to his 292 rushing yards, he had a 25-yard punt return, a 35-yard kickoff return and six receiving yards, topping his previous best of 345 yards vs. Oklahoma in the 2003 Big 12 Championship game on Dec. 6, 2003. The senior has now produced over 100 all-purpose yards in 28 of the last 31 games with three plus-300 yard performances.
Sproles nabs POTW honors
On the heels of yet another record-breaking rushing performance, Kansas State running back Darren Sproles was named the SBC Big 12 offensive player of the week for games of Sept. 18. Sproles, Kansas State's all-time leading rusher, was spectacular in the Wildcats' win over Louisiana-Lafayette, slicing up the Ragin' Cajuns for a school single-game record 292 yards on 38 attempts, including a 35-yard touchdown run, for an average of 7.7 yards per carry. He also re-set K-State's single-game all-purpose yardage record with 351 yards en route to his third career Big 12 player-of-the-week award.
Efficiency expert
Quarterback Dylan Meier may not have passed for a ton of yardage just yet, but the sophomore has gotten off to one of the most efficient starts in K-State history. Meier hits this week’s bye with a passing efficiency rating of 144.69, good enough to rank No. 4 in the Big 12. Meier would also rank in the top 25 nationally, just behind Chris Leak of Florida, but does not have enough passing attempts per game to figure in the NCAA rankings. On K-State’s passing efficiency chart, only Michael Bishop (159.6 in 1998) and Matt Miller (157.3 in 1995) have posted higher efficiency ratings in a season.
Coming out party for Clayton
Sophomore Thomas Clayton showed that he just may be the future at running back for Kansas State with his performance vs. Louisiana-Lafayette. Clayton, a transfer from Florida State, averaged 6.4 yards per carry and totaled 58 yards on nine attempts in his first extended playing time. Both were career highs for the sophomore, who had 13 carries and 45 yards in four games as a true freshman for the Seminoles.
Dennis dials long distance
Junior wide receiver Davin Dennis continued his impressive streak of long touchdown catches against Fresno State, when Dylan Meier connected on a career-long 47-yard scoring strike to Dennis in the second quarter. Dennis, who leads the team with 104 receiving yards, is averaging an astounding 38.4 yards on his five career touchdown reception. Last season, all four of Dennis' touchdown catches went for more than 20 yards, including a career-best 57-yard score against Troy State (8/30/03). He also had a 40-yard touchdown catch against Colorado (10/18/03), a 28-yarder against California (8/23/03) and a 20-yard scoring reception against Kansas (10/25/03). Dennis also leads the team in receptions (7) and average per game (34.7) so far this season and is second in yards per catch (14.9).
On the straight and narrow
Though many programs have struggled in the kicking game in 2004, Kansas State has not been one of them thanks to the steady performance of senior place-kicker Joe Rheem. Rheem, a Lou Groza Award candidate, has been perfect on all six field goal attempts and each of his 10 PATs. In fact Rheem, who ranks fourth all time in scoring at K-State with 243 points, has made 47 straight PATs and owns the seventh-longest streak in the nation. On this week’s NCAA field goal chart, Rheem ranks ninth in field goals per game (2.00) and is just one of four place-kickers with at least six attempts to remain perfect on the young season.
Turnover tales
After forcing no turnovers in its season opener, Kansas State’s defense has turned opportunistic in its last two outings with six takeaways. Kansas State snared three interceptions against Fresno State, then came back with two more plus a fumble against Louisiana-Lafayette. The six turnovers are the most in a two-game stretch since the Wildcats forced seven vs. Iowa State (3 interceptions) and Nebraska (2 interceptions/2 fumbles) last season.
Quick picks
Kansas State’s five interceptions in three games rank 24th nationally as the Wildcat defense continues to be tough on opposing quarterbacks. Since the start of the 1999 season, K-State has recorded 104 interceptions to rank among the top five in the country over that span. Kansas State has also recorded at least one interception in 66 of its last 76 games, including 13 of 15 games during 2003 and 2 of 3 this season. In raw numbers, K-State has snared 53 picks in its last 37 games dating to 2001.
Jones shows nose for the ball
In just his second career game, junior defensive back Bret Jones turned in a stellar performance against Fresno State, grabbing two interceptions and returning one for a touchdown. Jones scored his first career touchdown when he intercepted Paul Pinegar's pass and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. His second interception was the feature play on every highlight show, as he halted a Bulldog drive by first tipping then catching a pass on his back at the 2-yard line. Jones became the first Wildcat since Rashad Washington against McNeeese State (9/19/03) to pick off two passes in game and the first to return one for a score since Ted Sims did it against Oklahoma (12/6/03). His two picks this season rank tied for 14th nationally, while his steady play as thrust him to the top of K-State’s depth chart at free safety. He is slated to make his first career start Saturday at Texas A&M.
Tetuan totaling tackles
With 21 starts to his credit, junior defensive back Jesse Tetuan has established himself as one of the main anchors for the Kansas State defense in 2004. The Topeka, Kan., native leads the team in both total tackles (22) and solo tackles (16) with one break-up and and interception after just three games. He has twice as many solo stops as any other member of the team. Against Fresno State, Tetuan posted a career-high 11 tackles, including a career-best eight solo stops. His 22 total stops ranks tied for ninth in the Big 12.
Berry good
DT and leading returning tackler Jermaine Berry recorded seven stops, including a half a sack for a 2-yard loss in the season opener then came back with nine total stops vs. Fresno State and two vs. Louisiana-Lafayette. Despite playing inside, the Lombardi Award Watch List member recorded 82 tackles and seven sacks in 2003. He has 18 thus far in 2004 to rank second on the team. He is also the only defensive tackle listed among the top 25 on the Big 12’s tackle chart. Berry's efforts have not gone unnoticed as he was rated as one of the top defensive tackles in the Big 12 by The Sporting News preseason edition.
Archer on target
Sophomore linebacker Brandon Archer is yet another Wildcat who has emerged into a starter in 2004. The strong-side linebacker ranks third on the team with 15 tackles, including a career-high 11 in his first start against Fresno State to tie Jesse Tetuan for team-high honors vs. the Bulldogs. The St. Paul, Minn., native totaled a career-day across the board vs. FSU, as he registered not only a personal high in tackles (11), but also in solo stops (four) and tackles for loss (1.5). Archer saw action in all 15 games last season after redshirting in 2002, posting 15 tackles on the year, including nine solo stops, with one tackle for loss and a forced fumble.
Watch guys
Five Wildcats have been selected to various preseason college football award preseason watch lists. Headlining the chart is senior running back Darren Sproles, who in addition to being one of the nation’s most talked about Heisman Trophy candidates, has also been included on watch lists for the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Trophy and Doak Walker Award. Other Wildcats on watch lists include: senior defensive tackle Jermaine Berry (Lombardi), senior tight end Brian Casey (Mackey), senior place-kicker Joe Rheem (Groza) and junior linebacker Ted Sims (Butkus).
Cat captains
Five players have been voted by their teammates to serve as captains for the 2004 season. Seniors Darren Sproles and Brian Casey, along with junior Victor Mann will represent the offense, while senior Jermaine Berry and junior Jesse Tetuan were selected on the defensive side of the ball.
First-timers
Four Wildcats recorded career first vs. Louisiana-Lafayette. Outside linebacker Marvin Simmons and defensive tackle Derek Marso each notched their first career starts, while true freshman guard John Hafferty saw his first extensive playing time. Simmons also registered his first career interception, as did sophomore safety Maurice Mack.
Offense sporting youthful glow
Though Kansas State’s offense is primarily led by a senior in Heisman Trophy candidate Darren Sproles, a quick glance at the Wildcat depth chart reveals that 12 of the 24 players listed on the two deep are undercalssmen, including five freshmen. Sophomore quarterbacks Dylan Meier and Allen Webb along with second-year receivers Yamon Figurs and Jermaine Moreira and running back Thomas Clayton have played prominent roles thus far in 2004, while freshmen linemen John Hafferty, Ryan Schmidt and Logan Robinson as well as sophomore Greg Wafford continue to push for playing time. In fact, Hafferty, a true freshman, is listed as an either/or starter for Saturday’s game at Texas A&M.
Starts piling up for veterans
Several Wildcats are beginning to total some pretty impressive numbers as far as consecutive starts. Here’s a look as K-State’s current list of players with consecutive double-digit starts:
Player Consecutive Starts Career Starts
Darren Sproles, RB 31 31
Mike Johnson, C/G 24 29
Jesse Tetuan, DB 18 21
Jermaine Berry, DT 18 18
Jon Doty, OT 18 18
Jeromey Clary, OT 18 18
