No. 19 K-State Opens 2017 Campaign Against Central Arkansas

Saturday, September 2

Manhattan, Kan.

6:10 p.m.

Kansas State University

Central Arkansas

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No. 19 K-State Opens 2017 Campaign Against Central Arkansas

Aug 28, 2017 | Football

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Garnering a preseason ranking for the second time in four years, K-State (20th AP, 19th Coaches') opens the 2017 season against a ranked FCS opponent in No. 15 Central Arkansas on Saturday night at 6:10 p.m., inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The contest will be shown on ESPN3 and also available on the WatchESPN app with Brian Smoller (play-by-play) and former Wildcat tight end Travis Tannahill (analyst) on the call.

The game can be heard across the 40-station K-State Sports Network with Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play), former K-State quarterback Stan Weber (analyst) and Matt Walters (sidelines) calling the action. The game will also be on Sirius channel 157, XM Channel 202 and in addition to the TuneIn app. Live stats are available at k-statesports.com, while Twitter updates (@ kstate_gameday, @KStateFB) will all be a part of the coverage.

A LOOK AT K-STATE
• Entering his 26th season at the helm of the Wildcats, College Football Hall of Famer Bill Snyder brings back 44 letterwinners – including 18 starters – from last year's squad that earned a 9-4 record.
• Eight of the returning starters picked up All-Big 12 accolades in 2016, including Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year D.J. Reed (DB) and Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year Reggie Walker (DE).
• The K-State defense has six starters returning, which includes three on the line and three in the secondary. The Wildcats must break in a new set of starting linebackers, but players with experience are back and vying for the top spots.
• Senior Jesse Ertz returns at quarterback after starting all 13 games a year ago as he was one of just four players in the nation last year to throw for 1,500 yards and rush for 1,000 yards.
• The Wildcats' rushing attack is deep with Alex Barnes, Justin Silmon and Dalvin Warmack looking to share the load in the backfield.
• Protecting Ertz and opening up holes in the running game, five players that made at least five starts along the offensive line are back, including a pair of 13-game starters at tackle in Scott Frantz (LT) and Dalton Risner (RT).

A LOOK AT CENTRAL ARKANSAS
• Central Arkansas also returns 18 starters from a squad that went 10-3, including an 8-1 mark in Southland Conference play, as the Bears reached the second round of the 2016 FCS Playoffs.
• UCA is ranked 15th in both the Preseason FCS Coaches Poll and STATS FCS Top 25.
• Led by fourth-year head coach Steve Campbell, UCA brings back its entire offensive line, a senior starting quarterback in Hayden Hildebrand and its top running back from 2016 in Carlos Blackman.

A LOOK AT THE SERIES
• Saturday marks the first meeting between K-State and Central Arkansas.
• K-State is 2-0 all time against current members of the Southland Conference. The Wildcats topped McNeese State, 55-14, in 2003, while they opened the 2014 season with a 55-16 victory over Stephen F. Austin.

SEASON OPENERS
• K-State owns an 82-34-5 (.698) record all-time in season openers, including a 22-3 mark under Bill Snyder.
• K-State holds an 89-27-5 (.756) record all-time in home openers.
• Under Snyder, the Wildcats are 23-2 (.920) in their home debut.

SEASON NO. 122
• Saturday's contest marks the beginning of the 122nd season of football at Kansas State.
• The Wildcats enter the year with an all-time record of 518-635-41 (.451).
• Of the 518 wins, 39-percent have come under Bill Snyder (202 wins).

NON-CONFERENCE NOTABLES
• Since 1990, K-State has won 74 of its 84 (.881) regular-season non-conference games under Bill Snyder, including 64-of-68 (.941) at home.
• K-State has had perfect regular season non-conference ledgers in 15 of the last 24 years.

SNYDER IN SEPTEMBER
• Fast starts have propelled the Wildcats to winning seasons under Bill Snyder. Since 1992 under Snyder, K-State is a combined 64-8 (.889) in September.
• Of the losses, five came on the road, as the Cats are 49-3 (.942) in September home games during that stretch.
• Since Snyder's return to the sidelines in 2009, K-State is 22-5 (.815) in the month of September.

PRESEASON EXPECTATIONS
• K-State is ranked in both the Preseason Associated Press Top 25 and Preseason Amway Coaches' Poll for the second time in the last four years.
• The Wildcats are 20th in the AP Poll, while they are 19th in the Coaches'.
• K-State opened the 2014 season ranked 20th in the AP and 21st in the coaches.
• This year marks the third time in Bill Snyder's second tenure K-State earned a preseason ranking as the Wildcats were also 22nd in the AP and 21st in the Coaches' en route to a Big 12 Championship in 2012.

HOME SWEET HOME
• Since 1990, K-State holds a 144-35-1 (.803) record when playing at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, including a 70-5 (.933) mark in non-conference games.
• The Wildcats finished 2016 with a 5-1 home record, their sixth year with five or more home victories since head coach Bill Snyder returned to the sidelines in 2009.

THE HALL OF FAMER
• The architect of the "greatest turnaround in the history of college football," Bill Snyder was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2015.
• Snyder is just the fourth person in the history of college football to be inducted as an active coach.
• Snyder has compiled an amazing 202-105-1 (.657) record in 25 seasons at K-State as he is one of just six coaches to reach the 200-win mark and coach at only one school.
• Holding 163 more victories than any other coach in K-State history, Snyder ranks first in the FBS in wins among coaches at their current schools and second in total wins among active coaches.
• Additionally, Snyder has 118 conference wins to stand as one of four coaches with 100 Big 8/12 victories (Tom Osborne [153], Bob Stoops [117], Barry Switzer [100]).

SUSTAINABLE SUCCESS
• Kansas State is in rare company in college football as the Wildcats rank in the top 20 in wins among FBS programs over the last 23 seasons.
• Since 1995, K-State has picked up 183 victories, which is tied for 17th in the nation.
• The Cats are only two wins away from the top 15.
• Among current Big 12 teams, only Oklahoma (t4th; 207), Texas (13th; 196) and TCU (15th; 185) rank higher.

BOWL STREAK CONTINUES
• In an era of college football where more than 80 teams play in bowl games each year, Kansas State is one of just 21 FBS schools nationally to ride a streak of seven-consecutive bowl berths.
• Of the 21 teams, four are from the Big 12 as Oklahoma has gone to 18-straight bowls, Oklahoma State made its 11th-consecutive appearance, while Baylor and K-State have each gone to bowls in each of the last seven seasons.

TURNOVER TURNAROUND
• A year after finishing minus-3 in the turnover battle, K-State tied for fourth in the nation with a plus-13 turnover margin in 2016.
• It was the Wildcats' best national finish in turnover margin since ranking third in 2012, while it marked an 84-spot jump from a tie for 88th from the 2015 season.

DRAWING FIRST BLOOD
• Since 1990, K-State is 160-31 (.838) when scoring first.
• K-State finished the 2016 season with a 5-2 mark when scoring first and is 15-4 in that department over the last three seasons.
• In 2014, the Wildcats held a perfect 7-0 record when scoring the game's first points.
• Under Bill Snyder, K-State is 147-24 (.860) when scoring first.

QUICK OUT OF THE GATE
• Kansas State started games on the right side of the scoreboard in 2016, outscoring opponents 95-54 in the opening 15 minutes.
• That mark improved to 248-137 through the first half and 336-184 after three quarters.

LEADING AT THE HALF
• K-State earned an 8-1 record in 2016 when taking a lead into the locker room with its only blemish being a loss at West Virginia.
• Under Bill Snyder, the Wildcats are 172-10 (.945) when leading at halftime, including a 53-3 (.946) mark in Snyder's second tenure, which began in 2009.

FILLING THE BILL
• Attendance at K-State games has been at an all-time high over the last five years as K-State has recorded 33-straight sellouts.
• K-State, which finished second in the nation in percentage of capacity filled in 2013, 2014 and 2015, finished the 2016 season ranked fourth at 103.84-percent (more on page 8).
• Each of the last seven home openers since Bill Snyder's return – dubbed the "K-State Family Reunion" – have been sellouts with an average of 51,557 fans in attendance.
• Twenty-one of the largest 25 crowds in stadium history have come since 2013.

RETURNING EXPERIENCE
• The reason there is so much optimism around K-State for 2017 is the amount of returning experience from a 9-4 squad.
• The Wildcats return 179 total starts from last year, which ranks fourth all-time under Bill Snyder. It is the most returning starts by a Snyder-led team since the 2000 squad at 184.
• Of the 179 returning starts, 103 reside on the offensive side of the ball, the most ever by a Snyder-led unit. It eclipsed the 2000 team that had 99.
• The Wildcats have so many returning starts due to the fact that 135 starts a year ago were made by freshmen and sophomores, the most ever under Snyder and 34 more than the previous high of 101 in 1989.

CATS TOPS IN NON-OFFENSIVE TDs
• K-State is the nation's best in non-offensive touchdowns over the last 18 seasons as it has 106 since 1999.
• Since 1990, the Wildcats are 58-17 when scoring on special teams and 20-1 when scoring on special teams and defense, including an 18-0 mark under Bill Snyder.
• The Cats have had at least five non-offensive touchdowns in five of the last six years and in 16 of the 18 seasons since 1999.
• The Wildcats' fifth non-offensive score in 2016 was a 39-yard pick-six by Donnie Starks against Kansas, while the Cats also had interception returns by D.J. Reed (Texas Tech) and Duke Shelley (Oklahoma State). Dominique Heath gave K-State its first non-offensive score of 2016 on a 75-yard a punt return against Florida Atlantic, while Byron Pringle returned a kickoff 99 yards against Texas Tech.
• Reed's pick-six and Pringle's KOR score marked the first time the Wildcats had two non-offensive scores in a Big 12 game since doing so against Oklahoma State in 2012.

NON-OFFENSIVE TD RECORDS
• Under head coach Bill Snyder, K-State is 70-21 (.769) when scoring a non-offensive touchdown, while the Cats are 51-14 (.785) since 1999 in that department.
• Since Snyder returned to the sideline in 2009, K-State is 26-7 (.788) in this same category.

OFFENSIVE NOTES
GROUND ATTACK
• K-State leaned heavily on its running game throughout the 2016 season, particularly during the second half of the year.
• The Cats broke the school record in yards per carry (5.27) and ranked third in rushing yards per game (231.8).
• K-State hit those marks due to rushing for at least 200 yards in nine games, including each of the final seven contests. The Wildcats also hit the 300-yard mark four times during the year.
• K-State's four 300-yard games in 2016 were the most by the Wildcats since 2003, while they hit that mark three times in a four-game stretch for the first time since 2001 (vs. Kansas, Iowa State and Louisiana Tech).

RUSHING STREAK
• The Wildcats enter the season with a current streak of seven-straight games with at least 215 rushing yards.
• K-State owns the third-longest active streak with at least 215 rushing yards behind New Mexico (13) and Air Force (8) but has the longest streak by a Power 5 program.

PROTECTING THE FOOTBALL
• Kansas State tied for fifth in the country last season in turnovers lost (12), while the Wildcats only threw five interceptions to rank fifth in the country.
• A year after tossing 13 picks, K-State's minus-8 interception differential from 2015 to 2016 ranked third nationally among Power 5 teams behind Maryland (minus-21) and Nebraska (minus-12).

LONG DRIVES
• In the era of quick-strike offenses in college football, K-State remains a team that likes to possess the ball.
• Of K-State's 64 scoring drives in 2016, 39 were seven plays or longer (60.9 percent), including 19 (29.7 percent) of 10-plus plays.
• Nineteen scoring drives a year ago lasted at least five minutes with a 17-play, 8:32 drive at Oklahoma being the longest.

CATS HIGH IN T.O.P.
• Kansas State ranked 20th nationally and tops in the Big 12 by averaging 32:35 in time of possession in 2016.
• It was the third-straight season the Wildcats ranked in the top 25 and led the Big 12 in time of possession.
• Over the previous five years, K-State has held the ball 74-percent of the time to rank third nationally behind Michigan State (79%) and Stanford (78%).

RED ZONE EFFICIENCY
• K-State has been one of the best red zone teams over the past few years as the Wildcats are the only team to rank in the top-15 nationally in red zone offense each of the last three seasons.
• The Cats finished the 2016 campaign 10th in the nation and second in the Big 12 by converting on 91.9-percent (57-of-62) of red zone trips.
• Additionally, Kansas State was one of four teams – along with Texas Tech, Navy and Western Michigan – to finish in the top 15 in both average trips to the red zone per game and average points per red zone attempt.
• Since the beginning of 2014, K-State has converted on 165-of-179 red zone attempts (.922) with 121 touchdowns. Included in that stretch was a nation-leading scoring streak of 56-straight trips that was snapped earlier in 2016.
• In their 53 wins over the last six seasons, the Cats are 242-for-265 (.913) in red zone chances with 180 touchdowns, while four of their non-scoring trips have come via kneel downs to close out victories.

DUAL-THREAT QUARTERBACK
• Jesse Ertz was the true definition of a dual-threat quarterback in 2016 as he threw for 1,755 yards and nine touchdowns while rushing for 1,012 yards and 12 scores.
• The Mediapolis, Iowa, native was one of three quarterbacks in school history to rush for 1,000 yards and pass for 1,500 yards, while he was one of only four in the nation to accomplish the feat in 2016, joining Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson (Louisville), Quinton Flowers (USF) and Nick Fitzgerald (Mississippi State).
• Ertz recorded the school's 15th 1,000-yard rushing season and finished third among quarterbacks in single-season rushing yards, while his 5.53 yards per rush ranked fifth in school history and was tops among quarterbacks.
• Additionally, Ertz tallied 2,767 total offensive yards to rank 10th in school history.

DOUBLE-DIGIT WINS
• Jesse Ertz is one of eight quarterbacks under Bill Snyder to lead teams to at least 10 career wins when starting under center.
• A product of Mediapolis, Iowa, Ertz led the Wildcats to a 9-4 record last year, while he started the 2015 season opener against South Dakota, a 34-0 K-State win.

SECOND YEAR STARTING QBs SHINE UNDER SNYDER
• Senior Jesse Ertz will be the sixth returning starting quarterback since 1998 under Bill Snyder, who has guided players to substantial growth in their senior years.
• Of the five returning starting quarterbacks under Snyder – Michael Bishop (1997-98), Jonathan Beasley (1999-2000), Ell Roberson (2002-03), Collin Klein (2011-12) and Jake Waters (2013-14) – each had their touchdowns per game go up, while four of the five players each saw their completion percentage and yards per game improve.
• More importantly, K-State had double-digit win seasons with four of the five previous returning starters under center.

DYNAMIC DUO
• Although there is only one career start among the K-State running backs, the Wildcats have at least two capable players returning in junior Justin Silmon and sophomore Alex Barnes, both of whom had great finishes to the 2016 season.
• Thanks to their play late in the year, both were named to the 2017 Doak Walker Award watch list as K-State was one of only six teams in the nation with multiple honorees.
• Silmon finished the year with 210 yards and two touchdowns in the final two games, while Barnes had 262 yards and five scores in his final two games against Baylor and Kansas prior to an injury.
• According to Pro Football Focus, Barnes ranks first and Silmon ranks third among returning Big 12 running backs in elusive rating, which uses missed tackle rate and yards gained after contact to measure a runner's success beyond the point of being helped by his blockers.

ROOKIE BREAKOUT
• Alex Barnes had one of the best seasons by a freshman running back in school history last season.
• Barnes rushed for 442 yards on 56 attempts and six scores, ranking second in school history in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns among freshmen.
• Barnes' 7.9-yard per carry average led the Big 12 among players with at least 50 attempts, while he was the only player in the league with at least 50 attempts to not have a negative rush.
• Additionally, he is tops among returning Big 12 running backs by averaging 3.86 yards after contact, according to Pro Football Focus.

PRINGLE PICKS UP TEMPO
• In addition to the two running backs, wide receiver Byron Pringle was also key down the stretch in 2016.
• The Tampa, Florida, product ended the year with consecutive 100-yard games, going for 126 yards with an 83-yard touchdown at TCU before carding 107 yards with a 79-yard touchdown in the Texas Bowl against Texas A&M.
• It was the 18th time a Wildcat had consecutive 100-yard receiving games and the first since Tyler Lockett ended his career in 2014 with a school-record five-straight contests with 100-plus yards.

DIMEL DOES IT ALL
• Although he plays fullback, Winston Dimel has turned into an offensive threat for the Wildcats.
• Dimel enters his junior campaign with 18 career rushing touchdowns, just three shy of entering K-State's top-10 list. Additionally, he has 20 touchdowns overall in his career to sit six away from the top-10 in that category.
• The Manhattan product has also averaged 23.4 yards on his 14 career receptions, the third-highest mark in school history among players with 14 or more catches.

O-LINE LEADER
• Right tackle Dalton Risner was the lone returning starter along the offensive line in 2016, and even he was learning a new position as he was the starting center in 2015.
• All Risner did in addition to leading a new group and learning a new position was pick up First Team All-Big 12 honors.
• Risner graded out at 90.2-percent according to Pro Football Focus, which is the third-best nationally among returning FBS offensive tackles.
• Additionally, Risner's 89.8-percent mark in run blocking is the second best among returning tackles.
• A product of Wiggins, Colorado, Risner is on the watch list for the Outland Trophy as the nation's most outstanding interior lineman, while his dedication to the community has also led him to being on the Wuerffel Trophy watch list and become a candidate for the AFCA Good Works Team.

DEFENSIVE NOTES
TOUCH AGAINST THE RUN
• Kansas State was stout in rushing defense in 2016, ranking 11th nationally and leading the Big 12 by allowing only 115.0 yards per game.
• The Wildcats finished in the top 15 in the country in run defense for the first time since 2002. That year, K-State was second by allowing 69.5 yards per game.
• K-State limited opponents to less than 125 yards on eight occasions last year, including five times in Big 12 play.
• The 115.0-yard average ranked ninth in school history.

PICKING THEM APART
• A year after recording only five interceptions in 2015, K-State reversed the trend last year with a Big 12-leading 16 picks, a mark that tied for 14th in the nation.
• K-State's plus-11 up-tick in interceptions from 2015 to 2016 was the highest turnaround among Power 5 teams.
• The Wildcats, who have notched at least one interception in 28 of the last 38 games, made the turnaround despite starting three sophomores in the secondary for a majority of the season.
• Additionally, 11 of K-State's 16 picks in 2016 came from defensive backs after only one in 2015.
• Among the 16 picks, three were returned for touchdowns as D.J. Reed had a 35-yard return against Texas Tech, Duke Shelley went 29 yards to paydirt against Oklahoma State and Donnie Starks had a 39-yarder against Kansas.
• The three interception-return touchdowns by the Wildcats led the Big 12 and tied for 10th nationally.

LBs LOOKING TO STEP UP
• Although it is a group that is deep with playmakers that have shined on special teams in their careers, K-State does not return any starts at linebacker in 2016.
• The Wildcats are one of three teams in the nation – but the only one from a Power 5 school – to not return a single start at linebacker this season. The next closest among Power 5 schools is Florida, which returns 12 total starts at the position.
• Team captain Trent Tanking is the leader of the group and has the most experience as the senior has 35 career tackles, including a career-best five last year at TCU when he played a majority of the second half at linebacker.
• That game also included an interception on the final play of the game and an pass breakup.

REED READY FOR MORE
• Defensive back D.J. Reed was solid in his first year playing Division I football as the community-college transfer picked up Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year honors from the league's coaches in addition to First Team All-Big 12 accolades.
• The Bakersfield, California, product tied for first in the Big 12 and fourth nationally with 19 passes defended.
• Totaling three interceptions and 16 breakups, Reed tied for fifth in school history in single-season passes defended and became the first player to enter the list since current Minnesota Viking Terence Newman also had 19 in 2002.
• Thanks to his solid opening campaign, Reed enters the 2017 season on the watch lists for the Bednarik, Bronko Nagurski and Jim Thrope awards.

WALK THIS WAY
• Sophomore Reggie Walker is out to prove that his freshman campaign wasn't a flash in the pan when he earned Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year honors in addition to Freshman All-America accolades.
• Walker led all Big 12 freshmen last year in both sacks and TFLs, while he was fourth nationally among freshmen in sacks.
• For his efforts last year, the Ponchatoula, Louisiana, product is on the watch lists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation's most outstanding defensive player and Ted Hendricks Award as the nation's top defensive end.

GEARY LEADS THE LINE
• A former in-state walk-on, Will Geary enters his senior season with a team-best 30 career starts, which includes 25 of the last 26 games.
• Geary also has the most career tackles among active Wildcats with 120, a mark that is tied for 25th in program history among interior defensive linemen.
• According to Pro Football Focus, Geary ranks second among returning Big 12 interior defenders in run stop percentage at 9.2-percent.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
SCORING IN THE THIRD PHASE
• Kansas State has been far and away the best team among FBS programs over the last decade when it comes to scoring via a kickoff or punt return, and thus ranks as the top collective special teams unit in the nation entering the 2017 season according to Phil Steele.
• The Wildcats have a combined 42 kickoff- and punt-return touchdowns since 2005, 14 more than any other FBS school over the last 12 seasons.

DEFENSE IN THE THIRD PHASE
• On the flip side, K-State has been just as consistent in terms of kickoff and punt coverage as the Cats have not allowed a kickoff-return touchdown in the last 50 games (LAST: vs. Louisiana, 9/7/13) or a punt-return score in 37 games (LAST: at Iowa State, 9/6/14).
• Kansas State finished the 2016 season in the top 25 nationally in both punt-return defense (17th; 4.14) and kickoff-return defense (23rd; 18.4).

KICKOFF-RETURN STREAKS
• Kansas State is currently riding a pair of streaks in terms of kickoff returns as the Wildcats have returned a kick for a touchdown in each of the last 12 seasons – the longest streak in the nation by five years.
• Byron Pringle extended the streak in 2016 when he returned a kickoff to paydirt 99 yards against Texas Tech.
• Since head coach Bill Snyder's return in 2009, K-State has returned 17 kickoffs for touchdowns as opposed to only four in his first tenure, which lasted 17 years.
• For his efforts last season, Pringle earned First Team All-Big 12 honors as a kick returner, marking the 11th-straight year a Wildcat returner has earned all-conference accolades. Additionally, a K-State kick returner has earned first team honors six times in the last eight years.

RETURNERS RANK HIGH
• K-State returners have routinely enjoyed success under head coach Bill Snyder, and 2016 was no different as both Byron Pringle and Dominique Heath ranked highly in the nation in the return categories.
• Pringle ranked seventh nationally with a 28.7-yard kickoff-return average – a mark that was ninth in school history – while his 659 yards in 2016 ranked fifth in school history.
• Heath, an Honorable Mention All-Big 12 returner, finished the year tied for seventh nationally in punt-return scores.
• Each player earned Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week honors in 2016. Heath picked up the award thanks to his 75-yard punt return touchdown against Florida Atlantic.
• Pringle was honored twice, once following the Missouri State game when he totaled a combined 78 return yards in just one half and the other when he took a kickoff 99-yards for a score against Texas Tech.

McCRANE MAKES KICKS
• K-State is fortunate to have a veteran senior place kicker in Matthew McCrane, who is looking to end his career on a high note.
• McCrane enters 2017 ranked first in school history and tied for fourth nationally among active players by making 90.0-percent (36-of-40) of his career field goals.
• The two-time All-Big 12 place kicker is also in K-State's top-10 in career field goals made (7th; 36), extra points made (7th; 85), extra points attempted (7th; 86) and field goals attempted (t8th; 40).
• Additionally, McCrane is three points shy of entering the school's top-10 list for career points scored as he sits at 193.

WALSH A DEPENDABLE PUNTER
• Just as important as a veteran place kicker, the Wildcats also have an experienced punter returning in Nick Walsh.
• A 2015 All-Big 12 punter and two-time member of the Ray Guy Award watch list, Walsh has booted to a career 41.88-yard average to rank sixth in K-State history, while he is seventh in career yards (6,700) and attempts (160).
• Walsh's career average was given a boost in 2016 as he had a career-best 42.78-yard mark, which ranked sixth in K-State history.

TANKING TAKES PRIDE IN SPECIAL TEAMS
• Looking primed for a top spot at linebacker as a senior, Trent Tanking has already made his mark as a stalwart special teams player.
• A product of Holton, Kansas, Tanking has recorded 26 or his 35 career tackles on special teams. Of those 26, 21 came on kickoff coverage.
• Tanking had 12 special teams tackles last season, the most by a Wildcat since Jonathan Truman also had 12 in 2012.

KIRBY CAN BLOCK PUNTS
• Jayd Kirby has also been a special-teams standout over the last two seasons.
• In 2017, Kirby blocked a pair of punts, one coming against Missouri State and the other against Oklahoma State.
• His two blocked kicks tied for fifth in the nation a year ago, while he became the first Wildcat with multiple blocked punts in a season since Courtney Herndon in 2008.