SE: K-State Football Notebook – West Virginia Week
Oct 28, 2020 | Football, Sports Extra
By: Austin Siegel
Van Malone has one of the more unique job titles on the K-State coaching staff.
Officially, he's K-State Assistant Head Coach/Passing Game Coordinator/Cornerbacks Coach Van Malone.
Put another way, Coach Malone is a busy guy – especially as he prepares No. 16 K-State for a road matchup with West Virginia on Saturday.
"As an assistant coach, you don't get to see many of the things a head coach has to deal with," Malone said. "I've had the opportunity to see some of the things Coach Klieman deals with on a day-to-day basis as a head coach. That's why I keep my hair cut short so that you don't see the gray hairs as they grow."
In just his second year in Manhattan, Malone has guided a K-State secondary with a new defensive coordinator and a constantly changing depth chart due to COVID-19 precautions.
Halfway through the season, the results speak for themselves.
K-State leads the Big 12 with seven interceptions, and the Wildcats rank in the top half of the conference in yards per pass attempt.
All this despite facing two of the most talented quarterbacks in the Big 12 in Spencer Rattler and Max Duggan.
"We've talked about attacking the ball in the air and creating turnovers throughout the season," Malone said. "It's something as a staff that we've continued to stress and emphasize. So, it's good to see when guys go get the football, but the ability to get it into the end zone is another step."
AJ Parker and Justin Gardner have both snatched a pick six this season, and Gardner has more passes defended than any other player in the Big 12.
Throughout the secondary, Malone has received contributions from returning playmakers and relative newcomers. On the depth chart ahead of this weekend's trip to Morgantown, only Parker and Jahron McPherson were regular starters in the secondary last season.
For Gardner, Ekow Boye-Doe and Ross Elder, this season has been their first time trying to stop quarterbacks in a conference known for exceptional quarterback play.
"I always say they work extremely hard. They've worked themselves into this position," Malone said. "[And] from Tee Denson to Cameron Key to Kiondre Thomas, those guys work just as hard. Those guys, in my opinion, are coming together as a group."
Scouting the Mountaineers
It's a little late to do one of those blind comparisons where Team X gets talked up for a few paragraphs before the dramatic reveal that it's actually West Virginia.
With a 3-2 record, there's not much to separate the Mountaineers in a crowded conference race. But look a little deeper and West Virginia has some serious firepower.
In the Big 12, the Mountaineers boast a top-five passer (Jarret Doege) a top-five receiver (Winston Wright Jr.) and a top-five rusher (Leddie Brown). The group tasked with slowing them down starts with Justin Hughes, who dialed up some Dennis Green in scouting West Virginia.
"They are who we thought they would be," Hughes said. "The running back is a really good player. I would say he's probably one of the best players on their team. Their defense is stout, and they have a great front seven like they always do."
Those pass rushers are led by Akheem Mesidor, who broke out with two sacks in a loss to Texas Tech on Saturday, one of the best games of the freshman's career.
More than anything else, how the K-State offensive line deals with pressure could make or break Saturday's matchup in Morgantown.
West Virginia has more sacks this season (18) than the last three teams K-State has faced, combined (17). After a difficult start to 2020 against Arkansas State, the Wildcats have kept one of the cleanest pockets in the conference, tied for second in sacks allowed with just seven.
Something has to give on Saturday, and it could be the matchup that decides the game.
Peach State Pipeline
Georgia isn't new recruiting territory for the Wildcats, with Duke Shelley and Isaiah Zuber both playing in the NFL, but recruits from the Peach State continue to shape K-State Football in 2020.
Nine members of the Wildcats are from Georgia this season, including key contributors on both sides of the football like Hughes and D.J. Render.
"I think the old coaching staff did a great job of recruiting the area," Hughes said. "To be able to see that, 'Hey, these guys are going out there and being successful, so let me try and go out there and make statement for myself.' I want to thank those guys for getting us up here so we can create a gateway for those younger guys that are here now."
Given the COVID-19 restrictions on travel this season, visiting home hasn't been possible for many players who didn't grow up within driving distance of the Flint Hills.
That's where a fifth-year senior like Render has tried to be a "positive spark" for the Wildcats.
"I haven't been back in Atlanta since I think July," he said. "It's a blessing that I have parents that can come out and travel for games and stuff like that…I'm very used to being out here, and it was just a goal that our team had. We just wanted to be able to compete this season."
Van Malone has one of the more unique job titles on the K-State coaching staff.
Officially, he's K-State Assistant Head Coach/Passing Game Coordinator/Cornerbacks Coach Van Malone.
Put another way, Coach Malone is a busy guy – especially as he prepares No. 16 K-State for a road matchup with West Virginia on Saturday.
"As an assistant coach, you don't get to see many of the things a head coach has to deal with," Malone said. "I've had the opportunity to see some of the things Coach Klieman deals with on a day-to-day basis as a head coach. That's why I keep my hair cut short so that you don't see the gray hairs as they grow."
In just his second year in Manhattan, Malone has guided a K-State secondary with a new defensive coordinator and a constantly changing depth chart due to COVID-19 precautions.
Halfway through the season, the results speak for themselves.
K-State leads the Big 12 with seven interceptions, and the Wildcats rank in the top half of the conference in yards per pass attempt.
All this despite facing two of the most talented quarterbacks in the Big 12 in Spencer Rattler and Max Duggan.
"We've talked about attacking the ball in the air and creating turnovers throughout the season," Malone said. "It's something as a staff that we've continued to stress and emphasize. So, it's good to see when guys go get the football, but the ability to get it into the end zone is another step."
AJ Parker and Justin Gardner have both snatched a pick six this season, and Gardner has more passes defended than any other player in the Big 12.
Throughout the secondary, Malone has received contributions from returning playmakers and relative newcomers. On the depth chart ahead of this weekend's trip to Morgantown, only Parker and Jahron McPherson were regular starters in the secondary last season.
For Gardner, Ekow Boye-Doe and Ross Elder, this season has been their first time trying to stop quarterbacks in a conference known for exceptional quarterback play.
"I always say they work extremely hard. They've worked themselves into this position," Malone said. "[And] from Tee Denson to Cameron Key to Kiondre Thomas, those guys work just as hard. Those guys, in my opinion, are coming together as a group."
Scouting the Mountaineers
It's a little late to do one of those blind comparisons where Team X gets talked up for a few paragraphs before the dramatic reveal that it's actually West Virginia.
With a 3-2 record, there's not much to separate the Mountaineers in a crowded conference race. But look a little deeper and West Virginia has some serious firepower.
In the Big 12, the Mountaineers boast a top-five passer (Jarret Doege) a top-five receiver (Winston Wright Jr.) and a top-five rusher (Leddie Brown). The group tasked with slowing them down starts with Justin Hughes, who dialed up some Dennis Green in scouting West Virginia.
"They are who we thought they would be," Hughes said. "The running back is a really good player. I would say he's probably one of the best players on their team. Their defense is stout, and they have a great front seven like they always do."
Those pass rushers are led by Akheem Mesidor, who broke out with two sacks in a loss to Texas Tech on Saturday, one of the best games of the freshman's career.
More than anything else, how the K-State offensive line deals with pressure could make or break Saturday's matchup in Morgantown.
West Virginia has more sacks this season (18) than the last three teams K-State has faced, combined (17). After a difficult start to 2020 against Arkansas State, the Wildcats have kept one of the cleanest pockets in the conference, tied for second in sacks allowed with just seven.
Something has to give on Saturday, and it could be the matchup that decides the game.
Peach State Pipeline
Georgia isn't new recruiting territory for the Wildcats, with Duke Shelley and Isaiah Zuber both playing in the NFL, but recruits from the Peach State continue to shape K-State Football in 2020.
Nine members of the Wildcats are from Georgia this season, including key contributors on both sides of the football like Hughes and D.J. Render.
"I think the old coaching staff did a great job of recruiting the area," Hughes said. "To be able to see that, 'Hey, these guys are going out there and being successful, so let me try and go out there and make statement for myself.' I want to thank those guys for getting us up here so we can create a gateway for those younger guys that are here now."
Given the COVID-19 restrictions on travel this season, visiting home hasn't been possible for many players who didn't grow up within driving distance of the Flint Hills.
That's where a fifth-year senior like Render has tried to be a "positive spark" for the Wildcats.
"I haven't been back in Atlanta since I think July," he said. "It's a blessing that I have parents that can come out and travel for games and stuff like that…I'm very used to being out here, and it was just a goal that our team had. We just wanted to be able to compete this season."
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