SE: How K-State Ran Down Texas Tech and a 2-0 Start in the Big 12
Oct 05, 2020 | Football, Sports Extra
By: Austin Siegel
One day, Deuce Vaughn is going to beat a linebacker one-on-one across the middle of the field and break a touchdown while 50,000 people scream "Deuuuuce…" at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
In a year that's been about so many experiences we missed out on, it's kind of cool to think about something that didn't exist before 2020 that's going to be there when K-State fans can gather together and pack a stadium again. Even if it's just a sound.
Before the 2020 season, try explaining to someone that K-State could hand the ball off 33 times to Deuce Vaughn, Harry Trotter and Jacardia Wright and win a Big 12 football game.
That's not even factoring in Vaughn's 81 receiving yards on Saturday that came on three passes where the ball never traveled more than a few yards past the line of scrimmage.
The true freshman made those plays happen with his legs, too.
Three K-State running backs accounted for 245 yards of total offense on Saturday, which some quick math puts at about 60% of K-State's entire offense against Texas Tech.
Vaughn, Trotter and Wright. A true freshman, a former walk-on transfer and a redshirt freshman.
This is the group that helped lead the Wildcats to their first 2-0 start in the Big 12 since 2014.
"We're telling kids there's an opportunity to have a chance to play, whether it's 70 snaps or 25 snaps. You can have an impact on the game, and obviously those kids did," head coach Chris Klieman said. "It comes down to your production in practice and doing things right on and off the field."
Vaughn has been a highlight machine through three games, but he made it clear after Saturday's win that the Wildcats are operating with a committee of talented running backs.
"We came out ready, using me for planes and stuff to get people running," Vaughn said. "That can open stuff up for other guys, which is great."
One of those guys was Trotter, who scored his second touchdown of the season on Saturday after missing last week's win over No. 3 Oklahoma.
The fifth-year senior is a former walk-on, transferring to Kansas State after beginning his career at Fort Scott Community College and spending a season at Louisville.
In both games Trotter has played, Klieman has utilized him in 1st & 10 situations, handing Trotter the ball more often at the beginning of each series than any other K-State running back.
That's been especially effective in red zone situations, where Trotter has scored both of his touchdowns this season on nearly identical plays, four- and five-yard power runs at the goal line.
If Vaughn is the guy you want to get the ball in space, Trotter has been the go-to guy when everyone in the stadium knows the Wildcats want to run.
That's also where Wright has been able to make an impact, stepping in with Tyler Burns sidelined against Texas Tech on Saturday afternoon.
Wright's 12 rushing yards may have come on just one play, but for a K-State team looking to operate out of Power-I, Offset-Iand Diamond formations, establishing a third option on the ground was important to keep Texas Tech guessing when the Wildcats stacked the backfield.
Of course, "get Deuce Vaughn the football" isn't exactly a secret around the Big 12 anymore.
The freshman is putting together one of the most unprecedented starts to a college career that the Wildcats have ever seen.
Vaughn needs 84 more yards to notch the fifth-highest rushing total by a freshman in K-State history.
He has played in three games.
"I would say it's a pretty big surprise to do it as early as I have," Vaughn said. "I'm just taking it day-by-day, game-by-game and just trying to give my team a chance to win, and they're giving me a great chance to succeed as well."
On Saturday, Vaughn became the first K-State true freshman to rush for 100 yards in a game since 2008. And his biggest impact on Saturday isn't going to show up in the K-State record book, one that Vaughn is well on his way to rewriting.
When Skylar Thompson left the Texas Tech game with an injury in the second quarter, Will Howard stepped in at quarterback. With a true freshman under center, the Wildcats didn't ask Howard to lead K-State by himself.
On Howard's very first drive, Vaughn converted a huge 3rd & 10, beating a Texas Tech blitz up the middle and bouncing outside for the first down.
A few plays later, Howard handed Vaughn the ball and watched him beat three Red Raiders to the edge for his first touchdown of the game on an 18-yard scamper.
But Vaughn saved his biggest play of the day for a moment when the Wildcats needed it most, with a 70-yard touchdown reception that put the game away for K-State.
There's nobody who could describe that play better than Vaughn.
"So, we came out and they wanted to blitz. Then, I ended up hopping out wide and they got jumbled up and put a linebacker on me. They had been putting safeties or nickels on me throughout the game and they put No. 41 on me who was a linebacker. I looked at Will and Will looked at me," Vaughn said. "I beat [the linebacker] across his face and got to running."
Vaughn has 439 yards of total offense and four touchdowns in three games. He's got the Wildcats sitting at 2-0 in the Big 12. And he's still focused on getting better.
"One thing I'm going to have to learn is to get down before going into the endzone," Vaughn said. "Just so we can kneel it down, get out of there and not give them another chance."
One day, Deuce Vaughn is going to beat a linebacker one-on-one across the middle of the field and break a touchdown while 50,000 people scream "Deuuuuce…" at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
In a year that's been about so many experiences we missed out on, it's kind of cool to think about something that didn't exist before 2020 that's going to be there when K-State fans can gather together and pack a stadium again. Even if it's just a sound.
Before the 2020 season, try explaining to someone that K-State could hand the ball off 33 times to Deuce Vaughn, Harry Trotter and Jacardia Wright and win a Big 12 football game.
That's not even factoring in Vaughn's 81 receiving yards on Saturday that came on three passes where the ball never traveled more than a few yards past the line of scrimmage.
The true freshman made those plays happen with his legs, too.
Three K-State running backs accounted for 245 yards of total offense on Saturday, which some quick math puts at about 60% of K-State's entire offense against Texas Tech.
Vaughn, Trotter and Wright. A true freshman, a former walk-on transfer and a redshirt freshman.
This is the group that helped lead the Wildcats to their first 2-0 start in the Big 12 since 2014.
"We're telling kids there's an opportunity to have a chance to play, whether it's 70 snaps or 25 snaps. You can have an impact on the game, and obviously those kids did," head coach Chris Klieman said. "It comes down to your production in practice and doing things right on and off the field."
Vaughn has been a highlight machine through three games, but he made it clear after Saturday's win that the Wildcats are operating with a committee of talented running backs.
"We came out ready, using me for planes and stuff to get people running," Vaughn said. "That can open stuff up for other guys, which is great."
One of those guys was Trotter, who scored his second touchdown of the season on Saturday after missing last week's win over No. 3 Oklahoma.
Great physical run @HTrotter_2#KStateFB ⚒ pic.twitter.com/DSCso112mP
— K-State Football (@KStateFB) October 3, 2020
The fifth-year senior is a former walk-on, transferring to Kansas State after beginning his career at Fort Scott Community College and spending a season at Louisville.
In both games Trotter has played, Klieman has utilized him in 1st & 10 situations, handing Trotter the ball more often at the beginning of each series than any other K-State running back.
That's been especially effective in red zone situations, where Trotter has scored both of his touchdowns this season on nearly identical plays, four- and five-yard power runs at the goal line.
If Vaughn is the guy you want to get the ball in space, Trotter has been the go-to guy when everyone in the stadium knows the Wildcats want to run.
That's also where Wright has been able to make an impact, stepping in with Tyler Burns sidelined against Texas Tech on Saturday afternoon.
Wright's 12 rushing yards may have come on just one play, but for a K-State team looking to operate out of Power-I, Offset-Iand Diamond formations, establishing a third option on the ground was important to keep Texas Tech guessing when the Wildcats stacked the backfield.
Of course, "get Deuce Vaughn the football" isn't exactly a secret around the Big 12 anymore.
The freshman is putting together one of the most unprecedented starts to a college career that the Wildcats have ever seen.
Vaughn needs 84 more yards to notch the fifth-highest rushing total by a freshman in K-State history.
He has played in three games.
"I would say it's a pretty big surprise to do it as early as I have," Vaughn said. "I'm just taking it day-by-day, game-by-game and just trying to give my team a chance to win, and they're giving me a great chance to succeed as well."
On Saturday, Vaughn became the first K-State true freshman to rush for 100 yards in a game since 2008. And his biggest impact on Saturday isn't going to show up in the K-State record book, one that Vaughn is well on his way to rewriting.
When Skylar Thompson left the Texas Tech game with an injury in the second quarter, Will Howard stepped in at quarterback. With a true freshman under center, the Wildcats didn't ask Howard to lead K-State by himself.
On Howard's very first drive, Vaughn converted a huge 3rd & 10, beating a Texas Tech blitz up the middle and bouncing outside for the first down.
A few plays later, Howard handed Vaughn the ball and watched him beat three Red Raiders to the edge for his first touchdown of the game on an 18-yard scamper.
Turns on the jets @C_Vaughn22#KStateFB ⚒ pic.twitter.com/IEzNF2rZqD
— K-State Football (@KStateFB) October 3, 2020
But Vaughn saved his biggest play of the day for a moment when the Wildcats needed it most, with a 70-yard touchdown reception that put the game away for K-State.
See ya later 👋@C_Vaughn22#KStateFB ⚒ pic.twitter.com/aEahEQIwpR
— K-State Football (@KStateFB) October 3, 2020
There's nobody who could describe that play better than Vaughn.
"So, we came out and they wanted to blitz. Then, I ended up hopping out wide and they got jumbled up and put a linebacker on me. They had been putting safeties or nickels on me throughout the game and they put No. 41 on me who was a linebacker. I looked at Will and Will looked at me," Vaughn said. "I beat [the linebacker] across his face and got to running."
Vaughn has 439 yards of total offense and four touchdowns in three games. He's got the Wildcats sitting at 2-0 in the Big 12. And he's still focused on getting better.
"One thing I'm going to have to learn is to get down before going into the endzone," Vaughn said. "Just so we can kneel it down, get out of there and not give them another chance."
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