SE: Five Stats That Tell the Story of 2020 for K-State Football
Jan 05, 2021 | Football, Sports Extra
By: Austin Siegel
Chris Klieman mentioned it on the day K-State withdrew from bowl selection, bringing their 2020 season to a close.
"It certainly is a bittersweet ending," he said. "But playing 10 regular-season games throughout all of this uncertainty was nothing short of a miracle."
It's tough to argue there's a more important stat for K-State Football in 2020.
Playing all 10 games on the schedule required the kind of discipline that doesn't show up in the box score on Saturday. It was discipline and commitment to preventing the spread of COVID-19 that gave the Wildcats an opportunity to show up at all.
After losing their starting quarterback just three games into the season and dealing with a roster that changed almost every week, what the Wildcats did in those 10 games is important. But how they did it could have an even bigger impact on the future of the program.
Here are five numbers from K-State Football in 2020 to keep in mind ahead of the offseason.
600 Yards Rushing, 400 Yards Receiving
Deuce Vaughn was one of just two players in the country to eclipse 600 yards on the ground and 400 yards as a receiver in the regular season, joining Clemson senior Travis Etienne.
After a breakout game against Oklahoma, Vaughn quickly became the focal point of the K-State offense in 2020. He ended the season by racking up 221 all-purpose yards against Texas, even moonlighting as a kickoff returner to give the Wildcats a spark on special teams.
"At this point nothing he does surprises me," Will Howard said. "He's an incredibly mature kid, an awesome teammate and a heck of a football player. He's proved that."
Vaughn was named the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year to cap off his historic season, breaking four K-State freshman records in the process. He also ended the season ranked first in the nation in scrimmage yards by a true freshman, landing on multiple Freshman All-America teams and was named the True Freshman of the Year by 247Sports.
If Etienne heads to NFL, Vaughn just might be the most versatile player in college football when the 2021 season kicks off.
Nine Plays of 60+ Yards
There's no other way to describe the K-State offense this season - the Wildcats were always a home-run threat.
Only four teams ended the season with more plays of 60+ yards than K-State, including Alabama, who will play for a national championship next week.
And those nine big plays weren't the result of just one dynamic player.
Sure, Deuce Vaughn grabbed two of them, but K-State also saw Malik Knowles, Keyon Mozee and Briley Moore get loose for game-changing plays throughout the season.
The Wildcats did it with both Skylar Thompson and Will Howard under center.
Whether it was lining up Vaughn as a slot receiver or freeing up Howard in a zone read, big plays were part of the team's identity under offensive coordinator Courtney Messingham.
22.1 Yards Per Punt Return
"Special Teams U" was already a thing at K-State, but this season - and one game from Phillip Brooks - took it to another level.
The Wildcats led the Big 12, averaging 22.1 yards per punt return, and no other team in the conference came close.
There was actually a wider gap between K-State and the second-place team in the conference - Oklahoma - than the gap between the Sooners and ninth-place Baylor in average punt-return yards.
Bringing in Deuce Vaughn as an emergency returner is all kinds of unfair, but K-State's success this season had a lot to do with one player and one game.
"This is Special Teams U and with our history of great returners, I felt like I needed to contribute," Brooks said after the win over Kansas. "After the first return, they were still kicking it to me. I was like, 'OK, they're just going to keep giving us opportunities.' We took advantage."
When he housed a pair of punt returns against the Jayhawks, Brooks ended the game as the nation's leader in punt return yards. And not just as a player. When he walked off the field on October 24, Brooks had more punt return yards than any other school in the nation.
12 Straight Wins in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown
The longest winning streak in the history of the rivalry and the most lopsided win since 2010.
No matter your headline, this season's Sunflower Showdown began a new decade of the Kansas State - Kansas football rivalry much the same way the last one ended: complete dominance by the Wildcats.
A 55-14 win in Manhattan was sparked by Phillip Brooks' heroics on special teams, but K-State also saw big afternoons from Deuce Vaughn and Will Howard in their first taste of the rivalry.
Howard played his best game of the season, throwing for 243 yards and two touchdowns, while Vaughn rushed for 71 yards and found the endzone himself.
"With the kids from Kansas on this team and the passion they brought, Coach Klieman let them talk in the meeting on Monday and let them lead us out of the tunnel," Howard said. "I didn't grow up a K-State or a KU fan. I don't really understand the rivalry. But I'm a K-Stater now and I understand that. I was doing it for those guys."
14 Sacks Against
There was no bigger question mark for K-State coming into the 2020 season the offensive line.
Without a single returning starter from the year prior, a limited offseason and just one non-conference game, all this group did was finish second in the Big 12, allowing only 14 sacks throughout the season.
Assistant coach Conor Riley's crew was led by Second Team All-Big 12 center Noah Johnson and a host of guys who stepped into starting roles for the first time.
Christian Duffie moved from right tackle to left tackle, Carver Willis played as a true freshman and Cooper Beebee fought through injuries. This was a position group that battled all year.
"It's about being better than we were yesterday and better tomorrow than we were today," Riley said this season. "I know that sounds like coach speak, however, especially with where we are as a group, with the circumstances of 2020, I don't think that it could be more true."
Chris Klieman mentioned it on the day K-State withdrew from bowl selection, bringing their 2020 season to a close.
"It certainly is a bittersweet ending," he said. "But playing 10 regular-season games throughout all of this uncertainty was nothing short of a miracle."
It's tough to argue there's a more important stat for K-State Football in 2020.
Playing all 10 games on the schedule required the kind of discipline that doesn't show up in the box score on Saturday. It was discipline and commitment to preventing the spread of COVID-19 that gave the Wildcats an opportunity to show up at all.
After losing their starting quarterback just three games into the season and dealing with a roster that changed almost every week, what the Wildcats did in those 10 games is important. But how they did it could have an even bigger impact on the future of the program.
Here are five numbers from K-State Football in 2020 to keep in mind ahead of the offseason.
600 Yards Rushing, 400 Yards Receiving
Deuce Vaughn was one of just two players in the country to eclipse 600 yards on the ground and 400 yards as a receiver in the regular season, joining Clemson senior Travis Etienne.
After a breakout game against Oklahoma, Vaughn quickly became the focal point of the K-State offense in 2020. He ended the season by racking up 221 all-purpose yards against Texas, even moonlighting as a kickoff returner to give the Wildcats a spark on special teams.
"At this point nothing he does surprises me," Will Howard said. "He's an incredibly mature kid, an awesome teammate and a heck of a football player. He's proved that."
Vaughn was named the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year to cap off his historic season, breaking four K-State freshman records in the process. He also ended the season ranked first in the nation in scrimmage yards by a true freshman, landing on multiple Freshman All-America teams and was named the True Freshman of the Year by 247Sports.
If Etienne heads to NFL, Vaughn just might be the most versatile player in college football when the 2021 season kicks off.
Nine Plays of 60+ Yards
There's no other way to describe the K-State offense this season - the Wildcats were always a home-run threat.
Only four teams ended the season with more plays of 60+ yards than K-State, including Alabama, who will play for a national championship next week.
And those nine big plays weren't the result of just one dynamic player.
Sure, Deuce Vaughn grabbed two of them, but K-State also saw Malik Knowles, Keyon Mozee and Briley Moore get loose for game-changing plays throughout the season.
When you know, you Knowles @leekfor6#KStateFB ⚒ pic.twitter.com/sUnHBGa6eO
— K-State Football (@KStateFB) November 29, 2020
The Wildcats did it with both Skylar Thompson and Will Howard under center.
Whether it was lining up Vaughn as a slot receiver or freeing up Howard in a zone read, big plays were part of the team's identity under offensive coordinator Courtney Messingham.
22.1 Yards Per Punt Return
"Special Teams U" was already a thing at K-State, but this season - and one game from Phillip Brooks - took it to another level.
See ya later 👋🏼
— K-State Student Section (@KState_Students) October 24, 2020
📺 @FS1 pic.twitter.com/oaOzieQYRA
The Wildcats led the Big 12, averaging 22.1 yards per punt return, and no other team in the conference came close.
There was actually a wider gap between K-State and the second-place team in the conference - Oklahoma - than the gap between the Sooners and ninth-place Baylor in average punt-return yards.
Bringing in Deuce Vaughn as an emergency returner is all kinds of unfair, but K-State's success this season had a lot to do with one player and one game.
"This is Special Teams U and with our history of great returners, I felt like I needed to contribute," Brooks said after the win over Kansas. "After the first return, they were still kicking it to me. I was like, 'OK, they're just going to keep giving us opportunities.' We took advantage."
Brooks does it AGAIN!
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 24, 2020
He returns his SECOND punt for a TD in the first half for @KStateFB 🔥 pic.twitter.com/UGfYuj8Ezq
When he housed a pair of punt returns against the Jayhawks, Brooks ended the game as the nation's leader in punt return yards. And not just as a player. When he walked off the field on October 24, Brooks had more punt return yards than any other school in the nation.
12 Straight Wins in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown
The longest winning streak in the history of the rivalry and the most lopsided win since 2010.
No matter your headline, this season's Sunflower Showdown began a new decade of the Kansas State - Kansas football rivalry much the same way the last one ended: complete dominance by the Wildcats.
A 55-14 win in Manhattan was sparked by Phillip Brooks' heroics on special teams, but K-State also saw big afternoons from Deuce Vaughn and Will Howard in their first taste of the rivalry.
Howard played his best game of the season, throwing for 243 yards and two touchdowns, while Vaughn rushed for 71 yards and found the endzone himself.
"With the kids from Kansas on this team and the passion they brought, Coach Klieman let them talk in the meeting on Monday and let them lead us out of the tunnel," Howard said. "I didn't grow up a K-State or a KU fan. I don't really understand the rivalry. But I'm a K-Stater now and I understand that. I was doing it for those guys."
14 Sacks Against
There was no bigger question mark for K-State coming into the 2020 season the offensive line.
Without a single returning starter from the year prior, a limited offseason and just one non-conference game, all this group did was finish second in the Big 12, allowing only 14 sacks throughout the season.
Assistant coach Conor Riley's crew was led by Second Team All-Big 12 center Noah Johnson and a host of guys who stepped into starting roles for the first time.
Christian Duffie moved from right tackle to left tackle, Carver Willis played as a true freshman and Cooper Beebee fought through injuries. This was a position group that battled all year.
"It's about being better than we were yesterday and better tomorrow than we were today," Riley said this season. "I know that sounds like coach speak, however, especially with where we are as a group, with the circumstances of 2020, I don't think that it could be more true."
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