SE: More Emotions, Different Challenge as Cats Host SIU
Sep 10, 2021 | Football, Sports Extra
By D. Scott Fritchen
Three-hundred and thirty-six days after Skylar Thompson attempted a pass in a football game, the Kansas State "Super Senior" quarterback led the Wildcats to their best season-opening performance against a non-conference Power 5 opponent in 20 years during a dominant 24-7 victory over Stanford at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Afterward, he offered a stunning admission.
"I was more calm than I've ever been going into a game," said Thompson, whose 31 career starts are tied for 10th most among active FBS quarterbacks.
Now Thompson and K-State prepare for more emotions and a different challenge.
When K-State, 1-0, meets FCS member Southern Illinois, 1-0, in Saturday's 6 p.m. kickoff, the Wildcats faithful will converge at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in numbers not seen since 2019.
"Refill the Bill" was the summer theme for a program known for harboring among the best gameday atmospheres in the nation. Tailgating will start early. The marching band will return to its rightful spot alongside a frenzied student section. The K-S-U chant will echo across a stadium that features a newly-constructed south endzone facility named the Shamrock Zone.
A buzz so noticeably absent under the dark pandemic-ridden circumstances of a year ago will reignite with that old familiar energy felt when family and friends finally meet after a long journey.
"A huge part of K-State football is our fan base," Thompson said. "Adding the band to the student section is going to be bigtime there. We have the best band in the entire country, and having those guys back in the student section and leading the way is going to be phenomenal and so fun. Obviously, I can't speak on it because I haven't experienced it yet, but I envision that it's going to feel like running out of the tunnel for the first time my freshman year."
K-State will look for a better outcome in its home opener than a year ago. Although the Wildcats are 91-18 in regular-season non-conference games since 1990, they suffered a 35-31 loss to Arkansas State last season's opener, which set the table for a wacky 2020 campaign that ended with a 4-6 record.
Third-year K-State head coach Chris Klieman, a four-time FCS national champion at North Dakota State, knows all-too well the parity of college football. He appeared hardly surprised that six FCS teams defeated FBS opponents on opening weekend while two other FCS teams gave respected Big 12 Conference teams fits. No. 7 Iowa State fought past Northern Iowa (16-10) and Oklahoma State outlasted Missouri State (23-16).
"You go down the line and those things aren't flukes," Klieman said. "Maybe some teams didn't play as well, but that's not a fluke to beat a Power 5 team."
K-State will face Southern Illinois for the first time. Since the Salukis moved to the FCS level in 1982, they have beaten one Power 5 team in history (Indiana) and are 4-35 against FBS squads. Southern Illinois head coach Nick Hill, 24-32 in six seasons, saw quarterback Nic Baker in just his fifth career start throw for a school-record 460 yards in a 47-21 win over Southeast Missouri State last Thursday. It included a 99-yard catch-and-run touchdown by wide receiver Avante Cox on the first play from scrimmage.
"You're going to see some reverses out of different formations and reverse passes and gadgets and Wildcat," Klieman said. "They make you defend sideline to sideline with everybody. You better not just key in on a couple of guys. They've got some tremendous players, but they hit reverses on everybody. We've got to make sure and have discipline within our defense."
After an offseason of preparation, K-State defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman debuted a 3-3-5 defensive front (three down linemen, three linebackers and five defensive backs) that appeared at times to puzzle Stanford, and expertly alternated by utilizing four down linemen and exchanging battalions of defensive backs. The defense, which features nine Super Seniors or FBS transfers, held the Cardinal to one touchdown and 233 total yards, including just 39 yards on the ground.
"More than ever since we've been here guys are playing less selfishly and more of a team defense, which is what we want to be," Klanderman said.
The most dominant display by a K-State defense in a regular-season non-conference Power 5 game since beating USC 10-6 in 2001 featured a plethora of standouts. Four different players recorded a sack, and seven different players recorded a tackle for a loss. Transfer senior safety Russ Yeast and redshirt freshman safety TJ Smith each posted an interception. Linebacker Daniel Green posted a team-high nine tackles before leaving the game in the second half due to a targeting call. He will miss the first half of Saturday's contest. Junior Nick Allen is expected to start the game in his place.
"I thought Daniel Green and Cody Fletcher were outstanding," Klanderman said. "Daniel was doing his job but so many of his effort plays were sensational and some things that maybe you won't see on a stat sheet."
Although the defense entered as a primary focus for K-State after it finished 84th in scoring defense (32.2 points) and 97th in total defense (444.7 yards) in 2020, the Wildcats proved mightily staunch against a formidable opponent and are hardly satisfied with their opening statement.
"Our guys are eager to establish their identity," Klanderman said. "Step one is done. Now what's the encore performance going to be? We're going to find out what kind of mature group we have. Our preparation this week hasn't been easy but it's been good. They're going to be defined by what we do each Saturday and not what they did on September 4, and they understand that."
The message? There's more to come.
"We can be a lot better and a lot more disciplined, for sure," Fletcher said. "We played really fast and played really physical, which was really fun to watch, but from a discipline standpoint, we can read our keys a little better sometimes. We can be a lot better."
Arguably the biggest question rested on the throwing arm and legs of Thompson, who overcame a first-possession interception to complete 9 of 14 passes for 144 yards while adding 11 carries for 33 yards and two touchdowns. Offensive coordinator Courtney Messingham sensed no hesitation from his experienced quarterback.
"Especially that first half, he came out not pressing and let it come to him, but he was aggressive, and I want for him to be aggressive," Messingham said. "It was his first game back truly playing with game speed. There were a couple balls downfield that he probably could've thrown more accurately, and he probably will as he gets more and more reps."
Recognizing through hours of film study Stanford's defensive tendency to at times leave the A-gap open in down-and-distance situations that typically dictated a pass, meticulous Messingham dialed up a homerun in the second quarter. Facing third-and-13, Thompson handed off to sophomore Deuce Vaughn, and watched the 5-foot-6, 173-pound 2021 preseason All-American shoot through the middle of the line, making a safety miss a potential tackle, and racing a career-long 59 yards into the endzone.
Vaughn, who had 13 carries for 124 yards and one touchdown, figures to pose a sizable task for Southern Illinois, which surrendered 243 total yards, including 142 rushing yards, against Southeast Missouri State.
"He's great," said wide receiver Malik Knowles, who also showed off his own abilities in the running game against Stanford. "We've got a guy who can flip the field anytime he has the ball. It's always good to have as dominant player like him on the team."
Behind unflinching Thompson, dynamic Vaughn and an upstart defense, the Wildcats return to Manhattan looking to build upon their season-opening success while staying mindful of the pitfalls several FBS teams suffered against FCS foes in Week 1. As Klieman is quick to point out, "Football is football."
On Saturday, football is officially back in the Little Apple — and there should be no shortage of motivation when players rush onto the field at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
"Playing at AT&T Stadium was really cool," Fletcher said, "but just seeing everybody here is going to be a really great feeling."
Three-hundred and thirty-six days after Skylar Thompson attempted a pass in a football game, the Kansas State "Super Senior" quarterback led the Wildcats to their best season-opening performance against a non-conference Power 5 opponent in 20 years during a dominant 24-7 victory over Stanford at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Afterward, he offered a stunning admission.
"I was more calm than I've ever been going into a game," said Thompson, whose 31 career starts are tied for 10th most among active FBS quarterbacks.
Now Thompson and K-State prepare for more emotions and a different challenge.
When K-State, 1-0, meets FCS member Southern Illinois, 1-0, in Saturday's 6 p.m. kickoff, the Wildcats faithful will converge at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in numbers not seen since 2019.
"Refill the Bill" was the summer theme for a program known for harboring among the best gameday atmospheres in the nation. Tailgating will start early. The marching band will return to its rightful spot alongside a frenzied student section. The K-S-U chant will echo across a stadium that features a newly-constructed south endzone facility named the Shamrock Zone.
A buzz so noticeably absent under the dark pandemic-ridden circumstances of a year ago will reignite with that old familiar energy felt when family and friends finally meet after a long journey.
"A huge part of K-State football is our fan base," Thompson said. "Adding the band to the student section is going to be bigtime there. We have the best band in the entire country, and having those guys back in the student section and leading the way is going to be phenomenal and so fun. Obviously, I can't speak on it because I haven't experienced it yet, but I envision that it's going to feel like running out of the tunnel for the first time my freshman year."
K-State will look for a better outcome in its home opener than a year ago. Although the Wildcats are 91-18 in regular-season non-conference games since 1990, they suffered a 35-31 loss to Arkansas State last season's opener, which set the table for a wacky 2020 campaign that ended with a 4-6 record.
Third-year K-State head coach Chris Klieman, a four-time FCS national champion at North Dakota State, knows all-too well the parity of college football. He appeared hardly surprised that six FCS teams defeated FBS opponents on opening weekend while two other FCS teams gave respected Big 12 Conference teams fits. No. 7 Iowa State fought past Northern Iowa (16-10) and Oklahoma State outlasted Missouri State (23-16).
"You go down the line and those things aren't flukes," Klieman said. "Maybe some teams didn't play as well, but that's not a fluke to beat a Power 5 team."
K-State will face Southern Illinois for the first time. Since the Salukis moved to the FCS level in 1982, they have beaten one Power 5 team in history (Indiana) and are 4-35 against FBS squads. Southern Illinois head coach Nick Hill, 24-32 in six seasons, saw quarterback Nic Baker in just his fifth career start throw for a school-record 460 yards in a 47-21 win over Southeast Missouri State last Thursday. It included a 99-yard catch-and-run touchdown by wide receiver Avante Cox on the first play from scrimmage.
"You're going to see some reverses out of different formations and reverse passes and gadgets and Wildcat," Klieman said. "They make you defend sideline to sideline with everybody. You better not just key in on a couple of guys. They've got some tremendous players, but they hit reverses on everybody. We've got to make sure and have discipline within our defense."
After an offseason of preparation, K-State defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman debuted a 3-3-5 defensive front (three down linemen, three linebackers and five defensive backs) that appeared at times to puzzle Stanford, and expertly alternated by utilizing four down linemen and exchanging battalions of defensive backs. The defense, which features nine Super Seniors or FBS transfers, held the Cardinal to one touchdown and 233 total yards, including just 39 yards on the ground.
"More than ever since we've been here guys are playing less selfishly and more of a team defense, which is what we want to be," Klanderman said.
The most dominant display by a K-State defense in a regular-season non-conference Power 5 game since beating USC 10-6 in 2001 featured a plethora of standouts. Four different players recorded a sack, and seven different players recorded a tackle for a loss. Transfer senior safety Russ Yeast and redshirt freshman safety TJ Smith each posted an interception. Linebacker Daniel Green posted a team-high nine tackles before leaving the game in the second half due to a targeting call. He will miss the first half of Saturday's contest. Junior Nick Allen is expected to start the game in his place.
"I thought Daniel Green and Cody Fletcher were outstanding," Klanderman said. "Daniel was doing his job but so many of his effort plays were sensational and some things that maybe you won't see on a stat sheet."
Although the defense entered as a primary focus for K-State after it finished 84th in scoring defense (32.2 points) and 97th in total defense (444.7 yards) in 2020, the Wildcats proved mightily staunch against a formidable opponent and are hardly satisfied with their opening statement.
"Our guys are eager to establish their identity," Klanderman said. "Step one is done. Now what's the encore performance going to be? We're going to find out what kind of mature group we have. Our preparation this week hasn't been easy but it's been good. They're going to be defined by what we do each Saturday and not what they did on September 4, and they understand that."
The message? There's more to come.
"We can be a lot better and a lot more disciplined, for sure," Fletcher said. "We played really fast and played really physical, which was really fun to watch, but from a discipline standpoint, we can read our keys a little better sometimes. We can be a lot better."
Arguably the biggest question rested on the throwing arm and legs of Thompson, who overcame a first-possession interception to complete 9 of 14 passes for 144 yards while adding 11 carries for 33 yards and two touchdowns. Offensive coordinator Courtney Messingham sensed no hesitation from his experienced quarterback.
"Especially that first half, he came out not pressing and let it come to him, but he was aggressive, and I want for him to be aggressive," Messingham said. "It was his first game back truly playing with game speed. There were a couple balls downfield that he probably could've thrown more accurately, and he probably will as he gets more and more reps."
Recognizing through hours of film study Stanford's defensive tendency to at times leave the A-gap open in down-and-distance situations that typically dictated a pass, meticulous Messingham dialed up a homerun in the second quarter. Facing third-and-13, Thompson handed off to sophomore Deuce Vaughn, and watched the 5-foot-6, 173-pound 2021 preseason All-American shoot through the middle of the line, making a safety miss a potential tackle, and racing a career-long 59 yards into the endzone.
Vaughn, who had 13 carries for 124 yards and one touchdown, figures to pose a sizable task for Southern Illinois, which surrendered 243 total yards, including 142 rushing yards, against Southeast Missouri State.
"He's great," said wide receiver Malik Knowles, who also showed off his own abilities in the running game against Stanford. "We've got a guy who can flip the field anytime he has the ball. It's always good to have as dominant player like him on the team."
Behind unflinching Thompson, dynamic Vaughn and an upstart defense, the Wildcats return to Manhattan looking to build upon their season-opening success while staying mindful of the pitfalls several FBS teams suffered against FCS foes in Week 1. As Klieman is quick to point out, "Football is football."
On Saturday, football is officially back in the Little Apple — and there should be no shortage of motivation when players rush onto the field at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
"Playing at AT&T Stadium was really cool," Fletcher said, "but just seeing everybody here is going to be a really great feeling."
Players Mentioned
LB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
DB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
DB
/ FootballMonday, June 01
Thursday, May 28
Thursday, May 28
Sunday, April 26
