SE: Inside the Explosive Plays that Defined the Allstate Kickoff Classic
Sep 06, 2021 | Football, Sports Extra
By: Austin Siegel
Cody Fletcher wasn't happy. But in the media room at AT&T Stadium, the K-State senior was dealing with the kind of tough question most linebackers would dream of answering.
How frustrating was it to give up that shutout late in a 24-7 win over Stanford?
"Yeah, super frustrating," Fletcher said. "I think it was pretty good coverage. The guy made a good catch."
That was it. The only blip on Saturday, after Fletcher, and every member of this K-State defense, spent the summer hearing about how they were the question mark on the Wildcats.
On a team returning almost every key player on offense, with a sixth-year senior quarterback and the reigning Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year at running back, what about the D?
Well, on Saturday afternoon in the Allstate Kickoff Classic, the K-State defense delivered the team's stingiest performance against a Power 5 opponent since 2018.
They held Stanford to just one touchdown, only the fifth time the Wildcats have done that against a Power 5 opponent over the last decade. The defense was the star in Arlington.
And it was the first thing Chris Klieman talked about in his postgame press conference.
"We had a big pick, and we never gave up the explosive play. That's something we've been talking about ad nauseum," Klieman said. "We have to do a great job preventing those."
If there's one statistic that tells the story of the 2021 Allstate Kickoff Classic, it's the difference in explosive plays on Saturday.
The Wildcats had a pair of plays over 50 yards against Stanford, between Skylar Thompson's 56-yard pass to Phillip Brooks and Deuce Vaughn's 59-yard touchdown run. Only six teams in the nation had more as of Sunday - and that's exactly how the Wildcats drew it up.
Last month, K-State offensive coordinator Courtney Messingham talked about the importance of the team's wide receivers in unlocking more of the offense in 2021.
"We have to be a threat down the field and a threat to make big plays," he said. "We had Kevin Lockett come and speak to our program, our team, and he talked about wideouts being able to make big plays. That's something we have to be able to show we can do every game."
It took the Wildcats all of nine plays to do it against Stanford.
Brooks finished the opener with a career-high 81 yards, while Malik Knowles got involved as a receiver and on the jet sweeps that Messingham has used to get his talented receiver in space.
There's a trust between Klieman and his offensive coordinator – and it's nothing new.
"You've got to realize, I've got my best friend on the other side as the offensive coordinator that I've known since I was eleven," Klieman said. "I told him, 'Mess, I'm not going to see you very much.' I spent all the time [this offseason] with the defense."
And that was the other side of the difference in explosive plays on Saturday.
Stanford's longest play from scrimmage on Saturday was 29 yards, as five new starters helped this K-State defense completely shut down the Cardinal.
Fletcher and Daniel Green, stepping in for two departing seniors at linebacker, combined for 17 tackles and a sack, while keeping everything in front of them.
"I think we surprised a lot of people with our physicality, up front especially," Fletcher said. "We came out with a lot more different looks than I think people were expecting."
Eli Huggins said that a more unpredictable approach on defense is one of the things he's most excited about this season, as K-State mixed in a few three-down-linemen looks on Saturday.
"It's cool just to change it up," he said. "Teams last year, they knew what we were going to be in pretty much every play, but now we're switching it up all the time. It's going to be hard for team to have a bead on what we're going to do because we're constantly changing."
When the Cardinal did make a mistake, K-State was ready to capitalize. Louisville transfer Russ Yeast came up with an interception in his first game as a Wildcat and TJ Smith delivered the knockout punch with a fourth quarter takeaway and 39-yard return.
Smith admitted, in a rush of excitement after the interception, he almost blacked out.
On the defensive line, returning talent like Huggins, Khalid Duke and Spencer Trussell each came up with a sack. A Stanford team with a pair of experienced running backs struggled to establish a ground game and finished with just 39 rushing yards against the Wildcats.
"Defense was flying around out there today," Huggins said. "That's why I think we had the success that we did. By attacking every single play."
But the biggest point of emphasis, from both players and coaches on Saturday, was that the Wildcats are far from a finished product.
That might be the biggest statement in a statement win.
"Been building on this for about eight months through an unbelievably difficult winter, difficult spring, difficult summer, difficult fall camp," Klieman said. "We knew we needed to be better and challenge the guys and they challenged each other."
Cody Fletcher wasn't happy. But in the media room at AT&T Stadium, the K-State senior was dealing with the kind of tough question most linebackers would dream of answering.
How frustrating was it to give up that shutout late in a 24-7 win over Stanford?
"Yeah, super frustrating," Fletcher said. "I think it was pretty good coverage. The guy made a good catch."
That was it. The only blip on Saturday, after Fletcher, and every member of this K-State defense, spent the summer hearing about how they were the question mark on the Wildcats.
On a team returning almost every key player on offense, with a sixth-year senior quarterback and the reigning Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year at running back, what about the D?
Well, on Saturday afternoon in the Allstate Kickoff Classic, the K-State defense delivered the team's stingiest performance against a Power 5 opponent since 2018.
SET THE TONE
— K-State Football (@KStateFB) September 4, 2021
Game Highlights vs Stanford ⬇️#KStateFB ⚒ pic.twitter.com/mSEQF9gXQu
They held Stanford to just one touchdown, only the fifth time the Wildcats have done that against a Power 5 opponent over the last decade. The defense was the star in Arlington.
And it was the first thing Chris Klieman talked about in his postgame press conference.
"We had a big pick, and we never gave up the explosive play. That's something we've been talking about ad nauseum," Klieman said. "We have to do a great job preventing those."
If there's one statistic that tells the story of the 2021 Allstate Kickoff Classic, it's the difference in explosive plays on Saturday.
The Wildcats had a pair of plays over 50 yards against Stanford, between Skylar Thompson's 56-yard pass to Phillip Brooks and Deuce Vaughn's 59-yard touchdown run. Only six teams in the nation had more as of Sunday - and that's exactly how the Wildcats drew it up.
Last month, K-State offensive coordinator Courtney Messingham talked about the importance of the team's wide receivers in unlocking more of the offense in 2021.
"We have to be a threat down the field and a threat to make big plays," he said. "We had Kevin Lockett come and speak to our program, our team, and he talked about wideouts being able to make big plays. That's something we have to be able to show we can do every game."
It took the Wildcats all of nine plays to do it against Stanford.
Brooks finished the opener with a career-high 81 yards, while Malik Knowles got involved as a receiver and on the jet sweeps that Messingham has used to get his talented receiver in space.
There's a trust between Klieman and his offensive coordinator – and it's nothing new.
"You've got to realize, I've got my best friend on the other side as the offensive coordinator that I've known since I was eleven," Klieman said. "I told him, 'Mess, I'm not going to see you very much.' I spent all the time [this offseason] with the defense."
And that was the other side of the difference in explosive plays on Saturday.
Stanford's longest play from scrimmage on Saturday was 29 yards, as five new starters helped this K-State defense completely shut down the Cardinal.
Fletcher and Daniel Green, stepping in for two departing seniors at linebacker, combined for 17 tackles and a sack, while keeping everything in front of them.
"I think we surprised a lot of people with our physicality, up front especially," Fletcher said. "We came out with a lot more different looks than I think people were expecting."
Eli Huggins said that a more unpredictable approach on defense is one of the things he's most excited about this season, as K-State mixed in a few three-down-linemen looks on Saturday.
"It's cool just to change it up," he said. "Teams last year, they knew what we were going to be in pretty much every play, but now we're switching it up all the time. It's going to be hard for team to have a bead on what we're going to do because we're constantly changing."
When the Cardinal did make a mistake, K-State was ready to capitalize. Louisville transfer Russ Yeast came up with an interception in his first game as a Wildcat and TJ Smith delivered the knockout punch with a fourth quarter takeaway and 39-yard return.
Smith admitted, in a rush of excitement after the interception, he almost blacked out.
🏈➡️✋ @KStateFB snags another pick against Stanford to set up great field position for the offense! pic.twitter.com/nEggB1ThvO
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 4, 2021
On the defensive line, returning talent like Huggins, Khalid Duke and Spencer Trussell each came up with a sack. A Stanford team with a pair of experienced running backs struggled to establish a ground game and finished with just 39 rushing yards against the Wildcats.
"Defense was flying around out there today," Huggins said. "That's why I think we had the success that we did. By attacking every single play."
But the biggest point of emphasis, from both players and coaches on Saturday, was that the Wildcats are far from a finished product.
That might be the biggest statement in a statement win.
Believe in each other#KStateFB ⚒️ pic.twitter.com/9ZC1IkR0QD
— K-State Football (@KStateFB) September 4, 2021
"Been building on this for about eight months through an unbelievably difficult winter, difficult spring, difficult summer, difficult fall camp," Klieman said. "We knew we needed to be better and challenge the guys and they challenged each other."
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