Striving to Preserve Positive Momentum
Oct 07, 2022 | Football, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Exactly what does the Kansas State-Iowa State "Farmageddon" rivalry mean? K-State wide receiver Kade Warner, a native of Arizona, has an idea.
"I just saw we're boycotting corn," Warner joked with reporters earlier this week.
No. 20 Kansas State has lost back-to-back games against Iowa State in a series that the Wildcats have recently dominated, and the Wildcats – 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the Big 12 Conference – are eager for redemption, as they travel to face the Cyclones, 3-2 and 0-2, in a 6:30 p.m. kickoff on Saturday (ESPNU) at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa.
"We're very motivated," said K-State defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah, who had three sacks in a 37-28 win over Texas Tech last Saturday in Manhattan.
K-State fell 31-20 to the Cyclones last season. The Wildcats suffered a 45-0 shutout loss the last time they visited Ames in 2020.
"Especially with how much they embarrassed us in 2020, I know there's a big chip on our shoulder," Anudike-Uzomah continued. "It's going to be a great game."
The big storyline this week? How K-State and its powerful rushing offense will fare against Iowa State's stellar rushing defense — and exactly how the Wildcats will respond if the Cyclones take away the run.
K-State possesses the third-best rushing attack in the Football Bowl Subdivision in averaging 267.2 rushing yards per game, and Iowa State has the eighth-best rushing defense at (83.0) yards per game, making this contest a major test for the Wildcats, who rushed for 343 yards against a Red Raiders defense that entered yielding just 99.8 rushing yards per contest.
"Running the football can wear on some people," K-State head coach Chris Klieman said on his weekly radio show. "A lot of people can throw the ball for a lot of yards, and if you can rush it, you can expose some people and take their spirit a little bit from them."
One week after earning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors after accounting for 382 total yards and five touchdowns in a 41-34 win over then-No. 6 Oklahoma, quarterback Adrian Martinez this week was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week after scorching Texas Tech for 287 total yards and four touchdowns. ESPN reported that Martinez joins Lamar Jackson and Cam Newton as the only quarterbacks in the last 15 years to rush for more than 300 yards and seven touchdowns in a two-game stretch.
Returning Consensus All-American running back Deuce Vaughn ranks fifth in the nation in averaging 127.6 rushing yards per game. Together, Martinez and Vaughn amassed three runs of 50-plus yards against Texas Tech with another 50-yard run by Martinez called back due to a holding penalty.
Martinez and Vaughn are the top quarterback-running back ground-gaining duo in the country.
"We'll play a really good defense that's really well coached and you have to be on your Ps and Qs," said Vaughn, who had a career-high 170 rushing yards last Saturday. "Whenever it's time to hit a big play, you have to hit that big play. (Iowa State) does a great job of not allowing big plays."
The Cyclones have allowed just 11 carries to gain 10 or more yards and only three rushes against them have gained more than 20 this season.
That means it could be time for Martinez to shine again in the passing game. Martinez threw for 234 yards and one touchdown against the Sooners, showing flashes of why he's one of just two FBS quarterbacks with 9,000 passing yards and 2,000 rushing yards in a career.
"I don't follow a ton of other college football teams other than the Big 12, but I'd be hard pressed to think there's a quarterback paying at a higher level right now over the past two weeks than Adrian," Klieman said. "His command of the offense, running the ball, throwing the ball, putting up points and explosive plays — it's been really big for us to have him with that kind of confidence."
Martinez has completed 62.2% of his passes for 654 yards and three touchdowns and no interceptions. K-State possesses experienced and talented pass-catchers who could be more involved in this contest.
Phillip Brooks (16 receptions), Malik Knowles (15), Warner (14), Vaughn (13) and tight end Ben Sinnott (10) all have double-digit receptions.
"I wouldn't say (I'm) anxious, but with how we feel our running game is right now, there'll definitely be some openings in the passing game (against Iowa State)," Martinez said. "It's something we're going to expand on and we need to."
It will be interesting to see what K-State offensive coordinator Collin Klein concocts for this battle.
"Thankfully, it's not just (Martinez)," Klein said. "There's other pieces to it and other facets to it. It's about being prepared and having those answers ahead of time and to project what they're going to do."
K-State has won 11 straight over Iowa State when ranked in the AP Top 25, but the Cyclones have been stout at home under Campbell, winning 26 of their last 29 homes games and beating at least one Top 25 team in each of the last five seasons.
Although Iowa State possesses a remarkable defense that ranks at the top of the Big 12 in six statistical categories, the Cyclones' offense continues to seek growth. It was challenged in losses against then-No. 17 Baylor (31-24) and at Kansas (14-11).
Redshirt sophomore Hunter Dekkers has only played in 12 games, making him one of the Big 12's least-experienced quarterbacks. He has completed 69.3% of his passes for 1,316 yards and 11 touchdowns and six interceptions.
He completed a career-high 30 passes on 38 attempts for 287 yards and one touchdown and one interception against Kansas.
The Wildcats could have their hands full with 6-foot-3, 205-pound wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson, who leads the FBS with 49 receptions to go along with 504 yards and five touchdowns. He had a career-high 13 catches against Kansas, second most in the nation this season.
K-State ranks second among Power 5 teams with nine interceptions and ranks second with a plus-9 turnover margin.
"Hutchinson has good speed and really good body control and creates separation even if you connect on him," K-State defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman said. "He has tremendous range and his catch radius – they do a very creative job of finding ways to target him. It's not always down-the-field stuff.
"We obviously have to be on top of him and in the same respect if he catches balls in the under coverage we have to knock him down right away. We can't allow yards-after-catch."
Iowa State looks to avoid its first 0-3 start in a league season since 2016.
"Man, are we just going to bag who we are and what we're about? Absolutely not," said Campbell, who is the only coach in Iowa State history to lead the Cyclones to five consecutive winning seasons. "We've got too good of players. We just have to continue to grow in some areas and continue to push forward. The inconsistencies can't show up, especially with the margins we've seen the last two weeks that are razor thin."
The K-State-Iowa State series has historically featured close games with 10 of the last 14 contests decided by single digits. K-State won 10 straight in the series between 2008 and 2017.
So far, the Big 12 has featured five single-digit games in league play.
"You're going to have challenge and adversity in every game," Klieman said. "It's just how you respond and overcome some of the challenges that you have. We all know and it proved out again Saturday that there are really good football teams and good coaching and good players in this league.
"Momentum can switch pretty quickly and it's hard to get it back. We had momentum, lost it, and got it back. It's going to be that type of the year throughout the landscape of the Big 12 for sure as well as college football."
Saturday will mark the halfway mark for K-State's season. The Wildcats next have a bye week. But first, they must handle the Cyclones in this mini-rivalry.
"We're coming off a couple big wins," Klieman said. "You've got to keep the momentum going. For us, we just need to play really well and give us an opportunity to be successful and win in the fourth quarter."
Exactly what does the Kansas State-Iowa State "Farmageddon" rivalry mean? K-State wide receiver Kade Warner, a native of Arizona, has an idea.
"I just saw we're boycotting corn," Warner joked with reporters earlier this week.
No. 20 Kansas State has lost back-to-back games against Iowa State in a series that the Wildcats have recently dominated, and the Wildcats – 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the Big 12 Conference – are eager for redemption, as they travel to face the Cyclones, 3-2 and 0-2, in a 6:30 p.m. kickoff on Saturday (ESPNU) at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa.
"We're very motivated," said K-State defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah, who had three sacks in a 37-28 win over Texas Tech last Saturday in Manhattan.
K-State fell 31-20 to the Cyclones last season. The Wildcats suffered a 45-0 shutout loss the last time they visited Ames in 2020.
"Especially with how much they embarrassed us in 2020, I know there's a big chip on our shoulder," Anudike-Uzomah continued. "It's going to be a great game."
The big storyline this week? How K-State and its powerful rushing offense will fare against Iowa State's stellar rushing defense — and exactly how the Wildcats will respond if the Cyclones take away the run.
K-State possesses the third-best rushing attack in the Football Bowl Subdivision in averaging 267.2 rushing yards per game, and Iowa State has the eighth-best rushing defense at (83.0) yards per game, making this contest a major test for the Wildcats, who rushed for 343 yards against a Red Raiders defense that entered yielding just 99.8 rushing yards per contest.
"Running the football can wear on some people," K-State head coach Chris Klieman said on his weekly radio show. "A lot of people can throw the ball for a lot of yards, and if you can rush it, you can expose some people and take their spirit a little bit from them."
One week after earning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors after accounting for 382 total yards and five touchdowns in a 41-34 win over then-No. 6 Oklahoma, quarterback Adrian Martinez this week was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week after scorching Texas Tech for 287 total yards and four touchdowns. ESPN reported that Martinez joins Lamar Jackson and Cam Newton as the only quarterbacks in the last 15 years to rush for more than 300 yards and seven touchdowns in a two-game stretch.
"The last two games you'd put (Martinez's) success up as good as anybody right now in the country at the quarterback position," Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell said in his weekly news conference. "A great challenge."Good company for @MartinezTheQB pic.twitter.com/eRVB96aClg
— K-State Football 🌾 (@KStateFB) October 6, 2022
Returning Consensus All-American running back Deuce Vaughn ranks fifth in the nation in averaging 127.6 rushing yards per game. Together, Martinez and Vaughn amassed three runs of 50-plus yards against Texas Tech with another 50-yard run by Martinez called back due to a holding penalty.
Martinez and Vaughn are the top quarterback-running back ground-gaining duo in the country.
"We'll play a really good defense that's really well coached and you have to be on your Ps and Qs," said Vaughn, who had a career-high 170 rushing yards last Saturday. "Whenever it's time to hit a big play, you have to hit that big play. (Iowa State) does a great job of not allowing big plays."
The Cyclones have allowed just 11 carries to gain 10 or more yards and only three rushes against them have gained more than 20 this season.
That means it could be time for Martinez to shine again in the passing game. Martinez threw for 234 yards and one touchdown against the Sooners, showing flashes of why he's one of just two FBS quarterbacks with 9,000 passing yards and 2,000 rushing yards in a career.
"I don't follow a ton of other college football teams other than the Big 12, but I'd be hard pressed to think there's a quarterback paying at a higher level right now over the past two weeks than Adrian," Klieman said. "His command of the offense, running the ball, throwing the ball, putting up points and explosive plays — it's been really big for us to have him with that kind of confidence."
Martinez has completed 62.2% of his passes for 654 yards and three touchdowns and no interceptions. K-State possesses experienced and talented pass-catchers who could be more involved in this contest.
Phillip Brooks (16 receptions), Malik Knowles (15), Warner (14), Vaughn (13) and tight end Ben Sinnott (10) all have double-digit receptions.
"I wouldn't say (I'm) anxious, but with how we feel our running game is right now, there'll definitely be some openings in the passing game (against Iowa State)," Martinez said. "It's something we're going to expand on and we need to."
It will be interesting to see what K-State offensive coordinator Collin Klein concocts for this battle.
"Thankfully, it's not just (Martinez)," Klein said. "There's other pieces to it and other facets to it. It's about being prepared and having those answers ahead of time and to project what they're going to do."
K-State has won 11 straight over Iowa State when ranked in the AP Top 25, but the Cyclones have been stout at home under Campbell, winning 26 of their last 29 homes games and beating at least one Top 25 team in each of the last five seasons.
Although Iowa State possesses a remarkable defense that ranks at the top of the Big 12 in six statistical categories, the Cyclones' offense continues to seek growth. It was challenged in losses against then-No. 17 Baylor (31-24) and at Kansas (14-11).
Redshirt sophomore Hunter Dekkers has only played in 12 games, making him one of the Big 12's least-experienced quarterbacks. He has completed 69.3% of his passes for 1,316 yards and 11 touchdowns and six interceptions.
He completed a career-high 30 passes on 38 attempts for 287 yards and one touchdown and one interception against Kansas.
The Wildcats could have their hands full with 6-foot-3, 205-pound wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson, who leads the FBS with 49 receptions to go along with 504 yards and five touchdowns. He had a career-high 13 catches against Kansas, second most in the nation this season.
K-State ranks second among Power 5 teams with nine interceptions and ranks second with a plus-9 turnover margin.
"Hutchinson has good speed and really good body control and creates separation even if you connect on him," K-State defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman said. "He has tremendous range and his catch radius – they do a very creative job of finding ways to target him. It's not always down-the-field stuff.
"We obviously have to be on top of him and in the same respect if he catches balls in the under coverage we have to knock him down right away. We can't allow yards-after-catch."
Iowa State looks to avoid its first 0-3 start in a league season since 2016.
"Man, are we just going to bag who we are and what we're about? Absolutely not," said Campbell, who is the only coach in Iowa State history to lead the Cyclones to five consecutive winning seasons. "We've got too good of players. We just have to continue to grow in some areas and continue to push forward. The inconsistencies can't show up, especially with the margins we've seen the last two weeks that are razor thin."
The K-State-Iowa State series has historically featured close games with 10 of the last 14 contests decided by single digits. K-State won 10 straight in the series between 2008 and 2017.
So far, the Big 12 has featured five single-digit games in league play.
"You're going to have challenge and adversity in every game," Klieman said. "It's just how you respond and overcome some of the challenges that you have. We all know and it proved out again Saturday that there are really good football teams and good coaching and good players in this league.
"Momentum can switch pretty quickly and it's hard to get it back. We had momentum, lost it, and got it back. It's going to be that type of the year throughout the landscape of the Big 12 for sure as well as college football."
Saturday will mark the halfway mark for K-State's season. The Wildcats next have a bye week. But first, they must handle the Cyclones in this mini-rivalry.
"We're coming off a couple big wins," Klieman said. "You've got to keep the momentum going. For us, we just need to play really well and give us an opportunity to be successful and win in the fourth quarter."
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