A Defense Full of Five-Star Effort

By: D. Scott Fritchen

Alabama scored more than 40 points in half of its games during the regular season. Kansas State hasn't surrendered 40 points since 2020.

It all adds up to an intriguing matchup as No. 9 K-State (10-3) prepares to meet No. 5 Alabama (10-2) in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Saturday.

The Crimson Tide boast the No. 4 scoring offense (40.8) and an overall offense (475.5) that ranks 13^th in college football.

They have scored 40 or more points in 46 of the last 68 games, which leads the nation for most total games of 40-plus points since the start of the 2018 season.

"We're excited about the opportunity," K-State defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman said during a news conference Wednesday. "We're still trying to find a way to put our best 60 minutes of football on the turf. I think our guys are going to lay it down for K-State and represent. We're excited about the challenge that's coming.

"We're ready to get this thing teed off."

Over the last three seasons, Alabama has damaged opposing defenses behind quarterback Bryce Young, who ranks second in Alabama history in passing yards (8,035) and third in passing touchdowns (75).

Although the Wildcats wholly respect the Crimson Tide, they are not intimidated. They have been here before — they beat No. 3 TCU 31-28 in overtime for the Big 12 Championship — albeit not on the stage of a New Year's Six clash.

"We've played a lot of great teams this year," senior linebacker Daniel Green said. "TCU was undefeated. If you're going to play against really good teams, the teams that really embrace those moments and want to compete put up the fight and win those games. It's really exciting to embrace this moment and go out there and compete against a really great program and do what we do."

K-State's scoring defense could play a significant factor in the 11 a.m. kickoff (ESPN) at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Wildcats have been staunch in slowing down powerful offenses this season behind Klanderman, who was a candidate for the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant coach.

They are giving up just 20.1 points per game, which ranks among the top 20 in college football, and which is the fewest points a K-State defense has allowed in any season since 2003.

"From the very beginning of the year, we felt we could be one of the best defenses in the nation," Green said. "We've accomplished that goal. We're one of the better defenses in the nation. To go against Alabama is a really important game for us. It's a statement game that we can show that our Mob defense isn't just great against Big 12 opponents but against one of the best programs ever to play college football.

"They have really, really good players on their side of the ball and we have really good players on our side of the ball. We're excited to compete."

K-State faced four opponents that each averaged better than 40 points per game at the time the teams played in the regular season. The Wildcats held those foes to an average of 18.5 points below their standard. That includes holding No. 3 TCU to 28 points in the Big 12 Championship Game. The Horned Frogs entered averaging 41.3 points per contest.

The key to holding teams under their scoring average so consistently this season?

"We're just trying to get out of each series, honestly," Klanderman said. "We're not trying to hold them under 30 or 40 points per game. We're just trying to win each series and each play. When you stack enough of those together that's the magic. We're just trying to find ways to give different pictures and looks on each snap so we can have success on that snap. When you put that together for 60 minutes, you end up with a good result."

There are two primary reasons for the Wildcats' defensive success: 1) They switched from a four-man front to a 3-3-5 alignment in 2021, and 2) they are making masterful second-half adjustments under Klanderman.

In the 25 games since the Wildcats' defensive alignment switch, they are allowing just 20.5 points per game, which ranks 21^st nationally while also allowing 335.4 total yards. It's an improvement after they surrendered 26.1 points and 401.6 yards in 2019 and 2020.

"A year ago, we were just piecemealing things together as much as we could," Klanderman said. "There was a lot of week-to-week install for the players, particularly on third down, where we were still behind the curve. We did a lot of work in the offseason to get what I'd call a package together where we could name things and it's a lot different than what we were accustomed to in that you can play a little bit more offensive ball on defense."

That becomes apparent as the Wildcats are tied for ninth in college football with 16 interceptions.

"Back in the four-down days, the magic recipe, we might have carried three base defenses and three pressures in base-down situations," Klanderman continued. "Now we can carry nine things and it doesn't mind-blow our guys because they're not that much different for them technically. We're able to do a little bit more with it right now and that's going to continue to evolve."

Over the last six games, K-State has surrendered a combined 33 second-half points against Oklahoma State (0), Texas (3), Baylor (0), West Virginia (6), Kansas (6) and TCU (18). The Wildcats are allowing an average of just 8.5 points over the final two quarters this season.

"We just play together really well," senior nose guard Eli Huggins said. "We don't have selfish guys out there. Everyone focuses on doing their job. We have a ton of trust in each other. We play with incredible effort. We might make mistakes but our guys are going to be flying around 100 miles per hour."

The Wildcats prepare to lay it on the line against talent-heavy Alabama, which boasts a plethora of players who arrived as four- and five-star recruits.

"When I was a younger guy stuff like that might've intimidated me in some ways, but over my time here, we've kind of been able to show that that doesn't really matter," Huggins said. "You look at Texas or Oklahoma and they have a roster full of four- and five-star guys. I don't think we have a five-star guy on our whole team."

But K-State has gone about its business and has consistently put forth a five-star effort on defense this season, which has led to great success.

They hope that their hard work will pay dividends again on Saturday.

Gallery: (12-28-2022) K-State FB at AllState Sugar Bowl - Day3

Kansas State University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Daniel Green

Eli Huggins

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