An Opportunity to End it Right for the Seniors

By: D. Scott Fritchen

For No. 25 Kansas State, this is it.

The Wildcats, 8-4, who have been excruciatingly close all season, will get their opportunity to finish off the 2023 season with a statement when they meet No. 18 NC State, 9-3, in Thursday's 4:45 p.m. CT kickoff (ESPN) in the Pop-Tarts Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

K-State, whose four losses have been by a total of 21 points, makes its fourth bowl appearance in five seasons, and for the first time will face NC State, which is looking for its second 10-win season in history.

"You don't get very many bowl matchups where it's two Top 25 teams," K-State head coach Chris Klieman said. "It's something that we're excited about because we want to stay in that Top 25 and keep elevating."

This will mark the first-ever bowl appearance for K-State in the state of Florida and the first time the Wildcats will compete in a bowl game against a team in the ACC at the time of the game.

"Every game that we play we feel like we have a great chance to win, and our kids feel that," said Klieman, whose 74.8% career winning percentage ranks fourth among current FBS coaches that have led programs for at least 10 seasons. "On any stage our kids are going to compete our tails off and have an opportunity to win every game."

K-State's 5.25 average margin of defeat this season is the smallest among three- and four-loss Power 5 teams. Three of its losses came against teams that finished in the CFP Top 25 in No. 3 Texas, No. 9 Missouri and No. 20 Oklahoma State — battles that today seem so far away.

It's been more than a month since K-State finished the regular season with a 42-35 home loss to Iowa State. Since then, the Wildcats have lost offensive coordinator Collin Klein to Texas A&M, thus elevating offensive line coach Conor Riley to interim offensive coordinator.

K-State ranks 10^th in the FBS in averaging 37.8 points per game, which currently ranks sixth in school history. The Wildcats have scored at least 30 points in each of the last seven games, which is the third-longest active streak in the nation entering bowl season. Additionally, the Wildcats rank 23^rd nationally with 446.1 total yards, which currently ranks second in school history.

The Wildcats will face a NC State defense that allows 20.2 points per game, which ranks 24^th nationally, and that allows 323.5 total yards, which ranks 26^th nationally.

"This is a moment that I've been preparing for my entire career," said Riley, who has been with Klieman since they were assistant coaches together at North Dakota State in 2012. "One of the guys (I've reached out to for advice) is one of my best friends and that's Collin Klein. The support that he has shown me and reassurance that he's shown me for this opportunity has been nothing short of fantastic."

K-State could receive a boost with the decision by NC State linebacker Payton Wilson to opt out of the bowl to begin preparing for the NFL Draft. The sixth-year senior ranked fifth in the FBS with 138 tackles to go along with 17.5 tackles for a loss and six sacks with three interceptions en route to ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors.

K-State has incurred key player departures of its own, including senior quarterback Will Howard, junior tight end Ben Sinnott, senior wide receiver Phillip Brooks, and senior safety Kobe Savage, among others, but junior safety Marques Sigle indicated that the team has grown even tighter.

"We want to prove to ourselves that even with people leaving it's about the program and who stays," Sigle said. People are going to come and go. It's about how you change that adversity and fight through it.

"We're definitely tight. Everybody got closer once people left to see who your brothers are and who's staying for you and who you're going to fight with."

The departure of Howard, who threw a school-record 48 career touchdown passes, gives true freshman Avery Johnson the opportunity to make his highly-anticipated first full start as quarterback.

"I have the mindset to go out there chasing greatness and to hold myself accountable and hold the team accountable and bring out the best in myself and the people around me," Johnson said.

The mission?

"Just to go out there and put our best forward," Johnson replied. "To get out there and get a win."

Klieman said that "everybody knows (Johnson) is a competitor, but his leadership has really taken off."

"Our guys believe in him, and we believe in him and trust him," Klieman continued. "He's going to make some mistakes as a young player, but he's going to make some splash plays. He's played a lot of football for us this year and has played on some big stages. Now he's just getting that chance to start. The team is so excited for him. It's not going to be all about him, though. We have to be really good around him, too."

One offensive player to keep an eye on? 6-foot-5, 230-pound redshirt freshman tight end Garrett Oakley. Injured earlier in the season, he has two touchdown catches this year and set a career high with 46 receiving yards on three catches against Baylor, while he also had three grabs against Houston.

"We're excited about Garrett Oakley," Klieman said. "He's had a really good season behind Ben (Sinnott) as a backup tight end. He has really come on. He's a big, athletic guy who can really run and we're really excited about him."

Sixth-year senior Seth Porter is expected to be used as a slot receiver and punt returner in place of Brooks, who began preparations for the NFL Draft.

"I'm so excited for Seth in his last college football game to get the opportunity to be in the slot for us and to play some meaningful snaps as well as return (punts) for us," Klieman said.

Klieman discussed the importance of keeping emotions in check as the Wildcats bid farewell to many fifth- and sixth-year seniors following the bowl game. That includes nearly the entire starting offensive line with Consensus All-American Cooper Beebe, Hayden Gillum, Christian Duffie and KT Leveston playing together one last time.

"It happens like this every year with (keeping) emotions in check like it was the last couple years with Skylar Thompson and last year with Deuce Vaughn and this year there's another crew," Klieman said. "I'm enjoying this time. I'm excited. I've had more fun on this trip with these offensive linemen. You think of where we were as a program after the pandemic and 2020 was a tough year. They changed the culture in that locker room beginning in 2021. We won a Big 12 Championship last year and won 10 games with those guys.

"That's why it's so important for us to honor those guys by going out there and playing our tails off and trying to get a big win for those guys playing in their last game because they've given so much to K-State."

That includes Gillum, the 6-foot-3, 300-pound center and former walk-on from Plainville, Kansas, who has started every game in the past two seasons.

"It's starting to sink in," Gillum said. "Leaving Manhattan and getting the last lift, and last position meeting, it's been such a great experience.

"As an offensive line, with Coach Riley's opportunity and what he's poured into us, there was no other option than to play this game for him and one another and finish out this season the right way."

Riley will change from coaching on the sideline to calling plays from the coaches' booth. He credits his veteran offensive line for easing his adjustment. He grew emotional in discussing his offensive linemen.

"Having that veteran group has made these past two weeks so much easier," he said. "The maturity of that group and knowledge, their support and their motivation to me has been absolutely nothing short of inspiring. I cannot be more grateful to be standing in front of that room.

"It's emotional. I cannot say enough about how much those young people have meant to me over the past five years."

After allowing an average of 21.0 points per game in 2021 and 21.9 points per game in 2022, the Wildcats are allowing just 21.4 points per game this season, which ranks 17^th nationally. The Wildcats have allowed just 29 touchdowns from scrimmage, which is tied for the third fewest in the league.

However, the Wildcats still think about how they surrendered 42 points to Iowa State their last time on the field.

"This is a big game for us," senior linebacker Austin Moore said. "What happened last game (against Iowa State) as a defense, we want to show that's not us, and we want to build momentum. It's really big to go out with a win."

Defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman knows that young players must step up in place of some of the departed players.

"I'm definitely excited just for the younger guys to step up and show who they are and show the potential they have and turning it from potential to actual experience," he said.

One player to watch on the defense? True freshman safety Jack Fabris. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound native of Bogart, Georgia, played in three games during the first half of the season, including each of the first two contests.

"He's a hitter," Klanderman said. "He's going to come down and crack you every time. I'm definitely excited."

The Wildcats are going to face veteran senior Brennan Armstrong at quarterback. Armstrong has thrown for 1,621 yards and 11 touchdowns and six interceptions and he is the team's leading rusher with 104 carries for 544 yards and six touchdowns. This comes two years after he threw for nearly 4,500 yards and 31 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2021.

His favorite target is KC Concepcion, who has 64 catches for 767 yards and 10 touchdowns.

NC State averages 26.7 points per game, which ranks 69^th nationally, and it averages 346.3 total yards, which ranks 95^th nationally.

"The quarterback is a very underrated player," Klanderman said. "Everybody talks about some of the receivers and athletes they have and that they're good up front, but the beauty is in some of the details that they have. At the end of the day, it's pretty straight forward football, but the way they present it is challenging."

K-State has been challenged throughout the season and more often than not has reaped success while continuing to build toward greater heights. Klieman knows the Wildcats must show resolve in the face of player departures, but his message is unwavering.

"The standard and expectation aren't changing," he said. "We're preparing to go try and win a football game against a great opponent. We must execute at a high level.

"We need to end this with a great win for these seniors."

Kansas State University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Cooper Beebe

Phillip Brooks

Christian Duffie

Jack Fabris

Hayden Gillum

Will Howard

Avery Johnson

KT Leveston

Austin Moore

Garrett Oakley

Seth Porter

Kobe Savage

Marques Sigle

Ben Sinnott

Deuce Vaughn

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