Yelling Through Actions
Sep 25, 2023 | Football, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Sometimes in these games that players play, we witness something so unexpected, something so I-didn't-see-this-coming unexpected, something so when-is-the-last-time-this-ever-happened unexpected, that it requires proper pause to put it all into perspective.
DJ Giddens, a nice young man from Junction City who lets his play do the talking, yelled to the rest of college football through his actions that he isn't messing around. Giddens, a redshirt freshman, rushed 30 times for 207 yards and four touchdowns, and added eight catches for 86 yards in a 44-31 win over UCF.
What we witnessed was one of the best rushing performances by a Kansas State player in two decades, the third-best rush/reception performance ever by a Wildcat with 293 scrimmage yards, and the only time in history that a K-State player has rushed for 200 yards and scored four rushing touchdowns in a single game.
Yeah, it was that impressive.
Giddens recorded for the fifth most rushing yards in a single game by a FBS player this season. He is the only player in the country to rush for 200 yards and score four rushing touchdowns in the same game.
"It's just how hard he ran," K-State head coach Chris Klieman said. "He wasn't coming down with first contact."
The 6-foot-1, 212-pound Giddens has started all four games for K-State, 3-1 (1-0 Big 12), and set a previous career high with 128 rushing yards on 15 carries in the season opener against SEMO. His performance came following a campaign in which he backed up Deuce Vaughn and finished third on the team with 518 rushing yards, which ranked third in school history by a freshman.
Giddens rushed for 1,255 yards and 30 touchdowns as a senior at Junction City High School. Once, he scored five touchdowns in a game against Wichita East. He rushed for 216 yards in the Kansas Class 6A state championship game.
So, no, he had never enjoyed an outing quite like he did against the Knights, how he took carry after carry, and broke tackle after tackle, and made defenders whiff and miss and dive and fall across the turf at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
Giddens rushed for 36 yards on his third carry of the game and, yes, it was a very nice run, but we had no idea what was to come, because he rushed for 16 yards and scored an 18-yard touchdown in the second quarter, broke off runs of 18 and 31 yards on back-to-back plays in the third quarter, and he added a 13-yard run in the fourth. He averaged 6.9 yards per carry.
And here's what's also amazing: Of his 30 carries, he lost a total of two yards.
"That was a long time coming for him," K-State quarterback Will Howard said. "Two-hundred-plus yards? Doesn't surprise me at all. The kid, he's always been primed for it, and he was ready for the moment."
At the moment, standing inside the Vanier Family Football Complex after his spectacular game, Giddens held a cupcake with one bite out of it — "I normally don't eat sweets, but I'm trying something new," he said — as he tried to put his incredible evening into words.
He's a man of few words. But when you listen, when you really listen to the words, they tell a beautiful story.
"I'm glad DJ got to show the world what we see in practice at all times," All-American left guard Cooper Beebe said. "I love that kid to death. He still doesn't say much. The dude scores four touchdowns and he doesn't say much."
But he makes every word, and every yard, count.
"The coaches all week said, 'Just be you. Just be yourself. No pressure, just play free,'" Giddens said. "That helped me a lot this week. I was just playing free."
Was he surprised by his success?
"Was I surprised? Not really," he said. "The coaches told me all week, 'We're counting on you.' I already knew what was coming. I couldn't let them down."
How did it feel sending the sellout crowd of 51,912 into hysterics with his runs and touchdowns?
"It felt good," he said. "I don't listen too much. I just think, 'Next play. Make a good play. Focus on the next play. Touchdown. Next Touchdown.'"
Giddens said that he had approximately 30 texts waiting for him at his locker. He had his parents and family from Louisiana in the stands, which made the evening that much more special. An avid fisherman, Giddens put his game into fishing terms.
"It's probably like going out there and catching a 20-pound catfish and enjoying the weather," he said. "That's it."
That's it. His game was like reeling in a big one and enjoying the weather. There will be sunny days ahead and plenty more whoppers to catch. At the moment, he tried to put it all into perspective.
For as much as we marinate on the I-didn't-see-this-coming unexpected, and the when-is-the-last-time-this-ever-happened unexpected, the star of the game, too, needs some time to ponder his performance.
Currently, Giddens ranks second in the Big 12 in rushing (105.75) and is tied for fourth in rushing touchdowns (four) and ranks sixth in yards per attempt (6.41).
His next appearance will come at Oklahoma State on Friday, October 6, in a 6:30 p.m. kickoff (ESPN) in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
No, none of how Giddens dismantled the Knights and ran into the K-State record books had registered immediately after the game.
"It hasn't really set in," he said. "I'm just thinking how I'm going to show up the next game."
And that, too, will be something to witness.
Sometimes in these games that players play, we witness something so unexpected, something so I-didn't-see-this-coming unexpected, something so when-is-the-last-time-this-ever-happened unexpected, that it requires proper pause to put it all into perspective.
DJ Giddens, a nice young man from Junction City who lets his play do the talking, yelled to the rest of college football through his actions that he isn't messing around. Giddens, a redshirt freshman, rushed 30 times for 207 yards and four touchdowns, and added eight catches for 86 yards in a 44-31 win over UCF.
What we witnessed was one of the best rushing performances by a Kansas State player in two decades, the third-best rush/reception performance ever by a Wildcat with 293 scrimmage yards, and the only time in history that a K-State player has rushed for 200 yards and scored four rushing touchdowns in a single game.
Yeah, it was that impressive.
Giddens recorded for the fifth most rushing yards in a single game by a FBS player this season. He is the only player in the country to rush for 200 yards and score four rushing touchdowns in the same game.
"It's just how hard he ran," K-State head coach Chris Klieman said. "He wasn't coming down with first contact."
The 6-foot-1, 212-pound Giddens has started all four games for K-State, 3-1 (1-0 Big 12), and set a previous career high with 128 rushing yards on 15 carries in the season opener against SEMO. His performance came following a campaign in which he backed up Deuce Vaughn and finished third on the team with 518 rushing yards, which ranked third in school history by a freshman.
Giddens rushed for 1,255 yards and 30 touchdowns as a senior at Junction City High School. Once, he scored five touchdowns in a game against Wichita East. He rushed for 216 yards in the Kansas Class 6A state championship game.
So, no, he had never enjoyed an outing quite like he did against the Knights, how he took carry after carry, and broke tackle after tackle, and made defenders whiff and miss and dive and fall across the turf at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
Giddens rushed for 36 yards on his third carry of the game and, yes, it was a very nice run, but we had no idea what was to come, because he rushed for 16 yards and scored an 18-yard touchdown in the second quarter, broke off runs of 18 and 31 yards on back-to-back plays in the third quarter, and he added a 13-yard run in the fourth. He averaged 6.9 yards per carry.
And here's what's also amazing: Of his 30 carries, he lost a total of two yards.
"That was a long time coming for him," K-State quarterback Will Howard said. "Two-hundred-plus yards? Doesn't surprise me at all. The kid, he's always been primed for it, and he was ready for the moment."
At the moment, standing inside the Vanier Family Football Complex after his spectacular game, Giddens held a cupcake with one bite out of it — "I normally don't eat sweets, but I'm trying something new," he said — as he tried to put his incredible evening into words.
He's a man of few words. But when you listen, when you really listen to the words, they tell a beautiful story.
"I'm glad DJ got to show the world what we see in practice at all times," All-American left guard Cooper Beebe said. "I love that kid to death. He still doesn't say much. The dude scores four touchdowns and he doesn't say much."
But he makes every word, and every yard, count.
"The coaches all week said, 'Just be you. Just be yourself. No pressure, just play free,'" Giddens said. "That helped me a lot this week. I was just playing free."
Was he surprised by his success?
"Was I surprised? Not really," he said. "The coaches told me all week, 'We're counting on you.' I already knew what was coming. I couldn't let them down."
How did it feel sending the sellout crowd of 51,912 into hysterics with his runs and touchdowns?
"It felt good," he said. "I don't listen too much. I just think, 'Next play. Make a good play. Focus on the next play. Touchdown. Next Touchdown.'"
Giddens said that he had approximately 30 texts waiting for him at his locker. He had his parents and family from Louisiana in the stands, which made the evening that much more special. An avid fisherman, Giddens put his game into fishing terms.
"It's probably like going out there and catching a 20-pound catfish and enjoying the weather," he said. "That's it."
That's it. His game was like reeling in a big one and enjoying the weather. There will be sunny days ahead and plenty more whoppers to catch. At the moment, he tried to put it all into perspective.
For as much as we marinate on the I-didn't-see-this-coming unexpected, and the when-is-the-last-time-this-ever-happened unexpected, the star of the game, too, needs some time to ponder his performance.
Currently, Giddens ranks second in the Big 12 in rushing (105.75) and is tied for fourth in rushing touchdowns (four) and ranks sixth in yards per attempt (6.41).
His next appearance will come at Oklahoma State on Friday, October 6, in a 6:30 p.m. kickoff (ESPN) in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
No, none of how Giddens dismantled the Knights and ran into the K-State record books had registered immediately after the game.
"It hasn't really set in," he said. "I'm just thinking how I'm going to show up the next game."
And that, too, will be something to witness.
Players Mentioned
Tuesday, June 09
Monday, June 08
Monday, June 08
Friday, June 05
