An Intriguing Saturday Morning Matchup
Sep 27, 2024 | Football, Sports Extra
BY: D. Scott Fritchen
Just hours after Oklahoma State failed to complete a fourth-quarter comeback in a 22-19 home loss to No. 12 Utah, Kansas State saw its own Big 12 Conference opener fizzle in a 38-9 defeat at BYU last Saturday in Provo, Utah.
Suddenly, an already intriguing matchup between two of the top three teams picked in the Big 12 Preseason Poll takes on even more heightened importance when No. 20 Oklahoma State visits No. 23 K-State for an 11 a.m. kickoff Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
K-State was picked second and Oklahoma State third in the Big 12 in the preseason. Now both squads are 3-1 overall and 0-1 in league play. A loss by either team on Saturday will dampen hopes of reaching the Big 12 Championship Game and perhaps eliminate possibilities of a berth in the 12-team College Football Playoff.
"They're one of the best teams," K-State head coach Chris Klieman said. "I have so much respect for Coach (Mike) Gundy. He's been doing it a long time at a high level. I have so much respect for Oklahoma State. They do things right, they're blue-collared, they're physical, they have athletes. It's going to be a great ballgame.
"We need The Bill packed, and we need it loud. Bring it early. Bring it all day."
K-State expects a 17th-consecutive sellout at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. This will mark the first time in series history that K-State and Oklahoma State will meet in Manhattan with both ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll. Oklahoma State has lost its last three road games against ranked opponents.
K-State, which came off a dominant 31-7 win over then-N0. 20 Arizona prior to its troubles at BYU, has spent the week focused on itself heading toward the showdown with the Cowboys.
"Everybody thought we were pretty good after Arizona, and you better stay humble and better understand that you can go from the penthouse to the outhouse in a day," Klieman said. "We talked about that with our team, and it's the truth.
"You're never as good as you think you are, and you're never as poor as you think you are."
The word of the week has been "respond" after an uncharacteristic, mistake-ridden, lopsided loss against the Cougars.
"Biggest thing is, man, we can't lose confidence in ourselves," sophomore quarterback Avery Johnson said. "There's going to be a lot of outside noise, and a lot of people saying we're not worth anything, and we're not as good of a team as we think we are, and ultimately, we have to block all that outside noise out and really come together and lean on one another.
"We're as talented as we think we are and we're a really good football team. We just didn't play to the best of our ability last week. Leaders and captains have to step up and we have to bring the juice back to the stadium. It's going to be a dog fight again."
K-State has won 10 of the last 13 games against the Cowboys in Manhattan. That includes a 48-0 shutout win followed by a celebratory field storming on October 29, 2022.
Oklahoma State avenged the defeat last season as Ollie Gordon II rushed for 136 yards and one touchdown and the Cowboys led the entire way in a 29-21 victory in Stillwater.
Gordon II went on to win the Doak Walker Award last season, as the nation's best running back racked up 1,732 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns. However, defenses have keyed on Gordon II through four games in 2024 and have been largely effective in slowing the Preseason First Team All-American.
Gordon II has 73 carries for 258 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 3.5 yards per attempt after averaging 6.1 per rush a year ago. The running game is a major concern in Stillwater, as the Cowboys are churning out just 96.3 yards on the ground, which ranks 115th in the FBS.
"When we've had equal numbers in the box or a half-man disadvantage, we've run the ball effectively," Gundy said. "When we've had one or two extra people in the box, we haven't been as effective, which is kind of the way it's going to be.
"There's not anything we need to change from a scheme standpoint. We need to continue to improve a little bit in fundamentals and technique and things we would work on every year."
Utah held Gordon to 42 rushing yards, making it the third-straight game that opponents have kept him under 50 yards rushing — his longest such stretch since his freshman season.
"He's extraordinarily dangerous," K-State defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman said. "He's a powerful runner with a great stiff arm, and he's difficult to bring down. He does a really great job with his lower body of evading people in the hole. I can't explain why he hasn't gotten going, but I don't want it to be us that he gets going on.
"They're an RPO-based team and sometimes people are putting a lot of people in box for them to throw the ball, and as such he doesn't get as many carries. People are trying to take him away in that manner. That's a pretty smart idea because he's a good football player."
The Utes led 22-3 in the fourth quarter before quarterback Alan Bowman, who was benched after going 8-for-22 for 89 yards in the first half, returned and led two touchdown drives to make the score close.
"Offensively, we were awful," Gundy said of the first half. "We couldn't get any quarterback play, and then all of a sudden, late in the game we start playing better at quarterback. They won the game, but we certainly did a lot of things to help them."
Bowman, a seventh-year senior who previously played at Texas Tech and Michigan, ranks sixth among all active players in the FBS with 9,962 career passing yards. He needs 38 passing yards against K-State to reach 10,000 in his career.
Oklahoma State ranks 15th in the FBS with 309.8 passing yards per game.
"Alan is their guy, for sure," Klanderman said. "He's the reason they made the run last year. They have really good players all across the board there, but to make it work, you have to have a guy in the quarterback spot that knows what he's doing and knows how to do those RPOs and can get the ball out on time in their pass game. That's what makes Ollie Gordon dangerous. When you have to spread out because you have a guy who can distribute it, that's what gets the running game going a little bit.
"Alan is phenomenal. He's a really good, solid football player."
While with the Red Raiders, Bowman saw the field against K-State one time. He completed 4-of-7 passes for 23 yards in a 31-21 loss in Manhattan on October 3, 2020.
"(K-State is) obviously a similar program to us, hard-nosed and it's kind of what we just saw with Utah," Bowman said. "But I feel really good about this week, I really do. There's a fire lit underneath all of us, myself included. We'll see how it goes on Saturday, but I'm excited.
"Those guys are obviously a really good team. They have a great culture and they've been doing the same thing for a long time, just like we have."
Bowman will go against Johnson, who is 4-1 as a starter and will make his first true start in an official league game played in Manhattan. Johnson is completing 61.6% of his passes for 620 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions, and he has 39 carries for 261 yards. He ranks 10th in the Big 12 in total rushing yards — one spot ahead of Gordon II.
"You have to control the quarterback," Gundy said. "You can't let him take off and run. He's really good. You have to be careful in your pass rush. If not, he'll take off and run. They do a good job with their quarterback run game and they've been good the last few years at flooding zones, four and five people going to one side of the field and the quarterback running the other way where the numbers aren't. You've got to be able to stop the quarterback run."
K-State ranks 15th in the nation with 240.3 rushing yards per game and harbors a potent attack with 6-foot-1, 212-pound junior DJ Giddens (68 rushes for 417 yards and 1 TD) and 5-foot-9, 167-pound sophomore transfer Dylan Edwards (21 carries, 179 yards, 2 TD) to go along with the fleet-footed Johnson.
However, the passing game is fighting to gain traction. The Wildcats have amassed just 19 pass completions of 10-plus yards. A wide receiver room that garnered hype for its apparent talent and depth in the summer will try to hit its stride in the Big 12 season. Sophomore Jayce Brown leads the team with 13 catches for 199 yards, while junior Keagan Johnson has 10 receptions for 109 yards. Oddly, a pair of tight ends — Brayden Loftin (who will miss Saturday's game due to injury) and Will Swanson — lead the team with two touchdowns apiece.
"It's 100% a process," K-State offensive coordinator Conor Riley said. "It's a lot with myself as well as the offensive staff, and we are getting closer. We feel like we're getting closer. This week and moving forward, that's something we need to continue to work on. It's something we're looking to improve every single week."
K-State generally has responded well coming off a defeat. The Wildcats haven't lost back-to-back games since 2021. The Cowboys lost consecutive games early last season against South Alabama (33-7) and at Iowa State (34-27) before rattling off five-straight Big 12 wins.
Sixth-year senior right guard Taylor Poitier encourages K-State fans to create a boisterous atmosphere like the one the Wildcats enjoyed against Arizona the last time they played in Manhattan.
"I ask all the fans, I know that it was a tough week last week, but we need you guys this week. We have a homefield advantage. It's a good opponent, and we need you to help us here so we can keep moving forward," Poitier said.
"The goals are still intact for this team. The goals have never left. We're still on track for the Big 12 and for the playoffs. OSU is in our way. We have to go after them this week."
Just hours after Oklahoma State failed to complete a fourth-quarter comeback in a 22-19 home loss to No. 12 Utah, Kansas State saw its own Big 12 Conference opener fizzle in a 38-9 defeat at BYU last Saturday in Provo, Utah.
Suddenly, an already intriguing matchup between two of the top three teams picked in the Big 12 Preseason Poll takes on even more heightened importance when No. 20 Oklahoma State visits No. 23 K-State for an 11 a.m. kickoff Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
K-State was picked second and Oklahoma State third in the Big 12 in the preseason. Now both squads are 3-1 overall and 0-1 in league play. A loss by either team on Saturday will dampen hopes of reaching the Big 12 Championship Game and perhaps eliminate possibilities of a berth in the 12-team College Football Playoff.
"They're one of the best teams," K-State head coach Chris Klieman said. "I have so much respect for Coach (Mike) Gundy. He's been doing it a long time at a high level. I have so much respect for Oklahoma State. They do things right, they're blue-collared, they're physical, they have athletes. It's going to be a great ballgame.
"We need The Bill packed, and we need it loud. Bring it early. Bring it all day."
K-State expects a 17th-consecutive sellout at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. This will mark the first time in series history that K-State and Oklahoma State will meet in Manhattan with both ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll. Oklahoma State has lost its last three road games against ranked opponents.
K-State, which came off a dominant 31-7 win over then-N0. 20 Arizona prior to its troubles at BYU, has spent the week focused on itself heading toward the showdown with the Cowboys.
"Everybody thought we were pretty good after Arizona, and you better stay humble and better understand that you can go from the penthouse to the outhouse in a day," Klieman said. "We talked about that with our team, and it's the truth.
"You're never as good as you think you are, and you're never as poor as you think you are."
The word of the week has been "respond" after an uncharacteristic, mistake-ridden, lopsided loss against the Cougars.
"Biggest thing is, man, we can't lose confidence in ourselves," sophomore quarterback Avery Johnson said. "There's going to be a lot of outside noise, and a lot of people saying we're not worth anything, and we're not as good of a team as we think we are, and ultimately, we have to block all that outside noise out and really come together and lean on one another.
"We're as talented as we think we are and we're a really good football team. We just didn't play to the best of our ability last week. Leaders and captains have to step up and we have to bring the juice back to the stadium. It's going to be a dog fight again."
K-State has won 10 of the last 13 games against the Cowboys in Manhattan. That includes a 48-0 shutout win followed by a celebratory field storming on October 29, 2022.
Oklahoma State avenged the defeat last season as Ollie Gordon II rushed for 136 yards and one touchdown and the Cowboys led the entire way in a 29-21 victory in Stillwater.
Gordon II went on to win the Doak Walker Award last season, as the nation's best running back racked up 1,732 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns. However, defenses have keyed on Gordon II through four games in 2024 and have been largely effective in slowing the Preseason First Team All-American.
Gordon II has 73 carries for 258 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 3.5 yards per attempt after averaging 6.1 per rush a year ago. The running game is a major concern in Stillwater, as the Cowboys are churning out just 96.3 yards on the ground, which ranks 115th in the FBS.
"When we've had equal numbers in the box or a half-man disadvantage, we've run the ball effectively," Gundy said. "When we've had one or two extra people in the box, we haven't been as effective, which is kind of the way it's going to be.
"There's not anything we need to change from a scheme standpoint. We need to continue to improve a little bit in fundamentals and technique and things we would work on every year."
Utah held Gordon to 42 rushing yards, making it the third-straight game that opponents have kept him under 50 yards rushing — his longest such stretch since his freshman season.
"He's extraordinarily dangerous," K-State defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman said. "He's a powerful runner with a great stiff arm, and he's difficult to bring down. He does a really great job with his lower body of evading people in the hole. I can't explain why he hasn't gotten going, but I don't want it to be us that he gets going on.
"They're an RPO-based team and sometimes people are putting a lot of people in box for them to throw the ball, and as such he doesn't get as many carries. People are trying to take him away in that manner. That's a pretty smart idea because he's a good football player."
The Utes led 22-3 in the fourth quarter before quarterback Alan Bowman, who was benched after going 8-for-22 for 89 yards in the first half, returned and led two touchdown drives to make the score close.
"Offensively, we were awful," Gundy said of the first half. "We couldn't get any quarterback play, and then all of a sudden, late in the game we start playing better at quarterback. They won the game, but we certainly did a lot of things to help them."
Bowman, a seventh-year senior who previously played at Texas Tech and Michigan, ranks sixth among all active players in the FBS with 9,962 career passing yards. He needs 38 passing yards against K-State to reach 10,000 in his career.
Oklahoma State ranks 15th in the FBS with 309.8 passing yards per game.
"Alan is their guy, for sure," Klanderman said. "He's the reason they made the run last year. They have really good players all across the board there, but to make it work, you have to have a guy in the quarterback spot that knows what he's doing and knows how to do those RPOs and can get the ball out on time in their pass game. That's what makes Ollie Gordon dangerous. When you have to spread out because you have a guy who can distribute it, that's what gets the running game going a little bit.
"Alan is phenomenal. He's a really good, solid football player."
While with the Red Raiders, Bowman saw the field against K-State one time. He completed 4-of-7 passes for 23 yards in a 31-21 loss in Manhattan on October 3, 2020.
"(K-State is) obviously a similar program to us, hard-nosed and it's kind of what we just saw with Utah," Bowman said. "But I feel really good about this week, I really do. There's a fire lit underneath all of us, myself included. We'll see how it goes on Saturday, but I'm excited.
"Those guys are obviously a really good team. They have a great culture and they've been doing the same thing for a long time, just like we have."
Bowman will go against Johnson, who is 4-1 as a starter and will make his first true start in an official league game played in Manhattan. Johnson is completing 61.6% of his passes for 620 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions, and he has 39 carries for 261 yards. He ranks 10th in the Big 12 in total rushing yards — one spot ahead of Gordon II.
"You have to control the quarterback," Gundy said. "You can't let him take off and run. He's really good. You have to be careful in your pass rush. If not, he'll take off and run. They do a good job with their quarterback run game and they've been good the last few years at flooding zones, four and five people going to one side of the field and the quarterback running the other way where the numbers aren't. You've got to be able to stop the quarterback run."
K-State ranks 15th in the nation with 240.3 rushing yards per game and harbors a potent attack with 6-foot-1, 212-pound junior DJ Giddens (68 rushes for 417 yards and 1 TD) and 5-foot-9, 167-pound sophomore transfer Dylan Edwards (21 carries, 179 yards, 2 TD) to go along with the fleet-footed Johnson.
However, the passing game is fighting to gain traction. The Wildcats have amassed just 19 pass completions of 10-plus yards. A wide receiver room that garnered hype for its apparent talent and depth in the summer will try to hit its stride in the Big 12 season. Sophomore Jayce Brown leads the team with 13 catches for 199 yards, while junior Keagan Johnson has 10 receptions for 109 yards. Oddly, a pair of tight ends — Brayden Loftin (who will miss Saturday's game due to injury) and Will Swanson — lead the team with two touchdowns apiece.
"It's 100% a process," K-State offensive coordinator Conor Riley said. "It's a lot with myself as well as the offensive staff, and we are getting closer. We feel like we're getting closer. This week and moving forward, that's something we need to continue to work on. It's something we're looking to improve every single week."
K-State generally has responded well coming off a defeat. The Wildcats haven't lost back-to-back games since 2021. The Cowboys lost consecutive games early last season against South Alabama (33-7) and at Iowa State (34-27) before rattling off five-straight Big 12 wins.
Sixth-year senior right guard Taylor Poitier encourages K-State fans to create a boisterous atmosphere like the one the Wildcats enjoyed against Arizona the last time they played in Manhattan.
"I ask all the fans, I know that it was a tough week last week, but we need you guys this week. We have a homefield advantage. It's a good opponent, and we need you to help us here so we can keep moving forward," Poitier said.
"The goals are still intact for this team. The goals have never left. We're still on track for the Big 12 and for the playoffs. OSU is in our way. We have to go after them this week."
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