K-State-Missouri State: Wildcats Win, But Coach Bill Snyder Looking For More

MANHATTAN, Kan. | True to character, Bill Snyder said, “We won” when asked what positives he could take away from his team’s game against Missouri State last Saturday.  Perhaps, with the unusual amount of losses by FBS teams to FCS opponents this season, the accomplishment should not be taken so lightly.

Still, after his team gave up 447 yards of total offense and 24 points, Snyder could not hide the fact he was not pleased.

“We really need to be more consistent in order to have any degree of success,” he said.

Letting a team hold the ball for 33 minutes, 28 seconds while giving up 281 passing yards, when you gave up 120 the week before, was anything but that.

Still, there were silver linings in an otherwise unimpressive victory.  Quarterback Carson Coffman had a career day throwing for 280 yards and three touchdowns on 18-of-26 passing.  Total the Wildcats had 290 passing yards to 203 rushing, providing Daniel Thomas some relief from his normally extensive workload.   

“Our goal was to come out and pass the ball a little bit,” Coffman said. “They stopped the run early, and I’m glad they gave me the opportunity to get out there and throw it.”

Goal accomplished.  The general consensus among college football analysts is that Kansas State will have to make plays in the passing game, better utilize their weapons at wide receiver, and take some pressure off Daniel Thomas if they have aspirations of winning the Big 12 North.

“It definitely gives us the thought that we can go out there and make plays,” wide receiver Aubrey Quarles added.

Quarles’ quote was a breath of much-needed fresh air compared to last week when most receivers made comments related to their blocking skills.

In Snyder’s eyes though, the offense still needed work.  He was particularly unhappy with his team’s 3-for-10 ratio on third down. He also noted the early struggles with the running game and the team’s kicking woes, missing a short field goal and an extra point.

But again, “We won,” he said. 

That’s right coach.

Kansas State opens Big 12 play next Saturday against Iowa State in Kansas City.

Tricky Wildcats

The stadium was abuzz in the second quarter when the Wildcats scored their second touchdown.  Not only that they scored, but the fashion it was done.  Facing fourth-and-goal from the Bears three, the Wildcats pulled a trick play, running the option with punter/holder Ryan Doerr and kicker Anthony Cantele.  Cantele took Doerr's pitch and dove into the end zone for his first ever touchdown.  "We were struggling at the time," Snyder said of the play. "We were having a hard time moving the football and getting to the end zone."  For Cantele the moment quickly soured, however, after he failed to convert the extra point.  "That kind of dampers everything," he said.

He's Baaack

At this time last year Senior wide receiver Aubrey Quarles was rehabbing from a hip injury.  So when Quarles scored a on a 23-yard pass from Carson Coffman in the second quarter he had reason to be excited.  His last touchdown came in September of 2008 against Montana State.  Quarles finished the game with 82 yards on seven receptions, and a noticeable grin on his face.

Unsung Hero

Senior running back William Powell again provided a spark off the bench, running for 49 yards on 4 carries, including a 39-yard touchdown burst in the 4th quarter.  Combined with his performance last week against UCLA, Powell has 121 yards on 10 carries for an average of a little over 12 yards a carry.  Powell also had two kickoff returns of 41 and 54 yards and a total of three returns for 106 yards. 

Wildcats drop series with Virginia Tech

A two-game home-and-home series between Kansas State and Virginia Tech has been dropped with no financial penalties.  The series was to take place in 2014 and 2016.  The agreement was reached on the grounds that the new nine-game schedule Kansas State will have in the newly formed Big 12 (minus Colorado and Nebraska) left one less non-conference game on the schedule.  It is the second series that Kansas State has canceled in the last two months.  Last month they canceled a two-game home-and-home series with Oregon.

Colin Lobdell is an alum of Kansas State University and a B/R Writing Intern. He resides in the Kansas City area.