With the right pieces in place, Kansas State should rank among the top rushing teams in all of college football the following season. It was unexpected, therefore, that Chris Klieman devoted a significant portion of his Big 12 Media Days speech inside Allegiant Stadium to discussing the Wildcats’ potential passing game when Avery Johnson assumes the starting quarterback position for the club in the fall. Klieman declared, ”
It’s time for us to spin the ball a little bit more.” “People frequently tell me that even though I coach a running team, we still need to improve our ball-throwing efficiency and effectiveness. While our fundamentals for running the football will remain the same, we will alter some tactics in the passing game. How might the Wildcats’ improved passing attack look in the upcoming season? A year before,
Johnson replaced Will Howard in the Pop-Tarts Bowl after Howard started every game during the regular season and completed 60.6% of the throws for 3,135 yards and 30 touchdowns. With 2,653 yards and 32 touchdowns on 533 tries, K-State’s rushing attack was nicely complemented by that kind of output. With such an impressive backfield trifecta, one would think the Wildcats would want to lean even more into the run in 2024.
It is extremely difficult to tackle Colorado transfer Dylan Edwards (321 yards and one touchdown as a freshman), Johnson (296 yards and seven touchdowns as a freshman), and DJ Giddens (1,226 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore). Johnson is one of the fastest players on the K-State team, so even when they don’t call intentional rushing plays, the Wildcats can still rush for first downs. Nevertheless, Klieman sees a more well-rounded offensive going forward. Johnson is as well. Johnson declared, “I can’t wait to show off my arm this season.” “I am a quarterback who constantly looks to pass first.
Watch my tape; even when I do break out of the pocket, you’ll see that my eyes are constantly searching the field for a play to make. This year, my main goal has been to simply demonstrate to everyone that I can stand in the pocket, get the ball to playmakers, and then release them.
Klieman thinks highly of Johnson. Johnson has already demonstrated his abilities, even though he is only a sophomore, by helping the Wildcats defeat North Carolina State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. Johnson passed for 178 yards and two touchdowns, earning him the title of game MVP.
Klieman stated, “He doesn’t need to put all the pressure in the world on himself.” He must participate in the system. He has a God-given talent to make plays on his own, I promise you, but I noticed a noticeable improvement between the bowl game and now. I’ve watched him gain self-assurance and increase his understanding of our system and the tricks defenses try to pull. Even though he is only a sophomore, this youngster still has a lot of football left in him. He is only now beginning to reach his peak performance. Additionally, Klieman believes that K-State’s talented bunch of wide receivers wasn’t fully utilized in the previous campaign.
They should improve after hiring Matt Wells as co-offensive coordinator. “We need to include more players,” Klieman remarked. “Everyone is familiar with Jayce (Brown) and Keagan (Johnson).” For us, Dante Cephas must be an excellent player. For us, Tre Spivey must be an excellent player. Additionally, Sterling Lockett, and I’m sure I’m forgetting a few names. To save wear and tear, we should play more guys there. Someone might have an eight-or nine-game catch game when they get hot.
We might divide it up among eight or nine men for other games. Johnson is unable to pinpoint just how much the Wildcats will disrupt the run/pass game the following season. He believes they have “way more” talent for throwing the ball than for running it. However, he also asserts that if the Wildcats relied heavily on passes, it would be a “disservice” to his running backs. Ultimately, Johnson believes that whatever the K-State offense decides to do, it will be successful. For a club looking for offensive balance, that scenario seems ideal.
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