Kansas State grades from the Week 2 win over Troy

Week 2 grades from KSO have arrived from the Kansas State 42-13 win over Troy.

Kansas State quarterback: B+

The final totals come out looking solid for the performance from Kansas State quarterback Will Howard against Troy. The Wildcat signal caller threw for 250 yards, three touchdowns and also ran for two scores.

He did have the one interception as a blemish and it wasn’t until the final drive of the first half that it felt like Howard finally took full control. Similar to some other positions on the K-State roster, expectations are in one place for Howard, so when he doesn’t meet them for a full game there is some panic.

He took some unwarranted shots and I chalk it up to overconfidence in himself and his receivers. The only area that Howard could improve is being willing to admit the big play isn’t always there and it is okay to check the ball down or throw it away.

Running back: B

After DJ Giddens led Kansas State in carries during Week 1, Treshaun Ward took the honors in Week 2. Neither put up eye-popping numbers, but I think that has less to do with them and more to do with the offensive line play versus the Trojans.

I still liked what I saw from Ward who started fast and Giddens ran hard to keep plays alive and earn crucial extra yards to pick up first downs. Any running game deficiencies in the Troy game are not on the backs.

Wide receiver and tight end: A-

It wasn’t two 100-yard receivers again, but Phillip Brooks went over 90 yards and Jadon Jackson made two big catches for the second straight week. In the case of Jackson, he became the first K-State since Darren Sproles to score the first offensive touchdown in back-to-back games to open a season.

RJ Garcia came up when the Wildcats needed him most on the final drive of the first half and Keagan Johnson looked good in the few plays he got during his Kansas State debut.

Offensive line: C+

If you thought the offensive line underwhelmed in the opener against SEMO, I have bad news for the game against Troy. The performance by “The Beef” was even more concerning in game two.

K-State had to jostle Cooper Beebe back and forth between guard and tackle depending on what they wanted to accomplish offensively, and the running game never got big enough holes to get going in a significant way.

And while Pro Football Focus is far from the gospel in breaking down performances, Carver Willis’ 30.9 pass-blocking grade is mighty concerning. The possible return of Christian Duffie would benefit Kansas State if it came this week at Missouri, and the chance of John Pastore returning to game action gives the Wildcats another body to try to patch up the holes on what can be a strength for the team.

Defensive end: B+

Edge rusher Khalid Duke added two more sacks to his season total and Nate Matlack got in the backfield as well. Brendan Mott didn’t get the vanity stat of a sack to his credit, but he was able to apply pressure on a few occasions to affect Troy quarterback Gunnar Watson.

It took the pressure a little while to get fired up, but once it was ready, K-State relentless.

Khalid Duke/USA Today

Kansas State nose guard: A

For the second straight week, Kansas State kept the opponent’s run game in check and the trio of Uso Seumalo, Damian Ilalio and Jevon Banks have proven themselves to be a strength for the Wildcats in 2023.

The win over Troy marked the first time since the Kansas and West Virginia games in 2021 that K-State held opponents under 100 yards rushing in consecutive games.

Linebacker: B+

Linebacker play was good again for Kansas State in Week 2 against Troy. Austin Moore continued to fly around the field and Tobi Osunsanmi recorded a sack and forced fumble at the end of the game. It also became clear that true freshmen Austin Romaine and Asa Newsom are rotation players for the Wildcats.

Troy was able to pop off one big run that broke through each level of the defense, but that isn’t too concerning.

Cornerback: B+

After not facing many challenges from SEMO’s passing attack that settled for many throws shallow and underneath, Troy was open to forcing it downfield a bit more. For the most part, K-State responded positively.

Jacob Parrish showed off his skills and was good for the Wildcats. Will Lee secured the first interception of the season and also led Kansas State in tackles.

Yes, Troy did produce some bigger pass plays, but that might have more to do with the catching ability of the Trojan receivers who made some spectacular catches. One of which Keenan Garber defended really well, but perfect ball placement and a little bit of luck led to a big Troy gain.

This unit will need to prevent too much Missouri luck from happening on Saturday, as the Tigers have a deeper receiver unit, headlined by Luther Burden.

Safety: B

Newcomer Marques Sigle made his presence felt early, similar to Josh Hayes in 2022. Both Sigle and Hayes missed game one of the season but made big tackles early and showed their worth to the defense.

Other than Sigle, returning safeties VJ Payne and Kobe Savage haven’t shown any flashes yet this year after having strong expectations entering the season.

Special teams: B

Once again, Chris Tennant was perfect on his PATs but wasn’t needed to attempt a field goal. It is still a good sign that he made each kick, but K-State might still have some concerns until he gets more consistent looks from the mid-range.

Outside of Tennant, Phillip Brooks had one strong punt return for 29 yards, but the Wildcats’ kickoff unit had room for improvement. Tennant booted one ball out of bounds and Troy returned the first kick of the game 35 yards.

Punter Jack Blumer hasn’t been needed often early in the season, but his first punt of the game with Troy came nowhere close to stopping before the endzone. Small things, but the small things have to be done right on special teams to earn a better grade.

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