Mailbag: Kansas State pre-game edition week two

1. Was the Kansas State defensive front better than expected or was it a product of a poor SEMO offensive line?

DY: For me, it was a sign that we underestimated the Kansas State defensive line. I pride myself on being able to evaluate performance that is not necessarily tied to the caliber of opponent. You can watch how some guys play and know if it is high level or not.

I felt that K-State was up to the task on the defensive front. And FCS or not, that was actually a SEMO offensive line considered to be pretty top notch. They may have the best center in that level of football and he was manhandled by the likes of Damian Ilalio, Uso Seumalo and Jevon Banks.

2. Could the performance of Avery Johnson, and so many other freshmen seeing playing time, influence the decision of Grant Brix or Michael Boganowski?

DY: Perhaps the performance of Avery Johnson. He is an electric playmaker and an infectious personality that so many in the state know well. Grant Brix may want to block for a dude that captivating and it could lure other players from the Sunflower State to Manhattan, such as Michael Boganowski.

Seeing Kansas State freshmen receive playing time in general will likely not register all that much. Schools like Nebraska and Oklahoma do that, too. The Wildcats are really just catching up in that regard. It isn’t that uncommon to where it is a recruiting pitch for any specific program.

3. Could K-State at Missouri be the spot for College GameDay?

DY: I doubt it. I’m not sure that game has that much of a national spotlight, even if it is regionally significant. The Tigers aren’t expected to make a big splash in the SEC, and K-State handled them 40-12 a year ago.

It is an underwhelming Week 3 slate, but they’d probably even prioritize South Carolina at Georgia instead or even Washington at Michigan State or Tennessee at Florida.

4. Does Avery Johnson get all of the reps again if the game is not in question?

DY: That would be my expectation. All of the answers from the K-State coaching staff lead me to believe that Johnson is the No. 2 signal-caller for this year and they believe they need to get him as many snaps as possible in case he’s needed later in the year.

5. Is there anything that Kansas State can do against Troy to raise or lower your season expectations?

DY: To raise them? Probably not. I already think Kansas State is capable of reaching or winning the Big 12 title again. However, lower? Yes. They could lose the game, like they have versus Navy, Arkansas State or Tulane. And there’s nothing to excuse that kind of outcome this time around.

6. What do you need to see from the offensive line to feel like progress has been made?

DY: Fewer obvious mistakes. Allowing blitzers to sneak through the line of scrimmage without really any resistance is not very excusable from a group with a ton of experience. It was probably a missed read or a lack of communication, and K-State should be past that at this point up front.

7. Who has more scrimmage yards this week between DJ Giddens and Treshaun Ward?

DY: I’m still siding with DJ Giddens. It is great that Treshaun Ward continues to garner more comfort with the system and how it works, but it doesn’t seem like he’s all the way there yet. Until that point, Giddens should lead in touches per game.

8. Who from K-State gets the first interception on Saturday?

DY: Because I believe that Kansas State creates all kinds of havoc in the backfield, it could come off a deflected pass. Some of the guys up front do tend to display a nose for the ball. Daniel Green and Nate Matlack are two solid choices.

Yes, I cheated. I picked two.

9. Over or under 10.5 tackles for loss against Troy?

DY: Over, as stated earlier, I anticipate the K-State front to unleash all kinds of hell on the Troy offensive line this weekend.

10. Who gets the most playing time in the absence of Jake Clifton?

DY: As defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman noted on Thursday, look for the Wildcats to rely on a second group of linebackers consisting of true freshmen Asa Newsom and Austin Romaine but also redshirt freshman Tobi Osunsanmi.

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