Three Thoughts on Kansas State’s 28-19 Win Over NC State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl
The regular season is in the books and now it is time for bowl season. Nine Big 12 teams will be playing over the next two weeks and Kansas State is next up on the bowl list. The Wildcats finished the regular season with an 8-4 record and played NC State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. It was a fun evening in Orlando as Kansas State was looking to win their ninth game of the season.
Here are three thoughts on Kansas State’s 28-19 win over NC State on Thursday night.
The Avery Johnson Era Begins
Is there a better game to make your first career start than the Pop-Tarts Bowl? Maybe so, but Thursday was the start of a new era in Kansas State football. While we have seen Avery Johnson in action before, he made his first career start against NC State in Orlando. He may not have rushed for five touchdowns like he did against Texas Tech back in October, but Avery did have a nice game. Johnson finished with 249 total yards and three scores. He averaged over ten yards per carry and showed his athleticism against a good NC State defense. Even without some of their top weapons, I thought Avery did an excellent job leading the offense. As good as Will Howard was for this Kansas State program, I am extremely excited to see what Avery Johnson can do as the starting quarterback.
Kansas State Has a Bright Future Ahead
I typically don’t take away a ton from these bowl games, but I will say that this was a big game for Kansas State. With the win over NC State, the Wildcats won their ninth game of the season. They are the only school in the Big 12 to win nine or more games in each of the last two seasons. In fact, outside of one odd season (2020) Kansas State has won at least eight games every year under head coach Chris Klieman. Between a great head coach and an exciting young quarterback in Avery Johnson, there is a lot to like about this program moving forward. Especially now with Texas and Oklahoma on their way out, Kansas State may be one of those programs who is at the top of the Big 12 every year.
The Pop-Tarts Bowl Was Awesome
If you are one of those people who say there are too many bowl games, shame on you. You can say what you want about certain bowl games, but NOBODY should have anything negative to say about the Pop-Tarts Bowl. First off, it’s in Orlando, which is a wonderful place to visit and take your family (if you want to). Secondly, it’s all about Pop-Tarts. I mean who didn’t eat Pop-Tarts growing up? They are the cornerstone of any nutritious breakfast. In fact, some call it the Breakfast of Champions.
This bowl game provided many memorable things. From the trophy that could hold actual Pop-Tarts to an edible mascot there was all kinds of craziness on Thursday night.
Just take a look at the grand entrance of the mascot coming out of a giant toaster.
Plus, there were plenty more shenanigans as well.
I hope these bowl games never go away because they represent everything I love about college football.
