Collin Klein and the Kansas State Wildcats have a bit of a predicament at quarterback entering Saturday’s Cincinnati road test.
Avery Johnson is healthy, of course, but Kansas State is thin at the QB position. Junior Blake Barnett is out, and fellow backup options Dillon Duff, a sophomore, and fifth-year Minnesota transfer Jacob Knuth are listed as “questionable” on the team’s latest availability report. Nobody’s hitting the panic button, but potentially missing three quarterbacks on Saturday raises an eyebrow.
Through three games, Cincinnati defensive lineman Josh Hough and Jonathan Thompson each have 2.5 sacks to their name; Linebacker Antwan Peek Jr. forced a fumble from Miami (Ohio) David McComb to complete a 21-point comeback, the largest in school history since 2018, to record a 35-31 win over the Redhawks at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati.
A Look at the Kansas State Offense Through Week 3
The Kansas State offense, albeit walking into Saturday’s game with a caution marker at QB, is off to a decent start offensively.
The Wildcats are averaging over 30 points per game and 3.9 points per drive through three games, including a 31-20 win over Tulane last weekend in Manhattan. Running backs Rodney Fields and Joe Jackson have largely squashed concerns around the backfield with some explosive run play (477 combined yards and 3 touchdowns) between the two of them.
Johnson looked himself again against the Green Wave, too, throwing for 227 yards and two touchdowns through the air one week removed from a 64.7% performance with two interceptions against Washington State at home in Week 2.
Could the Spread Drop Before Game Day?
The Wildcats are currently 6.5-point favorites in this contest, and while the QB situation likely won’t change that number on its own, the injuries may certainly attract more betslips as the game approaches.
Scott Satterfield and Cincinnati are looking for a big one on Saturday, too. Kansas State would be a major opponent to hang a win on at home, but can JC French and the Bearcats find a rhythm after a slow start last week?
French completed 31 of 43 attempts last week for 309 yards and two touchdowns. Adding another 39 yards on the ground, French helped rusher Cole Tabb, and the Bearcats amassed 137 combined yards for three rushing touchdowns. Maintaining that ground attack is key, and minimizing the self-inflicted wounds from the Miami (Ohio) game are a must. It could certainly come down to who plays the cleanest football, as Kansas State moves to improve its discipline along the offensive line, too.
