Kansas State Football: Chris Klieman takes Wildcats bowling in year one
By Cullen Jekel
October: Baylor, OPEN, TCU, Oklahoma
Recently, my fellow scribe John McCarty dug into two graduate transfer running backs who have the potential to help the Kansas State Wildcats in 2019: Jordon Brown, previously of the North Carolina Tar Heels, and James Gilbert, previously of the Ball State Cardinals.
Brown and Gilbert will be key in two areas: replacing the production of departed running back Alex Barnes, and alleviating the pressure on quarterback Skylar Thompson. If Brown and Gilbert, and whomever else the Wildcats lineup in the backfield, can do that, then the Wildcats have a strong shot at finishing with a winning record this year.
Speaking of alleviating pressure on Thompson: it’s huge that former Kansas State quarterback Alex Delton transferred after Bill Snyder retired. Count me as one of the numerous voices against how Snyder handled the quarterback situation these past couple of seasons. With Delton gone, and the starting gig finally belonging to Thompson, hopefully he can start progressing his junior season.
Taking all that into account, even though October is short with just three games, and all of them coming at home, it’s going to be a rough month for the Wildcats. At best, I see them going 2-1 during this stretch.
It’s also a possibility the Wildcats drop all three of those home games. I don’t see either of those scenarios happening, though, even though what I’m predicting isn’t much better than the worst-case.
After not having a home game since September 7th, the Wildcats host the Baylor Bears on October 5th. While I’ve got the Bears sneaking into a bowl game, it’s by the hair of their chinny-chin-chin. And this game doesn’t help them. I’m confused over the infatuation with head coach Matt Rhule, but then again, it came from the New York Jets. Maybe that’s all anyone needs to know.
Regardless, Klieman collects his first Big 12 victory against the Bears before yet another open week. This is the team’s second open week in four weeks. No other team in the Big 12 has a schedule like that with the closest being West Virginia with three games between their open weeks. That’s got to be frustrating, just as the team is getting into a rhythm to all of a sudden have yet another week without a game.
To finish off October, the Wildcats host the TCU Horned Frogs followed by the Oklahoma Sooners. Chalk these up both of these games as losses for Kansas State. The game against TCU will be close, maybe decided by ten points or less. (Unless, for some reason, Delton is starting, in which case the Wildcats will win.)
Yet, the game against Oklahoma will be a frustrating one for the Wildcats, particularly for Klieman. This program just isn’t where it needs to be to contend with the Sooners.
But Klieman will get them there.