Kansas State Jayhawks
Big 12
You might argue that Kansas State never quite recovered from its 24-21 loss to North Dakota State that began the 2013 season. Indeed, at one point the Wildcats were 2-4 and in serious jeopardy of missing out on bowl competition. All Kansas State did to silence its critics was win five of its final six games and earn a fifth-place finish in the Big 12. That earned Kansas State a trip to the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, where it will face a Michigan team that disappointed many of its loyal followers this year. Can Kansas State earn eight victories and go into next season on a high note? Or will Michigan find its way?
2013 Record: 7-5, 5-4
Coach: Bill Snyder
Coach Bowl Record: 6-8
Big Wins: 10/26 West Virginia (35-12), 11/9 at Texas Tech (49-26)
Bad Losses: 8/30 North Dakota State (24-21), 11/23 Oklahoma (41-31)
Strengths:
One of the best things about the five-loss season is it hasn’t been as bad as some fans might think. The North Dakota State loss was by three points and no team beat Kansas State by more than 10 points all year. In fact Kansas State averaged losses by eight points against Texas, Oklahoma State and Baylor. Jake Waters has thrown for 2,198 yards and 15 touchdowns, but he has also been picked off nine times. Kansas State averaged 33.4 points per game and that was enough to place the Wildcats in the top third of all NCAA FBS programs. Tyler Lockett has caught eight touchdown passes and 1,146 yards this year. Blake Slaughter has been one of Kansas State’s top players on defense with 103 tackles, six tackles for loss, three sacks and an interception. The Kansas State defense has kept scores low in some games but let some teams get out of hand in others.
Weaknesses:
A big weakness to watch out for lies in Kansas State’s rushing corps. If Michigan can get to either John Hubert or Daniel Sams, the Wildcats could be in big trouble. Hubert and Sams combined for 20 touchdowns and over 1,700 yards on the ground, and a falter by either of these running backs could result in a long day for Kansas State at the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. Kansas State’s 220.8 yards passing per game tied with Brigham Young for 73rd overall among the FBS schools. That is about two-thirds of the way down, so any blip in the rushing offense may not be offset by the passing game.
Statistical Leaders:
Rushing: John Hubert, RB, 968 yards
Passing: Jake Waters, QB, 2,198 yards
Receiving: Tyler Lockett, WR, 1,146
Tackles: Blake Slaughter, LB, 103
Sacks: Ryan Mueller, DE, 11.5
Interceptions: Dante Barnett, S, 3; Dorrian Roberts, CB, 3; Ty Zimmerman, S, 3
2013 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 180.4 (54th in nation, 4th in conference)
Passing Offense: 220.8 (73, 7)
Total Offense: 401.3 (72, 7)
Scoring Offense: 33.4 (41, 4)
Rushing Defense: 145.3 (39, 5)
Pass Defense: 221.8 (49, 4)
Total Defense: 367.0 (37, 4)
Scoring Defense: 23.7 (40, 4)
Turnover Margin: 0.0 (63, 6)
Sacks: 2.25 (48, 5)
Sacks Allowed: 2.00 (64, 6)
Recent Bowl Appearances:
2012 Fiesta Bowl Oregon (17-35)
2011 Cotton Bowl Arkansas (16-29)
2010 Pinstripe Bowl Syracuse (34-36)
2006 Texas Bowl Rutgers (10-37)
2003 Fiesta Bowl Ohio State (28-35)
2002 Holiday Bowl Arizona State (34-27)
*all team stats through 11/30
