So, I spent some time looking into the Kansas State quarterback situation recently. It’s funny, you hear a lot about different QB schools, but K-State always struck me as having guys who are just… solid. Tough, maybe manage the game well, but not usually the ones lighting up the highlight reels every single week like some other programs.
I decided to dig in a bit myself. Pulled up some game footage from the last couple of seasons, looked at guys like Will Howard and now Avery Johnson coming in. Watched how they operated. It wasn’t about crazy arm strength or pinpoint accuracy downfield all the time, though Howard definitely had his moments. What really stood out to me was how much they rely on the QB in the run game. Seriously, it felt like every other drive involved a designed QB run or a crucial read-option decision. It’s like the QB is an extension of the running back half the time.
How I Got Sucked Into This
You might be wondering why I suddenly got so interested in K-State’s offense. Well, it wasn’t exactly planned. We had that massive storm roll through here a few months back – knocked out the internet and cable for like, three solid days. Power stayed on, luckily, but I was going stir crazy. I’d already organized the garage, read half a book I didn’t like, and basically paced a trench in the living room carpet.
I remembered I had a bunch of college football games saved on my hard drive from last season. Just random games I’d recorded. Scrolling through, I saw a couple of K-State games. Figured, why not? Got nothing better to do. Started watching one, then another. And because I was basically trapped with nothing else demanding my attention, I really watched them. Started noticing the play calls, the QB movements, how the offense flowed, especially in crunch time.
- First game: Okay, interesting QB run there.
- Second game: Wow, they really lean on that. Is that sustainable?
- Third game clip: Okay, this is definitely a core part of their identity.
Before I knew it, the power was back on, but I’d spent probably ten hours just dissecting how K-State uses their quarterbacks. Went down a complete rabbit hole looking at their offensive philosophy under Coach Klieman. Wasn’t trying to become an expert, just killing time, but I ended up forming some pretty strong opinions.
So yeah, that’s my big K-State QB analysis story. Born out of sheer boredom during a storm. It confirmed my initial thought, though. It feels less about finding a superstar gunslinger and more about finding a tough, smart player who can execute their specific, run-heavy system. It’s gritty, and honestly, kind of fascinating once you actually sit down and watch it unfold, even if it was just because the Wi-Fi was out.
