MANHATTAN — Upon entering the locker room following his team’s much-needed win this past weekend, Kansas State football coach Chris Klieman jumped into the middle of the room, put his arms up, and the team splashed water all around in celebration.
It’s the type of joy that Klieman has wanted his team to play with. Finally, the Wildcats had something to smile about after a rough first four weeks of the season.
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But now that the water has dried and the Wildcats are on to their next opponent, they know how much better they need to be in order to keep the party going.
“We have an awful lot to clean up,” Klieman said Monday, Sept. 29.
Kansas State (2-3, 1-1 Big 12) didn’t play perfectly and probably should have won by a lot more than the 34-20 score in its win over UCF on Sept. 27 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Defensively, the Wildcats allowed too many explosive plays and didn’t have their best game in tackling ballcarriers. Offensively, they sometimes got in their own way, especially early, and left points off the board.
The Wildcats now go from beating a team that will likely finish near the bottom of the Big 12 to one that’s trying to contend at the top. Their trip to play Baylor (3-2, 1-1 Big 12) at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4, in Waco, Texas, will be quite the test.
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“We didn’t make some tackles, and big plays happened; that was frustrating,” Klieman said. “You’re gonna give up 15-yard gains, you’re even gonna give up 20-yard gains. But we cannot give up the big, big plays that we have and a lot of it’s technique errors or communication.”
Klieman thought the defense should have had a shutout in the first half until a blown coverage left UCF receiver Jacurri Brown wide-open en route to an 82-yard touchdown late in the second quarter. He thought the play deflated the defense a little before allowing five more plays to go for 30 or more yards in the second half.
Up until the 82-yard touchdown, the Wildcats had allowed just 46 yards. The Knights’ six big plays accounted for 292 of the 402 yards they finished the game with.
Kansas State will now face the nation’s No. 1 passing offense, led by quarterback Sawyer Robertson, who has attracted some NFL Draft buzz through the first third of the season.
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“They’re a terrific offense and they’re clicking on all cylinders,” Klieman said. “The quarterback makes ’em go, but it’s a variety of guys that are making plays. If they’re going to have 90 plays, we’re gonna be in a problem. We’ve got to find some ways to get off the field and sustain some drives on offense so we can play a little complementary football.”
Under the biggest microscope might be the secondary, which Pro Football Focus just handed its highest grade of the season. K-State flipped VJ Payne and Wesley Fair’s spots on the field, leading to Payne’s best game and a bounce-back performance from Fair. Gunner Maldonado is seeing more time, as he’s as healthy as he’s been all season.
The biggest questions will be posed to younger defensive backs, including Zashon Rich, Donovan McIntosh, Qua Moss, Daniel Cobbs, Justice Clemons and Logan Bartley, when facing one of the best offenses they’ll see all year. Anticipating a hot afternoon in Waco, Klieman believes many are going to rise to the occasion.
“This week’s going to be critical,” Klieman said. “I think we can travel 74 guys now, and you’d better be able to play. You’re not just going there for the steak on Friday; you need to have some value and you need to be able to play. I don’t care if it’s the ninth or 10th offensive linemen or fifth corner. We need everybody right now.”
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Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at wwheeler@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State football knows it has to be better at Baylor
