Oct 6, 2012; Manhattan, KS, USA; Kansas State Wildcats quarterback Collin Klein (7) makes a pass during a 56-16 win over the Kansas Jayhawks at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports

I have been a Kansas State Wildcat fan all my life.  I was born in 1983 and really began becoming a sports fan in the early Nineties.  So pretty much my entire life, the Sunflower Showdown pitting the Kansas State Wildcats against the Kansas Jayhawks pretty much means one thing: If it’s football it’s a win for K-State, if it’s basketball it’s a win for KU.  I am sure you have heard this response, “Wait until basketball/football season!”  I am not proud, but I have issued that response to Jayhawk fans before.  My question, which I hope will strike up talk in the comments section, is this: Would you fellow Wildcat fans, trade dominance in football to be more competitive in basketball?

To further understand the question, let’s look back at the problem.  Let’s look back the past twenty or so years.  In football, the Wildcats have beaten the Jayhawks 16 out 20 matchups, including an eleven-year run that started in 1993 and ended in 2004.  By the way, three of those four losses where during the beloved Ron Prince Era…  In basketball, (we all know where this is heading, sorry guys….) the last 50 matchups of the Sunflower Showdown, the Hawks are 47-3 against the Cats.  This included a stretch of 31 games from 1994 to 2005.  Ouch.

The “Bill Effect” is something strongly to consider to the lopsidedness of both sides of this series.  Bill Snyder and Bill Self are both widely recognized as two of the best collegiate coaches in the nation.  Both of these two men stress the meaning of beating their in-state rivals.  Let’s look at what these two have done against the opposing school.  Coach Snyder is 17-4 against the Jayhawks, losing 3 out 4 games when he first took over and was rebuilding the program.  Coach Self is currently 22-3 against the Wildcats.  In Frank Martin’s tenure, the rivalry in basketball peaked; grabbing two of those victories against Self, but Martin still went 2-9 against the Hawks.  In comparison, former Kansas football coach Mark Mangino went 4-4 against the Wildcats, including one win against Bill Snyder towards the end of his first tenure.

Consider this, if the games were divided evenly in their respected sports, would you be willing to lose some of that team’s prominence?  K-State has dominated the football series while becoming a football powerhouse in the Big 12 under Snyder.  KU has owned the series while owning the league the two decades years.  If these two leveled off would it change?  Would you trade some of those football wins if that meant a more middle of the pack football team?  I don’t think so, and I may have just answered my own question.  Something for us to consider when debating this quandary.  So fellow Wildcat fans, I want to hear your thoughts?  Would you trade football wins for a few basketball victories?

Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports

Returning reserve quarterback Daniel Sams will compete for the starting job over the next two weeks for the Wildcats.

Bill Snyder has taken on rebuilding efforts before, but this season will require all of the Silver Fox’s magic to rebuild one of (if not the) Big 12′s best defenses after graduating 10 starters. The team will rally around stellar safety Ty Zimmerman and returning back up linebacker Tre Walker, who was lost halfway through last season with a knee injury. Safety should the defensive unit’s strength, with Dante Barnett being the name to get familiar with after he filled in for Zimmerman when he missed time at the end of the season. So what else should fans look for?

The offensive line is the easiest piece to figure out. All five starters return, including the conference’s best tackle in Cornelius Lucas. Leading rusher John Hubert is back too – the question is whether the anointed quarterback and another running back can help shoulder the load for the strong but diminutive player. With back up Angelo Pease exhausting his eligibility, the most experienced running back is DeMarcus Robinson who recorded six carries in three games in 2012.

The big story will of course be the battle between Daniel Sams, who has been with the program two years and was highly recruited as a dual-threat quarterback out of high school, and transfer Jake Waters who was crowned the NJCAA Offensive Player of the Year last year. There are lots of questions to unpack regarding this competition in the coming days.

]]> http://jugofsnyder.com/2013/04/02/kansas-state-football-spring-practice-starts-wednesday-april-3/feed/ 0 http://jugofsnyder.com/2013/03/08/kansas-states-new-assistant-athletic-director-clint-dowdle-will-also-be-responsible-for-football-operations/ http://jugofsnyder.com/2013/03/08/kansas-states-new-assistant-athletic-director-clint-dowdle-will-also-be-responsible-for-football-operations/#comments Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:09:29 +0000 Dave Thoman http://jugofsnyder.com/?p=2796 Kansas State’s athletic department has announced the hiring of Clint Dowdle to fill the role of assistant athletic director for administration, and will be charged with responsibility daily operation of the university’s football program. The hiring was announced Thursday by head athletic director John Currie. Dowdle comes to K-State following a little over four years [...]

Kansas State’s New Assistant Athletic Director Clint Dowdle Will Also Be Responsible For Football Operations - Jug of Snyder - Jug of Snyder - A Kansas State Wildcats Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Kansas State’s athletic department has announced the hiring of Clint Dowdle to fill the role of assistant athletic director for administration, and will be charged with responsibility daily operation of the university’s football program. The hiring was announced Thursday by head athletic director John Currie. Dowdle comes to K-State following a little over four years serving at Bowling Green University.

Dowdle spent four years with Bowling Green while serving as the director of football operations.  In 2012, the Falcons went 8-5 (6-2 in the MAC) and received an invitation to play #24 San Jose State in the Military Bowl, where they were defeated 29-20. Before his hiring at Bowling Green, he served as a Graduate Assistant at the University of Tennessee before being hired as Assistant Director of Football Operations. Dowdle’s position working with the offense and general football operations helped Tennessee to the SEC East Division title and an Outback Bowl triumph in 2007. His success led to an opportunity with Bowling Green, and Kansas State is the next step in his career. Dowdle also spent the past two years as an Assistant Athletics Director for Football at Bowling Green.

Clint’s new positions has been described by the athletic department as “a member of Currie’s senior staff and serve as the daily sport liaison for the football program. In addition, Dowdle will support the daily operations of several other sports as well as equipment operations while also managing special projects and coordinating department communication with the KSA Board of Directors.”

Dowdle brings a lot of youthful energy to this position, and it’s exciting to see this young man receive such the opportunity. Commenting on his selection, Dowdle stated that, “I am absolutely thrilled to become a member of the Kansas State Athletics Department… I am thankful to John Currie and the rest of the senior management team for providing me with this great opportunity. The substantial success of K-State Athletics, under the direction of John and leadership of President Schulz, has been remarkable, and I have long admired Coach Snyder and the principles of his program. This is a special time at K-State, and I am grateful for the opportunity to become a member of the Wildcat family.”

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National signing day is only four days away, and on Wednesday hundreds of kids around the nation will make their intentions official by signing letters of intent to make their matriculation final. The Big 12 has notably lagged in recruiting rankings this year, as the SEC is gobbling up top 100 recruits in frightening fashion. While Texas and Oklahoma are getting the kids they always get, the rest of the conference is not setting itself up for a banner recruiting year. This is no reason for Wildcat fans to fret, as Bill Snyder’s staff consistently identifies and maximizes talent better than any other team in the nation (remember when Collin Klein was just an unwanted kid from Loveland, CO?). The Jug will be providing coverage of Wednesday’s happenings, but also understands the need for a fan primer on who’s probably in, who’s already committed, and everything in between.

Already Signed

Kansas State is a well known peruser of the junior college ranks, and has already signed five juco players:

• Travis Green-DB
• Nate Jackson-DB
• Dakorey Johnson-LB
• Devon Nash-DE
• Jake Waters-QB

The big get of this group is Jake Waters from Iowa Western Community College. Waters showed a lot of initial interest in Penn State, but surprised several people around the country when he announced he would bring his pro-style arm to Manhattan in August. Nash is expected to immediately help in filling the shoes of outing seniors Adam Davis and Meshak at defensive end. Green and Jackson will be welcome additions to a secondary losing interception specialists Nigel Malone and Allen Chapman

Committed

Rivals has 16 players listed as commits for the 2013 recruiting class:

• Recruit–Position–Stars According to Rivals.com
• Chance Allen–OL–2
• Ajhane Brager–OL–2
• Jesse Ertz–QB–2
• Melvinson Hartfield-DB–2
• Matthew McCrane–K–2
• Reid Najvar–OL–2
• Sean Newlan–ATH–2
• Dayton Valentine-ATH–2
• Jamone Boyd–DE–3
• De’Vondre Campbell–LB–3
• LeAndrew Gordon–WR–3
• Cre Moore–DB–3
• Isaiah Williams–LB–3
• Jordan Willis–DE–3
• Nick Ramirez–LB–4
• Tanner Wood–DE–4

There are a couple of names to watch in this list. De’Vondre Campbell has already committed, and subsequently reneged, from decisions to attend both Tennessee and Texas. Campbell is a junior college player from Hutchinson Community College and would be a great get, but is not a sure bet to sign with K-State. Melvinson Hartfield has demonstrated interest in a couple rival schools and is reportedly taking a visit to Arkansas this weekend.

This class’s strength is undoubtedly at inside linebacker, and should leave the Wildcats stacked at the position. The team has also done a nice job of securing commitments at the defensive end position, but with DE coach Joe Bob Clements leaving the school for Oklahoma State, it’s vital to secure these players in spite of the coaching change. Clements was a stellar recruiter and played a major role in securing many of these athletes. Bill Snyder’s new contract through 2017 should help signify some reliability for those players looking for the University to demonstrate stability within the coaching staff.

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Kenjon Barner attempted to steal the show, Chris Harper made the most of his targets by securing a twelve yard catch for a first down in the second quarter – although his North team would go on to lose by the score of 21-16. Harper was teamed with LB Arthur Brown on the North squad in college football’s perennial all-star game.

Although Harper did not see a lot of balls thrown his way today, he made the most of his time with the time and left a favorable impression on the scouts who watched him. Below is the Day 3 practice report:

Big Receivers: #83 Chris Harper/Kansas State (6006/228) had a terrific practice when he made several contested catches with defensive backs draped all over him. He has a muscular, athletic frame and he used it by body positioning the defender and “playing basketball” down the field. #33 Aaron Mellette/Elon (6024/216) also had a standout day when he popped open and made two nice plays on deeper routes downfield. He does not have elite quickness and may only be one-speed, however, on this day, he fit in well with the big-school competition and has done an excellent job with his blocking, too.

No official tackle stats are available for Brown, but he led a North Team defense that limited the South to only 237 yards, including 105 yards rushing.

April 2012 only saw one player from K-State find a home through the NFL draft – and even that was a stretch, as Bryce Brown saw little playing time and quit the team his first year after transferring to Manhattan before conference play started. 2013 should be a much more profitable year for departing Wildcat players. Over the next two weeks, Jug of Snyder will be assessing the players entering 2012 with draft hopes and how they finished their careers with K-State. For our sixth installment we go to to the anchor one of the Big 12′s best defenses, defensive end Meshak Williams. 

OLB Terrell Suggs of the Baltimore Ravens is a sack machine, and one of the best known pass rushers in the NFL. Meshak Williams is a poor man’s Terrell Suggs, and will be a force if the right team that plays a 3-4 scheme is smart enough to draft him. Suggest this to your friends that didn’t follow K-State this year, and they’ll simply shake their heads at the idea that an undersized defensive end for the Wildcats could be mentioned in the same breath. So safe your breath instead, and when Williams anchors a defense to the playoffs in 2016, point those disbelieving fans over to JugOfSnyder.com, where we will calmly be waiting.

K-State fans remember Suggs from the 2002 Holiday Bowl against Arizona State, when he harassed Ell Roberson all night long and won the defensive MVP award despite the Sun Devils yielding 34 points to the Wildcats in a loss. The measurements are similar: both Suggs and Williams stand at six foot, three inches. Williams currently plays at 245, and would likely add another 15 pounds at the next level, putting his playing weight at 260 lbs. Suggs plays at 260. Despite being drafted 10th overall, Suggs faced several questions about his ‘tweener’ size – too big and slow to play linebacker, but not nearly big enough to line up at defensive end. Williams faces the same questions.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Jug doesn’t merely project Meshak Williams to be the second coming of Suggs merely because they’re the same height and Suggs was a questionable pick at number ten before transforming into a consistent Pro Bowler. Williams has a quicker 40 time (4.74) than Suggs (4.84), which allays any concerns about speed. His on-field production spoke for itself. He was bright spot for the defense during K-State’s loss in the Fiesta Bowl, recording one sack to go along with nine tackles. He finished first in the conference with 10.5 sacks overall while forcing three fumbles. His domination led to being selected to the All-Big 12 first team, and was selected as the league’s defensive lineman of the year. He also recorded a blocked field goal during his senior season.

Williams has not received a significant amount of attention from the media regarding his potential on the next level.  CBSSports.com ranked him No. 400 overall and the 37th-best defensive end in November (approximately 250 players are selected over the course of the draft’s seven rounds). However, there is no doubt Williams will have his named called to the podium in April. NFLdraftscout.com has since listed him as the number 15 OLB after he closed the season as strongly as he started. The OLB ranking as recognizes the potential for his position switch. However, Williams is very quick and will perform better than his peers at the three cone drill and other combine exercises. Although the national media outlets have a difficult time feting this out on tape during the regular season, his tangibles will allow Williams’ stock to rise when measured against the rest of the draft class.

Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports

According to Oklahoma State University head coach Mike Gundy’s Twitter account, assistant coach Joe Bob Clements will be leaving Manhattan this year to take over as OSU’s new defensive line coach. The position was recently created, as former defensive coordinator Bill Young also held the responsibility of defensive line coach over the past four seasons. Clements leaves his current position as defensive ends coach for Kansas State, which experienced one of the greatest DE tandems in its history this year. Meshak Williams and Adam Davis, both senior transfers from the JUCO ranks, combined for 17 sacks in the regular season while Williams was recognized as the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year.

K-State has not made an immediate announcement as to whether they will hire a new coach to replace Clements or the duties will be handled by existing staff. Clements was a Kansas State graduate and served the University for a total of 11 years during two different stints with the Wildcats.

April 2012 only saw one player from K-State find a home through the NFL draft – and even that was a stretch, as Bryce Brown saw little playing time and quit the team his first year after transferring to Manhattan before conference play started. 2013 should be a much more profitable year for departing Wildcat players. Over the next two weeks, Jug of Snyder will be assessing the players entering 2012 with draft hopes and how they finished their careers with K-State. For our fifth installment we go to to a man rarely mentioned in the highlight reel, but always found in the background making the blocks the put Klein and Hubert on SportsCenter; FB Braden Wilson.

Several K-State fans would be hard-pressed to name the team’s starting fullback. In fact, almost no one outside of EMAW nation can come up with who bears the jersey of NFL.com’s number three ranked fullback in the NCAA. Yet when Collin Klein, John Hubert, and Angelo Pease exit the end zone, one of their first teammates to thank was always Braden Wilson.

Wilson’s personal stats suggest a relatively unremarkable season: six carries for 13 yards, five receptions for 34 yards, and one (rushing) touchdown. It was an improvement from 2011, when he rushed for 15 yards and only hauled in two catches for 14 yards. However, gaining chunks of yards is not the job of Bill Snyder’s fullbacks. Klein did not run a triple-option attack. The K-State option featured Klein and Hubert running on parallel tracks, often with an isolated defender forced to choose which player to defend. The play worked because Wilson was often five yards downfield, clearing out any would-be tacklers from reaching his charges.

Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports

Wilson may be expected be bulk up slightly to play fullback in the NFL, but any strength and conditioning coach worth his salt should have no probably helping reach on ideal playing weight. During his senior season he was listed at 256 pounds and a towering 6’4″. A product of Smith Center, the tiny football factory on the plains, Wilson was a three-year starter and saw extensive time as a backup his freshman year as well. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper currently ranks him as the number four senior fullback this year.

While fullbacks are not often taken in the early rounds of the draft, it’s a critical position that every team must fill (note: the Chiefs did not have a fullback during their disastrous 2-14 season. Not blaming the awful play on the lack of one position, but the football gods have obviously expressed their displeasure with the roster decision). Additionally, Wilson’s height makes him tempting to serve as a third tight end in goal line packages. He’s tough, knows how to engage with his blocks, has decent mobility, and stands a good chance of finding someone to give him a chance on the next level.

Previous Draft Stock articles:
Arthur Brown
Collin Klein
Chris Harper

April 2012 only saw one player from K-State find a home through the NFL draft – and even that was a stretch, as Bryce Brown saw little playing time and quit the team his first year after transferring to Manhattan before conference play started. 2013 should be a much more profitable year for departing Wildcat players. Over the next two weeks, Jug of Snyder will be assessing the players entering 2012 with draft hopes and how they finished their careers with K-State. For our second installment we go to perhaps the team’s biggest question mark, quarterback Collin Klein. 

Heisman runner up. Team captain. Big 12 quarterback of the year. Usually these accolades promise a first round pick and a whole lotta ESPN love, but Collin Klein has never really followed in the footsteps of his peers. The unwanted kid out of Loveland, Colorado mastered K-State’s zone-read offense but failed to receive a Senior Bowl invite despite completing 65 percent of his passes while averaging 8.7 yards/attempt (although Klein was recently announced as an East/West Shrine Bowl participant). Combine those numbers with a 16:9 touchdown:interception ratio, and you come out with Klein’s 149.2 season passer rating. With prototypical size (6’5″, 225 lbs), he was difficult to tackle and almost impossible to sack (only going down 14 times this year). Plus he won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. So why don’t NFL teams want Collin Klein?

It starts with an unorthodox throwing motion. Many projects have been taken in the draft with the belief that a quarterback possessing all the necessary tools (size, strength, field vision, intelligence) can be ‘retooled’ in how they throw. The success rate been less than stellar. The hitch he demonstrates while cocking back takes Klein longer to fire the football than is desirable, allowing defenders more time to react while delaying the moment the ball reaches its target.

In going up against Oregon’s fast defense, Klein failed to further prove himself an effective deep passer. With a long throw on the night of just 21 yards, Klein often picked out his checkdown receiver while failing to find Wildcat players downfield. In completing 17 of 32 passes, he averaged just under nine yards per completion and less than five yards per attempt. And while the entire offense sputtered in the Fiesta Bowl, K-State’s success is predicated on the reads of its quarterback and Klein had a difficult time ever gaining traction.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The better question for many teams to ask is where else could Klein be utilized. Going into the season, I was intrigued as to his prospects as a tight end. During Klein’s sophomore season, he played half the year as a wide receiver (a position currently assumed by his younger brother), catching six passes for 38 yards and a touchdown. He makes smart decisions and would excel in a system that relies heavily on its receivers’ ability  to make adjustments. Additionally, the NFL is evolving into a place where Collin Klein can be a brilliant playmaker as more and more teams choose to not only feature a tight end in their passing attack, but often play two of them. The Patriots have been the most successful with this scheme, employing Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez at the same time to exploit defenses that don’t have the size to match up against the bigger tight ends. For perspective, Klein is bigger than Hernandez by four inches but has a better 40 time than Gronkowski.

CBS has projected Klein the quarterback to be drafted in the sixth or seventh round. While the last Wildcat quarterback drafted has found success at the professional level (Josh Freeman of Tampa Bay), the last running quarterback to be drafted out of K-State was Michael Bishop in 1999. As a seventh round pick he lasted two years in the NFL. While Collin Klein isn’t truly comparable to either of these players, his NFL career will parallel more with Bishop than Freeman if strictly confined to the role of quarterback. However, his big frame and physical style of play should cause a team to jump in the middle rounds. San Diego was a trailblazer when it signed the undrafted 6’4″ Antonio Gates out of Kent State in 2003, even though Gates played basketball in college. As injuries mount and Gates nears retirement, don’t be surprised if the Chargers give a hard look at the 6’5″ Klein as his potential replacement in the fourth or fifth round.

Previous Draft Stock articles:
Arthur Brown

Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports

When K-State opts to receive the ball and Tyler Lockett returns the kickoff to the 50 yard line, the team will have options. Only Bill Snyder knows for sure which route the team will take, but it’s likely to look something like this: run, run, run, pass pass, run, pass, run, pass, pass, random number generator. K-State is a team built to run, but capable of the deep strike if the defense isn’t paying attention, and a seemingly erratic collection of play calls is the best way for the Wildcats to exploit these options.

While Snyder is a proponent of balance, he’s not afraid of calling 75 percent runs if that’s what the Silver Fox believes gives the team the best chance to win. The question is how Oregon lines up on the other side of the ball. While K-State averaged 263 yards rushing through the first five games fo the season, it only accrued 154 yards per game during the final seven. What was the cause for such a precipitous drop? According to running back John Hubert, defenses got sick of affording rushing yards. “As we got deep into the season, teams started playing a lot of eight in the box to slow down our running game,” Hubert said.

If Oregon opts to go with eight up front – and there’s a decent chance they’ll try at some point – Collin Klein is more than capable of airing it out. While K-State was second to last in the Big 12 in passing yards, much of that was due to the team’s emphasis on running. When Klein did throw, he completed 66 percent of his passes, with 9.2 yards/attempt. With 15 touchdowns to only seven interceptions, he achieved a passer rating of 156.1 – a number skewed down by the three picks Klein threw against Baylor in the ‘concussion hangover’ game.