Dylan Edwards was dynamic for Kansas State last season after transferring from Colorado, and the junior running back was slated for an increased role this year as DJ Giddens' replacement next to Avery Johnson in the backfield. However, Edwards went down on his first play of K-State’s Week 0 season opener in Dublin, Ireland, and he’s not expected to return.
Edwards got his first attempt of the season on special teams. He was back as the punt returner in the first quarter, but he muffed the punt, it was recovered by Iowa State, and he was injured in the process.
Edwards did not return to the field in the first half, and he was the first topic of conversation for ESPN sideline reporter Taylor McGregor and Klieman as the game went into halftime tied at 7-7. When asked about Edwards’ status, Klieman ruled him out for the rest of the game.
Dylan Edwards ruled out for second half of Week 0 against Iowa State
Without Edwards, K-State turned to redshirt sophomore running back Joe Jackson as the primary ball-carrier out of the backfield. Jackson finished the first half with 10 carries for 40 yards, but he did lose a fumble on his biggest run of the game.
Jackson came into the season with 43 attempts over his first two years in Manhattan, which were good for 228 yards and a touchdown. His career high carries came last November when he turned 10 touches into 47 yards in a 41-15 win over Cincinnati. The next week, he carried the ball once for three yards against Iowa State. He also caught six passes last season, including one for five yards against the Cyclones.
Through a sloppy first half, Kansas State has fumbled three times on a rainy field in Dublin, including Edwards’ muffed punt. The third fumble came on a swing pass from Johnson to running back DeVon Rice, which was ruled to be a backwards pass, but Rice quickly fielded it, and it turned it into positive yardage.
Despite the loss of Edwards, K-State has rushed for 94 yards and a touchdown on 21 attempts, with the touchdown coming courtesy of the Wildcats’ second-year starting quarterback. The threat of Johnson’s legs continues to create running lanes for K-State’s backs, but it remains to be seen if Jackson can take advantage of them as Giddens and Edwards did last season.
As the primary backup to Giddens, Edwards rushed for 546 yards and five touchdowns on just 74 attempts (7.4 yards per carry). He’s a significant loss in the first game of the season, and Klieman will have to hope he can return when the Wildcats return home to face North Dakota next week.