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Kansas State Wildcats (2000: 11-3) The following team preview is provided by Blue Ribbon. For the nation's most comprehensive look at this and all Division I-A teams, be sure to order the 2001 Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook, on sale now at 1-800-775-2518.
Coach and programIt's an interesting time to be a Kansas State fan. Are you thrilled about the sustained success of eight straight bowl appearances, your team's place in the Big 12 elite, taking chief rival Kansas for granted? Or are you disappointed that in two of the last three years the program has reached the brink of ultimate success only to fall short?In 1998, Kansas State merely needed to hold on to a 15-point fourth quarter lead against Texas A&M in the Big 12 championship game to play for the whole enchilada. The Aggies won. Last year, K-State was ranked second when Oklahoma visited in the seventh week. But the Sooners jumped ahead early and never looked back. Losing to Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game was no crime. Beating Tennessee felt as good as any of Snyder's five bowl victories. The Vols may have not have held the ranking, but the 1998 national champions had the reputation. K-State doesn't play many quality non-league teams. When it does, it cannot afford to leave a bad impression. Where does this leave Kansas State this season? In a good place. Expectations are lower. Playmakers in quarterback Jonathan Beasley and wide receiver Quincy Morgan along with eight defensive starters and an All-America kicker are gone. The Wildcats will be forecast no higher than second, which is where they started last season. But this is a good team. Running back Josh Scobey and fullback Rock Cartwright should give the Wildcats their best rushing attack under Snyder. Defensive players like linebackers Terry Pierce and Josh Buhl and end Melvin Williams are candidates to step into stardom. The quarterback competition between Ell Roberson III and Marc Dunn wasn't settled after spring practice, but Snyder said the vibes he got from his team in the spring were as good as any he's encountered in coaching. "There is a sense that this team is coming together," Snyder said.
OffenseAll Beasley did in his two years as a starter was lead K-State to consecutive bowl victories. No other quarterback under Snyder can make that claim.Onward. Beasley's replacement is either sophomore Roberson III (6-1, 190) or junior Dunn (6-4, 205), and their styles couldn't stand in greater contrast. Roberson is speed and quickness. He is the guy who ran 73 yards for a touchdown the first time he touched the ball in the spring game two years ago. Dunn was last year's National Junior College Athletic Association Offensive Player of the Year at Ricks College in Idaho. He threw for an NJCAA-record 4,351 yards, 42 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in 11 games, completing 60.4 percent. He passed for 605 yards in one game Starters Scobey (6-0, 205) and the appropriately named Cartwright (5-8, 242) return. Scobey had a breakout season in 2000 and earned third team all-conference after leading the Wildcats with 718 rushing yards. Cartwright, a senior, joined Scobey in forming the starting backfield of the season's second half. Catching his brother is a tall task, but all that means is that senior wide receiver Aaron Lockett (5-7, 165) is planning on a big season. Lockett owns 113 receptions for 2,043 yards and 11 touchdowns in his career. Kevin Lockett caught 213 passes for 3,032 yards and 26 touchdowns from 1993-96. Senior guards Andy Eby (6-3, 280) and John Robertson (6-4, 291) have been teammates ever since high school in Olathe, Kansas, and they're bidding to become teammates on the all-conference team this season.
Defense and special teamsThis is the area of great unknown for the Wildcats. Gone are ends Monty Beisel and Chris Johnson, who combined for more than 21 sacks last season. Also departed is All-America tackle Mario Fatahehi and tackle DeVane Robinson.The entire line must be rebuilt, and Snyder and his staff will fill some holes with junior college transfers. The most experienced returning player is junior end Williams (6-3, 250), who had 4 1/2 sacks last season. K-State's linebackers are the strength of the defense. The unit will be among the best in the Big 12. Senior Ben Leber (6-4, 250) will start for a third straight season and look to continue his climb up the honors ladder. From honorable mention All-Big 12 two years ago to second-team last season, Leber will be the center of attention for the K-State defense, and he is up to the challenge. Kansas State has established a standard in the secondary. It never seems to matter how great the losses. The Wildcats find great defensive backs to plug in. This season K-State gets put to the test again. The lone returning starter is senior Jon McGraw (6-3, 200), who could move from free safety to strong safety. McGraw was the team's second-leading tackler with 81 and fifth on the team in tackles for loss with 10. A position of excellence gets tested this season. For the past four years, Kansas State has had the all-conference place-kicker -- Martin Gramatica in 1997 and 1998 and Jamie Rheem the last two seasons. Now the spotlight falls on sophomore Jared Brite (6-2, 185), who was 5-for-5 on extra-points kicks last season.
Bottom lineSnyder and Kansas State were overwhelmed by the excellence displayed by Oklahoma's Josh Heupel in Manhattan last season. Heupel, in his second year after transferring from junior college, passed for 375 yards on 29-of-37 completions. Dunn can be that kind of passer.Kansas State isn't alone in the Big 12 as far as not choosing a starter entering fall. Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri are also uncertain. But the programs on solid ground also find a way to work through the issue, and Kansas State will do that. The schedule is more difficult, the personnel losses, especially on defense, are heavy. But it is hard to see Kansas State finishing any worse than 8-3. |
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