Thursday, August 16, 2007
Head Coach Ron Prince’s tenure at Kansas State was a successful two-point conversion away from a disastrous start last season.
K-State slipped past Division 1-AA Illinois State in their 2006 opener by a score of 24-23. Two months and one public endorsement from Bill Snyder later, Prince engineered one of the biggest wins in Wildcat history, a 45-42 victory over #4 Texas.
Prince’s expectations will rise significantly in 2007 with a Big 12 leading 15 returning starters.
OFFENSE:
Freshmen infiltrated the starting backfield last season. Prince’s own recruits, quarterback Josh Freeman and running back Leon Patton, received limited playing time early but were starters by the end of the season. Freeman’s performances were erratic, ranging from 5-for-19 with two interceptions against Missouri to 19-for-31 with four touchdowns against Texas. Freeman is one of the most talented signal-callers in the Big 12 and should become more consistent this year. Consistency was not a problem for Patton in his freshman campaign. He averaged 5.6 yards per carry. Two of Freeman’s favorite targets return in senior wide receiver Jordy Nelson and senior tight end Rashaad Norwood. Nelson was Kansas State’s leading receiver last season and is known for his lethal speed. There are no standouts among the offensive line but together they make a solid unit. The Wildcats also added three junior college transfers to strengthen the depth along the line.
DEFENSE:
The Wildcats, who had the seventh-ranked defense in the Big 12 last season, lost their two leading tacklers. But they do return two of their biggest playmakers on the defensive side of the ball. Senior free safety Marcus Watts led the Wildcats with three interceptions last year, and Junior defensive end Ian Campbell led the Wildcats with 11.5 sacks. Campbell will draw more attention and double teams this season, which should enable senior defensive end Rob Jackson to get to the quarterback more easily. The strength of the Wildcats’ defense is without question the defensive backs. Senior cornerback Justin McKinney and sophomore cornerback Joshua Moore each started last year and join Watts to make a talented group. The linebackers are inexperienced but the Wildcats hope depth and competition for starting spots will give way to success in 2007.
SEASON OUTLOOK:
Kansas State has one of the toughest schedules in the Big 12. They play two teams that won bowl games last season, Auburn and San Jose State, and end the season at Fresno State. It is highly unlikely that Kansas State will escape its non-conference slate unscathed, but conceivable that it could lose two non-conference games. The Wildcats’ Big 12 schedule isn’t much easier. They have road games at Texas, Nebraska and Oklahoma State. Kansas State could overcome a tough schedule to compete for a Big 12 North title but it’s going to take a few upsets along the way. With a young team, it’s important to build confidence early in the season. The Wildcats’ first game is at Auburn in front of 87,000 Tiger fans — not the ideal location to accomplish this.
PREDICTION:
6-6, Independence Bowl
—Edited by Tara Smith
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