First things first. It's nice to be a part of the BOTC family. I gladly accept any criticism or hazing that goes along with being the new guy. With that, I also gladly accept all discussion and/or controversy that my posts or comments might cause. Actually, my true goal is to write something so controversial that it soon spills into the mainstream media, eventually causing an entire uproar amongst the sports and pop culture communities. My resulting fame will land me on the front pages of the tabloids which will claim that I am involved in an affair with some over-packaged starlet, thus thrusting me onto Oprah's couch to divulge the entire truth and possibly entitling me to a tell-all book from which I will garner millions of dollars. I should be so lucky.
But, enough of my hopes and dreams. For now I'll stick to football and what the goals should be for Cats during this upcoming game against those Ragin' Cajuns from LA-LA (or did they change their name since I wrote that?).
Goals are great to have for all sports. They create something tangible to which success can be gauged. Coaches can use goals as evidence for a pay raise, while AD's can rightfully point to failure to meet goals as reason for a coach's termination. But sometimes, acheived goals can be great to either settle, or rile up, an uneasy fan base.
While this game may not be the best for which to judge these 2008 Cats, it could be a telling tale as to how this team not only deals with adversity, but how they can expect to fair during their tough Big 12 schedule.
1st goal: Gain 150 yards on the ground. KSU only averages 124 yards rushing. The advantages of having a solid ground game are obvious, but a solid rushing attack should give this team some confidence before opening with Texas Tech.
2nd goal: Limit Louisiana to 100 yards of rushing. Don't let their reputation as a "cupcake" fool you. These Cajuns can rack up the rushing yards. Their leading rusher is the quarterback, and they average over 200 yards rushing each game. Stopping the run early could set up a big halftime lead. Plus, we'll need to learn how to stop a versatile and mobile quarterback when facing the likes of Chase Daniel and Todd Reesing (I just threw up a little in my mouth writing that last name).
3rd goal: No picks for #1. There is no reason Josh Freeman should be forced into the type of silly mistakes he made versus Louisville. We watched a newly polished JF showcase his skills for the first two games of the season. If he can stay solid in the pocket (O-line?) he should be able to toss 3 TDs and 350 yards through the air.
So, there it is. No secrets, nothing even all that imaginative. But, if these Kansas State Wildcats want to take a step back in the direction of glory (as Panjandrum posted earlier), these are three goals that can not be negotiated.