Kansas State vs Nicholls: Open Game Thread

This time is here. It’s gameday, game time, the 2019 season opener for your Kansas State Wildcats. You made it through another offseason, it is time to rejoice.

First up, though, an apology. We promised you, our faithful readers, position previews for each position group before the season started. We even got three of them knocked out. But unfortunately we dropped the ball of the rest. Sorry everybody, we’ll do better.

With that out the way, it’s time for the start of maybe the most intriguing start to a K-State football season since maybe 2009, when Bill Snyder returned to the sidelines to “calm the waters”, and we all wondered if the old man had anything left. Turns out, he did, for at least a few years, and brought another Big 12 Title home before his second retirement.

So now it’s the Chris Klieman era at K-State. The last time an FCS coach this successful* jumped to the FBS, Jim Tressell left Youngstown State and his four national titles for Ohio State — and picked up a BCS title with the Buckeyes.

*but really, no other coach in FCS has been more successful than Chris Klieman

Of course, Ohio State is a different animal than Kansas State, but the precedent is there. And everything Klieman has said and done to this point shows that he is ready for this level, that he’s ready to take K-State into the future, and he’s ready to keep the winning train rolling in Manhattan.

It starts today. All the talk means nothing if these Cats can’t perform on the field. And Nicholls is no cupcake. The took Georgia to the wire in 2016, kept it close with TAMU in 2017, and beat the best KU team in a decade (yes, that’s a pretty low bar) last season in Lawrence. These Colonels are tough, and this is a trap game nearing the order of NDSU in 2013. But the coaching pedigree says this staff will not overlook Nicholls. And that may be all that matters.

The Chris Klieman era needs to start with a victory. Let’s hope these guys are ready.

For a more in-depth breakdown of tonight’s game, be sure and check out the open of the 12th season of TB’s Kicking the Tires series. Jon has your How to Watch details, with odds and ticket info, and some more background on tonight’s FCS opponent.

No “TV” for tonight’s game, but you can turn to the Internet as tonight’s game will be shown on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ with Drew Fellios (play-by-play) and Mike Golic Jr. (analyst) on the call (check the How to Watch for links).

If you can’t connect to ESPN+, or don’t want to pay for the service, the game can be heard across the 39-station K-State Sports Network with Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play), former K-State quarterback Stan Weber (analyst), and Matt Walters (sidelines) calling the action. The game will also be on Sirius channel 111, XM Channel 200, and available on the TuneIn app. Live stats are available at k-statesports.com, and Twitter updates (@KStateFB) will also be a part of the coverage.

Go Cats!