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Things couldn’t have gone much beer for the Kansas State Wildcats to start the 2019 season and the Chris Klieman era. Sure, there were some mistakes, a couple scores the defense would like to have back, but overall, the 49-14 beat down of the Nicholls Colonels was better than anyone could have imagined.
The offense was clean and efficient. The defense was aggressive but not out of control. Tons of guys saw the field, true freshman saw action. And those were just some of the changes from the last couple years in Manhattan.
The first game is done. The Klieman era is underway, and all the energy that was built heading into the first game, from both the players and fans, has been expended. Now it’s time to see how both the players and fans can move in to week two, against a team that, on paper, is nearly as weak as the team the Wildcats faced in week one.
The Bowling Green Falcons are not the same team that Dino Babers left wen he departed for Syracuse at the end of the 2015 season. First-year head coach Scot Loeffler has a big hole to dig this Falcons program out of, but he got them started on the right foot with a 46-3 win over Morgan State last weekend. But Morgan State would have gotten trucked by Nicholls that badly, too.
So the Wildcats should win this game, and should do so handily. But it will require that they stay focused, and have prepared this week without looking ahead to the much bigger game next week. Bowling Green will be easy to overlook, and could be a significant stumbling block if the Cats aren’t paying attention.
Let’s hope the new coaching staff is up to the task of keeping the players focused on today.
We’re back on TV now for the rest of the season, as this morning’s game will air on FSN (and streaming on FoxSportsGo) with Chris Vosters (play-by-play) and former K-State linebacker Ben Leber (analyst) on the call. Be sure and check out AMS’s How to Watch post for more complete details.
If you don’t get FSN, or can’t access the stream, 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 211, 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!