College football season begins soon

Football

Kansas State’s 2019 season is so close at hand that BracketCat’s roster countdown has hit prime number territory. Today’s featured Wildcat is redshirt quarterback #5 Jaren Lewis and redshirt junior linebacker #5 Da’Quan Patton.

With the season just days away, it’s only fitting that there is now a constant stream of Kansas State football news. Here are your purple-themed Monday highlights, in no particular order:

— Kansas State has definite potential and could make a bowl game. But they’re going to lose to Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech, Baylor, and Iowa State, at least according to one beat writer. (Kellis Robinett, Wichita Eagle)

— The Wildcats’ success in 2019 will depend heavily on improved play from Skylar Thompson. For his part, Thompson is finally comfortable in the role of QB1 and is ready to put a difficult year behind him. (Ryan Black, Manhattan Mercury)

— Coordinators Courtney Messingham and Scottie Hazelton don’t have the most exciting football philosophies, but their approach to facial hair is certainly new around Vanier (Robinett, Eagle)

— Chris Klieman knows that Bill Snyder casts a long shadow over Kansas State football, but he’s appreciative of Snyder’s success and unfazed by having to follow in his footsteps (Black, Mercury)

— Friday’s K-State Q&A features questions about the Wildcats’ backup QB (Nick Ast? John Holcombe?), Kansas State football’s most prized inanimate objects (Phil the Bobcat FTW), and a “Pound the Stone” reference (which I still don’t quite get). (Robinett, Eagle)

— Senior punter Devin Anctil, now on the Ray Guy watch list, never expected to play college football at Kansas State, but is trying to make the most of the opportunity. He, and the team’s other specialists, spent the summer at the Kohl Football Kicking and Punting Camp in Wisconsin along with most of the specialists in college football (Sean Collins, Mercury)

— Newly retired and back in his home state, Jordy Nelson took time to speak to the team. For the first time in over a decade, he’ll get to watch football as a fan. Nelson will be in the stands when the Wildcats kick off against Nicholls (Corbin McGuire, Kansas State Sports Extra).

— There was real live college football action this weekend. Florida and Miami kicked off the FBS season with a 24-20 Gators win that featured a lot of sloppy football from both squads, several references to Miami’s blinged-out turnover chain, and a finish that was the only exciting thing about the game. It also helped underline the cold, hard fact that the state of Florida is no longer the center of the college football solar system (Chuck Culpepper, Washington Post)

— Arizona traveled all the way to Hawaii, showed some flashes of brilliance, and lost 45-38. The two teams combined for 1,134 yards of offense and 58 first downs. This was the antithesis of the Florida-Miami game, with the two teams running a total of 149 plays from scrimmage. Oh, and Hawaii punted just once in the entire game. In short, this may already be the wildest game of the 2019 season, but let’s hope not (Jeremy Mauss, Mountain West Wire

Soccer

After a tough 3-2 loss to Creighton on Friday night, Kansas State’s soccer team fought Omaha to a scoreless draw in two overtime periods. The Wildcats led in total shots, but a distinct lack of energy may have cost the team a much-needed win. Kansas State is winless in 11 straight matches, including a six-match losing streak going back into the 2018 season.

The Wildcats will open their home season with a 7 PM match against Arkansas State at Buser Family Park on Thursday.

Volleyball

Kansas State closed out the exhibition season with a thrilling five-set win (25-22, 14-25, 21-25, 25-21, 15-11) over Missouri at Ahearn Field House. The Wildcats won the first set, but dropped the next two and had to claw their way back into the match.

Brynn Carlson was the star of the match. The outside hitter led the team with 19 kills, while Gloria Mutiri had 12 kills, and Peyton Williams—fresh off international basketball success—finished the match with 10 kills.

Up next for the VolleyCats is the season opener on August 30 at the Wolfpack Invitational. The team will face host NC State, Austin Peay, and Maryland.