Bring On The Cats - Kansas State Football 2014: Week 5 - UTEPA Kansas State Wildcats Blog -- Carrying the Banner Highhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47995/bringoncats_fave.png2014-09-29T12:16:55-05:00http://www.bringonthecats.com/rss/stream/65978402014-09-29T12:16:55-05:002014-09-29T12:16:55-05:00Danzel McDaniel Obliterates Aaron Jones<img src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/214Wl7Bhg0hTQdVKA-chywPBPiA=/410x410/cdn.vox-cdn.com/fan_shot_images/349030/murder.gif" />
<div class="source source-img"><p><p>Finally, someone's gotten us a GIF of that brutal smackdown Debo laid on UTEP's star running back. Watch it over and over.</p></p></div>
https://www.bringonthecats.com/2014/9/29/6865693/danzel-mcdaniel-obliterates-aaron-jonesJon Morse2014-09-27T14:56:15-05:002014-09-27T14:56:15-05:00K-State 58, UTEP 28: Depth May Be an Issue
<figure>
<img alt="The star finally got to shine today." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/FHRYwiyXNnDtbHic27zZE95XpuE=/0x10:4000x2677/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/40247808/20140927_jla_as4_091.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>The star finally got to shine today. | Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It was a weird game, and the fourth quarter is eminently forgettable, but the Wildcats rolled to victory with ease.</p> <p>Two punts blocked (but one called back), two punt returns for touchdowns (but one called back), four Charles Jones touchdowns (but one called back)... three fourth-quarter touchdowns surrendered by the reserves (and all of them counted)... it was that sort of afternoon for the Wildcats, but they still dominated start to finish in a 30-point rout at Fort Snyder.</p>
<p>Things started swimmingly. UTEP lost seven yards on two running plays (the second due to a fumble), then got back to the original line of scrimmage on third down. <span>Deante Burton</span> and <span>Stanton Weber</span> blew around the line and both got hands on the punt, allowing the Wildcats to take over at the UTEP 25 for their first possession. The run wasn't working, and although <span>Jake Waters</span> did hit <span>Tyler Lockett</span> for a first down mid-drive, K-State was forced to settle for a 25-yard Matt McCrane field goal.</p>
<p>After a decent return caused by some iffy coverage, the defense again did its job, ending a three-and-out with a big <span>Travis Britz</span> sack. But the offense was clearly not gelling early; other than a nine-yard <span>Charles Jones</span> run on second down which followed a loss of yardage on first, the Cats had to kick it away. Again, three-and-out for UTEP, and again, the kick was blocked -- this time by <span>Danzel McDaniel</span> and/or Weston Heibert. But the Wildcats failed to cover the ball, UTEP recovered, and an inadvertant whistle resulted in a 13-minute booth review (after five minutes or so of kvetching on the sideline by Bill Snyder). The ruling was that the down had to be replayed, erasing the blocked kick.</p>
<p>Angry, K-State got the ball back near midfield and started rolling. A 26-yard hookup between Waters and Lockett was followed by a pair of runs from Waters and Jones, who was brought down at the one-foot line, spurring another long review. Waters scored on a sneak on the next play, and the Cats were up 10-0.</p>
<p>After an exchange of fruitless series, Tyler Lockett scored on a punt return, but it was called back on a holding penalty. The Cats shrugged their shoulders marched again. Waters ran for 18, then a couple of plays later Jones busted off a 13-yard gain. Waters hit a wide-open Trujillo -- who FOX announcer Brendan Burke kept calling "True-EE-ho" -- on the pass option for a 31 yard chunk of real estate, going down at the three yard line. Jones capped the drive out of the Wildcat to notch his seventh touchdown of the year.</p>
<p>The special teams shone over the next few minutes. UTEP bobbled the kickoff, and K-State forced UTEP down at the three yard line; <span>Dakorey Johnson</span> was injured on the play and did not return. The Miners were again forced to punt after three downs, and Tyler Lockett raced 58 yards for a touchdown that actually counted.</p>
<p>UTEP actually got a first down on the next drive, but on a screen pass to <span>Aaron Jones</span>, Danzel McDaniel appeared out of nowhere and flat out murdered him. UTEP had to punt, and Lockett returned that one 54 yards before getting hit and fumbling; no worries, as <span>Weston Hiebert</span> was there to pick it up and run another seven yards to add insult to injury.</p>
<p>With 17 seconds left in the half, Jones scored his third touchdown of the day, flat barrelling into the end zone with the assistance of <span>Cody Whitehair</span>, who literally carried him the final four. The Wildcats sailed into the locker room up 31-0 and set to receive the second half kickoff.</p>
<p>Another three plays, another UTEP punt, and on the second play of the next drive Waters hit Trujillo off the POP pass for a 44-yard score. At this point, it was all over but the second-team reps. With Johnson out, and Danzel McDaniel also in the locker room for undisclosed reasons (possibly being questioned by the Manhattan police in connection with a brutal assault), UTEP began moving the ball. In one drive, the Miners quadrupled their first-down total, increased their rushing yardage by a factor of 12, and ruined the K-State shutout on a four-yard fade from <span>Jameill Showers</span> to <span>Ian Hamilton</span> on which Donnie Starks was beaten like a drum.</p>
<p>Next drive? Oh, what the heck, let's just have <span>DeMarcus Robinson</span> run 40 yards for a touchdown. That's just how this game was destined to play out, with everyone doing a little bit of everything.</p>
<p>Of course, there were some problems with the reserves. <span>Joe Hubener</span> tried to throw the ball away to avoid a sack and it looked pretty embarrassing, and on the next play <span>Mitch Lochbihler</span> -- sidelined ever since the punt return for a touchdown against Iowa State -- got another chance and got his punt blocked. The second-team defense -- including such folks as <span>Dylan Schellenberg</span>, <span>Cre Moore</span>, Donnie Starks, and the surprise first appearance by <span>Terrell Clinkscales</span> -- let UTEP drive 53 yards for a second score.</p>
<p>The offense was fun the next drive. Hubener completed decent-gainers to Stanton Weber and <span>Judah Jones</span>, Jarvis Leverett Jr. got some effective carries, then Jones had a catch-and-run which displayed his git-up-and-go to get inside UTEP's ten, and Hubener finished off the drive from the two. <span>Jack Cantele</span> came on to try the PAT, and missed it, which was quite possibly the worst non-injury event of the entire game for a variety of reasons.</p>
<p>Cre Moore was burned on a 69-yard touchdown pass from Showers to Hamilton in the final four minutes, and Lochbihler fumbled the snap after K-State had to punt four plays later, giving UTEP 1st-and-goal at the 7 with a minute to play, which led to the Miners' third touchdown of the quarter. It didn't matter; K-State still covered the spread, which tells you just how brutal the first 50 minutes of the game really were.</p>
<p>Waters finished 10-15 for 209 yards and a touchdown, and added 29 on the ground. Charles Jones had 12 carries for 76, while Robinson had 9 for 56; the three combined for about 6.5 yards a carry. Lockett had four catches for 84 yards to go along with 172 yards in returns and a <strike>pair of</strike> touchdowns. Trujillo had a productive day, with three catches for 75 yards and a score; Sexton added two catches for 47. Hubener was an impressive 3-4 for 54 yards in relief of Waters.</p>
<p>In all, K-State did give up 260 yards of offense, but a third of that was in the final ten minutes, 98 of those yards on two UTEP receptions. Even with the struggles of the second string, UTEP was held to 59 yards rushing and a YPC of 1.9; coming into the game they were averaging 314 and 6.1. <span>Aaron Jones</span>, who'd been averaging 183 and 7.8, was held to 47 and 2.5. Not a bad effort.</p>
<p>There are definite problems which need to be addressed, and even more obvious injury concerns which could cause issues in the coming weeks. But there was also a lot of good to take away from this one, and we'll obviously cover that in more depth next week. For now? Celebrate, Purple People. The Cats are halfway to a bowl game.</p>
https://www.bringonthecats.com/2014/9/27/6854645/kansas-state-58-utep-28-depth-may-be-an-issueJon Morse2014-09-27T10:00:03-05:002014-09-27T10:00:03-05:00Open Game Thread: K-State vs. UTEP
<figure>
<img alt="In a lot of ways, Sean Kugler's trying to model his program after Bill Snyder's." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PqvLfOunSC0E_5FOWUXvHzGfrOw=/0x131:4000x2798/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/40218570/20140906_ajw_sa9_752.JPG.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>In a lot of ways, Sean Kugler's trying to model his program after Bill Snyder's. | Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Time to get that nasty losing taste out of our mouths. At least that's the plan, anyway.</p> <div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/35697/powercatlogo.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Powercatlogo_medium" class="photo" src="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/assets/35697/powercatlogo_medium.png"></a> <br id="1388256825576"> </div>
<p><br><strong>Who: </strong>UTEP Miners (2-1/0-0) vs. #25 Kansas State (2-1/1-0)</p>
<p><strong>When: </strong>September 27, 2014 | 11:00 AM (CST)</p>
<p><strong>Where: </strong>Manhattan, KS | Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium (52,800)</p>
<p><strong>Media: </strong><a href="http://1350kman.com/">1350 KMAN</a> | FSN</p>
<p><br>After letting that tough loss ferment in our conscious for close to a week and a half, it is finally time to put it behind us and watch the 'Cats play ball. It will be interesting to see how they bounce back from a loss, but at the same rate it isn't exactly against top notch competition. However, the fact is UTEP has the same record as us and rank in the top 15 in a couple offensive categories. Their close defeat against fellow Big 12 school Texas Tech likely has given them some amount of confidence, and they should come into this game fired up. All our team has to do is stay focused and take out some of that frustration acquired nine days ago.</p>
https://www.bringonthecats.com/2014/9/27/6852619/open-game-thread-kansas-state-vs-utepPervisPascosTravellingCircus2014-09-26T16:16:48-05:002014-09-26T16:16:48-05:005 Underlying Kansas State Football Storylines
<figure>
<img alt="This guy and the rest of K-State's front four could be poised for big things the rest of the way." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6FTkQlmlMV4WTrVfeHZ6i5mwx40=/0x0:3990x2660/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/40167428/20140830_sng_as4_216.JPG.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>This guy and the rest of K-State's front four could be poised for big things the rest of the way. | Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>What can one make of the Wildcats' schemes, successes and failures one-fourth of the way through the regular season? Read more to find out.</p> <h4>1. <span>Jake Waters</span> still needs to improve his awareness in the pocket.</h4>
<p>Jake Waters clearly struggled when Auburn blitzed or otherwise got pressure on him, as it resulted in sacks, incompletions, generally unsuccessful scrambles, an interception, and a fumble. To be fair, quarterbacks usually do not do well when they are under pressure and especially when there is pressure without the other team even blitzing.</p>
<p>Despite that disclaimer, dating back to last year, Waters has often struggled making reads and not having his internal "get rid of the ball or get out" alarm go off when there has been pressure. There have been some improvements in his play in this area, but I think the majority of those are pre-snap reads where he identifies who to get the ball to quickly on such plays, although he has shown some success in making throws downfield when he is able to get out of the pocket (more on that below).</p>
<p>The bigger concern is when Waters drops back and has to work through his progressions and the opponent is able to keep contain on him. He can still be a bit delayed in working through his progressions to the point that he gets sacked.</p>
<p>Why is this a problem for Jake Waters? I think it is because he played junior college football (where he was very, very successful) in a system where he got rid of the ball very quickly and also where his team was talented enough to give him all day to throw the ball. Before junior college, Waters played in a smaller level high school in Iowa, so it's no surprise that he is still developing his internal clock on pass plays. Here is to hoping for some rapid improvement in this area, as well as some improved pass protection.</p>
<h4>2. Did anyone else see TCU's defense line up against Auburn last week?</h4>
<p>When I watch TCU play defense, they play a 4-2-5 that seems to often walk a couple safeties up pretty close against the opposing offense's running game. Inevitably, those safeties are sound in their play and very tough against the run game.</p>
<p>K-State seemed to employ a similar version of the TCU defense against Auburn by going with a host of guys with good size/speed ratios playing over the middle of the field (a point I emphasized last week), including <span>Dakorey Johnson</span> getting the start and all the plays at one linebacker position and <span>Travis Green</span> moving into the strong safety position. <span>Dante Barnett</span> was moved from strong to free safety, the spot formerly occupied by <span>Dylan Schellenberg</span>. While Auburn's success in the passing game (or at least with the talent of their receivers) and the success of K-State's defensive front, the Wildcats loosened up the defense some as the game wore on, but it still resembled TCU in operation and personnel.</p>
<p>I hate to bring up a painful memory, but our defense's play also reminded me very much of what Phil Bennett and Baylor did against us in 2012. Arguably, K-State's single-wing offense that season with <span>Collin Klein</span> had any similarities to Auburn's offense this year. Baylor had some athletic linebackers and physical safeties. Rather than attempting to match substitutes for K-State's various substitutions and packages, Baylor left in their skilled and versatile 11 defensive players in a 4-2-5 scheme for all or almost all of the snaps against the Wildcats, while also keying on the running game.</p>
<p>Against Auburn, K-State only subbed in <span>Will Geary</span> and <span>DeAndre Roberts</span> at defensive tackle and also utilized its third down pass rush package on a handful of occasions. <span>Will Davis</span> and Dylan Schellenberg did not play at all on defense. <span>Nate Jackson</span> only played at the end of the game for an injured Morgan Burns. In other words, the Wildcats relied on the starting 11 for about 90 percent of the snaps and did not vary much from that approach.</p>
<p>While we will never know, it would be interesting to know whether the K-State staff spent any time emulating either what TCU's defense does or else what Baylor was able to do to stymie the Wildcats' offense in 2012.</p>
<h4>3. Line up in the i-formation and run the ball.</h4>
<p>Good defensive line play is huge and there is only so much gameplanning that an offense can do to overcome its offensive line being overmatched. Auburn had a very good defensive line and a very fast defense overall. This is why I think it is foolish to attempt to run slow-developing zone read types of plays against teams like Auburn.</p>
<p>I understand all of the advantages and successes of the spread formation and running out of the shotgun formation. Also, I think that K-State will be able to utilize those packages with good success against some Big 12 defenses (hi, Texas Tech). However, when an offense is playing against a defense as fast as Auburn was, why give their defense time to run to the ball while your back is starting deep in the backfield without a head of steam?</p>
<p>In other words, why not line up in the i-formation and allow your running back to run downfield. This is especially true in goal line situations. Why snap the ball six yards into the backfield and risk losing almost that many yards?</p>
<p>Granted, this may not have made a difference in some of those short yardage and goal line situations against Auburn. It was clear that Jake Waters was not fast enough to seriously harm Auburn unless they would get out of position, but sometimes allowing your running back to get two or three yards, with the potential for more can be a good result.</p>
<p>I have seen teams (for example, Texas with <span>Colt McCoy</span>, Jamal Charles, and a big and talented offensive line, with their loss in Manhattan) inexplicably negate their advantage and play into the defense's hands simply because they are stuck in the habit of running out of the shotgun. Running well out of the i-formation has been a staple of Bill Snyder teams and it is one that should see increased utilization in some situations.</p>
<h4>4. In a game full of copycats, K-State needs an effective counter to Auburn's defensive strategy.</h4>
<p>Auburn's defensive strategy and execution against K-State was brilliant. Their superior defensive line largely snuffed out our running game. They keyed on <span>Tyler Lockett</span> to take him out of the passing game. They were generally quite physical with our receivers and, with the exception of Curry Sexton's underneath routes, were able to keep our guys from getting open. They kept contain on their pass rush, which forced Jake Waters, who described himself as being 5'10" or 5'11" when he signed (look at him next to the offensive linemen and you will notice he is clearly not 6'1") to hit precision passes in the short- and medium-distance passing game, which is not his strong suit and was complicated by being confined to the pocket.</p>
<p>Of course, Waters could also force it deep to the only home run threat (Lockett). While K-State was able to gain some yards, its offense struggled in the red zone, due to its inability to run and the reduced space for the underneath passing game. Since Lockett was unable to break long plays in the passing game, instead of a 70-yard touchdown drive, K-State would go on 60 and 68 yard drives for turnovers and missed field goals</p>
<p>It's worth noting that not many teams K-State will face this year can run out personnel like Auburn did, but that does not mean that other teams will not employ the same strategy that they used. K-State needs to have an effective counter to this strategy. Against Auburn, it attempted, with some success, to exploit their linebackers' lack of pass coverage skills by getting players out in space.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.bringonthecats.com/2014-k-state-football/2014/9/23/6832225/five-thoughts-on-kansas-state-auburn">As mentioned by Jon Morse earlier this week</a>, it would seem that utilization of the tight ends and Gronk over the middle would be a very good way to neutralize this type of approach. In all likelihood, our coaching staff probably felt that additional pass protection by these players outweighed the benefit of releasing them as targets in the passing game. Regardless of what it looks like, the Wildcats need to have a clear plan to open up the middle of the field against opposing defenses, even if the ground game is not clicking.</p>
<h4>5. The defense looked good against Auburn, but curb the enthusiasm, for now.</h4>
<p>Understandably, the Wildcats' fan base has become very excited about the Wildcats' defensive effort last week. To be sure, the defense showed up to play and it is to be applauded. I would caution, however, that it not be presumed that the Wildcats are ready to shut down everyone else on their schedule.</p>
<p>First, Auburn is a run-based offense. Several of the teams left on K-State's schedule are pass-based offenses that throw to set up the run. Many Big 12 offenses operate in space better than Auburn. As a result, it is not safe to presume that K-State held Auburn in check, so they should be able to stop Texas Tech because their offense is not as proficient. While I think K-State will be able to stop or at least slow down Texas Tech, every game is about matchups and success against one style does not guarantee success against any other team, especially if that other team has a contrasting style. While I do not think it has been said too much by K-State people, it is also possible that Auburn will not be the offensive machine that it sometimes was a year ago. There has been some attrition through graduation, early entries to the NFL draft, and injuries, which appear to have taken some of the punch out of their offense.</p>
<p>So what should K-State fans hold onto as optimism from the Auburn game? The ability to stop the run and the emergence of Dakorey Johnson are the answers. If Kansas State's defensive line can continue to play as solidly as they have started off this year, that will pay huge dividends in Big 12 play because of the ability to possibly make opponents' offenses one dimensional. Also, the play of Dakorey Johnson is a huge development for the team's defense of the spread offenses. These will be huge keys to stopping offenses like Oklahoma and Baylor, which are adept at both running and passing the football.</p>
https://www.bringonthecats.com/2014-k-state-football/2014/9/26/6849695/5-underlying-storylines-before-the-kansas-state-utep-gameWaggsCat2014-09-26T13:51:59-05:002014-09-26T13:51:59-05:00Harwood to be honored Saturday<object width="486" height="412"><param name="movie" value="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1">
<param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF">
<param name="flashVars" value="videoId=3806807197001&playerID=9413662001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAAEiis88~,BcrTrmoF4lqpi3lA_B_Wbbn8LpcX8pef&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true">
<param name="base" value="http://admin.brightcove.com">
<param name="seamlesstabbing" value="false">
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true">
<param name="swLiveConnect" value="true">
<param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always">
<embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashvars="videoId=3806807197001&playerID=9413662001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAAEiis88~,BcrTrmoF4lqpi3lA_B_Wbbn8LpcX8pef&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" name="flashObj" width="486" height="412" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object>
<div class="source source-img"><p><p>Bill Snyder speaks about Topeka Police Corporal Jason Harwood, slain during a traffic stop on September 7. Harwood, a fervent Wildcat fan, will be honored prior to kickoff against UTEP on Saturday.</p>
<br /><p>Video courtesy the Topeka Capital-Journal, from <a href="http://cjonline.com/sports/2014-09-25/kevin-haskin-k-state-family-recognize-harwoods-sacrifice" target="new">Kevin Haskin's article</a>, which you should also go read right now.</p></p></div>
https://www.bringonthecats.com/2014/9/26/6851279/bill-snyder-corporal-jason-harwood-tribute-kansas-stateJon Morse2014-09-26T13:00:02-05:002014-09-26T13:00:02-05:00K-State vs UTEP: How to Watch and more
<figure>
<img alt="Invaded by orange and blue two weeks in a row? This aggression will not stand, man." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/yU8tkOZS3xHpHSFiMApfkXAMmIE=/60x0:3947x2591/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/39672324/20140906_ajw_sa9_947.JPG.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Invaded by orange and blue two weeks in a row? This aggression will not stand, man. | Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Nine days is too long to wait after a loss, and Saturday can't get here fast enough.</p>
<link href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/4147635/botc-slate-v1.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet">
<section class="s-intro">
<p class="slate-intro">Down in the west Texas town of El Paso, I saw a football team trying to grow... UTEP's off to a fine start, at least as far as the record goes, and gave Brotech all they could have asked for. But now they have to come to Manhattan. Can they avoid suffering for Auburn's misdeeds?</p>
</section>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/3706325/bloglinks.css">
<div class="blog-links-compact-container">
<h4>
<span class="blog-links-star"><img src="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/3608771/star.png"></span> The Opposition <span class="blog-links-star"><img src="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/3608771/star.png"></span>
</h4>
<div class="blog-links-compact-link-container">
<a href="http://www.minerrush.com?utm_source=sbnation&utm_medium=bloglinks&utm_campaign=blogs">UTEP Miners blog Miner Rush</a>
</div>
</div>
<p><b>The game</b>: <a href="https://www.bringonthecats.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Kansas State</a> (2-1, 1-0, 25/25) hosts the UTEP Miners (2-1, 0-0 CUSA). This is the third meeting between the two schools. UTEP won the first meeting, way back in 1947, with a 20-6 decision in El Paso. K-State returned the favor with a 40-7 win in Manhattan in 1999.</p>
<p><b>Odds</b>: K-State is a 26.5 point favorite.</p>
<p><b>Kickoff</b>: Saturday, September 27 at 11:00am CT, Bill Snyder Family Stadium (52,830) in Manhattan, Kansas.</p>
<p><b>Tickets</b>: Sold out. There are some random tickets on the market for under $50, but the low baseline is around $68. Most of the available tickets are in section 17.</p>
<p><b>Television</b>: Fox Sports Networks (the regionals, which means FS Midwest for most of you), with Brendan Burke on play-by-play alongside our hero Ben Leber. Christian Steckel will man the sideline.</p>
<p><b>Radio</b>: K-State Sports Network, with Wyatt Thompson, Stan Weber, and Matt Walters; also available on Sirius 137 and XM 199.</p>
<p><b>Online</b>: <a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsportsgo/" target="new">FOX Sports GO</a>; free audio streaming via <a target="new" href="http://www.kstatesports.com/allaccess/?media=461206">KStateHD.tv</a> with the radio team. K-State Gameday begins at 10:10am with Bruce Haertl. Live stats via <a href="http://kstatesports.cstv.com/gametracker/launch/gt_mfootbl.html?event=1329277&school=ksu&sport=mfootbl&camefrom=&startschool=&" target="_blank">Gametracker</a>.</p>
<p><b>Other options</b>: Bring on the Cats hosts Kansas City-area watch parties in partnership with The Granfalloon, located at 608 Ward Parkway in the Country Club Plaza. If you can attend the game, <i>attend the game</i>, but if not, come join us and enjoy the game, good eats, drinks, and the company of your fellow Wildcat faithful. Curtis should be in attendance, and you'll want to get there early to grab a good seat, especially with a Saturday crowd.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a target="new" href="http://thegranfalloon.com"><img src="http://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/assets/4921138/Granfalloon_NEW_Sandblasted_sign_medium.jpg" class="photo" alt="Granfalloon_new_sandblasted_sign_medium" height="200"></a></p>
https://www.bringonthecats.com/2014-k-state-football/2014/9/26/6834233/kansas-state-vs-utep-game-time-tv-info-radio-streaming-odds-and-moreJon Morse2014-09-26T11:00:03-05:002014-09-26T11:00:03-05:00Kansas State vs UTEP: Week 5 Injury Report
<figure>
<img alt="This guy is not hurt and the Wildcats will need to focus on shutting him down." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_9e7uAnoihb_xHVjUx7T54ByHwo=/0x0:3990x2660/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/40095214/454839726.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>This guy is not hurt and the Wildcats will need to focus on shutting him down. | John Weast</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>K-State loses a player for the season, while the University of Texas El Paso is dealing with two players who have been lost for the season.</p> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/4147635/botc-slate-v1.css">
<section class="s-intro"><p class="slate-intro">Not a ton of injuries this week, however we did have an integral part of the defense go down last week, and another is gone for the year.</p>
<h4><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/kansas-state-wildcats">Kansas State</a></h4>
<h5>
<span>Morgan Burns</span>, CB - Probable</h5>
<p>Burns pulled up lame running with groin injury mid-way through the game, and Auburn soon got their passing game going. Whether his injury directly contributed to Auburn's success late in the passing game or not the fact remains that Burns is the fastest guy K-State has on defense and him being out for an extended period of time would not be good. Fortunately Coach Snyder confirmed in his press conference this week that he expects Burns to play against the Miners. (I'd also like to point out it helps make this post much more accurate when Bill Snyder talks about injuries, so lets keep that up Coach.)</p>
<h5>
<span>Jarvis Leverett</span> RB - Probable</h5>
<p>An off-season injury forced limited action for Leverett in the Wildcats two games so far. As the season progresses Leverett may fight for more playing time, but as of now he will mostly be used in mop up duty.</p>
<h5>
<span>Charmeachealle Moore</span>, LB - Out</h5>
<p>I had hoped I wouldn't have to type the following phrase all season, but Coach Snyder (again, man this is so much easier) confirmed that Charmeachealle "Mike" Moore is out for the season with an undisclosed injury. It does appear that K-State will try to get Moore a medical hardship waiver.</p>
<h5>
<span>Cody Small</span>, TE; <span>Kyle Klein</span>, WR; <span>A.J. Allen</span>, OL- Out</h5>
<p>Still no confirmation to the rumor that Bill Snyder has secretly had Kyle Klein trade places with a former Heisman finalist, but we can confirm that Kyle has not played in the past two games. Mystery remains if that is due to an injury or him being by passed on the depth chart, but rumors are it is due to a nagging injury. The same can be said for both Cody Small, and AJ Allen.</p>
<h4>University of <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.minerrush.com/">Texas at El Paso</a>
</h4>
<p>Similar to Kansas State, UTEP has avoided major injury to key players, however a couple will be out for the season for the Miners.</p>
<h5>
<span>Ishmael Harrison</span>, CB - Questionable</h5>
<p>Starter Ishmael Harrison appears questionable due to an arm injury. Harrison, a junior, started the game against New Mexico and recorded three tackles before an arm injury sidelined him for the remainder of that game, and the following games against Texas Tech, and New Mexico State.</p>
<h5>
<span>Kelvin Fisher Jr</span>., CB - Questionable</h5>
<p>If Fisher plays this weekend it will likely be in a limited capacity as he has been dealing with a foot injury that has kept him out of recent games. While Fisher is not a starter his injury is a concern from a depth stand point for the Miners.</p>
<h5>
<span>Kyle Brown</span>, OL - Out</h5>
<p>The Miners found out in early August that three year starter Kyle Brown was out for the season with a blood clot in his lungs. The Miners expect him to gain a sixth year of eligibility but this was a huge blow on the offensive line.</p>
<h5>
<span>Jeremiah Laufasa</span>, RB - Out</h5>
<p>Third down back Jeremiah Laufasa has been ruled out for the season after suffering a knee injury against New Mexico State. While it's never a good thing for a player to miss a full season (or really anytime at all) Laufasa's injury shouldn't hurt the Miners' running attack too much as this is the biggest position of depth on the Miners roster.</p>
<p>Injuries suck for any team, but in this game, K-State has the depth to overcome them easier than UT El-Paso. If the injured corners are able to play for the Miners it should help them contain a passing attack that seemed to find some balance against Auburn with the emergence of <span>Curry Sexton</span> as a reliable, move the chain type possession receiver.</p></section>
https://www.bringonthecats.com/kansas-state-football/2014/9/26/6847185/kansas-state-vs-utep-week-5-injury-reportPurpleBrunetteKSUEMAW!2014-09-26T09:00:03-05:002014-09-26T09:00:03-05:00Kicking the Tires: K-State vs. Texas-El Paso
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_Wd-ZC0Ce9ph65UfUcwqbCVufHA=/0x0:4000x2667/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/40090148/20140918_ajw_as4_264.JPG.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>After a tough home loss last Thursday to Auburn, K-State remains at home this weekend. The opponent will be the 2-1 Texas-El Paso Miners.</p> <p>K-State has had nine days to recover from last Thursday's disappointing home loss to No. 5 Auburn. A fantastic defensive effort against one of the best offenses in the country went for naught in the face of three missed field goals and a hard-luck interception in the end zone.</p>
<p>Texas-El Paso arrives in Manhattan with a 2-1 record. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.minerrush.com/">Miners</a> are state champions of the state immediately to their west, having defeated New Mexico (31-24, in Albuquerque, N.M.) and New Mexico State (42-24, in El Paso). The Miners' sole loss on the year came to fellow West Texas inhabitants, the Big 12's own <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.vivathematadors.com/">Texas Tech Red Raiders</a>.</p>
<p>Tech required a late touchdown to defeat the Miners, and as you'll see below, there are some playmakers on this roster. Of course, the Miners are mostly unproven, having defeated two of the worst teams in the country (New Mexico is 105<sup>th</sup> in F/+ 79<sup>th</sup> in S&P+, while New Mexico is 126<sup>th</sup> in F/+ and 124<sup>th</sup> in S&P+).</p>
<p>Players to Watch</p>
<p><i>K-State</i></p>
<p>Passing: <span>Jake Waters</span>, 59-97-3, 707 yards, 7.3 yards/attempt, 2 TDs, 235.7 yards/game</p>
<p>Rushing: <span>Charles Jones</span>, 32 carries, 161 yards, 4.8 yards/carry, 5 TDs, 50.7 yards/game</p>
<p>Receiving: <span>Tyler Lockett</span>, 13 receptions, 190 yards, 14.6 yards/reception, 1 TD, 63.3 yards/game</p>
<p><i>Texas-El Paso</i></p>
<p>Passing: <span>Jameill Showers</span>, 33-63-1, 358 yards, 5.7 yards/attempt, 2 TDs, 119.3 yards/game</p>
<p>Rushing: <span>Aaron Jones</span>, 70 carries, 549 yards, 7.8 yards/carry, 7 TDs, 183.0 yards/game</p>
<p>Receiving: <span>Jarrad Shaw</span>, 10 receptions, 142 yards, 14.2 yards/reception, 1 TD, 47.3 yards/game</p>
<p><span>Aaron Jones</span> is no joke toting the rock. The sophomore playing at his hometown school tallied 237 yards against New Mexico, 144 yards against Tech, and 168 yards against New Mexico State. And that's where UTEP does its damage, because the passing game, outside of some big-play ability shown by Jarrad Shaw, is pretty much non-existent.</p>
<p><b>K-State Advanced Stats</b></p>
<p>F/+: 29<sup>th</sup></p>
<p>S&P+: 37th</p>
<p><i>Offense</i></p>
<p>S&P+: 40<sup>th</sup></p>
<p>Offense Success Rate: 15th</p>
<p>IsoPPP: 88<sup>th</sup></p>
<p>Rushing: 21<sup>st</sup></p>
<p>Passing: 57<sup>th</sup></p>
<p>Standard Downs: 37<sup>th</sup></p>
<p>Passing Downs: 52<sup>nd</sup></p>
<p><i>Defense</i></p>
<p>S&P+: 42<sup>nd</sup></p>
<p>Defense Success Rate: 71<sup>st</sup></p>
<p>IsoPPP: 11<sup>th</sup></p>
<p>Rushing: 13<sup>th</sup></p>
<p>Passing: 87<sup>th</sup></p>
<p>Standard Downs: 27<sup>th</sup></p>
<p>Passing Downs: 59th</p>
<p><b>Texas El-Paso Advanced Stats</b></p>
<p>F/+: 95<sup>th</sup></p>
<p>S&P+: 99th</p>
<p><i>Offense</i></p>
<p>S&P+: 70th</p>
<p>Offense Success Rate: 14th</p>
<p>IsoPPP: 93rd</p>
<p>Rushing: 10th</p>
<p>Passing: 105th</p>
<p>Standard Downs: 15th</p>
<p>Passing Downs: 110th</p>
<p><i>Defense</i></p>
<p>S&P+: 113th</p>
<p>Defense Success Rate: 94th</p>
<p>IsoPPP: 114th</p>
<p>Rushing: 116th</p>
<p>Passing: 98th</p>
<p>Standard Downs: 127th</p>
<p>Passing Downs: 6th</p>
<p>The stats tell the story for K-State this year. Jake Waters and crew are above average at just about everything, very good at staying on schedule, but are generating next-to-nothing in the way of big plays. And you can't say it's because they've played a ton of great teams, because Iowa State is 105<sup>th</sup> in defensive S&P+, while Auburn is 16<sup>th</sup>.</p>
<p>Simply put, this offense has no big-play ability without Tyler Lockett taking the top off defenses. Lockett disappeared for a long stretch of the Iowa State game, and Auburn's physical corners and lack of respect for K-State's rushing game limited his production last Thursday.</p>
<p>That should change this week. Texas-El Paso is pretty bad at everything on defense, including defending the forward pass. Furthermore, K-State should be able to run to set up the pass, because UTEP is woeful at keeping opposing teams off schedule (94<sup>th</sup> in defensive Success Rate), the second-worst team in the country on Standard Downs, and among the worst 15 teams in the country against the run. K-State's offense, one of the better units at staying on schedule this year, should find success against UTEP.</p>
<p>Texas-El Paso isn't an abomination on offense, and they're downright good at running the ball. But that matches up with K-State's strength, and if you can get the Miners off schedule, it's game over. They're one of the worst teams in the country on Passing Downs. While K-State isn't great on Passing Downs defensively, the Wildcats are above average.</p>
<p>Keep in mind also that UTEP scored only 26 points against Texas Tech (90<sup>th</sup> defensive S&P+, and probably dropping after Thursday's 45-35 loss to Oklahoma State). The Miners gained 384 total yards against Texas Tech, with 268 rushing yards on 5.1 per carry and 116 passing yards on 4.5 per attempt.</p>
<p><b>Conclusion</b></p>
<p>Assuming K-State's players aren't still suffering a hangover from last Thursday, this one shouldn't be close. Texas-El Paso can run the ball, but can't do much else well. If K-State puts the Miners away early with a focused, workmanlike effort, Wildcat fans will feel a lot better about the rest of the year. I think it happens.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>K-State 49, Texas-El Paso 17</b></p>
https://www.bringonthecats.com/2014/9/26/6848381/kicking-the-tires-texas-el-pasoTB