Sunday, September 30, 2007

Who has Dominated UT more... OU or KSU

Only two teams in the Big 12 have winning records against the Longhorns since the Mack Brown joined the Horns. Let's take a look at who has been the most dominant over the Horns in these series.

Overall Record:
KSU vs. UT - 4-2 66.67%
OU vs. UT - 5-4 55.55%

With a win this weekend, OU's win percentage would rise to 60% against UT, but still below KSU's winning percentage over UT. Edge goes to KSU

Avg Score:
UT vs. KSU UT 21.3 - KSU 33.8
UT vs. OU UT 22.1 - OU 26.9

KSU has held the Horns to fewer points and averaged over 6 points more per contest. Edge goes to KSU

Average Margain of Victory:
KSU - 20.5
OU - 27

OU has several very lopsided wins against the Longhorns. Advantage OU

Average Margain in Losses:
KSU - 3.5
OU - 23

KSU has only lost to UT twice by a total of 7 points. Advantage KSU

So there you have it... the team that has dominated the Longhorns the most since Mack Brown took over is the Kansas State Wildcats.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Monday, September 24, 2007

Kansas State vs. UT: Previous Opponents

Kansas States Opponents:
at Auburn: # 17
San jose State: # 89
Missouri State: NR

Texas Opponents:
Arkansas State: # 84
TCU: # 13
at Central Florida: # 60
Rice: # 107

Tale of the Tape: KSU at UT

Rushing Offense: Advantage Texas
Texas: # 36, 187.25 per game
Kansas State: #75, 133.67 per game

Passing Offense: Advantage Kansas State
Texas: # 33, 263.5 per game
Kansas State: # 21, 295.33 per game

Total Offense: Advantage Texas
Texas: # 27, 450.75 per game
Kansas State: # 44, 429 per game


Total Offense Scoring: Slight Advantage Texas
Texas: # 23, 37 points per game
Kansas State: #27, 36 points per game

Rushing Defense: Advantage Kansas State
Texas: # 21, 87.25 yards allowed per game
Kansas State: # 9, 68 yards per game allowed

Pass Defense: Advantage Kansas State
Texas: # 59, 223.25 yards per game
Kansas State: # 37, 190.33 yards per game

Pass Efficiency Defense: Advantage Texas
Texas: # 33, 109.09
Kansas State: # 48, 117.9

Total Defense: Advantage Kansas State
Texas: # 31, 310.5 yards per game allowed
Kansas State: # 13, 258.33 yards per game allowed

Scoring Defense: Advantage Kansas State
Texas: # 24, 18 points allowed per game
Kansas State: # 16, 15.67 points allowed per game

Net Punting: Advantage Kansas State
Texas: # 97, 32.2 per punt
Kansas State: # 43, 36.07 per punt

Punt Returns: Advantage Kansas State
Texas: # 28, 13.57 yards per return
Kansas State: # 3, 23.58 yards per return

Kickoff Returns: Advantage Texas
Texas: # 46, 22.82 yards per return
Kansas State: # 77, 20.67 yards per return

Turnover Margin: Advantage Texas
Texas: # 41, 0.5 turnovers per game
Kansas State: # 97, turnovers per game -1

Sacks: Advantage Kansas State
Texas: # 14, 3.25 sacks per game
Kansas State: # 4, 4.33 sacks per game

Tackles for Loss: Advantage Kansas State
Texas: # 10, 8.5 per game
Kansas State: # 7, 9.67 per game

Sacks Allowed: Advantage Kansas State
Texas: # T-16, 1 sacks allowed per game
Kansas State: # 8, 0.67 sacks allowed per game

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

KSU Depth Chart - Week One

Two positions that were under scrutiny at Kansas State have been resolved -- at least for the moment.

Brock Unruh will play left guard and Brooks Rossman will handle placekicking duties, according to the first Wildcats’ football depth chart that was released Monday morning by the sports information office.

Coach Ron Prince, whose team opens at 6:45 p.m. Saturday at No. 18 Auburn on ESPN, was unsure last time he met with the media Aug. 18 about those two spots in particular, and wasn’t happy at all that they had not been cemented. They now have been addressed.

Junior college transfer Deon Murphy has won a spot at wide receiver and will be in on kickoff and punt returns.

Here’s a look at the other first team spots:

OFFENSE
LT: Alesana Alesana
LG Brock Unruh
C Jordan Bedore
RG Gerard Spexarth
RT Nick Stringer
TE Jeron Mastrud
WR Jordy Nelson
WR Daniel Gonzalez
WR Deon Murphy
QB Josh Freeman
RB James Johnson

DEFENSE
LE Michael Abana
NT Steven Cline
RE Rob Jackson
SLB Ian Campbell
MLB Justin Roland
MLB Reggie Walker
WLB Eric Childs
CB Justin McKinney
CB Ray Cheatham
FS Marcus Watts
SS Gary Chandler

Specialists
PK Brooks Rossman
P Tim Reyer
KR Deon Murphy, Justin McKinney, Leon Patton
PR: Deon Murphy, Jordy Nelson

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Campbell Named to Hendricks Watch List

For the second straight season, Kansas State’s Ian Campbell is listed among the top defensive ends in the nation as the junior is among 27 players named to the 2007 Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award Watch List, the Ted Hendricks Foundation announced Monday.

Campbell, a 2006 semi-finalist for the award and one of just three Big 12 ends on the list, is coming off an incredible sophomore campaign and is one of just four returning players nationally to record at least 11.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for losses in 2006.

Last season, Campbell was among the nation’s top pass rushers and earned All-Big 12 and All-American honors after totaling 67 tackles, 17.5 for losses, with 11.5 sacks. His 11.5 sacks tied the Kansas State single-season record and ranked second in the Big 12 Conference and 10th nationally. Campbell collected at least one sack in nine of 13 total games last season.

The 2006 Houston Chronicle Defensive Player of the Year, Campbell was the league’s leading tackler among defensive linemen, led the Big 12 in tackles for losses and ranked third in the league in fumble recoveries during league play with three.

The Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award is named in honor of college football’s first three-time first team All American. It is in the spirit of Ted Hendricks’ aggressive style of play, winning attitude and determination that the Defensive End of the Year Award for college football’s premier defensive end is presented. On field performance, exceptional winning attitude, leadership abilities and contributions to school and community and academic preparedness are some of the criteria used to determine the award’s winner.
The honor marks the third time this month that Campbell has been named to a preseason watch list. He is also a candidate for the Bednarik and Bronko Nagurski Awards.
Campbell and Kansas State open the 2007 season with a nationally-televised game at Auburn on Sept. 1. Kickoff is set for 6:45 p.m. CDT at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Wildcats to Practice in Kansas City

The Kansas State football program and head coach Ron Prince announced Friday that the Wildcats will hold an open practice in the Kansas City metropolitan area on Saturday, August 11, at the College Boulevard Activity Center (CBAC) in Olathe, Kan.
The practice was approved by the Olathe Board of Education on Wednesday night and will include a two-hour workout followed by a 60-minute autograph session for the fans.
“We are always looking for creative ways to reach out and connect with our fans and supporters,” said Prince. “The open practice in Olathe is a terrific way for our fans in the eastern part of the state and in the Kansas City metropolitan area to come out and support the Wildcats. The cooperation we have received from the people of Olathe has been fantastic and we are grateful that the Board of Education has voted to approve this proposal. We could not be more excited that the idea to bring a K-State practice to Kansas City has become a reality.”
The practice will be held in the football stadium at CBAC (11031 S. Valley Road, Olathe, KS 66061) and is scheduled to get underway at 2 p.m. The fan appreciation autograph session will follow from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. There is no charge to attend the workout and parking is free.
“We’re very pleased to be taking what we believe is one of the first of many steps in further cultivating our District’s relationship with Kansas State University as we look forward with anticipation to the opening of their satellite campus and the biosciences park in the future,” said Olathe Board of Education president Kevin Gilmore. “This is also a cooperative effort with the City of Olathe and we believe this event will be a wonderful opportunity to showcase what makes our community such a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family.”
The idea for K-State to hold an open practice at CBAC grew out of the University’s partnership with the City of Olathe to build a bioscience research center just west of the sports complex. Kansas State University president Dr. Jon Wefald said he was thrilled with the continuing evolution of the partnership between K-State and the City of Olathe.
“We are excited about our relationship with the City of Olathe and are looking forward to a long-term partnership with the establishment of the K-State Olathe Innovative Campus,” Wefald said. “Having this open practice and fan appreciation day is another great step toward strengthening the link between K-State and the City of Olathe.”
Olathe mayor Michael Copeland echoed Wefald’s sentiments regarding the Wildcats’ practice at CBAC as well as the connection that has developed between the city and K-State.
“When we were in discussions with Kansas State, we both recognized the learning potential for our students and we included a partnership with the Olathe District Schools in our agreement,” Copeland said. “With thousands of visitors coming to our community for the event, this is a wonderful first step in that new partnership.”
Kansas State’s practice in Olathe is one of two open workouts the Wildcats will host during their fall 2007 training camp. K-State’s practice in Manhattan on Saturday, August 18, at Bill Snyder Family Stadium will also be open to the public and is scheduled to run from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Monday, May 21, 2007

Big 12, college football could seek extra year of eligibility

Big 12 Conference officials will consider a significant player-eligibility change in college football when they convene this week for their annual spring meetings in Colorado Springs, Colo.

A top Nebraska official is helping push for the major change.

Husker athletic director Steve Pederson is chairman of the NCAA football issues committee, which is advocating a proposal that would give athletes five seasons of playing eligibility. As it stands, players are allowed to play four seasons in a five-year window.

“We’ve asked that it be put on the agenda of every conference in the country at their spring meetings so it can be discussed,” Pederson said of the proposal. “As a committee, we believe it has validity. And now we want to find out if other people believe like we do.”

The Big 12 meetings begin today and last through Friday. Among other agenda items for discussion will be an examination of future football and basketball championship sites. Omaha is among five cities that have forwarded formal bids to play host to future Big 12 men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.

Big 12 Commissioner Kevin Weiberg said the conference’s goal is to select future championship sites by the end of summer.

As for the player-eligibility proposal, Pederson said he hasn’t heard any convincing arguments against allowing players to play for five years.

“Some people might wonder about the costs,” he said. “Well, you have 85 players on scholarship, so the cost isn’t going to be any more if you have 85 scholarships spread over five years. The reality is a high percentage of players are here (at Nebraska) for five years anyway. That’s the situation at most schools.

“So why not let the players play the whole time?”

Current NCAA football eligibility rules state that if a player plays up to 30 percent of the games in a particular season, he exhausts that year of eligibility — pending an appeal to the conference and NCAA in certain cases (such as injury).

“What we end up with is a bunch of paperwork and coaches calculating whether or not a freshman should get in a game or not get in a game,” Pederson said. “If you have this (five-year eligibility), you would simply say, ‘When you start college, you have five years to play,’ and we wouldn’t worry about all this other stuff.

“If you would happen to get hurt and not be able to play two of those years, that’s the way it goes.”

The NCAA football issues committee eventually will review feedback from conferences and decide if there’s enough support to proceed with legislation.

Meanwhile, Pederson obviously would like to see Omaha land the Big 12 basketball tournaments. That would be great for the state and for the Husker program, he said.

The other four cities that have bid to play host to future basketball tournaments starting in 2008-09 are Dallas, Kansas City, Mo., Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Okla.

Cities that have bid for the football championship are Arlington, Texas, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio.

Future championship sites have been set only for the coming 2007-08 season — football in San Antonio and basketball in Kansas City.

There has been discussion of anchoring championship games at sites for extended periods, a scenario to which Pederson is opposed.

“By rotating them, we’ve given a lot of people a chance to see a lot of different events,” he said. “There would have to be some compelling reason to go away from that.”

Perhaps most important, he said, is having conference championships in venues that are full and in cities that show excitement for the event.

“We tried that in St. Louis, and it didn’t do very well other than Nebraska fans,” Pederson said.

K-State Baseball Opens Big 12 Tourney against #1 Seed Texas

Kansas State Baseball will open the Big 12 Tournament against #1 seed Texas Wednesday at 1:00pm. They will follow up that game with a 7:30pm game against #4 Nebraska and play again on Saturday against #5 seed Texas A&M on Saturday.

The complete bracket can be found here.

Great Video on K-State Football

Great video on K-State Football

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Rivals Early 2007 Football Predictions

NORTH
1. Nebraska (9-5, 6-2):
The Cornhuskers must overhaul their defensive front four, but they got a big break with quarterback Sam Keller transferring in from Arizona State. That should make the loss of All-Big 12 quarterback Zac Taylor relatively painless.
2. Missouri (8-5, 4-4): Chase Daniel emerged as one of the conference's best quarterbacks last season, and he has a cadre of capable receivers at his disposal - led by tight end Martin Rucker. The defense needs some repair, though.
3. Kansas State (7-6, 4-4): The Wildcats showed promise with a freshman-infested starting lineup last year. Those guys figure to be better in their second seasons. Also, Ian Campbell gives the Wildcats the conference's best pass rusher.
4. Kansas (6-6, 3-5): Losing Big 12 leading rusher Jon Cornish will hurt, but the Jayhawks have a couple of good, young quarterbacks. If they can avoid fourth quarter collapses they could be a factor in the North race.
5. Iowa State (4-8, 1-7): Talented players like quarterback Bret Meyer, receiver Todd Blythe, linebacker Alvin Bowen and incoming four-star junior college transfer Jamicah Bass give the Cyclones reason for optimism. Last year's disaster is hard to forget, though.
6. Colorado (2-10, 2-6): Ohio State's Jim Tressel, Oklahoma's Bob Stoops and Florida's Urban Meyer won national championships in their second seasons on the job. Colorado's Dan Hawkins would settle for a bowl game.

SOUTH
1. Texas (10-3, 6-2): When healthy, Colt McCoy was the Big 12's best quarterback a year ago. He has a good running back and upper-level receivers for support, but the middle of the offensive line is gone. The pass defense needs a serious upgrade, too.
2. Oklahoma (11-3, 7-1): The Sooners defense will be superb as usual. The loss of tailback Adrian Peterson is obviously significant, but the big question mark is at quarterback where a freshman - Sam Bradford or Keith Nichol - may emerge as the starter. Although that could be cause for concern, uncertainty at that position never seems to be a liability for Bob Stoops' team. 3. Texas A&M (9-4, 5-3): With several returning starters and a strong finish to the regular season last year, some might have thought A&M would be one of the favorites in the conference. However, that was before the Holiday Bowl disaster - which makes us unsure of what to expect from the Aggies in 2007.
4. Oklahoma State (7-6, 3-5): The Cowboys made tremendous progress in their second season under coach Mike Gundy, and they should continue to improve if quarterback Bobby Reid can avoid injuries.
5. Texas Tech (8-5, 4-4): Productive quarterback Graham Harrell and running back Shannon Woods are returning. However, the Raiders must replace three receivers and four offensive linemen. Expect the defense to have issues - as usual.
6. Baylor (4-8, 3-5): The postseason drought has stretched to 12 seasons and looks like it's getting longer. The Bears must rebuild their secondary, find a new quarterback and establish some kind of running game.

Bob Huggins Becomes Second Coach to Win 20 Games in his First Season

David Hoskins scored 21 and Bob Huggins became the second coach at Kansas State to win 20 games in his first season in the Wildcats' 87-71 win over the Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday.

Cartier Martin came off the bench to score 19, Clent Stewart added 16 and Blake Young had 13.
Huggins joins Lon Kruger as the only coaches for the Wildcats to record 20 wins in their inaugural seasons. Kruger went 20-11 in 1986-87.

It's also the first time the Wildcats (20-9, 9-5 Big 12) have won 20 games in the regular season since 1987-88. They won 20 in 1998-99 but didn't record No. 20 until the Big 12 Tournament.

The Wildcats have two games left in the regular season, at Oklahoma State and home for Oklahoma. The Cats should finish forth in the Big 12 and should recieve a 1st round bye for the Big 12 Tournament.

Foundation Snyder Built Beginning to Crumble

Mark Janssen Senior Sports Writer - The Manhattan Mercury
2/16/2007 12:16:27 PM


Bill Snyder spent 17 years constructing a football mansion based on loyalty and commitment to a singular purpose.

In less than 15 months, that granite foundation is crumbling into fine sand. By ones and twos, members of Ron Prince's first football staff, and support program, are making a mass exodus.

* Raheem Morris, defensive coordinator, is returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

* Running backs coach Tim Horton left to be offensive coordinator at the Air Force Academy.

* Pat Washington, wide receivers coach, is making a move to Mississippi State.

* Tight ends coach James Jones' contract was "not renewed."

* Strength and conditioning coach Rod Cole left K-State after 14 years of service to take a similar position at Texas A&M.

* Equipment manager Jim "Shorty" Kleinau, while not officially announced, has not been invited back after 28 years of service to the program dating back through coaches Jim Dickey, Stan Parrish and Snyder.

* Abby Boustead, director of football administration, left after one year to work on a graduate-degree at Florida.

* Graduate assistant Scott Frost has accepted a coaching position at Northern Iowa.

* And Wesley McGriff said "so long" to the Wildcat program for Miami of Florida — just a month after being hired.
There may be others.

Athletics is known for being a profession of change, but this degree after one year is reason to wonder what the heck is going on. To a large degree, Kansas State is starting over ... again.

Some movement could be spun as career advancement; others lateral, at best.
The coaches were just individuals coming through Kansas State University. Their position on the Wildcat staff was just a job — for the time being.

But with Kleinau, Kansas State loses an absolute rock in its foundation. No individual cared more, and put more into the Wildcats winning football games, than "Shorty."

Kleinau did jobs no one else wanted with pride and excellence. Washing socks to jocks, to maintaining a store of football gear wasn't a job. It was "Shorty's" profession at "his" school.

Kleinau has elected not to talk of his dismissal, but others within the program said there wasn't a "mesh" with the new leadership. One said "Shorty" wasn't "hi-tech enough."

Kleinau was the perfect "mesh" for K-State for 28 years. Significant wins meant enough to him that he would scoop up a handful of dirt, blades of grass from the sideline, and place them in a baggy as a personal souvenir.

Kleinau didn't watch hours of tape like position coaches, but in his way he made sure the Wildcats were equipped for victory.

Prince should be commended for putting seven victories on the scoreboard in 2006 and returning the Wildcats to the bowl scene.

But one wonders how the upset win over Texas distorted the true performance of the year, just as how the last two blow out losses to Kansas and Rutgers mangled what truly was accomplished.

In this space two days before the official announcement of Prince's hiring, the question was raised whether he would have enough connections to form a quality staff at the Big 12 level.

Most were young, most were without big-time collegiate experience, at least one was without a job ... and now they're gone. We don't know, but perhaps gone without a hint of a thank you to Kansas State, which gave each of them a mega opportunity.

In a teleconference after the first set of leavings and hirings, Prince said he was excited to bring "... star power to our roster of coaches."

This is nothing against the latest cast of replacements, but the second try of "star power" coaches has backgrounds from such locales as Richmond, Connecticut, Western Connecticut, Cornell, Central Connecticut State, Holy Cross, Pittsburgh, Kentucky, Temple, Salisbury State, Kentucky State, Eastern Kentucky, Appalachian State, and Maynard Evans High School (Orlando, Fla.).

It's the hope here that their collective talents will be of Big 12 standards, and their loyalty will be to their school and not just a job — for now.

Loyalty?

Look under Kleinau — "Shorty" Kleinau — in the Wildcat dictionary.

Thursday, February 08, 2007

K-State's 2007 recruiting class

,Corey Adams
OL
6-4
235
Monument, Colo.

Alesana Alesana
OL
6-6
318
San Francisco City College

Clyde Aufner
OL
6-7
260
Raymore-Peculiar

Demetrius Bell
RB
5-8
158
Olathe East

LaMark Brown
ATH
6-3
215
Hazelwood West

Gary Chandler
DB
5-11
186
Coffeyville CC

Josh Cherry
K
6-1
170
McCook, Neb.

Jayson Cuba
ATH
6-2
216
Newton, Kan.

Kaleb Drinkgern
OL
6-7
260
Marysville, Kan.

Colton Freeze
OL
6-6
270
Liberty

Raphael Guidry
DE
6-4
245
LaMarque, Texas

Brian Harris
LB
6-4
220
East St. Louis, Ill.

Danny Hogan
WR
6-2
190
Dallas

Tysyn Hartman
ATH
6-3
191
Wichita Kapaun-Mt. Carmel

Payton Kirk
DE
6-5
250
Liberty

Ben Liu
OL
6-6
325
Sacramento City CC

Jeremy Mack
TE
6-4
210
Blue Springs South

Kendrick Matthews
DB
5-11
180
Fresno, Texas

Deon Murphy
ATH
5-10
165
Coffeyville, Kan.

Chris Patterson
LB
6-3
220
Joliet, Ill., CC

Ernie Pierce
WR
6-4
215
Santa Barbara City College

Dante Pinchback
TE
6-5
255
Irving, Texas

Jeremy Reed
RB
5-11
205
Great Bend, Kan.

Jake Roepke
OL
6-7
298
Hoyt, Kan.

Kevin Rohleder
LB
6-1
205
Wichita Carroll

Eldridge Sims
OL
6-6
288
Compton College

Xzavier Stewart
DT
6-1
260
Chicago

Adonis Thomas
RB
5-10
175
Newark, N.J.

Dahrnaz Tigner
DB
6-3
210
Pompano Beach, Fla.

Brandon Walls
LB
6-0
205
Irving, Texas

Justin Woods
DB
5-10
180
Mill Valley