Kansas State 2010 Preview

2009 Record: 6-6 (4-4 in Big 12)

Returning Starters: 11 (5 on offense; 6 on defense)

2009 Bowl Game: None

Yellow = Predicted Win

Red = Predicted Loss

Predicted Finish: 6-6 (3-5 in the Big 12)

2 Key Players Returning on Offense:

• Daniel Thomas – RB; Led the Big 12 in ’09 with 1265 yards and 11 TD’s. Also was named Offensive Newcomer of the Year.
• Wade Weibert – C; Started the final 11 games at center helping Daniel Thomas led the Big 12 in rushing.

2 Key Players Returning on Defense:

• Emmanuel Lamur – S; Led Kansas State in tackles in ’09 with 68 tackles.
• Brandon Harold – DE; Harold was a Freshman All-American in 2008. Missed all but one game last season.

Key Losses from 2009

• Brandon Banks – WR; Banks caught 56 passes last season but his loss will be felt even more on special teams as he returned four kick-offs for TD’s.
• Grant Gregory – QB; Not spectacular, but a steady hand under center.
• Joshua Moore – CB; K-State’s best corner decided to leave early for the NFL draft.

Quick Thoughts

After the Ron Prince era came to a screeching halt, most figured it would take Bill Snyder several seasons to get the ship headed back in the right direction. Most publications had Kansas State finishing last in the Big 12 North in Snyder’s return to the sideline. All Snyder did was take the Wildcats into the final game of the season with a chance to capture the North division title and put K-State back into the Big 12 Championship. Kansas State fell short against Nebraska, but the fact they were even in the position was a remarkable turnaround, even if their 6-6 overall record failed to qualify them for a bowl game. The fact is, Snyder was once again working is magic in Manhattan.

Things won’t get easier in Snyder’s second season. K-State enters fall camp unsure who will be taking the snaps under center. “We’ll go into the fall with three young guys competing for the number one position. I can’t tell you that I have an answer in regards to who that individual might be,” Snyder said at Big 12 Media Days.

Despite the uncertainty at QB, the Cats will feature arguably the best running back in the conference, senior Daniel Thomas. Thomas will also have the luxury of running behind an experienced offensive line that returns four starters.

The schedule doesn’t shape up to badly for Kansas State. One key to keep an eye on is how they play away from home. Kansas, Baylor, and Colorado are all away from Manhattan. If they can win two out of those three games, the season has a chance to be a good one for KSU. Another critical game is the season opener against UCLA. Win that one and you’re off to the races with a confident squad.

Keys to Success in 2010

On Offense:

Get solid, steady play from the quarterback. Everyone knows KSU is going to pound the rock over and over with Thomas, who should have a monster year. But if they can’t find someone to make a few plays in the passing game, it’s going to get tough as the season wears on to sustain many drives. Thomas is one bad dude, but even he will wear down if he doesn’t get some help from other areas.

Another area of uncertainty, at least from the outside looking in, is the Kansas State receiving corps. There is talent there, but how it all blends together remains to be seen. Outside of Thomas catching the ball out of the backfield, they basically return no catches from last season. Chris Harper and Brodrick Smith are both talented transfers, and Aubrey Quarles returns after missing last season due to injury.

On the O-line, KSU looks to have a solid unit. Eight of the top ten return from last season. They lost Nick Stringer to graduation, but there will be plenty of talent there to replace him. Kansas State will likely see eight in the box a lot early in the year, so having a solid line opening the holes is a big plus for the Wildcats.

On Defense:

Develop some talent at linebacker, and quickly. K-State returns only one LB with any significant playing experience and that is Alex Hrebec, who totaled 32 tackles last season. With the return of defensive end Brandon Harold from injury and sacks leader Jeffrey Fitzgerald at tackle, the Cats should be solid on the line, but without some support from the LB crew, stopping some of the offenses in the Big 12 will be a chore.

Another thing to keep an eye on is how defensive coordinator, Chris Cosh, handles the coordinator position in his first year going solo making the defensive calls. Last years co-defensive coordinator, Vic Koening, bolted for Illinois. Cosh has previous coordinator experience at Maryland, Michigan State, and South Carolina so it should be a smooth transition. The Cat defense made huge improvements last year, and continuing that success is critical as KSU most likely won’t be putting up huge scoring numbers on the offensive side.

The Wrap

All the pieces aren’t in place yet talent wise for K-State to start dreaming about Big 12 Championships. But if anyone can mix and match the parts for another successful run in 2010, it’s Bill Snyder.

Kansas State led the conference in time of possession last season. That stat, combined with turning the ball over less than any team in the league, was the recipe for success that KSU will likely follow once again. Kansas State won’t be the most exciting team to watch this season, but exciting doesn’t win football games. Fundamentally sound football wins games, and no one is better at teaching that than Mr. Snyder.

In Snyder’s second season, the players now know what is expected of them and it will show on the field. You wouldn’t be hard pressed to look at the schedule and pick out seven or eight wins, but with the uncertainty at QB, and some inexperience on defense, something at or close to .500 is more likely. The Wildcats should be one of three teams in the north, however, to claim a bowl bid; another step in the right direction for the program and its Hall of Fame coach.

(Slideshow photo: Matt Stamey/US Presswire)