The Predator strikes again.
Well, that was unexpected. I should've had more faith in the Cats, and I have to admit that I was almost as shocked as the Mountaineers at how good K-State was in every facet of the game from beginning to end. This was a dominating performance, against a very good offense, in a match-up that, on paper, didn't seem to highlight our strengths. We came in with a swagger I've never seen before and left with limitless opportunities. The rest of this season just got terrifying.
Some Things I Liked:
Angelo Pease! Getting it done and serving as a viable back-up to Hubert. I'm not sure if Hubert missed a block or why he was pulled in favor of Pease in this game, but for the first time since inferior competition (Miami, KU) Pease blocked and ran and read things effectively. If he can improve his tackling, I think he'll be another great weapon in our running game.
Chris Harper. Chris catches with style, doesn't he? That TD catch to start the second half was epic and showed some of that fight that was missing in the early season games. I still think Klein forces it to him a little too often, and he is responsible for Klein's only two interceptions this year, but he's definitely improving. Now if we can just get him to show a little more humility in front of the media, we'll really be cooking.
Meshak Williams/Adam Davis. Our big Defensive Ends had a huge day and continue to improve in getting off their blocks and bursting into the backfield at the most opportune moments. They seem to get better as the game goes on, which is great for us in close games and blowouts. I was proud of their continued effort into the fourth quarter. These guys are hungry and I like it.
The only thing more beautiful than this catch was the final score.
Some things I loved:
Collin Klein's passing game. Yowza. I had no idea he could throw like that. And throw like that. And throw like that again. He and Lockett have incredible timing and his confidence should be way, way up after this game. If it were anyone other than Collin, I would worry, because West Virginia's pass defense is the worst I've ever seen in college football. It was a nice opportunity for him to be able to show that facet of his game without repercussion. Even with the new confidence, I expect to see more of the grind it out style next week against Tech.
Tyler Lockett. What a day! He's so good on the road, in the passing game, when we need a big play, or a little play, or a first down, or a throat punch. He's clutch, and if he can clean up his blocks a little bit (he's had two holding calls in two weeks) he'll be our most efficient offensive weapon. Can you believe this kid is only a sophomore? Coach got so lucky when he signed Kevin some 20 odd years ago.
Randall Evans. He is slowly but surely filling David Garrett's shoes and doing a terrific job in our nickel package. He's progressed so much since the non-conference games and has really caused some major chaos on defense. Like Ryan Mueller, if there's a big play breaking on defense, chances are that Randall had some hand in it. Keep it up, Randall. We see you.
Arthur Brown's interception. It was an interception off a tip ball, of course, because Arthur is nothing if not a team player. I love that he was able to break both RG3 and Geno's interception streak in back to back seasons. I loved his instincts against the run. I loved his unimpeded corner blitzes. I loved that every time I heard a helmet crack, it was Arthur leading the judgment. Big game Arthur never lets me down.
Ty Zimmerman's interception. Ty had a great game, just like I asked him to. Did you know that he now has interceptions in 4 straight games? That's a Bill Snyder record. Can he make it 5 this weekend? We'll need him to, and I'd like to see just how far this record can go. His 4th interception sure was a thing of beauty though, wasn't it?
I can't imagine K-State football without the Lockett family tree.
Some Things I Could Have Lived Without:
Tavon Austin's 100 yard kick return. I'm pretty sure he was untouched. Untouched for 100 yards, against the finest special teams unit in the land. What happened, Sean? It was an embarrassing moment in the middle of a perfect game and it sticks in my mind that much more because of it.
Collin's last offensive drive. The line had been doing so well all game long and then suddenly, up 52-14 in the fourth quarter, they just stopped playing. Hubert couldn't get past the line of scrimmage and Collin was sacked on third down in what looked like a vicious hit. There's no way he should've been in the game that late anyway, and I hope he didn't get hurt because of it.
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