It was a bit of a feast or famine afternoon for K-State as they were able to close out Tulane and win 31 to 20.
Offensively, Avery put together a pretty incredible performance, rushing for 159 and throwing for 217. K-State was able to capture 76% of available yards on offense.
If there were some lingering questions at the conclusion of the game, it would likely be centered around the lack of explosive plays out of the running backs. Excluding the quarterback run game, K-State managed just 55 yards from the others. 10 out of 33 rushing attempts were stopped for 2 yards or less. That figure has to improve as we head into Big 12 play next week.
Secondly, the first- and second-down offense once again left people wanting more. K-State was 10/16 on third-down opportunities; out of those 16, 9 of those were 5 yards or more. Against an opponent like Tulane, you’re able to convert, which is good, but in Big 12 play, that will be something to watch.
The defense put together another excellent performance. While a few lingering questions remain, they appear primed to be one of the best in the Big 12.
The Middle Eight
K-State put together a solid middle-eight performance to help put this game out of reach.
Receiving the ball with 3:27 left in the second quarter, Avery broke one for 66 yards and set up 1st and goal. K-State would later convert to a touchdown to make the score 17 to 7.
Tulane turned around and had a nice little drive themselves to get into somewhat field-goal range, as their kicker, Cooper Helmke, booted a 58-yarder before half, making the score 17 to 10.
Receiving the second-half kickoff, K-State squeezed the life out of Tulane with a 14-play, 8-minute, and 15-second drive to go up 24 to 10 and put this game out of reach.
It was good to see some situational football work in.
By the Numbers
Rushing Yards: Tulane: 95 K-State: 201
3rd Down Conversions: Tulane: 46% (7/15) K-State: 62% (10/16)
Turnovers: Tulane: 0 K-State: 0
Penalties: Tulane: 5-20 K-State: 5-45
Final Drive
It was a win-your-clunker type of weekend in college football. There were several close calls or games that ended up a lot closer than anticipated, and a majority of teams were happy to get by.
K-State leaves the comfort of non-conference opponents and a home environment for a night game in Cincinnati to begin Big 12 play. Cincinnati came roaring back to defeat Miami (OH) on Saturday, and while they were a bit fortunate to win, there is something to be said about a team that doesn’t quit.
The schedule only gets more difficult from here. Next week will be a great measuring stick of where the mind of this team is at. I look forward to watching it unfold with you.