What happened:
“He threw it half a hundred times, and for the most part he played well.”
-- Kansas State coach Bill Snyder, steering clear of hyperbole while evaluating Carson Coffman's performance.
- Carson Coffman threw seven touchdowns and the Purple team won, 79-0.
- Worth noting, the Purple team technically won 41-38 after its 38-0 halftime lead was reversed.
- 16,326 fans attended.
- My goodness, Carson Coffman. As you read last week, he was trying to solidify his spot as the starter after he lost both the fans' confidence and his own with a poor performance last season. After a spring capped by his seven-touchdown, 440-yard performance on 38 of 51 passing, consider the confidence restored. "I wanted to go out today and take hold of the quarterback spot," Coffman said after the game. “I think I did that.” No kidding. He threw two touchdowns, both in the opening game, all last season. On Saturday, he threw five in the first half.
- Collin Klein's absence only strengthened Coffman's statement. Coffman's main competition for the job, Klein sat with a minor injury. Undisclosed, of course. Unlike Bill Snyder's.
- Can't really overreact to Coffman's performance, which came against a second-team defense, but last season Coffman started against UMass and Louisiana-Lafayette, and didn't exactly light up the scoreboard. The defense also couldn't blitz, but a performance like that against anyone is a good sign. Consider Coffman officially the heavy favorite entering fall. “He commanded the respect of all of us as a leader,” senior center Wade Weibert said. “You could tell it in the huddle. He called plays so confidently that we just looked at each other and said, ‘All right, let’s go.’”
- Kansas State might have one of the most-improved units in the conference at wide receiver. Brandon Banks was a fantastic kick returner, but an underwhelming receiver in 2009 after notching 1,000 receiving yards in 2008. The inconsistent quarterback play didn't help, but there's only so much a 5-foot-7 guy can do when his quarterback can't get him the ball. Now, presumably Coffman has Aubrey Quarles returning from a redshirt year and two transfers in Brodrick Smith (6-foot-2) from Minnesota and Chris Harper (6-foot-3) from Oregon. Smith caught 12 passes for 167 yards, and Quarles caught nine passes for 105 yards and a score. One of Smith's touchdowns was on a fade route, which could be a nice option in the red zone for the Wildcats, one that Banks couldn't provide.
- Quietly solid day for Daniel Thomas against the second-teamers: 16 carries, 118 yards. Hard to earn much ink in a spring game when everyone knows what you can do and your quarterback does what Coffman did.
- 79-0? Not a good sign for the depth on either side for the Wildcats.
- Not much to say about the defense other than a shutout against anyone is a good sign. Safety Troy Butler had a game-high eight tackles and two interceptions.
“He threw it half a hundred times, and for the most part he played well.”
-- Kansas State coach Bill Snyder, steering clear of hyperbole while evaluating Carson Coffman's performance.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
David Ubben
Ubben joined ESPN.com in March 2010 after covering Big 12 football for two seasons at the Columbia Missourian and The Oklahoman. Ubben, a native of Springdale, Ark., lives in Dallas.
BIG 12 SCOREBOARD
Saturday, 12/17
Final Temple 37 Wyoming 15 Final Ohio 24 Utah State 23 Final San Diego State 30 Louisiana-Lafayette 32
Tuesday, 12/20
Wednesday, 12/21
Final 18 TCU 31 Louisiana Tech 24
Thursday, 12/22
Saturday, 12/24
Final Nevada 17 21 Southern Miss 24
Monday, 12/26
Tuesday, 12/27
Final Western Michigan 32 Purdue 37 Final Louisville 24 North Carolina State 31
Wednesday, 12/28
Final Toledo 42 Air Force 41 Final California 10 24 Texas 21
Thursday, 12/29
Final Florida State 18 Notre Dame 14 Final Washington 56 12 Baylor 67
Friday, 12/30
Final Brigham Young 24 Tulsa 21 Final Rutgers 27 Iowa State 13 Final Mississippi State 23 Wake Forest 17 Final Iowa 14 14 Oklahoma 31
Saturday, 12/31
Final Texas A&M 33 Northwestern 22 Final/OT Georgia Tech 27 Utah 30 Final Illinois 20 UCLA 14 Final Cincinnati 31 Vanderbilt 24 Final Virginia 24 25 Auburn 43
Monday, 1/2
Final 19 Houston 30 22 Penn State 14 Final Ohio State 17 Florida 24 Final/3OT 17 Michigan State 33 16 Georgia 30 Final 20 Nebraska 13 9 South Carolina 30 Final 10 Wisconsin 38 5 Oregon 45 Final/OT 4 Stanford 38 3 Oklahoma State 41
Tuesday, 1/3
Final/OT 13 Michigan 23 11 Virginia Tech 20
Wednesday, 1/4
Final 23 West Virginia 70 15 Clemson 33
Friday, 1/6
Final 8 Kansas State 16 6 Arkansas 29
Saturday, 1/7
Sunday, 1/8
Monday, 1/9
BIG 12 TEAM COVERAGE
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