Big 12: Aubrey Quarles
2010 overall record: 7-6
2010 conference record: 3-5
Returning starters: Offense (5), Defense (6) P/K (1)
Top returners: QB Collin Klein, CB David Garrett, S Tysyn Hartman, LB Alex Hrebec, S Ty Zimmerman, WR Brodrick Smith
Key losses: RB Daniel Thomas, WR Aubrey Quarles, OL Zach Kendall, DL Prizell Brown, QB Carson Coffman, RB/KR William Powell
2010 statistical leaders (*returners)
Rushing: Daniel Thomas (1,585 yards)
Passing: Carson Coffman (2,060 yards)
Receiving: Aubrey Quarles (765 yards)
Tackles: David Garrett* (92)
Sacks: Prizell Brown (5)
Interceptions: Ty Zimmerman* (3)
Three spring answers
1. Quarterback spot looks clear. It’s not over, but it’s obvious Klein will enter fall camp with a lead in the quarterback spot, ahead of Sammuel Lamur and Boston College transfer Justin Tuggle. He’s only thrown 18 career passes, but will the experience he gained on the field in 2010 should help entrench him as the starter next year.
2. Defensive playmaker emerges. Linebacker Arthur Brown returned home from Miami and sat out last year, per NCAA rules, but made an impact as a scout team defender. This spring, he moved up and will likely start next year. He made a game-high 14 tackles in the spring game and has speed unlike any other Wildcats linebacker.
3. Snyder works his juco mojo again. Juco cornerback Nigel Malone showed up to campus this spring from a junior college in California, and after just 15 practices he may be a starter across from one of the team’s stars, Garrett. Bill Snyder is known for his juco talent-mining skills, and with Malone it looks like he’s struck again.
Three fall questions
1. Who’s the running back? Daniel Thomas was a do-everything back for two years, but we may see a share of carries this year. Bryce Brown hasn’t had quite the impact his brother, Arthur, has, but he’s competing with John Hubert for a starting spot.
2. Where’s the D? Kansas State has found a few new pieces in Malone and Arthur Brown, but embattled defensive coordinator Chris Cosh is still there. The Wildcats defense struggled last year, ranking 11th in total defense. How much better can it be in 2011?
3. What’s in store from Klein? Even if Klein wins the job, he won’t be facing Kansas State’s secondary every week. Is he developed enough as a passer to give Kansas State a viable passing threat? That’s something the Wildcats didn't have with Carson Coffman or Grant Gregory, but can Klein buck the trend?
More clarity at QB for Kansas State?
The story got swallowed up by Signing Day, but the impending quarterback battle at Kansas State may take place without one of the frontrunners in spring practice.
Carson Coffman beat out Collin Klein and Sammuel Lamur last fall to win the job, but late in the season Klein earned substantial playing time, primarily as a running option in the Wildcat package with running back Daniel Thomas.
But incoming quarterback signee Daniel Sams told the Manhattan Mercury that Klein, a rising junior, has been moved back to receiver full-time.
That leaves Sams to compete with juco signee Justin Tuggle and Lamur for the job in 2011.
Klein struggled to throw the ball accurately for most of the season, and if coach Bill Snyder believes Tuggle, Lamur and Sams can equal Klein's athleticism, but surpass his passing prowess, the move makes sense.
"I know coach Snyder values a dual-threat quarterback," Sams said. "I can hurt you with my feet and I can sit back in the pocket and throw the ball. The offense really fits me perfectly."
All three follow in the mold of some of Kansas State's most successful passers under Snyder, Ell Roberson and Michael Bishop.
Kansas State's already underwhelming receiving corps loses two of its top three receivers, Aubrey Quarles and Adrian Hilburn. Klein had just six catches as a freshman in 2009, but if he can move back and offer some help to the Wildcats receivers, the move could pay off this fall for a player trying to find his way as a major college quarterback for the first time.
In the Big 12, there's no underestimating the importance of great quarterback play. Based on Sams' comments, the Wildcats won't be relying on Klein to provide it.
We made a team full of freshmen, so why skimp on the old guys? Well, we won't.
My All-Big 12 team featured 16 seniors, and they're all on the team below, but plenty of other guys put together distinguished careers and 2010 seasons that deserve recognition.
Their careers may be over, but you can bet all these players will live on in school lore for quite some time. Here goes:
OFFENSE
QB: Taylor Potts, Texas Tech
RB: Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State
RB: Daniel Thomas, Kansas State
WR: Lyle Leong, Texas Tech
WR: Detron Lewis, Texas Tech
WR: Aubrey Quarles, Kansas State
C: Tim Barnes, Missouri
T: Nate Solder, Colorado
T: Danny Watkins, Baylor
G: Keith Williams, Nebraska
G: Ricky Henry, Nebraska
DEFENSE
DL: Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma
DL: Lucas Patterson, Texas A&M
DL: Sam Acho, Texas
DL/LB: Brian Duncan, Texas Tech
LB: Von Miller, Texas A&M
LB: Orie Lemon, Oklahoma State
LB: Michael Hodges, Texas A&M
CB: Andrew McGee, Oklahoma State
CB: Prince Amukamara, Nebraska
S: Quinton Carter, Oklahoma
S: Byron Landor, Baylor
SPECIALISTS
K: Alex Henery, Nebraska
P: Derek Epperson, Baylor
Returns: Niles Paul, Nebraska
Selections by school: Nebraska (5), Texas Tech (4), Oklahoma State (3), Texas A&M (3) Baylor (3), Kansas State (2), Oklahoma (2), Texas (1), Missouri (1), Colorado (1)
A few thoughts:
- It was kind of slim pickings at receiver, but only because the Big 12's top five and 11 of its top 15 receivers will be coming back in 2011. Colorado's Scotty McKnight only narrowly missed the team. I'd say he's probably a more talented receiver than Quarles, but Quarles' production was there in 2010. McKnight's, after adding freshman Paul Richardson to the mix, took a bit of a dive in his senior year.
- That's a heck of a defense. All 11 guys weren't very far off from making the regular All-Big 12 team. The same is true of the offensive line.
- Potts' year was a lot better than a few Texas Tech folks would have you believe, but he didn't have a lot of competition to make the cut on this squad. His own teammate, Steven Sheffield, was probably the only guy who could keep him from this squad. The only other Big 12 starters this year were Iowa State's Austen Arnaud, Kansas State's Carson Coffman and Colorado's Cody Hawkins.
- It's a solid group at running back, too. Thomas and Hunter were the same two guys on my All-Big 12 team, getting the nod just over Oklahoma's DeMarco Murray, Nebraska's Roy Helu Jr. and Baylor's Jay Finley. Definitely a great year for Big 12 running backs, especially the seniors.
Rising: Kickoff returns
Big 12 players returned three kicks for touchdowns on Saturday. Kansas State's William Powell and Nebraska's Niles Paul both housed kickoffs from 100 yards out, and Missouri's Gahn McGaffie returned the opening kick against Oklahoma 86 yards for a touchdown.
In the previous seven weeks this season, Big 12 players had returned just three total kicks for touchdowns, and two (Iowa State's Jeremy Reeves vs. Texas Tech and Baylor's Terrance Ganaway vs. Texas Tech) came on onside kicks. Kansas' D.J. Beshears had the other, a 96-yarder against New Mexico State.
Falling: Defenses against Baylor
The Bears lead the Big 12 in plays of longer than 10 yards (142), 20 yards (53), 30 yards (27) and 40 yards (16).
Only Nebraska has more plays of longer than 50, 60 and 70 yards. Both the Bears and Nebraska have two plays longer than 80 yards, as does Oklahoma State. Baylor's 94-yard touchdown pass from Robert Griffin III to Josh Gordon is the only play from scrimmage this season longer than 90 yards.
Rising: Missouri's red zone defense
Oklahoma reached the red zone six times against Missouri on Saturday, and scored just three times after a missed 31-yard field goal attempt and a pair of turnovers. While the frequency of visits deep inside Missouri territory was out of character for the Tigers, the result wasn't. Missouri opponents have reached the red zone 21 times this season, scoring on just 11 occasions. That's a national-best average of 52 percent, just above Oklahoma's 50 percent success on Saturday.
Most impressive is the next best team in the Big 12, Texas A&M, is allowing points on 72 percent (16-of-22) of opponent visits to the red zone, a full 20 percentage points more.
Nos. 2 and 3 in the statistic nationally? Boise State and Oregon, who are five and 11 percentage points behind the Tigers, respectively. That's some pretty good company.
Oklahoma, meanwhile, has let opponents in the red zone 19 times, allowing points on 18 occasions for a league-worst 94.7 percent rate. That's 115th nationally, better than just Army, Boston College, Louisiana-Lafayette, Kentucky and Penn State. That's some pretty bad company.
Missouri's opponent this week, Nebraska, is 18-of-21 in red zone defense conversions.
Falling: Iowa State's red zone defense
In a league of their own in the same stat: Iowa State. The Cyclones have allowed opponents in the red zone 44 times this year, giving up 34 total scores and 24 touchdowns. Iowa State has played eight games, but no other team in college football has allowed an opponent in the red zone more than 41 times this year, ranking the Cyclones last of 120 FBS teams.
Those 44 red zone attempts are 12 more than any other team in the Big 12.
Rising: Trick plays
Perhaps more accurately, trick plays that work. Kansas State did it best on Saturday, using star running back Daniel Thomas, a former juco quarterback, in the passing game. Thomas hit receiver Aubrey Quarles for a 67-yard touchdown pass on his first pass of the season. He completed 3-of-4 passes for 50 yards and a touchdown as a junior in 2009.
Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden also found receiver Justin Blackmon for an 80-yard touchdown on a first-half flea flicker.
Missouri got a little fancy trying to go for the game-ender on Saturday night against Oklahoma. The Tigers, leading 26-21 with just 12 minutes to play, threw a short pass to tight end Michael Egnew, who pitched to a streaking Kendial Lawrence up the sideline, a.k.a. the hook-and-ladder. Lawrence was originally given a touchdown, but officials ruled he stepped out before scoring and Missouri had to settle for a field goal.
Falling: Starting quarterbacks
Three Big 12 starters from last week may not do it again next week. Colorado's Tyler Hansen is out for the season with a ruptured spleen and required surgery on Tuesday, according to the Boulder Daily Camera. He'll be replaced by senior Cody Hawkins, who started for 2.5 seasons before ceding to Hansen midway through last year. Kansas' Jordan Webb and Kale Pick are both out with injuries, giving way to juco transfer Quinn Mecham, who was listed as the starter on this week's depth chart, preparing to make his first career start. Late in last week's 45-10 loss, Kansas' D.J. Beshears, who you may remember from earlier in this post, was forced to take snaps at quarterback.
Patrick in St. Louis, Mo., writes: As a Mizzou alumn and follower, it hurts me to say this, but after watching last nights game, I would have to think you need to include Nebraska's #3 in the Heisman discussion. Not looking forward to seeing him on Halloween against the Tigers.
David Ubben: Completely agree, and if you're a fan of a team with Nebraska on its schedule, last night had to be really unnerving. He's going to be every bit the game-changer he looked last night plenty throughout his career.
Josh in N.C. asks: Any chance the K State game has a deleterious effect on Taylor Martinez? Now he'll have more intense media scrutiny and people expecting him to run 80 yards at a time, will he try to do too much next week?
DU: No, and that's one of the more interesting things about Taylor Martinez. (Also, quick note: deleterious is officially the biggest five-dollar-word that's ever appeared in my mailbag. And it was spelled correctly! Go figure.) We hear all the time about how players and coaches never read anything people like me write, but more often than not, they're full of it. Trust me on this. They don't read everything, but most read at least something or enough to get a sense of what people are saying about them. I'm not saying that's bad; it's human nature. I don't know Martinez, just like we -- the public -- don't actually know anything about most athletes, so I won't venture a guess as to how much he reads about himself. But I know this for certain: He doesn't like talking to the media, which is fine. He turned down a postgame interview on ESPN last night. He doesn't do interviews with local media during the week, electing to talk only after games. I asked a member of the Nebraska media about it last night, and he told me it was 100 percent Martinez's decision. Maybe that changes in the future, but offensive coordinator Shawn Watson was 100 percent on the money when he talked about it last night. "He just wants to be left alone to play. And that's a good thing because it's a throwback attitude. He just wants to play. Give me the ball."
Sounds about right to me. Martinez is strikingly confident in person and that shows up on the field. He thinks he can make every big play on the field. Part of that is because he's a freshman playing college football for the first time. The other reason is because he can. Maybe not every time, but last night was not the last time he's going to wow everyone. He's already trying to make plenty of big plays. Watson chalks it up to his confidence. Sometimes that's a bad thing, like against South Dakota State. But he'll learn. And it's going to be fun to watch.
Kyle in Osage City, Kan., asks: Any word on how severe the Brodrick Smith injury is?
DU: They weren't sure after last night, but Bill Snyder said he expected to be without him for some time. It looked pretty bad. That's a huge loss for an already struggling Kansas State passing game. He was their leading receiver coming into last night's game. Time for Aubrey Quarles, Tramaine Thompson and Chris Harper to get it done.
Joshua in Kalamazoo, Mich., asks: Hey David,I may have missed the proper explanation for this since I watched the game in a sports bar in Michigan, but that Nebraska fan running onto the field and being tackled by the KSU mascot seemed staged, and thusly in poor taste. Staged because there would be no way a mascot would have an open hit on someone like that without at least one security person within camera shot and I have never known a Nebraska fan to rush the field in that manner. If staged than in poor taste because first; the whole Ohio (Solich) v OSU thing and what bad press that got for the University of Ohio, second it paints Nebraska fans in a poor light, and third c'mon, really. If there was explanation when this was shown during game coverage I would love to be enlightened. But also I would love to know your thoughts on this, was this just in good fun, or one last shot from a school feeling shunned.Thanks, your insight would be much appreciated, Joshua
DU: Well, my first piece of advice would be to lighten up. When I first saw it, I thought it was live, but when the mascot got a free shot at him and security was nowhere to be found, it was pretty clear that the skit was staged. The point of the whole thing was to get the crowd fired up. Mission accomplished. I thought it was somewhat funny, slightly chuckle-worthy and the fans loved it. Find me someone who doesn't love mascot violence of any kind. I watched that Brutus vs. Rufus fight at Ohio State like 15 times on YouTube and couldn't stop laughing. Don't even get me started on that Oregon Duck and Houston Cougar fight from a few years back. We all know "The Greatest Fans In College Football" have to "protect their brand," but nobody watched that game and thought, "Oh man, Nebraska fans. What terrible people!" Harmless.
Derek in Nebraska asks: How does Nebraska barely pass at all and they probably attempted less than 75 passes this whole season how can they do it with just the run and wouldnt teams catch on or something
DU: And they should pass because...? Martinez isn't a great passer just yet, but he's average -- at worst. He's looked pretty good on intermediate routes, even if he's a little inconsistent, but he's far beyond functional and he's going to get better fast. The reason Nebraska's barely passed is because no one's made them. Maybe someone will, but I doubt we'll see him toss it around more than 25 times in a game this year. They're better off just forcing the run and waiting for a big play to break than trying to take shots downfield. Martinez is most effective as a runner, but as it stands -- and I looked down the list -- I'd take him over four teams' quarterbacks in the Big 12 solely as a passer. I'll leave it to you to figure out exactly who they are. It's pretty obvious at this point he's surpassed every other quarterback in the conference as a runner, with apologies to Robert Griffin, who is a much better passer at this point in his career.
Ed Miller in Chicago asks: Who wins in a 100m dash, Denard Robinson or Taylor Martinez?
DU: Taylor Martinez. Who loses? Every linebacker in the Big Ten. I honestly feel bad for those guys in the future.
1. T-Magic battling turnovers. Taylor Martinez was mistake-prone against South Dakota State, but he'll have to play well to beat Kansas State. A second game with multiple interceptions could mean a loss for the Huskers, and the same goes for any fumbles on downfield runs or in the backfield, whether they come on mishandled snaps or sacks.
2. Play-action could mean big plays. The headline-grabbing matchup in Kansas State's game against Nebraska is obviously Daniel Thomas vs. the Husker defense, but with so much attention up front, expect plenty of one-on-one matchups downfield. If Carson Coffman puts the ball on the money and receivers like Aubrey Quarles and Brodrick Smith can make plays in big moments, it might mean an upset.
3. Back to life, back to reality. Jerrod Johnson's turnover troubles have been well-documented this week, but if he can't fix them by Saturday, the Aggies will get rolled by No. 10 Arkansas. He has 10 turnovers in his past two games after throwing just eight interceptions all of last year and 10 as a freshman.
4. Getting a few whacks on Mallett. Texas A&M harassed Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden and laid plenty of big shots on him in the first half, all while corralling running back Kendall Hunter. They did neither in the second half. The Aggies will have to be in Ryan Mallett's face for both halves to pull the upset of Arkansas.
5. Getting back to the SEC. Tommy Tuberville's defense gave up six touchdowns and 251 yards on the ground to Iowa State last week. That's not exactly what fans had in mind when they brought one of the SEC's best defensive coaches to Lubbock, even if this is only Year 1. Now would be a good time for the 0-2 Red Raiders to right the defensive mistakes.
6. The road is unkind to the Buffs. Colorado, which has lost its past 12 road games, will try to snatch one against No. 24 Missouri. This is the same team which lost 52-7 to unranked Cal earlier this season. Can it prove it's any better? Even a close loss would be progress after 2008's 58-0 loss to the Tigers.
7. No big game this week...just take care of business. There's no reason Oklahoma State should lose or even be close to losing to Louisiana-Lafayette. But this is college football, and sometimes you never know. It's a Friday game and it's on the road against the Ragin' Cajuns. Weird things happen. Do the Cowboys give anyone a reason to believe they aren't the Big 12's third-best team? When it comes to perception, the only place for Oklahoma State to go in a game like this is down.
8. Carryover from last week in Ames? Iowa State and its fans are riding high from last week's 52-38 win over Texas Tech, but will that mean anything on Saturday? Utah looks like the better team, but how much better? An upset is within the realm of possibility and the quickest way to a win is running the ball well and taking care of it -- two things the Cyclones did well against the Red Raiders. Iowa State had 251 rushing yards and no turnovers, while forcing three from Texas Tech.
9. Time for Blaine to sling it? By his standards Blaine Gabbert has been pretty quiet so far this year, with just one 300-yard game and one game with more than one touchdown pass. Defenses have been trying to limit his effectiveness, which has meant big holes for the Tigers running game. Is it time for his first big game of the season? Colorado has the Big 12's second-best rush defense and ninth-best pass defense.
10. These aren't your average Bears. The last time Baylor played an offense anywhere near as talented as Texas Tech, it gave up 45 points to TCU. Other than that game, it has limited Kansas, Rice, Buffalo and Sam Houston State to just two touchdowns. Shutting down -- or at least limiting -- an offense like Texas Tech's would be a nice next step to proving the new Baylor defense is for real.
Coffman completed a 58-yard touchdown pass to Aubrey Quarles to tie the game at 10, after hitting Tramaine Thompson for a 73-yard pass earlier in the second half to set up Kansas State's first score, a field goal.
Thomas, the nation's No. 2 rusher behind Michigan's Denard Robinson, has just 50 yards on 17 carries, and to win, Kansas State needs Coffman to make plays.
So far, he has. He may need to make another one to take the lead.
- Texas A&M's Damontre Moore has been a nice surprise for the Aggies' defense, writes David Harris of the Dallas Morning News
- Texas Tech running back Baron Batch gives some advice for Red Raiders looking to trash talk this weekend in his diary for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
- Beware of the Mountain West Conference, Oklahoma, writes Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman. The Sooners are just 2-2 against the league since its inception in 1999.
- Mack Brown "adamantly" urged Vince Young to accept the Heisman Trophy if it was offered.
- TCU flourished while Baylor floundered after the Big 12 was formed, and their paths cross on Saturday, writes Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com.
- Former Missouri running back Derrick Washington was officially charged with misdemeanor domestic assault in a case unrelated to the incident that got him permanently suspended from the Tigers.
- The Omaha World-Herald sent columnist Robert Nelson to Bo Pelini's news conference to read his body language. He wrote a column analyzing it.
- Running back Vondrell McGee's career is over at Texas after losing an appeal for academic eligibility.
- Baylor's football blog offers a few tidbits you can't find in the game notes.
- Oklahoma State athletic director Mike Holder's five-year tenure has been a successful one, writes Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman.
- Now is the time for Colorado's running game to improve. It's its best chance to beat Hawaii, writes Kyle Ringo of the Boulder Daily Camera.
- Missouri receiver T.J. Moe set a lofty goal for himself, and he's surpassing it, writes Joan Niesen of the Columbia Missourian.
- Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen accused Tulsa of faking injuries to slow his offense's pace after its game against Houston last year, where Holgorsen previously coached. The Tulsa World's Bill Haisten has the story.
- Support from his family has brought Kansas State receiver Aubrey Quarles where he is today, writes Kellis Robinett of the Wichita Eagle.
- Texas A&M's Von Miller is trying to overcome a frustrating start to his season, writes Brent Zwerneman of the San Antonio Express-News.
Chris Harper, WR
You've heard a bit about Harper on the blog before, but he figures to be part of an all-new lineup at receiver for Kansas State, alongside Aubrey Quarles, who sat out the 2009 season, and fellow transfer Brodrick Smith, who racked up 12 catches for four touchdowns in the spring game. Smith came from Minnesota, but Harper, who came to Manhattan as a quarterback, came from Oregon. He's got speed and size at 6-foot-1 and 234 pounds, and if he can adjust to the position change, he'll be able to use both. Harper chose to make the switch to receiver near the beginning of spring practice, giving way to Collin Klein, Carson Coffman and Sammuel Lamur at quarterback, and early reviews were positive.
Braden Wilson, FB
Wilson may never get the press he deserves, even after the season begins. He'll be the primary lead blocker as a sophomore, first-year starter for the conference's best running back, and any lack of recognition won't be because of a lack of effort on the part of coach Bill Snyder. Earlier this spring, Snyder couldn't stop complimenting his 6-foot-3, 244-pound trailblazer. "He may make a mistake, but if he does, he'll make it at 120 miles an hour," he said.
Alex Hrebec, LB
Hrebec should be one of the leaders of a young linebacking corps that loses two seniors. A sturdy 5-foot-11, 251-pound junior, Hrebec could be among the tackling leaders for the Wildcats this season. Hrebec made just 32 tackles in 2009, but 21 of them came in games against Tennessee Tech and Iowa State, becoming the first Kansas State player to record double-digit tackle totals in consecutive games since 2006. As a redshirt freshman in 2008, he started half the Wildcats games and made 68 tackles. His off-the-field efforts were also recently recognized, landing him on the nomination list for the AFCA Good Works Team.
More Fresh Faces:
2009 conference record: 4-4
Returning starters: Offense (7), Defense (6) P/K (2)
Top returners: RB Daniel Thomas, DB Emmanuel Lamur, DB Tysyn Hartman, DB Troy Butler, DT Prizzell Brown
Key losses: WR Brandon Banks, QB Grant Gregory, WR Lamark Brown, DB Joshua Moore, TE Jaron Mastrud, OT Nick Stringer, DT Daniel Calvin, DT Jeffrey Fitzgerald
2009 statistical leaders (*returners)
Rushing: Daniel Thomas* (1,265 yards)
Passing: Grant Gregory (1,096 yards)
Receiving: Brandon Banks (705 yards)
Tackles: Emmanuel Lamur* (68)
Sacks: Jeffrey Fitzgerald (7)
Interceptions: Tysyn Hartman* (5)
Three spring answers
1. Coffman states his case…loudly. The spring began with a three-man quarterback race, and ended with Carson Coffman throwing seven touchdown passes in the spring game. Collin Klein and Sammuel Lamur will be back to compete in the fall, but Coffman’s performance, combined with his experience last season, will likely be too much for either to overcome.
2. Chris Harper won’t be taking snaps. Oregon transfer Chris Harper figured to be a factor in the quarterback race, but he elected to move to receiver and stayed there throughout the spring. His impressive size and athleticism will be used on the sidelines, rather than in the backfield.
3. Butler shining in the spring. Juco transfer Troy Butler won a starting safety job last season, but made just 46 tackles and was held without an interception. In the spring game, he picked off two passes and made eight tackles. They came against the second-team, but he’s getting to the ball, and that’s something he didn’t do often last year.
Three fall questions
1. How will the new-look receivers fit in? Kansas State has plenty of size at receiver, something it didn’t have last season. But it’s possible that all three of the Wildcats top receivers won’t have caught a pass since the 2008 season. Aubrey Quarles sat out the 2009 season, and transfers Brodrick Smith and Chris Harper could also make big impacts this season.
2. Are the Wildcats deep enough? For all the celebration around Coffman’s performance, his team’s 79-0 win in the spring game over the second-teamers suggests a wide gap in talent between only the first and second teams. If Kansas State suffers a couple injuries in the right place, could the season fall well short of expectations?
3. Playmakers wanted. Daniel Thomas is a reliable option at running back, but can the Wildcats find a way to give the offense some additional firepower? The Wildcats were short on big plays in 2010; Thomas broke runs of 25 yards or longer in just two plays. If the receivers can prove they’re deep threats, and Coffman can get them the ball, it’ll be easier for both them and Thomas to operate and produce big plays.
- 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.
The only consistent returning target for whoever wins the quarterback job in Manhattan is in the backfield -- running back Daniel Thomas, who caught 25 passes for 257 yards last season.
Now, they'll break in a new set of receivers. Aubrey Quarles redshirted last season with a leg injury, but he caught 34 balls for 407 yards in his lone season of action.
"Aubrey Quarles gives you a reasonably physical receiver. He is a pretty sharp young guy that understands what you are trying to do," Kansas State coach Bill Snyder said. "He's got good hands that can catch the ball and has the capacity to advance the ball and get it up field, because he is a little more physical."
At just 5-foot-11 and 202 pounds, Quarles plays physical, but the Wildcats have a handful of other receivers built to be physical.
Oregon transfer Chris Harper, who Snyder said will work exclusively at receiver and won't get snaps at quarterback, is 6-foot-1 and a stout 234 pounds. Minnesota transfer Brodrick Smith is 6-foot-2 and 206 pounds. He returned back home to Kansas after catching five passes for 50 yards and a score for the Golden Gophers.
"All of us were extremely impressed with his progress, his effort, his quickness, his ability to change direction, etc. [in the offseason program]. Now that he is on the field that has been tempered a little bit and I am quite certain that is because it is a learning process," Snyder said. "He has got to think his way through some things and I think that has kind of tempered his ability to do things naturally. We are just waiting for him to feel more comfortable with the offense, and when he does I think his capabilities will present themselves."
Snyder praised Harper's good hands, and though he won't be working at quarterback, Snyder knew Harper's athleticism would allow him to find his way onto the field somewhere.
"He has got good hands. He has been slowed down a little bit with a nagging injury, so he can't go full speed for us. So there is still some uncertainty in that respect," Snyder said. "Seeing him in the out of season program, the way he runs and changes direction, has good balance and body control, he's probably somebody that is a pretty good athlete."
If Collin Klein doesn't win the quarterback job, he'll switch back to receiver. He caught six passes for 38 yards last season.
Whoever emerges on the edge for the Wildcats, the sooner the better. Quarles will be looking to regain his 2008 form, and if anyone's going to surpass Banks' numbers (56 rec, 705 yards) from 2009, he would be the most likely candidate.
Career games delineate Big 12's best offensive players
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
I was brought up in an era of distinctive achievements like 100-yard rushing and receiving games and 300-yard passing performances.
That's why I still look at these kind of efforts as a personal benchmark when I measure the effectiveness of rushers, passers and receivers.
And it sent me scrambling to the NCAA website for some information about Big 12 players.
I was curious about the number of 100-yard rushing and receiving games and 300-yard passing games that returning Big 12 players have compiled over the course of their careers.
Here's a list of the active leaders heading into the upcoming season.
100-yard rushing games No. High game Opponent Year
Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State 11 210 Houston 2008
Chris Brown, Oklahoma 7 169 @Baylor 2006
DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma 7 128 vs. Texas 2007
Jake Sharp, Kansas 6 181 Kansas State 2008
Robert Griffin, Baylor 4 217 Wash. State 2008
Jay Finley, Baylor 3 119 Wash. State 2008
Rodney Stewart, Colorado 3 166 West Virginia 2008
Alexander Robinson, Iowa State 3 149 @Missouri 2007
Derrick Washington, Missouri 3 139 @Nebraska 2008
Roy Helu Jr., Nebraska 3 166 Colorado 2008
Keith Toston, Oklahoma State 3 148 Mo. State 2008
Zac Robinson, Oklahoma State 3 144 @Baylor 2007
Quentin Castille, Nebraska 2 125 Clemson* 2008
Colt McCoy, Texas 2 106 @Okla. State 2007
Lamark Brown, Kansas State 1 137 La.-Lafayette 2008
Logan Dold, Kansas State 1 115 @Texas A&M 2008
Mossis Madu, Oklahoma 1 114 Missouri ** 2008
Cody Johnson, Texas 1 102 Texas A&M 2008
Note: * - 2009 Gator Bowl
** - 2008 Big 12 championship game
300-yard passing games No. High game Opponent Year
Todd Reesing, Kansas 13 412 La. Tech 2008
Sam Bradford, Oklahoma 13 468 Kansas 2008
Colt McCoy, Texas &nb
sp; 10 414 Ohio State*** 2008
Zac Robinson, Oklahoma State 5 430 Texas 2007
Austen Arnaud, Iowa State 3 440 Kansas State 2008
Cody Hawkins, Colorado 2 322 Alabama **** 2007
Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M 2 419 Kansas State 2008
Note
*** - 2009 Fiesta Bowl
**** - 2007 Independence Bowl
100-yard receiving games No. High game Opponent Year
Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State 8 236 Houston 2008
Dezmon Briscoe, Kansas 7 269 @Oklahoma 2008
Kerry Meier, Kansas 5 136 Sam Houston St. 2008
Brandon Banks, Kansas State 4 153 @Louisville 2008
Jordan Shipley, Texas 3 168 Okla. State 2008
Edward Britton, Texas Tech 3 139 Texas 2008
Kendall Wright, Baylor 2 132 Iowa State 2008
Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M 2 210 Kansas State 2008
Scotty McKnight, Colorado 1 106 Colo. State 2007
Darius Darks, Iowa State 1 113 @Okla. State 2008
Jake Sharp, Kansas 1 107 @Iowa State 2008
Johnathan Wilson, Kansas 1 179 @South Florida 2008
Daymond Patterson, Kansas 1 130 Louisiana Tech 2008
Jeron Mastrud, Kansas State 1 103 @Kansas 2006
Aubrey Quarles, Kansas State 1 102 @Texas A&M 2008
Danario Alexander, Missouri &nb
sp; 1 117 vs. Kansas 2007
Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma 1 158 @Okla. State 2008
Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma 1 141 Cincinnati 2008
Brandon Collins, Texas 1 103 Texas A&M 2008
Malcolm Williams, Texas 1 182 @Texas Tech 2008
Jamie McCoy, Texas A&M 1 110 @Iowa State 2008
Detron Lewis, Texas Tech 1 163 East. Wash. 2008
Tramain Swindall, Texas Tech 1 101 @Texas A&M 2008
Source: ESPN.com research
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
Kansas State turns to legendary coach Bill Snyder to help resuscitate the program. Snyder will find an underrated pool of talent returning, but his immediate success will be largely determined by recruiting at one key position.
With the departure of Josh Freeman early for the NFL draft, it means that Wildcat coaches will turn either to returning quarterback Carson Coffman or look for a junior college replacement to orchestrate new coordinator Andy Ludwig's spread passing attack.
Depth is needed across an offensive line that loses its entire right side in center Jordan Bedore, guard Gerard Spexarth and tackle Penisini Liu. Additional players are needed as projected starting left tackle Nick Stringer and guard Brock Unruh both will be seniors next season.
Allowances also must be made for a receiving corps that returns all four top pass-catchers in wide receivers Brandon Banks, Deon Murphy and Aubrey Quarles and starting tight end Jeron Mastrud. All will be seniors in 2009, meaning that depth must be built.
New defensive coordinator Vic Koenning will likely build his defense with the Wildcats like those at Clemson, where his unit led the ACC in pass defense and turnovers last season. That would put a premium on depth in the secondary and an infusion of playmaker types, although the Wildcats lose no starters from their 2008 defensive secondary.
It will be interesting to see if Koenning thinks his current players are good enough to thrive in his defense or if they make a big jump into the junior college ranks like Snyder's teams have traditionally done.
New starters will be needed along the defensive front as defensive end Ian Campbell and nose tackle Brandon Balkcom both completed their senior seasons last year. But the defense does have a nice building block with the return of Brandon Harold, who led the team with 10.5 tackles for loss as a freshman in 2008.
The linebacking corps needs some players for the future as Reggie Walker finished his senior season last year and starters Olu Hall and Ulla Pomele both will be seniors next season.
The transformation won't be as daunting as the one that faced Snyder when he arrived in 1993 in his first stint as Kansas State's coach. But the Big 12 figures to be even more challenging than the old Big Eight was, meaning the Wildcats must start getting some players quickly.
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.
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