View from the Couch: Kansas State

Nov 28, 2022 - 4:52 PM

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Pregame

Being Thanksgiving weekend there has been a lot of shopping going on by the members of my household. This is fine with me because it leaves me at home to play games and watch football. Today I mainly play Overwatch 2. I should also note that I am bad at it, but I enjoy playing. As for the football games, I am very surprised by how many points TCU and Michigan win by.

As the KU game approaches, I am pessimistic about our chance. It has been a long time since we beat the Wildcats and the game is rarely competitive. At the same time as the Jayhawks game, USC and Notre Dame are playing, so I will be bouncing back and forth between the two games. The USC game starts a little bit before KU so I see the Trojans score early on the Fighting Irish, and I change to the KU game in a happy mood.

First Quarter

• So was Will Howard sick or not?
• KU lets the Wildcats have the ball, and the announcers are surprised. Why? KU has been consistent with this all season.
• If WIll Howard was sick, it does not affect his starting status. He is in.
• OJ Burroughs with a nice 3rd down stop on Duece.
• A fumbled punt by Burroughs! Is that 3 times this year by him? It feels like it.

• Not what we need after a nice defensive series.
• Touchdown Malik Knowles. Wildcats 7-0.

• USC kicks a field goal. Trojans 10-0.
• TV graphic notes KU’s offense is the Big 12 leader in yards per play and 3rd down conversations.
• I am surprised we still lead in both these categories after the last month of action. Next season, the defense needs to make similar strides.
• Mason Fairchild for a first down.
• Torry Locklin runs over a defensive back.
• Devin, first down. Said that a lot this season.
• Devin with a nice run on first down.
• Touchdown Torry Locklin.

• Who is kicking the PAT? Looks like Owen Piepergerdes. 7-7
• Nice pass defense Craig Young.
• And we lose track of Sammy Wheeler. F%&&%%K. Touchdown. 14-7

• Novitsky forgets to snap the ball which negates a safety.
• So it was a hold but it started at the 4-yard line. It should not be a safety, but K-State gets it. 16-7
• After a promising first defensive series, the game has quickly gotten away from KU.
• Quick screen is not working for K-State.
• Vaughn finally gets loose.
• Dropped pass by the Wildcat wide receiver. Thank you.
• Kenny with great pass defense in the end zone.
• Young with a nice tackle on Will Howard.
• Touchdown Malik Knowles. 23-7

• A quick check on USC/Notre Dame. ND scores a touchdown. USC 10-7.
• The quarter mercifully ends in Manhattan.

Second Quarter

• Mason Fairchild for a first down.
• Bean is in at wide receiver and drops the ball, luckily.
• Devin Neal touchdown. Owen is in the for PAT. 23-14

• Owen P.’s kicks look so much better than Borcilla’s.
• Right now I hope to keep it out of blowout territory.
• Watching a little more of USC. Trojans score again. 17-7
• Lonnie Phelp has 2 plays in a row. He has been a great addition this season.
• The Duece is loose again. Multiple missed tackles.

• Touchdown K-State. 30-14

• That was a good-looking defensive series that went to s*&(*t.
• Grimm deep pass reception for the first down.
• Jared Casey on the inside pass. Nice.
• Jalon with a nice run for a first down. First nice run since he came back.
• DPI. Wildcats stop complaining, that is interference in every game.
• Devin for a touchdown. 30-21

• Get a defense stop and we are in this.
• Berryhill with nice pressure.
• 3rd down. Let’s get the stop!
• Great pressure. 3 & out.
• KU gets the ball on the 5. Let’s go offense!
• Nothing happening for the offense right now.
• The punt is just past the 50. The defense needs to hold again.
• Strip sack fumble recovery. Sampson recovery. Lonnie with the strip.

• Nothing on offense again.
• Poor punt again
• The defense late in the half seems to be better.

Halftime

I spend the break watching USC/Notre Dame. In that time both teams score a touchdown and USC has the ball back down to the Irish 2-yard line. USC leads 24-24 as the KU/K-State game starts up again.

Third Quarter

• Has it stopped raining in Manhattan? It rained the entire first half it looks like it has stopped.
• If the scoreboard ever says 30-28 I will be happy.
• For Reis that was a decent punt.
• USC gets the touchdown. The Trojans lead 31-14.
• Good non-overrule on the K-State incomplete pass.
• Locklin gets a 1st down.
• They are using Locklin a lot tonight, are Ky and Savion both hurt?
• And Torry fumbles. K-State ball. Damn.

• Now Craig Young gets hit with a face mask penalty.
• Tim Brando was kind of a good play-by-play guy back in the day. He is now dreadful.
• Cobee with a hold.
• Good play call by K-State on the fourth down.
• Touchdown by Vaughn. 37-21

• @rockchalktalk calls the game after that touchdown. I can’t say he is wrong.

• From 2 & 12 to 3 & 1. Nice Devin.
• Watching more USC right now.
• Jalon gets the first down.
• Seems like they are not running Jalon enough.
• Devin nice first-down run
• Devin is hurt. Maybe a target but they will not review.
• Casey ends the quarter with a juggling catch.

Fourth Quarter

• Handoff to Bean then a pass to Grimm, nice.
• USC interception ices the game for the Trojans.
• Nice catch by Casey for a touchdown.
• Or not.
• Caleb Williams scores for USC. Give that man the Heisman. USC 38-21
• Devin Neal to the 1.
• Jalon touchdown and he is hurt. I think he just got the wind knocked out of him, but he could have bruised a hip. Going for 2 with Jason in. Fairchild drops it. 37-27
• Spencer Tillman references a karaoke step. What is a karaoke step? Never heard of it.
• Positive thought: the game is closer than last year.
• Huge by the defense. Only a field goal. K-State 40-27
• Second positive thought: ONLY two touchdowns to win.
• So taunting is not a thing? The dude stood over Devin and looked down at him and yelled. I do not think he was taunting Devin, but it looked like taunting.
• K-State ball.
• Announcers talking playoffs!!! Come on that has nothing to do with this game.
• Run defense has been a problem again this week.
• Touchdown Wildcats. K-State 47-27.
• The USC game is over and now I am watching some of the Texas Tech/OU game.
• Tech field goal attempt to tie is ..... timeout ..... blocked. Sooner fans will hate that.
• The actual Tech field goal kick is good. Tie game in Lubbock late.
• Who took the snap? Devin? After a handoff, Jalon is passing.
• K-State timeout. Why? You are up 20 with 4:22 to go.
• KU punt and it looked ok.
• K-State in victory formation.

Post Game

As soon as the game ends, I change over to Tech and OU. It is in overtime and the Sooners have the ball. Two plays in I ask myself, is Venables a good head coach? I think it is debatable. Tech forces an OU field goal attempt. They miss it! I got to say it looked good, but the officials say no. I see LSU lost to A&M, more good news for USC. They just need to win the Pac-12 Championship game and they will probably make the playoff. Not only do I like that for the Trojans, but I like it because it has to be killing OU fans. Seeing Lincoln Riley succeed right away in Los Angeles has to be killing them as OU struggles. So many OU fans claimed the Sooners were better off without Riley. Yeah, not so much.

Tech does little on offense when they get the ball, and they are now kicking to win. It is good and the crowd takes to the field. It is now that maybe the most interesting event of the evening happens. Tech’s goalposts come down, but not because the fans tore them down, they come down by design. The uprights are on a hinge that is located in the post. I have never seen this before. It does not prevent anyone from trying to tear the upright from the post but it sure kills the momentum to try. How long until these are standard for all field goal uprights? Very smart.

I hope to do one more “View for the Stands” for the bowl game. My son and eldest daughter are pushing hard to go. We will see next week when and where they are going to play. I should have the time to go, but if I cannot make it work, I will be on my couch watching and hoping KU finishes the season above .500 for the first time since 2008.