Courtesy of Kansas State Athletics
K-State Notes Watch Listen Live Stats Gameday Info
Game 2
rv/rv Troy at 16/17 K-State
Date: Saturday, September 9, 2023
Kickoff: 11 a.m.
Location: Manhattan, Kan.
Stadium: Bill Snyder Family Stadium (50,000)
Series: K-State Leads, 1-0
TV: FS1 (watch)
Eric Collins (Play-by-Play)
Devin Gardner (Analyst)
Radio: K-State Sports Network; k-statesports.com (Listen)
Wyatt Thompson (Play-by-Play)
Stan Weber (Analyst)
Matt Walters (Sidelines)
SiriusXM Satellite Radio Ch. 83
X Updates: @KStateFB
THE TOP 5
1) K-State opened the season with a 45-0 shutout win over SEMO last week and now welcomes the Troy Trojans to Bill Snyder Family Stadium on Saturday for an 11 a.m. battle that will be shown on FS1. The Wildcats dominated the Redhawks in all three phases last week, while the Trojans are coming off a 48-30 win over Stephen F. Austin in their opener. Saturday's game against Troy is sold out.
2) Senior quarterback Will Howard is coming off a great season opener as he threw for a career-high 297 yards and two touchdowns on 18-of-26 aim. He also became the sixth quarterback in Big 12 history to throw, rush and catch a touchdown pass in the same game. Howard moved into 10th place in school history for career passing touchdowns as he enters this weekend's game with 26.
3) Skill players abound for the Wildcats, including returner DJ Giddens and Florida State transfer Treshaun Ward at running back, All-Big 12 tight end Ben Sinnott, and a plethora of wide receivers. Giddens rushed for 128 yards in the opener, while Ward ran for a score and threw for another ā an 8-yard pass to Howard. Sinnott (100 yards) and RJ Garcia II (119 yards) each hit the century mark in receiving yards.
4) The K-State defense returns five starters, led by a pair of senior linebackers in Daniel Green and Austin Moore. Moore was the team's leading tackler last year, while Green is back for a sixth season. Notably, Khalid Duke is moving from linebacker back to his natural home at defensive end to help stabilize the line. The unit opened the year with a 45-0 shutout of SEMO, its second straight in season openers.
5) Known for its special teams prowess, K-State brings back a dynamic punt returner in Phillip Brooks, who will also add kickoff return duties to his repertoire. Sixth-year senior Jack Blumer serves as the primary punter for the first time in his career, while Chris Tennant is coming off a solid opener, connecting on a 51-yard field goal and booming six touchbacks on kickoffs.
STATISTICAL SPOTLIGHTS
588 ā Total offense produced by the Wildcats against SEMO, the fifth most in school history and most ever in a season opener.
124 ā Total career starts by K-State offensive linemen, including all 70 starts from a year ago.
78 ā Number of players who saw action in last week's win over SEMO, including 11 true freshmen.
75.7 ā Career winning % by Chris Klieman, which ranks fourth nationally among FBS coaches with at least 10 years experience.
20.7 ā Points per game allowed by K-State over the last two-plus seasons, ranking second among returning Big 12 teams.
TEAM NOTES - WEEK 1 RECAP
ā¢ K-State opened the 2023 campaign with a 45-0 blanking of SEMO, marking the second straight year of pitching a shutout in the season opener.ā¢ The Cats recorded 588 yards of total offense, the fifth-most in a game in school history and the most ever for a season opener.
ā¢ Will Howard became just the sixth player in Big 12 history to throw, rush and catch a touchdown pass in the same game and the second to accomplish all three in one quarter (Nebraska's Eric Crouch vs. California in 1999).
ā¢ The defense held SEMO to six yards rushing, the fewest surrendered by K-State since 2011 (Eastern Kentucky: -13), while collected 11 tackles for loss, the most in a game since the 2020 Baylor game (13), with 3.0 of those coming from Austin Moore.