Giddens-Edwards duo boosts offense

While the Kansas State offense struggled early to hit its stride against an FCS defense, it could rely on the running back duo of DJ Giddens and Dylan Edwards. 

Giddens, the bruising junior, rushed for 124 yards on 13 attempts. His long run went for 48 yards.

Edwards, the speedy Colorado transfer, went for 43 yards on the ground over five rushes. He also picked up his first two Wildcat touchdowns — one receiving and one rushing. 

Edwards also saw time on special teams, displaying potential with his next-level speed.

Return of Special Teams U?

K-State has historically had one of the most dominant special teams units across the country, owning 132 non-offensive touchdowns since 1999 — the most in the FBS.

The Wildcats’ third phase took a step back in 2023, failing to find the endzone across the entire season. 

This year, it took the unit all of ten minutes to find the purple paint. Senior receiver Ty Bowman got through, blocking a punt for sophomore safety Colby McCalister to recover the score.  

However, the Wildcats committed a special teams mistake of their own on the second-half kickoff. Sophomore receiver Jayce Brown fumbled the return, allowing the Skyhawks offense to start each half on the field. 

K-State brought in special teams assistant coach Nate Kaczor during the offseason. Kaczor was the Washington Commanders special teams coordinator for the last five years and brought 16 years of pro-coaching experience.

His addition to the Little Apple already will look to make an impact this fall. 

Desmond Purnell and the Deep D-Line

The first look at outside linebacker Desmond Purnell in 2024 was best described as being shot out of a cannon. The junior made an impact in seemingly every play, chasing down ball carriers in high gear. 

Purnell ended the game with seven tackles, including six solo and 1.5 for a loss. 

The Wildcats’ locker room raved about the depth of its defense throughout training camp, and the defensive line justified the belief in Week 1. 

True sophomore Tobi Osunsanmi collected 1.5 sacks in the victory despite coming off the bench as a rotational pass rusher. Redshirt freshman Chiddi Obiazor and sophomore transfer Travis Bates also wrapped up tackles for loss each.

Redshirt freshman Kam Sallis forced a fumble on his first career sack in the fourth quarter, although the Skyhawks fell on the loose ball.