Kansas State 1-1
Kansas State snuck by North Dakota last week thanks to late heroics by quarterback Avery Johnson. The Wildcats know that they will need to perform better in the upcoming weeks to avoid being upset. These players will be key to helping K-State turn the corner this week.
Linebacker Austin Romaine will have the biggest challenge this week, stopping the triple option of Army. Romaine is a physical linebacker with great speed and ability to stop the run, but he will need to trust his eyes this week against the tricky Army offense. His leadership will also be key to helping the K-State lineup and being in a position to stop Army.
Center Sam Hecht is in his second year with K-State and the ‘Cats may look for him to be a leader up front for the offensive line. K-State has a few new faces on the blocking unit and the continuity hasn’t been as good as it needs to be. Hecht can use his experience to correct that and get the ‘Cats going.
Army 0-1
Last week, Army was upset by Tarleton State 30-27 in overtime. Last year, Army won 12 games and will look to bounce back to get on track. Army is a better team than what they showed in week 1 and will challenge K-State in some areas where the ‘Cats have been vulnerable so far.
Quarterback Dewayne Coleman was the leading rusher for Army, carrying the ball 24 times for 100 yards and a touchdown. Coleman also threw two interceptions in just 12 attempts and also fumbled once. While a pass play can come as a surprise against Army, the Wildcats’ defense will need to stay disciplined, and they should have the opportunities to make plays on the ball.
Linebacker Andon Thomas for Army had 14 tackles in week one, including a tackle for loss. K-State would like to run the ball better this week and will have to start by getting hands on Thomas. If not, Thomas has the ability to shut down the Wildcats’ run game by himself this week.
Who to Watch:
KSU: LB Austin Romaine, C Sam Hecht
Army: QB Dewayne Coleman, LB Andon Thomas
Sept 6 @ 6 p.m. on ESPN
Prediction: K-State 28-17
K-State
Rushing yds per game: 125.5 yards
TFL: 16
Turnovers: 3
Army
Rushing yds per game: 280 yards
TFL: 7
Turnovers: 2
