K-State Q&A: How often should the Wildcats call quarterback runs with Avery Johnson?

Even on a day when Kansas State averaged 9.1 yards per rush and defeated Tennessee-Martin 41-6, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that Avery Johnson was the most efficient runner on the entire field.

The sophomore quarterback ran the ball three times in Game 1 for the Wildcats and he turned those carries into 37 yards. That comes out to 12.3 yards per rush, a number that was higher than star running backs DJ Giddens (9.5) and Dylan Edwards (8.6).

Such a statistic begs the following question: Why did Johnson spend so much time throwing the ball last week?

It’s a complicated answer.

Johnson completed 14 of 21 passes for 153 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. His arm was solid, but he was more productive with his legs. That will probably most often be the case given his speed. But the Wildcats don’t want to use him as an extra running back, even though he has already scored five rushing touchdowns in a single game. They want him to be a normal quarterback, and that means letting him throw.

An argument could be made that K-State offensive coordinator Conor Riley needs to find a better run/pass balance with his quarterback than 21-to-3. But let’s remember the Wildcats beat the Skyhawks easily, even with a mediocre showing on offense.

I think Johnson will run the ball more moving forward. How much will depend on the game and the situation.

When K-State is in total control of a game, like last week, there is no reason for him to carry the ball 10 times. He’s much better off giving the ball to his running backs, throwing the ball to his wide receivers and avoiding hits whenever possible. Not every K-State QB is built like Collin Klein, after all.

But when the Wildcats are in a big game and they need Johnson to make a play, I think he will be allowed to scramble and beat teams with his legs.

You see the same kind of thing in the NFL with Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. There are certain games when they hardly run at all. But they are always making plays on the ground in the playoffs.

Expect Johnson to do the same.

Now, let’s dive into your questions. Thanks, as always, for providing them.

Which K-State defender is getting the first pick-six of the season? -@patemaw7 via X.

I am sticking with my prediction that Marques Sigle will lead the team in interceptions and possibly challenge for the school’s single-season record when it comes to picks.

But if you’re asking me about intercepting a pass and then returning it for a touchdown I think another defender is more likely to pull off that feat.

Give me Keenan Garber. If he steps in front of a route he will be gone. Garber is a former wide receiver and one of the fastest players on the K-State football roster. Nobody is catching him in the open field. He returned a blocked punt for a touchdown last season. I won’t be surprised if he scores on an interception next.

Will we see Joe Jackson or L’James White earlier in the rotation this week? -@kstatefanfirst via X.

I want to say yes, because both Joe Jackson and L’James White looked really good when they got on the field at running back against Tennessee-Martin.

Jackson rushed for 48 yards on seven carries and actually outgained Dylan Edwards. Not too shabby. K-State insiders also talked up Jackson throughout training camp.

White took his only carry into the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown run. You can’t beat that kind of efficiency.

Problem is, they are both running behind DJ Giddens and Edwards. This backfield is loaded. Giddens had 124 yards in Game 1. Edwards scored a pair of touchdowns. There simply aren’t a ton of snaps to be had behind those two electric runners.

The guess here is that K-State will find situations to use both Jackson and White moving forward, but they won’t get an entire drive to themselves or anything like that unless the game is well in hand.

Mr. Robinett, on Saturday, the KSU Sports Complex was a testament to decades of building functional facilities integrated into one footprint. It is paid for and KSU was ready for NIL. What Big 12 schools have financially over extended and have NIL support issues? -@PowercatEng via X.

This truly is a golden age for K-State athletics when it comes to facilities and money.

The Wildcats play home football game inside a stadium that is among the nicest in the Big 12 and perfectly suits their needs. A state-of-the-art indoor practice facility sits right next door. Avery Johnson is driving up to the stadium in a lavender Corvette. Dylan Edwards is doing the same in a shiny sports car of his own.

Not to be overlooked, Jerome Tang is hosting five-star basketball recruits on campus visits after K-State donors managed to pay Coleman Hawkins a whopping $2 million to play basketball for the Wildcats.

Chris Klieman and Tang are also making more money than any of their predecessors dreamed was possible in Manhattan.

That being said, it’s hard for me to say exactly how far ahead or behind the Wildcats are in regards to their competition in the Big 12. Texas Tech, for example, has done nothing but renovate its football stadium for the past decade and the Red Raiders just signed an apparel contract with Adidas/Patrick Mahomes.

Iowa State has the best pedestrian bridge in the Big 12. Kansas is upgrading Allen Fieldhouse and completely rebuilding Memorial Stadium. Baylor just opened a brand new basketball arena.

Let’s just say K-State is keeping up with the Joneses.

What teams are lagging behind? Arizona State comes to mind. I worry a little about Oklahoma State without Boone Pickens. But both athletic departments seem to be doing just fine.

Of course, everything could change if the NCAA introduces revenue sharing. How many teams can afford to share $20 million with their athletes? How many schools are in the $10 million range or even lower. That is where we will see some teams fall behind.

How long do you think it will take DirecTV and Disney to come to an agreement so we can see K-State games on ESPN again? Further, do you know whether the Arizona game on Sep. 13 will be airing on FOX or on ESPN? I live in the Chicago area (Big Ten country), so I’m concerned there will be few options for watching Wildcat games at local sports bars. - Kirk Z. via e-mail.

I couldn’t possibly guess when a TV agreement like that will happen. DirecTV played hardball with the Pac-12 Network until its conference died. So I don’t know what to tell you on that one.

Fortunately, The K-State/Arizona game will be on FOX. You can get that with an antenna.

Do you think Brett Yormark is making the right move by pausing Big 12 expansion talks with UConn? - Andrew B. via e-mail.

Yes.

But I’m not sure Yormark made the decision to call a timeout on discussions with the Huskies. More likely, he wants to add Connecticut to the Big 12 but the presidents and athletic directors within the conference aren’t interested.

I can see both sides of the argument.

Adding UConn would give the Big 12 a presence in the northeast and make it an even better basketball conference.

But the Big 12 already has more than enough members, basketball has never created value in conference realignment and UConn football is an absolute train wreck.

My opinion is that both the Big 12 and UConn are better off if the Huskies remain in the Big East. The Huskies are a basketball power in their current league. What happens when they start playing Arizona, Baylor and Kansas every year? I also think the Big 12 is already strong enough in basketball. This would be like the SEC adding Ohio State from the Big Ten. Is that really necessary?

At the very least, this isn’t something the Big 12 and UConn should rush into. So I approve of the idea to pause.