Kansas State QB Avery Johnson helped Wildcats win Rate Bowl with these mature plays

Avery Johnson didn’t look like a sophomore as he led Kansas State to a 44-41 comeback victory over Rutgers at the Rate Bowl.

The dynamic quarterback grew up before our eyes at Chase Field by making a series of clutch plays in the fourth quarter that showed both talent and maturity.

The Wildcats needed poise from their quarterback if they were going to battle back from a 34-17 deficit against the Scarlet Knights, and that is exactly what they got from Johnson on a day when he broke the K-State record for touchdown passes in a single-season. He threw for 195 yards and three scores and played older than his age.

His maturity was most obvious on two key plays.

One came at a pivotal moment in the fourth quarter when the Wildcats were facing a fourth-and-3 at their own 33. Not executing in that situation could have been disastrous. K-State was trailing 41-29. But Johnson moved the chains by showing off his full arsenal of skills.

Johnson scrambled out of the pocket to his right when his initial read wasn’t open. As a fast quarterback, he could have tried to run for the first down, but a pair of Rutgers defenders were in his path. Picking up a first down with his feet was no sure thing. So he kept running horizontally until Dante Cephas found space down field and Johnson flipped the ball to him for a massive gain of 35 yards.

“I was trying to decide if I wanted to just run and get the first down or throw it,” Johnson said afterward. “I was just waiting for the defender to decide if he wanted to take me or take (Cephas). I had a good feel right there where the line of scrimmage was, and just kind of started going horizontal on the field and then got the ball to Dante so he could go get some (yards after catch).”

Early on this season, Johnson almost certainly would have tried to gain the first down with his legs. Now that he is on his way to being a junior, new options are available.

K-State went on to score a touchdown on that drive.

Johnson made another high-level play with K-State trailing 41-36. The Wildcats were facing a second-and-11 with under 5 minutes remaining in the game. They needed more big gains in a hurry.

But Johnson stayed patient on that situation and scanned the field for an open receiver. He looked to his right, he looked to the middle and then he looked to his left. Everyone was covered. What to do? He didn’t give up on the play and went to his final read, back to his right, and connected with running back Joe Jackson for a gain of 25 yards.

The play may not have looked all that impressive in the moment, as Rutgers left Jackson uncovered. But it’s never easy for a college quarterback to stay calm in the pocket as he goes through his progression.

“He was the last read,” Johnson said. “They were playing Cover 2 and we knew that the front side was dead. I got down to the drive and didn’t really like it. I tried to get all the way back to the basic and was just going through my progression. They clamped on everything but left the back open. So I put it on Joe and let him do the rest of me.”

Once again, this is a situation where a younger Johnson may have tried to make a play with his legs.

He looked like a more complete quarterback at the bowl game.

It was an up-and-down season for Johnson as he took over for Will Howard as the team’s starting quarterback. He led the Wildcats to nine victories, including feel-good wins over Kansas, Colorado and Rutgers. But he also melted down and threw too many interceptions in losses to BYU, Houston and Arizona State.

He finished with 2,712 yards and 25 touchdowns.

The jury is still out on just how good of a quarterback he will be at K-State, but it’s hard to complain about those numbers from a sophomore.

He flashed his potential at the Rate Bowl and also matured into a leader as the season came to an end.

That much was also evident as he pumped up his teammates on the sideline when they were down by 17.

“I just told everyone, ‘Believe and stay in it. Control what we can control and take it one play at a time. There’s not a 17-point touchdown.’ Earlier in the year against BYU I pressed in that situation. I was trying to get it all back in one play, and nothing ever good happens in that situation. This time, I just wanted to calm the guys down and go out there and play.”