Why Kansas State players expected a breakout game from Dylan Edwards at Rate Bowl

Call it the Dylan Edwards Bowl.

Sure, Kansas State’s 44-41 victory over Rutgers on Thursday at Chase Field technically took place at the postseason football game known as the Rate Bowl. But fans will remember it fondly because of what Edwards accomplished during a thrilling comeback for the Wildcats.

Edwards, a sophomore running back from Derby, made it abundantly clear that he is the future of Kansas State’s backfield by amassing an astounding 223 yards of total offense and scoring three touchdowns ... on just 20 touches.

He gained 196 of those yards on the ground and the other 27 in the air. He moved the chains and found the end zone in every way imaginable. And he proved that he can be a difference-maker the same way DJ Giddens was before he “opted out” of this game and declared for the NFL Draft after spending all season as the team’s workhorse back.

“That felt real good,” Edwards said. “I played the whole season. It wasn’t like I was waiting for my time. I just was trying to do my job and my part for this team. I guess you could say I had more of a job to do today, so as long as I stayed focused and did what I was supposed to do, I knew we were going to come out and be successful.”

His teammates had a feeling that Edwards was going to have a big game.

Avery Johnson, a sophomore quarterback who grew up playing football with Edwards, told him all week he could be the offensive MVP of the Rate Bowl, and that is exactly what happened.

Johnson was so confident in Edwards that he went out of his way to check in on his running back between plays. Did he have any questions about what was coming next? If so, he wanted to clear things up so Edwards could focus solely on playing fast and hard.

“I told him, ‘This is going to be your game. It’s time to shine,’ and obviously he did,” Johnson said. “I’m not taking credit for him shining or anything. He was doing his thing. But I can’t say I’m surprised by what he did tonight.”

A game like this should act as a springboard for Edwards as he works to be an every-down player for the Wildcats next season.

“This was a great game for his confidence,” Johnson said. “He really went out there and shined today and showed the whole nation what he’s really about. It’s tough sometimes to be patient and wait for your opportunity. But his confidence never wavered.”

It couldn’t have been easy for Edwards to play behind Giddens all season.

Edwards said all the right things and made plays when he got his chances, but he only touched the ball 73 times during the regular season while the offense flowed through Giddens. Most casual fans probably thought Rutgers was catching a lucky break when Edwards stepped into the starting lineup.

His production dropped off significantly late in the season. He didn’t score a touchdown in his final six games and only topped 50 yards of offense in a home victory against Kansas.

Some were beginning to wonder if he was an overrated transfer from Colorado.

This game put that talk to bed.

He was so good that a pair of Rutgers players inadvertently tackled each other as they tried to catch up to him near the end zone on a 65-yard touchdown run. He also caught a pass in the flats and took it 26 yards for a touchdown. For good measure, he put the Wildcats ahead in the fourth quarter with a 36-yard touchdown run.

Those big plays enabled K-State to rally from a 34-17 deficit midway through the third quarter and leave Phoenix with a memorable come-from-behind victory.

Edwards was at his best as a home-run hitter, so it was fitting this game was played inside a baseball stadium. Rutgers could not stop him, let alone slow him down.

“I’m really happy for the kid,” K-State offensive lineman Hadley Panzer said. “Obviously, there was a point in the season where some might say that he was in a slump, but I think he was just waiting for his time. Today that we saw that. He did a hell of a job.”

Giddens was one of the best running backs in school history. It will be interesting to see what he can accomplish in the NFL. But K-State has another runner ready to take his place in Edwards.

He proved himself in this bowl game.