Kansas State Football: 3 Positives from ugly loss to Oklahoma

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Kansas State football fans have to be scratching their heads after the loss to No. 19 Oklahoma, but there were some good things to take out of the game.

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Kansas State football (3-3, 1-2 Big 12) had a two-game winning streak on the road against Oklahoma (4-2, 3-0 Big 12), and the feeling was that the Wildcats’ defense could help pull off a third straight road win in the series.

The feeling was incredibly wrong.

The Sooners, led by quarterback Baker Mayfield, scored touchdowns on their first three drives of the game to take a 21-7 lead, and they never looked back. It was a long afternoon to watch if you were a Kansas State fan.

Oklahoma racked up 510 total yards, and Mayfield threw four touchdown passes against a Kansas State secondary who looked timid and lost for most of the day.

But despite the lopsided score and the abundance of yardage given up by the once-dominant K-State defense, it wasn’t all bad. Yes, there are some positive things to pull from this game.

You can’t make an omelette without breaking some eggs, so we’ll just look at this as another step towards a delicious western breakfast treat.

Oct 15, 2016; Norman, OK, USA; Kansas State Wildcats quarterback Joe Hubener (8) passes the ball against the Oklahoma Sooners during the second quarter at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Joe Hubener Looks Capable

Starting quarterback Jesse Ertz left the game with an injury in the second quarter, making way for Joe Hubener to come in and keep things together.

While playing your backup QB against a team like Oklahoma is never the optimal thing, Hubener substituted quite nicely, going 12 of 23 for 157 yards and one touchdown. He didn’t turn the ball over, didn’t make any big mental mistakes, and kept a couple of drives going at crucial times.

Hubener doesn’t possess the strong run skills that you get from Ertz, but it was obvious that he’s been working hard on his accuracy and pre-snap reads. It’s still Ertz’s job to lose, but fans can feel a little more comfortable if Hubener needs to come in down the road.

It even makes you wonder if a two-quarterback system based on down and distance might be employed in the future by coach Snyder.

Oct 15, 2016; Norman, OK, USA; Kansas State Wildcats head coach Bill Snyder discusses a call with an official in action against the Oklahoma Sooners during the third quarter at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Strong Special Teams

With so many teams around the country having issues on special teams, particularly in the kicking game, it’s good to see the Wildcats playing some solid football in that phase of the game.

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Kick coverage was very good all day (longest KO return allowed was 37 yards) and kicker Matthew McCrane was perfect on extra point attempts and one field goal.

Byron Pringle continued to shine on kick returns, bringing one for 59 yards that he was a footstep shy of breaking for a score.

Punter Nick Walsh got a lot of work with some of the offensive struggles the Wildcats had, punting six times for a 42.3 yard per punt average.

Special teams won’t always win games for you, but they sure are able to lose them if not coached properly. The Sooners are known for creating turnovers on special teams and making short fields for themselves, and neither happened against Kansas State.

Oct 15, 2016; Norman, OK, USA; Kansas State Wildcats quarterback Jesse Ertz (16) eludes tackles by Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Ogbonnia Okoronkwo (31) and Oklahoma Sooners defensive tackle Jordan Wade (93) during the second quarter at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Defense Still Shows Promise

By the end of the first half, the Kansas State defense had given up 24 points and 275 yards to the Sooners. By that time, all Bill Snyder and his staff could do was figure out how to stop the bleeding, and for the most part they did.

The defense stepped up and made life a little more difficult for the Sooners, although there was still no pass rush to make Baker Mayfield think twice about dropping back.

The 3-step drop quick passes burned the Wildcats badly in the first half, and the necessary adjustments were made to limit the big gainers on those plays.

This was by far the toughest offense Kansas State has faced to date, and they still managed to keep it close enough for the Wildcats to be in it late had the offense been able to break through a tough Oklahoma defense.

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It was also a game which can prepare them for next week’s home matchup against Texas, who also possess the ability to get the ball downfield in a hurry.