Cats Close Non-Conference Play by Hosting Tulane

By K-State Athletics Release September 12, 2022

Game 3
Tulane vs. rv/rv K-State

Date: Saturday, September 17, 2022

Kickoff: 2 p.m.

Location: Manhattan, Kan.

Stadium: Bill Snyder Family Stadium (50,000)

Series: Tulane leads, 1-0

TV: Big 12 Now on ESPN+ (watch)

Mark Neely (Play-by-Play)

Todd Doxson (Analyst)

Shane Sparks (Sidelines)

Radio: K-State Sports Network; k-statesports.com (Listen)

            Wyatt Thompson (Play-by-Play)

            Stan Weber (Analyst)

            Matt Walters (Sidelines)

SiriusXM Satellite Radio Ch. 200, SXM App 954

Twitter Updates: @KStateFB

THE TOP 5
1) Following a dominating win over longtime conference foe Missouri, K-State wraps up the non-conference portion of its schedule on Saturday as Tulane visits Manhattan for a 2 p.m. matchup on Big 12 Now. It will be the second meeting between the two schools and the first time ever in Manhattan as Tulane took the first meeting, 20-16, in New Orleans back in the 1988 season.

2) Coming off a Consensus All-America season, running back Deuce Vaughn has picked up right where he left off, rushing for a Big 12-best 271 yards and three touchdowns through two games. He has eight straight games with more than 100 rushing yards, which ranks second in school history to Darren Sproles, who had a 10-game streak spanning over the 2002 and 2003 seasons.

3) A transfer from Nebraska, Adrian Martinez has earned the start at quarterback in each game as he became the first signal caller to start a season opener after transferring from a Division I school since Matt Miller (Texas A&M) started the 1994 opener. However, he is the first ever to come straight from one Division I school and start the next year’s season opener as Miller redshirted the 1993 season.

4) With seven returning starters on defense a year ago, the Wildcats have been stellar through two games, allowing just 6.0 points per game, 246.0 total yards per game while also forcing five interceptions in two games. This week, the Cats rank third in passing defense, fourth in red zone defense, fifth in scoring defense and interceptions, 15th in total defense and 16th in turnover margin.

5) Known for its special teams prowess, K-State brings back both of its primary returners in Malik Knowles (kickoffs) and Phillip Brooks (punts), each of whom have garnered All-America status in their disciplines during their careers. In two games, the Cats have recorded two punt return scores – one coming via a blocked punt and the other on a 76-yard return from Brooks.

STATISTICAL SPOTLIGHTS
531 – Rushing yards in the first two games this season, which ranks first in the Big 12 and sixth in the nation.

19.0 – Points allowed per game since last season and after the switch to a 3-3-5 defensive alignment.

9 – Consecutive games with a rushing TD by Deuce Vaughn, the longest streak by a Wildcat since Collin Klein in 2012 (12).

8 – Consecutive 100-yard rushing games by Deuce Vaughn, the second-longest streak in school history (Darren Sproles, 10).

5 – Interceptions this season by the K-State defense, the most by the Wildcats in the first two games of a season since 2000.

TEAM NOTES
NON-CONFERENCE NOTABLES

  • Since 1990, K-State holds a 94-18 (83.9%) record in regular-season non-conference games, including an 80-8 (90.9%) mark at home.
  • The Wildcats are going for their 18th perfect regular season non-conference ledger over that span and their unblemished mark at home on for the 25th time.

    A WINNING TRADITION

  • Kansas State has been one of the best Big 12 teams since the inception of the conference in 1996. The Wildcats are third with 128 victories, trailing only Oklahoma and Texas.
  • The Wildcats also rank third in the conference in winning percentage since round-robin play began in 2011. They sit at 57.6% (57-42), trailing only Oklahoma (81.6%; 81-18) and Oklahoma State (66.7%; 66-33).
  • During that stretch, the Wildcats are 32-18 (64.0%) at home in Big 12 play and 25-24 (51.0%) on the road.


AMONG THE NATION’S BEST

  • K-State has 205 wins since 1996, tying for 24th (with Oklahoma State) among all FBS teams. The Wildcats are one of just 25 schools to reach the 200-win mark over the last 26 seasons.
  • Among current Big 12 teams, the Wildcats rank fourth behind Oklahoma (258), Texas (222) and TCU (213).
  • More recently, the Wildcats rank 26th in wins among current Power 5 teams since 2010 with 95.


POSTSEASON PROMINENCE

  • K-State has a strong postseason history, going to a bowl game 22 times since 1993, including 10 times in the last 12 years.
  • K-State’s 22 bowl trips since 1993 rank fourth among current Big 12 teams.
  • In an era when over 80 teams play in a bowl game each year, the Cats are one of just 25 Power 5 teams to play in a bowl game 10 times in the last 12 years.

WINNING THE FINAL FRAME

  • Kansas State was strong in the fourth quarter of games in 2021, as the Wildcats outscored their opponents, 112-56.
  • The 56-point difference was the second highest in the Big 12 last season, while it was the most by a Wildcat squad since the 2012 team held an 80-point difference (152-72).
  • The Wildcats won 10 of their 13 fourth quarters in 2021. The only three they did not were against Oklahoma State (0-0), Baylor (3-0) and Texas (3-0).
  • So far this year, the Wildcats are plus-8 in fourth quarters against South Dakota (0-0) and Missouri (14-6).

A WINNING HISTORY

  • A proven winner with a championship history, Chris Klieman holds a 94-29 career record, as his 76.4% career winning percentage ranks fourth among current FBS coaches that have led programs for at least nine years.
  • Klieman, who is 22-16 since arriving at K-State, came to Manhattan after capping his five-year stint as head coach at North Dakota State by winning his fourth national championship in 2018. He guided the 2018 Bison to a perfect 15-0 record.

BETTER DISCIPLINE

  • K-State was one of the least penalized teams in the nation over the final few weeks of the 2021 regular season, as the Cats totaled only four penalties (1.3 per game) for 41 yards (13.7 yards per game) over their final three regular-season games.
  • Entering the final three contests – which began against West Virginia – K-State ranked 77th nationally and ninth in the Big 12 in fewest penalties per game. However, the Wildcats concluded the regular season ranked 34th nationally (43-spot jump) and fourth in the Big 12 (five-spot jump).
  • To open up 2022, K-State had just four penalties for 34 yards but had eight for 68 against Missouri.

TAKING CARE OF THE BALL

  • Another staple of K-State football over the past decade has been committing very few turnovers, as the Wildcats rank third nationally among current Power 5 teams since 2012 in fewest turnovers per game at 1.21.
  • That figure leads the Big 12 as the Wildcats’ 155 total turnovers over the last 11-plus seasons are 12 better than the next closest program (Oklahoma, 167).
  • So far this season, the Wildcats are plus-5 in turnover margin with five picks over the first two games while committing no turnovers.

CATS TOPS IN NON-OFFENSIVE TDs

  • K-State is the nation’s best in non-offensive touchdowns over the last 23 seasons as it has 128 since 1999, 10 more than the next closest team.
  • Kansas State tallied three non-offensive scores in 2021 as Malik Knowles returned a kickoff for a touchdown at Oklahoma State and against Oklahoma, and Marvin Martin returned a block punt for a score against West Virginia.
  • The Wildcats already have two non-offensive scores this year as Seth Porter blocked that was returned for a score by Desmond Purnell against South Dakota, while Phillip Brooks took a punt 76 yards for a score against Missouri.

OFFENSIVE NOTES
KLEIN TAKES OVER AS OC

  • A 2012 Heisman Trophy finalist and one of the best signal callers in school history, Collin Klein is in his first season as K-State’s offensive coordinator.
  • Klein is one of just four Power 5 offensive coordinators to play quarterback at the school in which they work. The other three are Brandon Streeter (Clemson), Tommy Rees (Notre Dame) and Tavita Pritchard (Stanford).
  • Klein was promoted to interim offensive coordinator for the TaxAct Texas Bowl, and all he did was direct the Wildcats to 42 points – their highest output of the season and third highest in school bowl history – while their 442 yards of total offense was the second-best output of the 2021 season and ranked fifth in K-State bowl history.
  • Klein was a co-offensive coordinator for one season at K-State (2018), as he begins a run as the Wildcats’ sole offensive play caller for the first time in his career.

OFF AND RUNNING
• K-State has opened the season with 532 rushing yards, as the Wildcats rank seventh nationally through two weeks.

  • K-State opened the season with 297 yards on the ground against South Dakota, which included Malik Knowles’ 75-yard touchdown run on the first play of the season.
  • The 297 yards on the ground were the most by a Wildcat team since recording 342 in the 2019 KU game, while it is the first time they had at least 230 rushing yards in consecutive games since the final two games of 2020.
  • Knowles’ score 10 seconds into the game was the fastest score in school history. It topped an 11-second score against Louisiana Tech in 1988.

    POINTS PER GAME GOING UP?
    • One area in which K-State may improve this season in points per game. The Wildcats averaged 27.5 points per game in 2021, but they have two of the top scorers in the nation on their roster.

  • Running back Deuce Vaughn currently ranks first nationally among all active non-kickers in career points per game (8.0), while quarterback Adrian Martinez is fifth (5.6).
  • K-State opened the season with 34 points against South Dakota and 40 against Missouri, both of which included rushing touchdowns by both players.

AN EXPERIENCED QB
• One of the top transfer quarterbacks in the 2022 cycle landed at Kansas State in Adrian Martinez, who spent the previous four seasons at Nebraska.

  • A career 38-game starter for the Huskers, Martinez set 17 school records, including career total offense (10,792) and completions (670).
  • Martinez is one of only two active quarterbacks in the nation with 8,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in a career. He ranks second among active quarterbacks in career rushing attempts (534), rushing touchdowns (37) and rushing yards (2,392) by a quarterback, and fourth in total offense (11,037).

MIX OF NEW AND OLD
• The blueprint for success has been established for the offensive line under coach Conor Riley since he came to Manhattan with Chris Klieman in 2019. That should make for a smooth transition for three new starters in 2022.

  • Junior Cooper Beebe, a 2021 First Team All-Big 12 performer who is a Preseason All-American and on the watch lists for the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award, is back started the season at left guard, but he can still play tackle.
  • Another seasoned veteran lines up at right tackle in Christian Duffie, a player who has started 22-consecutive games for the Wildcats, the most on the team.
  • However, K-State is replacing the interior of the offensive line. Senior Hayden Gillum started at center, while sophomore Hadley Panzer is listed as the starter at right guard.

VAUGHN RETURNS AFTER ALL-AMERICAN SEASON
• One of the top returning players in all of college football by multiple media outlets, running back Deuce Vaughn is looking to improve upon his 2021 campaign in which he became the 11th Consensus All-American in school history.

  • A product of Round Rock, Texas, Vaughn is one of just six Consensus All-Americans returning from last season, joining Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, USC wide receiver Jordan Addison, Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr., Michigan kicker Jake Moody and USF returner Brian Battie.
  • Vaughn, who earned First Team All-America honors by the Associated Press and Sporting News, currently ranks first nationally among all active non-kickers in career points scored per game (8.0), second among active players in career all-purpose yards per game (134.21), fourth in rushing yards per carry (5.8) and sixth in total touchdowns (32).
  • A threat virtually every time he touches the ball, Vaughn has gone for at least 10 yards on 99 of his 476 career scrimmage touches as he is gaining at least 10 yards 20.8% of the time he either takes a hand off or receives a pass.

ALL-PURPOSE BACK
• The high career marks by Deuce Vaughn are not only due to his prowess as a runner, but he has been one of the best running backs in the nation in terms of catching the ball out of the backfield.

  • Over the first 25 games of his career, Vaughn has 2,317 rushing yards and 908 receiving yards. With 92 more receiving yards, he will be just the 59th FBS player overall since 1996 to reach the 2,000/1,000 mark and just the 10th from the Big 12.
  • However, Vaughn could be one of the fastest players to hit the marks in terms of games played.
  • Additionally, he would be just the second Big 12 player to hit those marks prior to the end of his junior year, joining former Texas Tech running back Taurean Henderson.

VAUGHN ON A HOT STREAK

  • Deuce Vaughn enters this weekend with an eight-game streak of 100-yard rushing games dating back to last season, which is the second-longest streak in school history. Darren Sproles held a 10-game streak that spanned the last part of the 2002 season and the first part of 2003.
  • Additionally, Vaughn has a rushing touchdown in each of the last nine games, which ranks as the fifth-longest streak in school history. It is the longest streak by a Wildcat since current offensive coordinator, then-quarterback Collin Klein had one in the final 12 games of his career.

DEFENSIVE NOTES
A BIG TURNAROUND
• The K-State defense switched from a four-man front to a three-man front in 2021, and the change paid off in spades as the Wildcats trimmed 11.2 points and 100.0 yards per game allowed off their averages from the year prior.

  • Those categories were just some of the major improvements from years past.

SO FAR IN 2022
• The Cats have kept up that trend in 2022, giving up only 12 total points in two games while forcing five interceptions.

  • K-State ranks fifth in the nation and tops in the Big 12 in scoring defense over the first two games of the season. The Wildcats have also allowed just  246.0 yards per game, ranking 15th in the nation and second in the league.
  • The Cats recorded four interceptions on four straight possessions against Missouri, the first time they accomplished that feat since the 2010 Texas game when Tysyn Hartman and Ty Zimmerman each picked off two passes on four-consecutive drives.

FEWER EXPLOSIVES
• One area of emphasis for the Wildcat defense in 2021 was to limit opponents’ explosive plays, and the Wildcats made headway in that area by allowing 3.5 plays per game of 20 or more yards.

  • It was the lowest per game mark allowed by K-State since the 2014 squad surrendered 3.3 plays per game of 20 or more yards (43 plays in 13 games).
  • K-State’s 48 total plays allowed of 20 or more yards last year tied for the 18th fewest in the nation last season and ranked second in the Big 12.
  • The Wildcats have allowed just three plays of 20 or more yards this year (2 by South Dakota, 1 by Missouri), as they are tied for fifth in the nation.

FEW FIRST DOWNS
• The Wildcats also ranked highly in the nation last season in fewest first downs allowed, surrendering 17.9 per game to rank 20th in the nation.

  • K-State allowed 20 or fewer first downs in 10 of its 13 games in 2021, including five contests with 15 or fewer.
  • It was the second time under head coach Chris Klieman that K-State ranked in the top 20 in that category having placed 17th at 17.2 first downs allowed per game in 2019.
  • Since the NCAA made first downs an official statistic in 2008, the Wildcats have only been under 20 first downs allowed per game on four occasions.
  • K-State has allowed 27 first downs this year to rank 15th in the nation.

PLAYING BEHIND THE LINE
• K-State tallied 90 tackles for loss last year to rank 10th in school history and 26th in the nation. It was the second most by a K-State team since 2004 (2006 squad had 91) and was the Wildcats’ best national ranking since placing 18th in 2006.

  • K-State has recorded 10.0 TFLs against both South Dakota and Missouri to start the 2022 season.
  • It is the first time the Cats had 10 or more TFLs in consecutive games since carding 10 apiece against Miami and North Texas in 2012.

FINDING A NEW HOME

  • K-State brought in eight transfers from either Division I or community college on the defensive side of the ball, including six that could see significant time early in the season.
  • Transfers that are listed on the initial depth chart include safeties Drake Cheatum (Prairie View A&M), Josh Hayes (Virginia/North Dakota State) and Kobe Savage (Tyler JC), linebackers Gavin Forsha (Tyler JC) and Shawn Robinson (Missouri/TCU), and cornerback Jordan Wright (Fullerton College).

KING FELIX
• After making a name for himself in 2021, junior defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah is looking to improve off an All-American campaign in which he was also named the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year.

  • A Preseason All-American by multiple outlets in addition to being named to the Nagurski Trophy, Bednarik Award and Lombardi Award watch lists, Anudike-Uzomah finished the 2021 season tied for the national lead in forced fumble per game (0.46), while he ranked 11th nationally and second among sophomores in sacks per game (0.85).
  • Anudike-Uzomah has seven forced fumbles in his career, just two shy of tying the school record.
  • A product of Kansas City, Missouri, Anudike-Uzomah is tied for the national lead among active player in career forced fumbles per game (0.35), while he is sixth in sacks per game (0.68).
  • After carding 1.5 sacks so far this season, Anudike-Uzomah is now 5.0 sacks shy of entering K-State’s career top-10 list.

GREEN MEANS GO
• Linebacker Daniel Green is back for his senior season after leading the team in both tackles (89) and tackles for loss (16.0) last year en route to All-Big 12 honors.

  • He ranked 18th nationally and fourth in the Big 12 with 5.3 solo tackles per game last season. He also finished eighth in the Big 12 with 6.85 tackles per game, the highest ranking by a Wildcat since 2017.
  • During the 2021 season, Green totaled at least nine tackles five times, including a season high 11 against Baylor.
  • Green now has 169 career tackles, which is 81 shy of becoming the 27th player in school history with 250 career stops. He would be the first one to accomplish that feat since 2014.
  • Of his 169 career tackles, 121 are solo stops as he is 48 shy of entering the school’s top-10 list.

OLD FACE, NEW PLACE
• Safety Josh Hayes is in his sixth year of college football and third school after transferring in the spring from Virginia.

  • However, Hayes, a product of Lakeland, Florida, is reuniting with head coach Chris Klieman and defensive coordinator/safeties coach Joe Klanderman in Manhattan after the trio were together at North Dakota State. Hayes played as a true freshman and sophomore in 2017 and 2018 under Klieman before he became the K-State head coach for the 2019 season.
  • Hayes saw time in all 15 games in 2017, including his first-career start in NDSU’s national championship win over James Madison.
  • He went on to play 37 more games with 24 more starts for the Bison before transferring to Virginia for the 2021 season, playing in three games before utilizing his redshirt and transferring to K-State.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
SCORING IN THE THIRD PHASE
• One of the main reasons the Wildcats have been a successful program the last three decades is a knack for momentum-swinging plays in the return game.

  • Since 2005 (17-plus seasons), the Wildcats have a combined 60 kickoff- and punt-return touchdowns, 23 more than second-place Alabama (37) and 28 more than the next closest Big 12 team (Oklahoma State – 32).
  • Of the 60 total returns, a nation-leading 31 are on kickoff returns. The next closest team is San Diego State with 19.
  • With the Wildcats’ two punt-return touchdowns to begin the 2022 season, K-State has now tallied a punt-return score in every season since 2014, as the 10-year stretch is the longest in school history.

BACK TO BACK
• Desmond Purnell returned a blocked punt for a touchdown against South Dakota, while Phillip Brooks returned one 76 yards for a score against Missouri.

  • It was the first time the Wildcats had punt-return scores in consecutive games since 2008 against Texas Tech and Texas A&M, while it was the first time they had one in each of the first two games of a season since 1998 against Indiana State and Northern Illinois.

BROOKS BACK IN THE END ZONE
• Phillip Brooks recorded his fourth-career punt-return touchdown against Missouri, a 76-yarder en route to Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week honors.

  • He now leads the nation among active players in career punt-return score and punt-return average (17.7), while he is eighth in total punt-return yards (549).
  • His four punt-return touchdowns rank second in school history and is tied for fourth in Big 12 history.

KNOWLES WITH A KNACK
• Malik Knowles is the latest Wildcat with a knack for kickoff returns as he was a 2021 Second Team All-American by Phil Steele and a 2022 Preseason All-American by multiple outlets.

  • Knowles was the 2021 First Team All-Big 12 kick returner, marking the 15th time in the 26-year history of the Big 12 that K-State had a First Team All-Big 12 returner. The next closest team is former Big 12 member Colorado with four.
  • Knowles is tied for fourth in school history in both career and single-season kickoff return touchdowns, thanks to scores last year in back-to-back weeks at Oklahoma State and against Oklahoma.
  • Knowles, who also had a 100-yard return in 2019 at Mississippi State, is tied for second nationally among active players with three career kickoff-return scores.
  • Knowles currently ranks ranked fourth in school history in career kickoff-return average and touchdowns, while he is tied for second nationally among active players in touchdowns and ranks third in average.

ZENTNER BACK FOR SENIOR SEASON
• Another All-Big 12 performer returns at punter, as Ty Zentner is taking advantage of a second senior season in 2022.

  • Zentner qualified for the school’s career top-10 list for punting average last week with his 75th career punt. The Topeka, Kansas, native now ranks third in school history with a 43.03-yard punting average in his career.
  • Zentner was also the Wildcats’ primary kickoff man last year, totaling 36 touchbacks on his 67 kickoffs (53.7%), the most by a Wildcat since at least 2004.