If you've never had the opportunity to watch a Bill Snyder press conference, please do. Like him or not, there's just something about it that makes the whole thing entertaining.
Kansas State kicks off the second year of the second Bill Snyder era and the first question on the docket surrounds a major injury to a key part of the team. Coach Snyder, you have the floor.
No, we prolonged it, and it's gotten too late. So we're going to have to put it off until after the season. So I'm still not sure whether we will or won't. Depends on whether I decide to go back to playing golf or not.
In case you weren't able to draw a conclusion from that, the surgery is what was prolonged and it was surgery to Snyder's knee. Just something that struck me as funny considering it was the first question from the media.
On to the business of football. The major question mark at Kansas State, just like many places at the moment is at quarterback. Bill Snyder did a magnificent job in shaping an offense a year ago that averaged the highest time of possession per game during conference play and he did that by playing ball control, line up and punch em in the face football.
If you weren't a believer in Snyder before last year, you should be now. Sure they finished just 6-6 and missed a bowl, but they went toe to toe with almost everyone they lined up against. Snyder's teams play hard, don't make many mistakes and they play to their strengths.
Still, the concerns at quarterback are looming large this year.
We'll go into the fall with three young guys competing for the number one position. I can't tell you that I have an answer in regards to who that individual might be. The positive aspect of that is that all three of them will diligently compete, and consequently I think that makes themselves and each other better. I honestly believe that. I also understand the downside.
But, nevertheless, it is what it is. We just do not have a clear-cut number one right now. The first snap that the quarterback will take with our number ones will be Carson Coffman. Came out of the spring not necessarily as the number one, but that individual will take the first rep, and then Collin Klein and Samuel Lamur, and all three of them, I think, will compete diligently. I think all three of them were better at the end of the spring than they were at the beginning.
Coffman, as you might recall, had a shot last year and it wasn't necessarily pretty.
And now...the understatement of the century.
in the past 20-some-odd years, we recruited community colleges, and that's been a source of young people for our program.
Nothing wrong with that at all, it's a strategy that pushed K-State to a level it had never seen before.
The last item of note from Snyder revolves around the two Thursday night games the team will play this year. Snyder is old school, I appreciate that, and he's not a fan of playing on any day but Saturday.
Thursday night ball games, it's part of the TV-driven direction that college football has gone. I think it's great for the
viewing audience. I can appreciate it in that respect.
I think for Kansas State, you know, considering where we're located and the distance that people have to come, it's not always my preference to do that. We have working-class people coming from western Kansas. It's pretty
hard for them to make a Thursday night game and get back for Friday workday. So weekends are probably a preference in that respect.
Top 5 things to watch for at K-State in 2010
- Daniel Thomas is now a known commodity, can he be as effective now that he'll be the focus?
- Are the Wildcats able to find a serviceable quarterback? They don't need a great one, look at 2009.
- UCLA and UCF. Solid non-conference opponents, key games for bowl eligibility.
- @North Texas on Thanksgiving Saturday? Bill cannot be happy about this one.
- Can Snyder continue the path of incredible turnaround #2? I'm not ready to doubt him. Are you?