We’ve been so used to Snyder teams doing all the little stuff right to win when the Cats are outgained and outplayed. Now, it’s clear (horrendous record in close games) that this staff is capable of doing the exact opposite.
2 of the last 3 games we have seen our Cats be clearly better than the opponent. We saw more energy, more speed, and better play out of the gates. However, we see penalties and TOs and the inability to finish off teams that want to quit.
An eye-opening display of poor coaching has cost us 2 games. Just crazy bad.
Snatching Defeat from The Jaws of Victory
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ksustars754
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tmcats
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we shouldn't discount the loss of both starting linebackers the past two games. this has been a tough year for k-state football after such a promising start in conference play.
"What is your fair share of what someone else has worked for?" Sowell
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KITNooga
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and two starting 0-linemen. not to mention the elephant in the room: Starting upperclassman QB out due to injury.
these aren't excuses. but they surely ought to result in at least a MODICUM of tempered fan expectations...
unless of course, it's just all excuses to start the coaching beat down?
If you have to be persuaded, reminded, pressured, lied to, incentivized, coerced, bullied, socially shamed, guilt-tripped, threatened, punished and criminalized...you can be absolutely certain that what is being promoted is not in your best interest
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AJcat7755
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Although I think Fletcher and Green have played well. Baylor had 15 yards rushing by a RB with Brewer getting an extra 56.
Green - 13 total tackles. 7 solo tackles. 1.5 sacks. 2.5 TFL. 1 pass defended
Fletcher - 8 total tackles. 4 solo tackles. 1.5 sacks. 1.5 TFL. 1 QBH
Those 2 led the team on defense.
The defensive struggles haven't been as much at the LB spot as it has been in the secondary IMO. KSU shut down Baylor's run game. The problem came in the 2nd half when Baylor started moving their QB around to negate a pass rush, they got the ball out quick, and they used a lot of underneath and slant passing which the KSU 2ndary had no response to. The lack of depth in the 2ndary has been a big problem because the players out there are not the best options and/or are getting worn down because they are playing too many minutes. There was a lot of zone being played in the 2ndary and it was getting picked apart. When they tried to go man, DBs were getting beat so they would instead leave larger cushions and then miss tackles.
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tmcats
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the team is way better with hughes and sullivan. the season has been so 2020 on so many levels. 
"What is your fair share of what someone else has worked for?" Sowell
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pulitzerdave
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IMO, the feeble kick return on our final possession was crucial in contributing to our loss. Field position is not only strategically important, but it provides a mental boost of confidence as the offense starts those first 3 downs.
The kick off before, you'll recall, was run out to our 40 yard line. We scored EASILY from that position on the field. Yes, the circumstances were different, and there wasn't quite as much pressure, but having that kind of "breathing room" is also more ideal for play calling. Having that much field behind you makes you less cautious about making mistakes.
With another good kick return, we would have won the game. Their defense knew we were going to run low risk running plays from inside our 20 yard line. That's exactly what we did, because in late game scenarios, that's what KSU does. That's why we are not winning close games, and melting down at the end. We don't take necessary risks, and are afraid to to do. Klieman was lamenting about our inability to close out games, but that's on him, not the players. We aren't good enough to line up and plow ahead for first downs when the other team knows we're going to run off tackle.
And yes, we got a great 51-yard punt to get us out of the hole we were in, but think about how much more difficult their task would have been if we had kicked from the 35 or 40.
That kick-off return set the stage for the loss. It might seem like a little thing, but it facilitated a poor start and a psychological barrier for a team that had been blowing 4th quarter leads all season.
The kick off before, you'll recall, was run out to our 40 yard line. We scored EASILY from that position on the field. Yes, the circumstances were different, and there wasn't quite as much pressure, but having that kind of "breathing room" is also more ideal for play calling. Having that much field behind you makes you less cautious about making mistakes.
With another good kick return, we would have won the game. Their defense knew we were going to run low risk running plays from inside our 20 yard line. That's exactly what we did, because in late game scenarios, that's what KSU does. That's why we are not winning close games, and melting down at the end. We don't take necessary risks, and are afraid to to do. Klieman was lamenting about our inability to close out games, but that's on him, not the players. We aren't good enough to line up and plow ahead for first downs when the other team knows we're going to run off tackle.
And yes, we got a great 51-yard punt to get us out of the hole we were in, but think about how much more difficult their task would have been if we had kicked from the 35 or 40.
That kick-off return set the stage for the loss. It might seem like a little thing, but it facilitated a poor start and a psychological barrier for a team that had been blowing 4th quarter leads all season.
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katlander
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Pick 'Em
2It does feel like this staff is not as adept at winning close games as Bill Snyder and his crew. But Bill also seemed to really push the limits on playing it safe. As mentioned earlier this has been a tough year. Maybe we should be patient and give our guys the benefit of the doubt.
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iowa_wildcat
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You can make Mess the whipping boy but he did not lose the game. Have you considered that he may not have chosen the QB and was trying to call plays the QB could execute? There is also no guarantees the QB ran certain plays as called. How would you like to be the OC when the QB play is that bad? You must admit that it shortens your deck considerably.
