Kansas State Football: Back to Kansas State Football?

Sometimes, to get to where you want to go, you need to look back and figure out how you arrived at your current location. That’s where I see this Kansas State football program. They need to look backwards to move forward.

Programs and coaches have an identity. When a team drifts from that identity, bad things happen. Chris Klieman decided to try to move the program away from his and Kansas State’s established identity, and you’re witnessing the less-than-stellar results.

On offense, the change is apparent. This is the first Chris Klieman team built around skill positions, rather than the offensive line, but don’t take my word for it, take a look at a couple key PFF grades over the Klieman era, starting in 2021.

2021

Run Block: 75.3

Run: 91.5

2022

Run Block: 65.9

Run: 92

2023

Run Block: 70.9

Run: 92

2024

Run Block: 68.5

Run: 90.6

2025

Run Block: 61.3

Run: 67.2

Kansas State and Chris Klieman built their teams around strong offensive line play and an elite run game, but this is the worst post-COVID run-blocking and running team in the Klieman era, and it’s not particularly close. If this team wants to rebound after the off week, this is where they have the most room for growth. Fixing the run game fixes a multitude of issues for both the offense and defense.

First and foremost, it would address the massive third-down problem that has been an anchor on both the offense and defense. Let’s take a look at how the Klieman ‘Cats have done on third-down post-COVID.

2021

Attempts: 146

Conversions: 64

Percentage: 44%

National Ranking: 30

2022

Attempts: 195

Conversions: 76

Percentage: 39%

National Ranking: 70

2023

Attempts: 188

Conversions: 90

Percentage: 48%

National Ranking: 11

2024

Attempts: 170

Conversions: 70

Percentage: 41%

National Ranking: 62

2025

Attempts: 48

Conversions: 15

Percentage: 31%

National Ranking: 120

It’s interesting that the second-worst team, in terms of third-down percentage, is the 2022 team, but Deuce and DJ helped mitigate that issue with 27 runs over 15 yards.

This season, Joe Jackson and Avery Johnson both have one run of over 15 yards. If you’re keeping track of the math, the 2022 team averaged 1.8 rushes over 15 yards. This team is averaging .5. If you can’t stay on the field, you need a more explosive offense.

The 2025 team’s offense pairs 3rd down futility with a lack of explosive plays. That’s a recipe for disaster, and not surprisingly, Kansas State’s season is a disaster. I don’t think I need to go much further into the analysis. Whatever else is going on with the offense is secondary to the run game’s futility, because running the ball is both Chris Klieman and Kansas State’s identity. If the ‘Cats want to be a pass-oriented team, Klieman would not be my choice for a head coach. I think he’s exceptional at assembling a hard-nosed, run-first team, but why employ a coach who built his reputation on running the ball if you want to pass the ball?

Would you hire Lincoln Riley if you wanted a run first team?

Would you hire Jeff Monken if you wanted a pass first team?

I wouldn’t. If I hired Lincoln Riley, I would expect Lincoln Riley to throw the ball around the field, because that’s the type of game Lincoln is good at coaching. If I hired Jeff Monken, I would expect him to run the option because that’s the type of game he knows how to coach.

I contend that all the questionable coaching decisions Klieman has made this season stem directly from the fact that he built a team out of his comfort zone, in terms of coaching. He’s trying to coach a pass-first squad built around the skill set of a slight, and apparently running adverse quarterback, and frankly, he’s not good at it. This is coming from one of the biggest Klieman sunshine pumpers on the internet. I like Klieman, I want him to succeed. I think he’s the right man for the job at Kansas State, but he needs to get back to playing Kansas State football.

Here are the changes I want to see against UCF on Saturday

• Put your best five run blockers on the offensive line.

I don’t know what that looks like, but it doesn’t include Taylor Poitier. I’ve also been a Poitier stan over the last decade, but PFF’s run block grade of 52.6 tracks with what I see on film. Taylor’s fine in the zone blocking scheme, when he’s asked to use his feet and either block down or climb to the second level, but when he’s been asked to block in Kansas State’s gap blocking scheme, he’s been awful. He doesn’t have the power to move people, and that’s his job in the gap blocking scheme. It’s time to try something else on the interior because playing Poitier and Hecht next to each other isn’t generating enough push.

• If Avery refuses to run, put him on the bench.

This team is supposed to be built around Avery Johnson’s dual-threat ability. If he’s not going to be a dual threat, he’s not consistent enough to be a pocket passer. I’m not even talking about called quarterback runs (but I will shortly). I’m talking about the multiple running opportunities Avery has straight up turned down when he scrambles.

Bad things happen when Avery decides to freelance with his arm.

Good things happen when Avery freelances with his legs.

Chris Klieman and Matt Wells need to stop trying to show that they can turn Avery into an NFL quarterback and start winning football games. There’s no “saving him for the end of the season.” If he can’t hold up to 10+ runs a game, he’s not the type of quarterback capable of winning at Kansas State. Maybe his arm is good enough to win with elite talent, but it’s not good enough to win with the current talent on Kansas State.

Speaking of Matt Wells…

• I don’t think Klieman will make an in-season move, but I think it’s warranted.

This goes back to fit, and it’s all on Klieman for hiring an offensive coordinator that doesn’t fit the program. The hire never sat right with me from the start. I look at what he did at Texas Tech, and it’s not what Kansas State has been successful with in the past.

2019 Texas Tech

Passes / Game – 44

Runs / Game – 34

2020 Texas Tech

Passes / Game – 40

Runs / Game – 34

2021 Texas Tech

Passes / Game – 30

Run / Game – 33

Keep in mind, Tyler Shough’s injury in the fourth game of the season changed the game plan for Texas Tech. Also, keep in mind that Wells was fired eight games into the season because he lost a 24-10 halftime led to the Wildcats.

Furthermore, Avery is the first dual-threat quarterback Wells has coached, to the best of my knowledge. He had Jordan Love at Utah State, but Love averaged 2.4 yards per attempt with Wells running the offense. If you coach Avery Johnson like he’s Jordan Love, you’re not going to win many games because Avery Johnson’s elite skill set is his speed and athletic ability, and Love’s is his arm strength and vision.

I don’t particularly blame Matt Wells for calling plays the way he has always called plays. When you hire Matt Wells as your offensive coordinator, you get a passing offense. If you don’t have the players to make that offense work, it’s going to be a struggle. Maybe things look different with a healthy Dylan Edwards, Lincoln Cure, and George Fitzpatrick, but that’s almost part of the problem. I don’t think this offense works without Dylan Edwards, and Dylan Edwards hasn’t been able to stay healthy throughout his career.

Wells needs to shrink the playbook down to the size of an index card and focus on getting the ground game working. If that happens, maybe he can expand it to a bigger index card in the next game.

This team needs to think less and play more, and that goes double for the supposed star quarterback, head coach, and offensive coordinator. This entire season, starting with the ill-conceived idea of selling a home game and completely disrupting the carefully planned schedule, has felt too clever-by-half, and I don’t think “clever” is Coach Klieman’s calling card.

I want to see Kansas State get back to playing football like the Kansas State I’ve come to enjoy over the last several seasons. The players are still on the roster. It’s not like it could make things worse at this point.