A season like no other

[Acceleration Man]

After last Saturday's win over Tech, once again in dramatic fashion, I am at a lack to explain this season, this team, and their performance. Sure, okay -- we added Arthur Brown. Nigel Malone has been great. But consider that we also lost Brandon Harold and Bryce Brown, who did have some expectations attached to their names (okay, Harold maybe more hopes than expectation, but whatevs).

Every game it's pretty obvious that we're a pretty average team talent wise, with a couple notable exceptions here and there. No elite talent at this point, though, other than AB. As I see it, Miami, Baylor, Mizzou, and Tech, all have more overall talent on their rosters. Our offense is pretty one-dimensional and the defense has given up a lot of yards.

But somehow, we've won four games in a row, in which the opponent was favored. We've won at home. We've been just as solid on the road. We've won against teams with good defenses, teams with great offenses, a team on a hot streak. We've won with a halftime lead. We've won with a halftime deficit. We've won by protecting a lead. We've won by digging out of a hole. We've won with timely offensive production. We've won with a goal line stand. We've won by keeping the ball away from the other team. We've won by taking the ball away from the other team. We've fumbled about half a gazillion times, and the ball bounces back to us.

Yet, in each of the last four games, you look at the players on the field, and overall you say that the talent is greater on the team not wearing purple. These are games that, all things being equal, we have no business winning. I've observed K-State football for a long time. Never have I seen a K-State team do what this team is doing.

Is it a bravura performance by Snyder? The players buying in? Confidence, morale, and team unity? A defense with a little more talent and a lot more pride? A gritty QB that everyone wants to rally around? The answer is probably "yes" to some degree to all of these questions. Yet that does not sufficiently explain it. There may be only one word to describe it.

Magical.

[SabiNation]

 

[ew2x4]

Catmatt mojo.

[spnshinqsn]

Do you believe in magic? 

[Ira Hayes]

Our offense is pretty one-dimensional

Did you miss the third quarter of the Tech game?

[kso_FAN]

I've been trying to think of which Snyder teams would have won every game against last 4 opponents we've played. Granted, none of these teams are Top 10 or even Top 20 caliber, but all are solid opponents. 03 and 98 likley win all 4. Maybe 97, 99, 00, and 02, but only maybe. I don't think 93-96 win 4 straight against teams like these. This streak has been as fun as almost any I can remember because we are beating solid competition, at home and on the road.

[Cire]

I've been trying to think of which Snyder teams would have won every game against last 4 opponents we've played. Granted, none of these teams are Top 10 or even Top 20 caliber, but all are solid opponents. 03 and 98 likley win all 4. Maybe 97, 99, 00, and 02, but only maybe. I don't think 93-96 win 4 straight against teams like these. This streak has been as fun as almost any I can remember because we are beating solid competition, at home and on the road.

The Baylor and Tech wins are the most impressive IMO.  Those types of offenses have shredded us for the last 10 years.  It's amazing to see us contain them.

[Fldermaus]

I've been trying to think of which Snyder teams would have won every game against last 4 opponents we've played. Granted, none of these teams are Top 10 or even Top 20 caliber, but all are solid opponents. 03 and 98 likley win all 4. Maybe 97, 99, 00, and 02, but only maybe. I don't think 93-96 win 4 straight against teams like these. This streak has been as fun as almost any I can remember because we are beating solid competition, at home and on the road.

The Baylor and Tech wins are the most impressive IMO.  Those types of offenses have shredded us for the last 10 years. It's amazing to see us contain them.

The cats still aren't 'containing' these teams (>400 yrds, 35 pts), but the red zone defense has been pretty amazing and the improvement on D is substantial.  Not trying to dis this year's accomplishments, but those late 1990s defenses were another level of talent and productivity.
   

[SleepFighter]

I've been trying to think of which Snyder teams would have won every game against last 4 opponents we've played. Granted, none of these teams are Top 10 or even Top 20 caliber, but all are solid opponents. 03 and 98 likley win all 4. Maybe 97, 99, 00, and 02, but only maybe. I don't think 93-96 win 4 straight against teams like these. This streak has been as fun as almost any I can remember because we are beating solid competition, at home and on the road.

97 and 02 seem more likely than the 03 team that lost to Marshall, Texas, and OSU consecutively.  95 would too, IMO.

[doom]

I've been trying to think of which Snyder teams would have won every game against last 4 opponents we've played. Granted, none of these teams are Top 10 or even Top 20 caliber, but all are solid opponents. 03 and 98 likley win all 4. Maybe 97, 99, 00, and 02, but only maybe. I don't think 93-96 win 4 straight against teams like these. This streak has been as fun as almost any I can remember because we are beating solid competition, at home and on the road.

The Baylor and Tech wins are the most impressive IMO.  Those types of offenses have shredded us for the last 10 years.  It's amazing to see us contain them.

@miami too, especially to be on the road and stop Harris when he finally got going. 

[ArchE_Cat]

I've been trying to think of which Snyder teams would have won every game against last 4 opponents we've played. Granted, none of these teams are Top 10 or even Top 20 caliber, but all are solid opponents. 03 and 98 likley win all 4. Maybe 97, 99, 00, and 02, but only maybe. I don't think 93-96 win 4 straight against teams like these. This streak has been as fun as almost any I can remember because we are beating solid competition, at home and on the road.

The Baylor and Tech wins are the most impressive IMO.  Those types of offenses have shredded us for the last 10 years. It's amazing to see us contain them.

The cats still aren't 'containing' these teams (>400 yrds, 35 pts), but the red zone defense has been pretty amazing and the improvement on D is substantial.  Not trying to dis this year's accomplishments, but those late 1990s defenses were another level of talent and productivity.
   

The late 90's teams also didn't play against offenses that tried to do the same things schematically, so you can't make that comparison. Yes, those were better defenses, especially in talent, we also were running a different  base d then, so again apples to oranges.

"Containing" is a relative term. What you have to do with these spread formation pass happy systems is manipulate their system from a defensive scheme standpoint. You're going to give up yards with the talent we have, but you can still minimize their scoring efficiency, which is how we have "contained" them.

[Winters]

Catmatt  Winters mojo.

FYP.

[ChiComCat]

I've been trying to think of which Snyder teams would have won every game against last 4 opponents we've played. Granted, none of these teams are Top 10 or even Top 20 caliber, but all are solid opponents. 03 and 98 likley win all 4. Maybe 97, 99, 00, and 02, but only maybe. I don't think 93-96 win 4 straight against teams like these. This streak has been as fun as almost any I can remember because we are beating solid competition, at home and on the road.

The Baylor and Tech wins are the most impressive IMO.  Those types of offenses have shredded us for the last 10 years. It's amazing to see us contain them.

The cats still aren't 'containing' these teams (>400 yrds, 35 pts), but the red zone defense has been pretty amazing and the improvement on D is substantial.  Not trying to dis this year's accomplishments, but those late 1990s defenses were another level of talent and productivity.
   

The late 90's teams also didn't play against offenses that tried to do the same things schematically, so you can't make that comparison. Yes, those were better defenses, especially in talent, we also were running a different  base d then, so again apples to oranges.

"Containing" is a relative term. What you have to do with these spread formation pass happy systems is manipulate their system from a defensive scheme standpoint. You're going to give up yards with the talent we have, but you can still minimize their scoring efficiency, which is how we have "contained" them.

Isn't the whole point of our D the past 3 years to hold them to short gains in the passing game and hope they eff it up with a drop/TO/penalty, which in college is apparently fairly likely.

[_33]

I like that we've been able to stop the run pretty good. But KU will be the first run-first team we play maybe.