K-State takes on Mississippi State Saturday

Mississippi State at Kansas State

Date: Saturday, September 8, 2018

Kickoff: 11 a.m.

Location: Manhattan, Kan.

Stadium: Bill Snyder Family Stadium (50,000)

Series: Tied, 1-1

TV: ESPN

Mark Jones (Play-by-Play)

Dusty Dvoracek (Analyst)

Molly McGrath (Sidelines)

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

Wyatt Thompson (Play-by-Play)

Stan Weber (Analyst)

Matt Walters (Sidelines)

Sirius Satellite Radio Ch. 134, XM Channel 199

Twitter Updates: @kstatesports, @kstate_gameday, @KStateFB

WILDCATS WELCOME NO. 18 BULLDOGS TO MANHATTAN
Following a come-from-behind win over South Dakota in the season opener, K-State hosts 18th-ranked Mississippi State at 11 a.m., Saturday morning in a Big 12/SEC battle at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The contest will be shown nationally on ESPN with mark Jones (play-by-play), Dusty Dvoracek (analyst) and Molly McGrath (sidelines) on the call. The game can be heard across the 39-station K-State Sports Network with Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play), former K-State quarterback Stan Weber (analyst) and Matt Walters (sidelines) calling the action. The game will also be on Sirius channel 134, XM Channel 199 and in addition to the TuneIn app. Live stats are available at k-statesports.com, and Twitter updates (@KStateFB) will also be a part of the coverage.

A LOOK AT K-STATE

K-State boasts 35 returning letterwinners – including 14 starters – from a team that went 8-5 in 2017 and has won its last four games dating back to last season.
Although Bill Snyder is back for a 27th year, he is flanked by two new coordinators in Andre Coleman (offense) and Blake Seiler (defense), two of the seven assistants on staff that played and graduated from Kansas State.
K-State played both Skylar Thompson (started) and Alex Delton last week against South Dakota with Thompson leading the Cats to his third fourth-quarter comeback win in the Wildcats’ last six total games.
The running game is solidified by the Wildcats’ leading rusher a year ago, Alex Barnes, as well as Justin Silmon and Dalvin Warmack. Barnes topped 100 yards in the season opener with 103 on 21 carries.
The Wildcats have the benefit of having all five returning starters along the offensive line back for another year, one of just five FBS teams to return 65-of-65 starts along the offensive line from 2017.
Wide receiver Isaiah Zuber not only caught the game-winning touchdown pass late in the game against USD, but he also returned a punt 85 yards for a score to earn Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
Defensively, K-State held USD to just 77 yards on the ground, while defensive back Kevion McGee had four passes defended in the game, the most by a Big 12 defender in week one.
The Wildcats had to replace their punter and kicker from a year ago, and Blake Lynch stepped right in to connect on 4-of-4 field goals in his first action as a Wildcat – which were the most by any kicker in the Big 12 this past week – while punter Andrew Hicks averaged 42.7 yards per punt, which included one of 63 yards and another downed inside the 20 yard line.

A LOOK AT MISSISSIPPI STATE

The Bulldogs kicked off the Joe Moorhead era with a convincing 63-6 win over Stephen F. Austin last week.

State totaled 618 yards of offense while holding SFA to just 254 and collecting 17 tackles for loss in the game.

Keytaon Thompson threw for 364 yards and five scores while running for another 109 yards and two scores. Returning quarterback Nick Fitzgerald is expected to be back under center this weekend.

A LOOK AT THE SERIES

K-State and Mississippi State will be meeting for the third time overall on Saturday as the series is tied, 1-1.
The Bulldogs won, 21-16, back in 1974 before forfeiting a 24-21 win in 1977.
K-State will travel to Starkville next season in the second game of the current two-game series.

CATS AGAINST THE SEC

The Wildcats hold an all-time record of 45-85-5 against current members of the SEC, while they are 7-16 when taking out K-State’s games against former Big 8/12 members Missouri and Texas A&M.
Recent Power 5 games against SEC opponents have included Auburn (2007 and 2014) and Vanderbilt (2017 and 2020) with the 2014 Auburn game (a 20-14 loss to the fifth-ranked Tigers) being the last time K-State has hosted an SEC program.
K-State’s last two wins against SEC teams has come in bowl games with the 2016 Texas Bowl (Texas A&M) and 2001 Cotton Bowl (Tennessee).

NON-CONFERENCE NOTABLES

Since 1990, K-State has won 77 of its 88 (.875) regular-season non-conference games under Bill Snyder, including 67-of-70 (.947) at home.
K-State has had perfect regular season non-conference ledgers in 15 of the last 25 years.

SNYDER IN SEPTEMBER

Fast starts have propelled the Wildcats to winning seasons under Bill Snyder. Since 1992 under Snyder, K-State is a combined 68-9 (.883) in September.
Of the losses, six came on the road, as the Cats are 55-3 (.948) in September home games during that stretch.
K-State is riding a nine-game winning streak in September home games (Last loss: 20-14 loss to Auburn in 2014).
Since Snyder’s return to the sidelines in 2009, K-State is 26-6 (.813) in the month of September.

CATS NEED A QUICK START

K-State will be looking to break a trend of slow starts it has developed the last three years. The 2015 Wildcats started out 3-6 before winning their final three to make a bowl. In 2016, K-State started 3-3 before winning six of its final seven, including a Texas Bowl win. Last year, the Cats started 3-4 but won five of their final six with a Cactus Bowl victory.
It is especially important this year as the Wildcats will play five of their 12 games – and four of their seven homes games – prior to October 1 for the first time since the 2006 season.

ONE OF THE BIG 12’S BEST

K-State is one of only three teams in the Big 12 to reach 100 league wins since the league’s inception in 1996.
The Wildcats also rank third in the conference in winning percentage since round-robin play began in 2011. They sit at .651 (41-22), trailing only Oklahoma (.810; 51-12) and Oklahoma State (.698; 44-19).
During that stretch, the Wildcats are 22-10 (.688) at home in Big 12 play and 19-12 (.613) on the road.
K-State, picked sixth by the league’s media in the Big 12 preseason poll, has finished in the top four of the conference in five of the last seven years.

HOME SWEET HOME

Since 1990, K-State holds a 149-38-1 (.794) record when playing at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, including a 73-5 (.938) mark in non-conference games.
The Wildcats will be looking to bounce back from a 4-3 home record in 2017.
Last year was just the third time since head coach Bill Snyder returned to the sidelines in 2009 that the Wildcats have won fewer than five home games.

THE HALL OF FAMER

The architect of the “greatest turnaround in the history of college football,” Bill Snyder is in his 27th season at K-State.
Snyder is just the fourth person in the history of college football to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as an active coach when he was enshrined in 2015.
Snyder, who has 211 wins, is one of just six coaches to reach the 200-win mark and coach at only one school.
Holding 172 more victories than any other coach in K-State history, Snyder ranks first in the FBS in wins among coaches at their current schools and second in total wins among active coaches (FBS schools only).
Snyder has 123 conference wins to stand as one of four coaches with 100 Big 8/12 victories (Tom Osborne [153], Bob Stoops [121], Barry Switzer [100]).

TWICE AS NICE

Bill Snyder is one of two FBS coaches all time to have two different tenures at one school and record at least 70 wins each time after winning 136 games from 1989-2005 and 74 games since 2009.
Snyder joins Vanderbilt’s Dan McGugin, who had 95 wins from 1904-17 and 102 wins from 1919-34.
There are only 11 teams in the FBS that have had the same head coach since 2009. Of those, only Nick Saban, Dabo Swinney, Mike Gundy and Snyder have won at least six games every year over the nine-year span.

CHANGE IS IN THE AIR

Although consistency has been seen at the top in head coach Bill Snyder, this year marks the first time in quite a while that there were significant changes on the coaching staff.
The Wildcats have two new coordinators as wide receivers coach Andre Coleman takes over the reins on offensive, while linebackers coach Blake Seiler will man the defensive coordinator position.
It marks the first time in the middle of a Snyder tenure that the Wildcats will replace both coordinators in the same season since 1997 (1996 OC – Dana Dimel; 1997 OC – Ron Hudson; 1996 DC – Bob Cope; 1997 DC – Mike Stoops).
Additionally, the Wildcats hired three new assistant coaches in Brian Norwood (Co-Defensive Coordinator/Secondary), Zach Hanson (Tight Ends) and Eric Hickson (Running Backs).

SUSTAINABLE SUCCESS

Kansas State is in rare company in college football as the Wildcats rank in the top 20 in wins among FBS programs over the last 23 seasons.
Since 1995, K-State has picked up 192 victories, which ranks 19th in the nation.
Among current Big 12 teams, only Oklahoma (3rd; 220), Texas (13th; 203) and TCU (14th; 197) rank higher.

BOWL STREAK CONTINUES

In an era of college football where nearly 80 teams play in bowl games each year, K-State is one of just 16 FBS schools nationally to ride of streak of at least eight-consecutive bowl berths.
The eight-year bowl streak is tied for 13th nationally with only Oklahoma (4th; 19) and Oklahoma State (10th; 12) ranking higher in the Big 12.

DRAWING FIRST BLOOD

Since 1990, K-State is 165-34 (.829) when scoring first.
K-State is 19-5 in that department over the last four seasons, including a 5-3 mark in 2017.
Under Bill Snyder, K-State is 152-27 (.849) when scoring first.

QUICK OUT OF THE GATE

Kansas State has started out games strong over the last two seasons with an average halftime advantage of 18.5 to 11.5
The biggest disparity in that has been the second quarter with the Wildcats totaling 301 second-quarter points over the 2016 and 2017 seasons (11.6 ppg) to opponents’ 171 (6.6 ppg).

LEADING AT THE HALF

Under Bill Snyder, the Wildcats are 179-11 (.942) when leading at halftime, including a 60-4 (.938) mark in Snyder’s second tenure, which began in 2009.
The Wildcats finished the 2017 campaign with a 7-1 record when leading at the half.
The lone blemish last season was against No. 9 Oklahoma when the Wildcats led, 21-10, at halftime before the Sooners scored a touchdown with seven seconds left in the game to win, 42-35.

CARDIAC CATS

Four of Kansas State’s last five wins dating back to last season have been double-digit comeback victories with three of those being overcome in the fourth quarter alone.
The 2017 Wildcats had three wins after trailing by at least 10 points, the most comeback wins in a season when overcoming a double-digit deficit.
Additionally, it was just the third time a Big 12 team won three games in a season in which they were trailing by 10-plus points in the round-robin era (2011). The other teams were Baylor (2012) and Oklahoma State (2015).
At Texas Tech, K-State trailed, 35-24, with less than 10 minutes left but scored the final 18 points for a 42-35 win.
In the regular-season finale vs. Iowa State, K-State trailed, 19-7, with less than seven minutes remaining but won, 20-19.
K-State trailed UCLA, 17-7, at halftime of the Cactus Bowl before outscoring the Bruins, 28-0, in the second half.
K-State’s victories against Texas Tech and Iowa State marked the first time in school history it had two wins in a season when trailing by double digits in the fourth quarter.
The 11-point comeback at Texas Tech was the largest road deficit overcome for a win in school history.
Fueled by an 85-yard punt return from Isaiah Zuber and a 10-yard pass from Skylar Thompson to Zuber, the Cats erased a 24-12, fourth-quarter deficit last week to defeat South Dakota.

CATS TOPS IN NON-OFFENSIVE TDs

K-State is the nation’s best in non-offensive touchdowns over the last 19 seasons as it has 112 since 1999, nine more than the next closest team and one of only two to top 100.
The Wildcats are averaging 5.8 non-offensive touchdowns per year since 1999, while the yearly average for the other 105 teams to play FBS football since 1999 is 3.3.
Kansas State has at least five non-offensive touchdowns in six of the last seven years, which includes three last year by 2018 returners. Two of them came from Kendall Adams, who had both a pick-six and a fumble-return touchdown against Charlotte, while Duke Shelley returned an interception for a score at Texas Tech.
Since 1990, the Wildcats are 62-17 when scoring on special teams and 20-1 when scoring on special teams and defense, including an 18-0 mark under Bill Snyder.

NON-OFFENSIVE TD RECORDS

Under head coach Bill Snyder, K-State is 76-21 (.784) when scoring a non-offensive touchdown, while the Cats are 57-14 (.803) since 1999 in that department.
Since Snyder returned to the sideline in 2009, K-State is 32-7 (.821) in this same category.

FLAGGED

Despite rallying for a 27-24 win last week, the Wildcats were flagged 13 times for 129 yards, most of which came on key plays.
The 13 penalties were the most for a Bill Snyder team since the 2005 Nebraska game (14) and the 129 yards were the most since having 136 vs. Kent State in 2011.

OFFENSIVE NOTES

GROUND ATTACK

K-State has leaned on its rushing game the past two years, including the 2017 season when the Wildcats tied for third in school history in rushing yards per carry (4.98) and finished seventh with 2,584 total rushing yards.
The Wildcats were especially tough to stop the final three games of the year – all wins – as K-State averaged 223.3 rushing yards per game.
The stretch was capped by a 344-yard rushing output in the Cactus Bowl victory over UCLA, the most rushing yards ever by K-State in a bowl game.
Dating back to the 2016, K-State has hit the 200-yard mark on the ground in 16 of its last 23 games, including running for 256 last week against South Dakota.

PROTECTING THE FOOTBALL

K-State has been one of the nation’s best in limiting turnovers the last two years as the Wildcats are the only team to rank in the top 10 nationally in fewest turnovers lost in both 2016 and 2017.
The Wildcats tied for fifth in 2016 with 12 turnovers lost, while they tied for eighth a year ago with 13.
K-State’s 25 total turnovers in 2016 and 2017 is its fewest in a two-year stretch since at least 1955-56.
Ironically, the Cats were minus-4 in the turnover battle last week but still won, marking the first time since 2011 to win a game with four-plus more turnovers than its opponent (10-7 win over Eastern Kentucky).

LONG DRIVES

In the era of quick-strike offenses in college football, K-State was a team that liked to possess the ball as, in 2016, 39 of the Wildcats’ 64 scoring drives were seven plays or longer.
That figure included 19 scoring drives of 10 or more plays, and 19 scoring drives that lasted at least five minutes.
The Wildcats became more of a quick-strike offense in 2017 as 21 of their 45 touchdown drives were four plays or less (46.7-percent), while 36 drives (80.0-percent) were four minutes or shorter.
Last week, K-State had four scoring drives that were seven or more plays – two of which were 10-plus.

GOIN’ DEEP

The Wildcats ranked 13th in the nation last year in passing yards per completion (14.48), their highest ranking in that department since the 2013 squad ranked eighth (14.83).
Last year’s figure was impressive considering K-State started three quarterbacks and had multiple QBs take snaps in seven of its 13 games.
Among the returning signal callers, Skylar Thompson averaged 13.5 yards per completion, while Alex Delton averaged 13.0.

QUARTERBACK BATTLE

One of the biggest storylines for Kansas State this past offseason was the quarterback battle between Alex Delton and Skylar Thompson, both of whom started four games last year.
It is one of the fiercest QB battles K-State has had since Jake Waters and Daniel Sams were competing for the No. 1 spot in 2013.
With Thompson taking the first snap of 2018, it marked the fifth time under Snyder a sophomore started the season opener (Jesse Ertz in 2015; Dylan Meier in 2004; Ell Roberson in 2001; Paul Watson in 1989).

FAST TO 1,000

Running back Alex Barnes became the 29th player in school history with 1,000 career rushing yards, a mark he eclipsed during the Texas Tech game last season.
In doing so, he was just the fourth player in school history to reach the 1,000-yard barrier prior to the end of his sophomore season, while he was the second fastest player to reach 1,000 career yards in terms of carries (152), just five behind Darren Sproles (147).

MOVIN’ ON UP

Alex Barnes moved into the top 20 in school history in career rushing yards with his 103-yard effort in the 2018 season opener against South Dakota.
Barnes now has 1,364 career rushing yards to rank 20th as he passed Michael Bishop (1,314; 1997-98).
A product of Pittsburg, Kansas, who carded the sixth 100-yard rushing game of his career against the Coyotes, Barnes has averaged 6.12 yards per rush in his career to rank first in school history.

RETURN OF THE O-LINE

K-State returned all 65 total starts along the offensive line from 2017 to 2018, the first time under Bill Snyder all available starts from the previous year return for the next.
The Wildcats are one of just five FBS teams – joining Northern Illinois, Utah State, Wake Forest and Wisconsin – to return 65-of-65 starts along the offensive line from 2017.
Additionally, K-State is the only Power 5 team with five returners on the offensive line all grading out better than 80.0 by Pro Football Focus heading into 2018.

RISNER LEADS THE CHARGE

The top returning offensive lineman is senior right tackle Dalton Risner, a Preseason All-American by multiple outlets entering this season.
A product of Wiggins, Colorado, Risner ended the 2017 regular season grading out at a 90.7 mark according to Pro Football Focus (PFF), the highest-graded returning offensive tackle in 2018.
His rating included a 98.9 mark on pass blocking efficiency to tie for the fourth-highest among FBS tackles in 2017.
Risner, who is ranked as the 10th-best overall player – and the top offensive lineman – entering 2018 by PFF, has given up only 24 quarterback pressures over his 1,116 career pass blocking snaps (2.15-percent) entering his senior year. According to PFF, 69 FBS offensive tackles gave up more than that figure last year alone.

LEADER ON THE FIELD, IN THE COMMUNITY

Dalton Risner has been a leader on the field for the Wildcats, being named a captain each of the last three years.
Risner is just the fifth player in program history to be named a captain three times, joined by Brooks Barta (1990-92), Mark Simoneau (1997-99), Collin Klein (2010-12) and B.J. Finney (2012-14).
The leadership by Risner does end on the field as he two-time candidate for the Wuerffel Trophy and AFCA Good Works team, both of which honor players’ charitable work.

DEFENSIVE NOTES

UNDER AVERAGE

Although it plays in a high-powered offensive league, K-State was outstanding in terms of keeping opposing teams well below their season scoring average in 2017.
The Wildcats held eight of their final 10 opponents to score less than their season averages entering the game.
The only two foes to not score less were Oklahoma – which scored 42 points when averaging exactly 42.0 – and Texas – which was averaging 34.5 points and needed two overtimes to top that mark.

TOUGH AGAINST THE RUN

The Wildcats, who ranked 13th nationally in 2017 by allowing only 117.7 yards per game on the ground, are one of only four teams to rank in the top 15 nationally in run defense each of the last two years, joining Alabama, Wisconsin and Ohio.
K-State surrendered less than 100 rushing yards six times last year, including two against ranked foes (No. 6 TCU – 98 yards; No. 10 Oklahoma State – 85 yards).
The Wildcats topped the season by surrendering only 69 yards on 25 carries (2.8 yds/rush) in the Cactus Bowl win over UCLA, and then started 2018 on the right foot by allowing only 77 yards on 21 carries (3.7 yds/rush) last week against USD.

PICKING THEM APART

The Wildcats have notched at least one interception in 37 of the last 51 games, with a majority of those coming from returners in 2018.
K-State returns 12 interceptions from a year ago, its most returning picks since the 2012 squad brought back 16. Seniors Kendall Adams and Duke Shelley each have five picks, while Denzel Goolsby recorded a pair in his first season as a starting safety last year.
Adams (Charlotte) and Shelley (Texas Tech) had both of K-State’s interception-return touchdowns a year ago.

FEW STARTS IN THE SECOND LEVEL

For the second-straight year, K-State returned limited career starts at linebacker as Elijah Sullivan was the only one with starts under his belt (two).
Last season, the Wildcats were the only Power 5 school to not bring back a single start at the second level of the defense from 2016.
The Wildcats are not void of game experience, however, as senior Sam Sizelove (40 career games played) and junior Justin Hughes (six games) each have game action at K-State, while Eric Gallon II played in 15 games with one start at Virginia before transferring to K-State prior to the 2017 season.
K-State is also looking forward to seeing the contributions from Da’Quan Patton, a community-college All-American two years ago at Trinity Valley CC.
In the season opener against South Dakota, Sizelove and Patton made their first-career starts and combined for eight tackles and a TFL.

SHELLEY LOOKS FOR BIG SENIOR YEAR

Senior Duke Shelley is back for his final campaign as he leads an experienced defensive backfield.
Shelley, who burned his redshirt five games into his true freshman season, has 30 career passes defended, which includes five interceptions.
His 30 passes defended are the fourth most among active players through play on Sunday and rank 16th in school history.
Of Shelley’s five career picks, two have been returned for touchdowns to tie for fourth in K-State history.

WALK THIS WAY

Junior Reggie Walker already has multiple accolades through the first part of his career, but he is looking to take his game to another level.
A 2017 Honorable Mention All-Big 12 pick, Walker recorded 6.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks last year, which was a dip in production from his freshman season.
As a freshman in 2016, Walker was named the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year after totaling 11.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.
Walker started his junior campaign on a high note as he tallied three tackles, including a 10-yard sack, and also broke up a pass.

DISHON DIGS IN

Junior defensive tackle Trey Dishon will be taking on a bigger role this year with the loss of fellow interior lineman and three-time First Team All-Big 12 performer Will Geary.
Dishon does have the benefit of experience, however, starting all 26 of his career games played, including all 13 a year ago en route to Honorable Mention All-Big 12 accolades.
The Wildcats also have returning options for the spot beside Dishon in junior Joe Davies, who played in 12 games last year after transferring from community college, and Drew Wiley, a true freshman last year who played in every game.
K-State also added Jordan Mittie, a graduate transfer from Texas State who has two years of eligibility remaining. Mittie, who was an All-Sun Belt player a year ago, is the son of K-State women’s basketball head coach Jeff Mittie.

McGEE MAKES IMPACT

Community-college transfer Kevion McGee may not have started the season opener against South Dakota, but he certainly made an impact with four pass breakups.
His four breakups tied for second in the nation through play on Sunday, while it was the most by a Wildcat since D.J. Reed also had four against Baylor in 2016.
It was the most pass breakups in a season opener by a Wildcat since at least 1989.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES

SOLID SPECIAL TEAMS

Kansas State has annually had one of the best special teams units in the nation, and 2017 was no different.
K-State ranked in the top 25 nationally in kickoff-return defense (2nd), punt returns (10th) and kickoff returns (14th).
For the collective special teams efforts, coordinator Sean Snyder was named the 2017 Special Teams Coach of the Year by Phil Steele.
The Wildcats boasted four All-Big 12 players on special teams in place kicker Matthew McCrane (first team), returner D.J. Reed (first team), punter Nick Walsh (second team) and Byron Pringle (honorable mention) picking up honors.
Additionally, Reed was a Second Team All-American as he became Snyder’s fifth All-American in just seven years coordinating the special teams.

SCORING IN THE THIRD PHASE

Kansas State has been far and away the best team among FBS programs over the last decade when it comes to scoring via a kickoff or punt return.
The Wildcats have a combined 48 kickoff- and punt-return touchdowns since 2005, 20 more than any other FBS school over the last 13 seasons.
K-State averages 3.6 return touchdowns per year. The yearly average for the other 116 teams to play FBS football since 2005 is 1.1.

DEFENSE IN THE THIRD PHASE

On the flip side, K-State has been just as consistent in terms of kickoff and punt coverage.
The Cats have not allowed a kickoff-return touchdown in the last 64 games as the last was against Louisiana on Sept. 7, 2013. During that stretch, K-State has defended against 251 kickoff returns.
K-State surrendered only 16.6 yards on kickoff returns in 2017, its best mark since 2000.
The Wildcats have also not allowed a punt-return score in the last 51 games, the last being at Iowa State on Sept. 6, 2014. The Wildcats have successfully defended against 67 punt returns during that stretch.

KICKOFF-RETURN STREAKS

Kansas State is currently riding a pair of streaks in terms of kickoff returns as the Wildcats have returned a kick for a touchdown in each of the last 13 seasons – the longest streak in the nation by five years.
Since head coach Bill Snyder’s return in 2009, K-State has returned 19 kickoffs for touchdowns as opposed to only four in his first tenure, which lasted 17 years.
Kansas State also is the only Power 5 team in the country to finish in the top 15 in kickoff-return average each of the last three seasons.
Additionally, D.J. Reed earned First Team All-Big 12 honors, marking the 12th-straight year a Wildcat received all-conference honors for the discipline.
Of the 29 First Team All-Big 12 returners in conference history, 12 (41.3-percent) have come from K-State to lead the league. The next closest team is Colorado, which had four.
The Wildcats are currently riding a streak of five-straight First Team All-Big 12 returners, which is the longest streak in conference history.

ZUBER TO THE HOUSE

Junior Isaiah Zuber took the first punt-return attempt of his career 85-yards for a touchdown against South Dakota.
It was the 10th-longest punt return in school history and the longest since Tramaine Thompson went 89 yards against Missouri State in 2012.
Additionally, it was the longest punt return in the nation through play on Sunday.
By going to the house on his first-career attempt, it marked the second time in as many season openers a Wildcat took their first-career punt return the distance as D.J. Reed went 62 yards on his first-career attempt against Central Arkansas in 2017.
Prior to Reed, the last time a Wildcat took their first career punt return for a score was Thomas Randolph against New Mexico State in 1993.

LYNCH WITH A LEG

Sophomore Blake Lynch was true on all four of his field-goal attempts against South Dakota, the most ever by a Wildcat in their debut.
Through play on Sunday, Lynch was one of five kickers nationally to be true on at least four field-goal attempts.
Lynch, who connected on distances of 24, 22 38 and 44 yards all in the first half, was the first Wildcat kicker with four field goals in a single half since Jamie Rheem also made four in the first half against Utah State on October 16, 1999.

HICKS, TOO

Just like Lynch, redshirt freshman Andrew Hicks was making his debut at punter in the season opener against South Dakota and booted six punts for an average of 42.7 yards, which included a long of 63.
His 63-yard punt to end the first half was the longest by a Wildcat in their debut under head coach Bill Snyder.

REPLACING SPECIALISTS

Kansas State is replacing its place kicker, punter and long snapper as all three from last year – Matthew McCrane, Nick Walsh and Drew Scott – graduated.
It is the first time since 1999 that K-State did not return its primary player at all three positions. The 1998 squad featured a trio of seniors in place kicker Martin Gramatica, punter James Garcia and long snapper Brandon Knowles.