Pick and Preview: South Dakota at Kansas State

KSO will look at a handful of categories each week when previewing the Kansas State game on Saturday. What are the factors to keep in mind for the Wildcats, what K-State needs to learn, the players to watch and a final prediction.

FOUR FACTORS

1. CONTINUE THE MOMENTUM: It is likely that both of the first two games of the season will be a sellout in Manhattan. Kansas State hasn’t sold out a football game since 2019. So, that’s a big deal. And with a big season looming and excitement already building for the Missouri game, the Wildcats can’t lay a clunker. They must look impressive and sharp, keeping the intrigue about next weekend and the rest of the year alive.

2. STAY HEALTHY: For a first game, K-State is generally healthy. Will Honas won’t be available on Saturday, but it is important to leave the season opener versus South Dakota still fresh with no major losses. Remember, it was the Nevada game a year ago where the Wildcats lost Khalid Duke. They don’t want to lose any players for next week’s Missouri contest because of a game against the Coyotes.

3. COMMUNICATION: We’ll dive into more of the details tomorrow morning, but it is likely that Kansas State could be a little short-handed on the back end of the defense. That means a lot of newcomers will be seeing their first action for the Wildcats. Communication will be critical to avoid catastrophic breakdowns in coverage.

4. KT: The first start at left tackle is upon us for KT Leveston. He has looked good enough that they feel comfortable with moving an All-Big 12 first team left tackle in Cooper Beebe to left guard. To be clear, Beebe is an even better player on the interior. For it to be worth it, Leveston can’t be a liability and must be particularly impressive. Fans remember when he hasn’t been, so the hesitation on the move is understandable. We’ll see our first glimpse of it in nearly 24 hours.

WHAT THE WILDCATS NEED TO LEARN

I’m going to continue the trend and keep looking ahead. It is not necessarily what K-State needs to learn, but rather what needs to happen between now and next Saturday when they host Eli Drinkwitz and the Tigers. That is a sigh of relief and a boost of confidence for quarterback Adrian Martinez.

The conversation the entire offseason was the dynamic playmaking ability of Martinez but also if he can erase the miscues and turnovers that haunted him in Lincoln. The first positive sign was Nebraska having the same issues without Martinez when they fell to Northwestern in Ireland.

A clean game for Adrian would be huge to see for fans, critics and Martinez himself before he takes on the SEC program from Columbia.

SATURDAY STARS

Adrian Martinez: As alluded to above, he is the most important player of Saturday’s season opener, with KT Leveston being a close second. Martinez having a clean game and a big day would be a big development for all involved.

Austin Moore: I’m not sure we’re going to find out a ton about the safety position because they will be short-handed against South Dakota, and we know what we should receive from the cornerbacks and defensive line. Daniel Green is a stud, but we need to find out more about the linebacker room aside from him.

Chris Tennant: He was great at the home runs last year, but Tennant struggled with the shorter kicks. Regaining his confidence to begin the season is an important piece of 2022.

PREDICTION

I think it is a performance that will look like a business meeting for the Wildcats. Kansas State plays clean on offense and potentially runs it up a little as they introduce a new pace and aggressive operation, but I’ll keep it conservative. The Wildcats prevail, 38-13.