Rapid recap: Avery Johnson makes splash in Kansas State debut

Avery makes Kansas State splash

Saturday was also the Kansas State debut for true freshman quarterback Avery Johnson. He’s clearly a big deal in Manhattan and the rest of the state. He was a highly-touted recruit, and there’s a reason he received a louder ovation than anyone.

Johnson totaled 90 yards of offense through the air and on the ground and rushed for a touchdown.

It was exciting for the freshman to go out there and play again. He prepared all week waiting on the opportunity to potentially play on Saturday. He even admitted to hoping that Howard and the rest of the first unit would take care of business and provide him with a chance to see the field.

He got help throughout the week from K-State offensive coordinator Collin Klein and quarterbacks Will Howard and Jake Rubley to prepare and be able to enter the game. Johnson also enjoyed playing with more young players like Tre Spivey and Jayce Brown.

Garcia’s growth

RJ Garcia had a career high in yards against SEMO with 119 and scored a touchdown. The Kansas State wideout had more yards on Saturday than he did in his entire career up to that point. It was a splash of his own.

The game was a confidence-builder for the sophomore. It was something he knew he was capable of doing and he executed the coaches’ game plan. Garcia credited all of the coaches and emphasized it takes all 11 players to execute, and he happened to be the one to get to celebrate tonight.

He also can’t wait to unlock even more in the offense when Keagan Johnson is available.

Game slowing down for Parrish

Jacob Parrish made some terrific plays in the contest against the Redhawks. While there were a couple times he didn’t get the appropriate depth in zone schemes, he still read, diagnosed and reacted quickly. His closing speed and the way he flew to the ball was tremendous.

The game appears to be slowing down for the sophomore, and he was constantly in a good position to make a play.

Preparation is an area of the game the sophomore thinks he has improved at since last season. He credited his K-State position coach Van Malone and staffer David Orloff for the work they contribute to accelerate his development and understanding.

What K-State defense did well

When the defense pitches a shutout, typically a lot of things are going well. The item all of the Kansas State defensive players thought they excelled on Saturday night was playing fast and flowing to the ball. It led to 11 tackles for a loss, including four sacks.

Playing fast comes with playing with confidence. The K-State defenders played with a lot of pride and belief in themselves, one another and the game plan from the staff.