2022 Kansas State Post Mortem: Defense/Special Teams
I’m leading with special teams as Texas winning here is an underrated part of the road victory against the Cats. There is no dramatic blocked kick or a long return to highlight as against Oklahoma State last week. This week was about what Texas denied to Kansas State.
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In my game preview, I mentioned that KSU had outstanding kick returners in Malik Knowles (3 career kickoff touchdowns) and Phillip Brooks (4 career punt return touchdowns) and you can bet the Wildcats felt that a key to home victory was getting one of them into the paint. They probably dedicated an extra period to return teams last week. Other than Knowles’ first return of the game, Texas decimated the Wildcat kick return team and the Wildcats started at their 12, 15, 15 and 20 on kickoffs while they returned one solitary punt for 7 yards. Texas also downed two of three punts inside the Wildcat 20 and Bert Auburn was a perfect 2 of 2 on gimmies. Jeff Banks and this unit have made a difference for two weeks straight.
Defense
The Horns were a mixed bag on defense, but the effort level was good. The Cats rolled up 468 yards of offense at 6.6 yards per clip, but just as it looked like the Longhorn defense would allow the tying score in the final drive of the game after capitulating on two prior drives, Keondre Coburn made a flat out stud play pushing through a clothesline hold to punish Adrian Martinez’s poor ball security with a forced fumble. As predicted, the Texas D did a fine job of shutting down the Wildcat conventional running game, particularly in the second half, holding the Cats to their 2nd lowest rushing total of the season (Iowa State held them to 8 yards less in Ames), but Adrian Martinez had a season high passing performance connecting on 24 of 36 attempts for 329 yards, 2 touchdowns and a pick. He also added 66 yards on 12 runs (with sacks, he was 14-52). He added another touchdown on the ground.
The primary culprit(s) in allowing an average passer success throwing the ball in fairly predictable situations was an underrated KSU receiving corps playing as well as predicted with Horn linebackers and defensive backs blowing some zone coverages, allowing Deuce Vaughn a season high in receptions and receiving yards (7-86-1 td) along with a few individual scorchings of Texas defensive backs in the second half.
Here is Kansas State’s first touchdown. It’s also an instructional on how not to play zone defense:
That’s an easy throw for Martinez to a wide open Vaughn. Jaylan Ford makes his only significant error of the game by not turning and running with him and the safeties are slow to react. You can put it on the players, but this happened multiple times and Texas defenders continue to guard grass rather than individuals that enter their zone. This is a coaching point. It requires no talent to pick up a receiver that enters your space. What they do to you after that is about talent. Texas may theoretically have eyes on the QB in zone or two deep man, but decisive breaks on the ball in the air when Martinez threw up some punts were nowhere to be found. If you’re not picking up receivers and attacking the ball in the air, zone merely becomes “Drop back and tackle the completion.” You have to add an element of peril. Particularly as KSU has to deviate from their run/play action script.
Here’s another example:
Exactly what would you say it is you do around here, Bob? Oghoufo is flat-footed and reacts to a straight drop back pass with Sinnott running across his face by getting no depth and hopping forward with both feet like he’s in a potato sack race. PK’s persistent notion that Ovie can defend the flat or spy the QB is interesting. If Overshown was supposed to jump their H-back’s release, that’s news to him.
As for player error, here’s Jamier Johnson getting beaten pretty badly by Kade Warner (son of Kurt, he runs a little better than Dad):
This is an easy throw. #31 is in off coverage. Given that, how exactly is he beaten on a stop and go post route?
Fortunately, Texas forced three fumbles, recovering one to clinch the game and Jaylan Ford added a key end of 1st half interception to close out the big first half lead. Those turnovers prevented the KSU offense from getting into the 30s and forcing overtime. Whatever it takes.
Caveat: it’s worth noting that Kansas State committed heroic levels of holding. KSU’s offensive line can’t pass block. So holding inordinately benefits them. Penalize it and Texas gets more sacks and pressures, which for Adrian Martinez, inevitably means more turnovers. Texas was content to rush only three or four and when you factor in containment responsibilities on Martinez and Wildcat grabbiness, the interior DL did a pretty good job.
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DL
Strong game from this unit. When PK began to work Collins and Ojomo in at edge in the second half, Texas played better and was more disruptive in general. Justice Finkley played a few snaps and on one play, he muscled a KSU offensive tackle into the hole and the ball carrier with more physicality than the senior starter ahead of him has shown all season. Coburn played a whale of a game while being held incessantly. 4 tackles, 2 forced fumbles and a sack is a hell of a performance by an interior run stopper.
Note that Coburn is clotheslined as he dominates his man and forces the fumble. Ojomo gets doubled. Sorrell and Oghoufo are given containment tasks with 1 on 1 matchups, but note #18’s lack of physicality in driving back the tackle. 27 seconds left in the game. Empty the gas tank. Keondre Coburn saved the game. At this point, not splitting time on the edge between Collins-Oghoufo-Ojomo is fairly remarkable. If your reply is that we need Ovie to drop into coverages, you’ve lost the plot.
LB
Jaylan Ford made an early mistake in coverage and then played an absolute whale of a game with 10 tackles, an interception, a forced fumble and a recovered fumble. He’s the only true linebacker on the roster and has become arguably the most crucial player on the defense. DMO has shown no improvement as a standard off-ball linebacker. KSU ran some successful early downhill counters with DMO unblocked and he was totally lost. As KSU was forced to go away from their standard running game, DMO made some great hustle plays chasing and pursuing. Blackwell drew the start and looked lost early in both run and pass defense. He got it together a bit later in the game and had a nice goal line stick on Martinez on a QB lead.
DB
Ryan Watts was fantastic. KSU avoided him completely for four quarters. 6 tackles and a tackle for loss with great run support and lockdown coverage.
Jerrin Thompson had a brain dead personal foul that allowed KSU out of 1st and 35 in the early third quarter. KSU went on to score a touchdown on that drive to cut the lead to 31-17 and make it a football game. Texas is not good enough on defense to offer 35 yard bailouts and the QB of our secondary has to understand game context.
Jahdae Barron had a key PBU in the end zone, returning after being shaken up by friendly fire. Michael Taaffe had six tackles and made a great play on a pulling 310 pound OL to stop a potentially long run. Huge props to Anthony Cook for coming in and playing through a significant injury, but he is clearly diminished.
Final
Game balls to Watts, Coburn and Ford. Texas has a lot of work to do to prepare for TCU. They must nail down zone concepts and play the best up front to stop the Frog running game with an honest box and disrupt Duggan’s comfort zone. Texas should also compile a Best of KSU holding tape and send it to the Big 12 conference offices and put the GameDay zebras on notice. If the Frogs can hold with impunity while running 4 and 5 wide, the Texas offense better put up 52. Meaning, 49 in the first half.
