Cyclones have respect for the way Kansas State football does business

AMES — Throughout head coach Bill Snyder's tenure, Kansas State's football teams have been built on substance over flash.

Take care of the ball, don't give up big plays and control the tempo of the game with a focus on the details.

When Iowa State Coach Matt Campbell — who has never played a Snyder-coached team — looks at the Wildcats on film this season, that's what he sees. Kansas State doesn't beat itself.

'You've got to earn everything you get and that's the thing I think they can do is they can really force you to either earn it or you panic and sometimes turn the ball over and give it back to their offense,' Campbell said. 'Offensively they do a great job of being efficient with the ball in their hands.'

Kansas State (4-3, 2-2) doesn't possess a particularly high-octane offense — it is last in the Big 12 in total offense (351.6 ypg) and averages 30.3 points — but its defense more than makes up for any offensive flaws.

The Wildcats hold opponents to 21 points per game — third best in the Big 12 — and are the second-best total defense in the conference, giving up 343.6 yards per game. The Cyclones (1-6, 0-4) will see a Kansas State front seven that ranks as the conference's best rushing defense, and gives up just 94.9 yards per game on the ground.

'They have a really good defensive end and really their d-line as a whole is just strong,' said left guard Patrick Scoggins. 'So I think that's the strong suit of their team and we're going to approach it like we do every team in this conference.'

That defensive end Scoggins alluded to is senior Jordan Willis. At 6-foot-5 and 258 pounds, Willis is arguably the most disruptive end in the conference. He leads the conference in tackles for loss (11.5), sacks (8.0) and is the highest-ranking defensive lineman in tackles per game (5.1).

In the second level, linebacker Elijah Lee led the Wildcats in tackles last year with 80 and has 58 through seven games this year. He ranks third in tackles per game (8.3) and, along with Willis, has helped Kansas State become a top-25 team in defensive efficiency.

Iowa State has started the same five offensive linemen since the third game of the season, but its inexperience up front was exposed against Texas when it gave up 8.0 sacks. With a bye week in between games, the Cyclones hope the rest offsets at least some of the depth issues.

'It'll be a good one,' said quarterback Joel Lanning. 'K-State's been good for a long time. With Coach Snyder, they've got a winning program over there. They're going to come ready to play.'

Quarterback Jesse Ertz, a Burlington native and Mediapolis graduate, leads Kansas State's offensive efforts. The Wildcats aren't known for a passing attack, but the 6-3, 212-pounder is one of three Big 12 starting quarterbacks — along with Oklahoma State's Mason Rudolph and Lanning — with three interceptions or fewer this season.

Ertz isn't afraid to take off running, either. He has at least 75 rushing yards in three games this season and has scored a rushing touchdown in five games, including each of the last four.

'I've got a great deal of respect for what they've always done at Kansas State offensively in terms of using their quarterback as both a runner and a passer and really allowing them to have so much success in terms of what they want to do offensively,' Campbell said. 'I think Jesse fits the bill for them.'

l Comments: montzdylan@gmail.com