STARKVILLE — The last time Kansas State played a game at Davis Wade Stadium? — 1974.
Eight presidents, 18 Olympic Games and roughly 45 years since that contest, the Wildcats (2-0) make a return trip to Starkville Saturday.
With new head coach Chris Klieman, it’s a similar personnel group that Mississippi State defeated 31-10 last season in Manhattan, but in a vastly different offense.
Klieman, who hasn’t lost a game since Nov. 14, 2017, already replaced one legend in former North Dakota State coach Craig Bohl. Four FCS national championships with the Bison later, he’s now tasked with replacing legendary Kansas State coach Bill Snyder in Manhattan.
In two games at the helm, Klieman’s run-heavy offense has produced 101 points and more than 1,000 yards of offense. Albeit, those games were against FCS Nicholls State and a Bowling Green team that finished 3-9 last season. Nonetheless, Klieman has clearly found an offensive identity.
North Carolina and Ball State transfers Jordon Brown and James Gilbert have predominantly anchored the nation’s third-best rushing attack — combining for 331 yards and five touchdowns on 41 carries this season.
The Wildcats also boast four other running backs who have each received at least 11 carries this year.
“They have like 12 different personnel they’re coming out with,” senior safety Jaquarius Landrews quipped. “We’re just trying to stay on top of it, coming down, fitting tackles, being in the right gap and everything like that.”
Under center, Skylar Thompson is a relatively limited thrower. A one-time Gatorade Player of the Year in Missouri, Thompson finished last season — his first as the full-fledged starter — with 1,391 yards and nine touchdowns on 122 of 208 passing.
That said, he’s started this year 51-of-83 for 689 yards and three touchdowns while adding another 267 yards and three touchdowns on 69 carries.
Up front, the Wildcats may well trot out five seniors along the offensive line. Given MSU’s devastating lack of depth at defensive tackle and a relatively quiet few weeks from senior defensive ends Marquiss Spencer and Chauncey Rivers, Kansas State should find some holes in the run game.
Speaking with the media Wednesday, defensive line coach Deke Adams was aptly cognizant of the staunch rushing attack his group will see this weekend.
“This week it does present a challenge because they’re big and physical up-front,” Adams said. “We’ve got to match that physicality and strength.”
Defensively, the Wildcats have allowed just 14 points this season — though that should change Saturday. Having returned eight starters from a defense that allowed 25.4 points and 403.8 yards per game a year ago, a newly-tooled MSU offense will expect to reap the benefits.
The Wildcats will also be without linebacker Justin Hughes — the team’s third-leading tackler from a year ago — after he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in April.
For MSU, it remains unclear whether starting quarterback Tommy Stevens will play Saturday — though Moorhead seemed to indicate he’s trending in the right direction during his weekly teleconference Wednesday.
If Stevens can’t go, freshman Garrett Shrader figures to get the nod after he finished last week’s game against Southern Mississippi 7-of-11 for 71 yards in relief.
“We’re hoping Tommy is ready to go,” Shrader said. “But if not, then I’ll step in and be just as comfortable to produce just like he did last weekend.”
Junior Keytaon Thompson is also in the mix in theory — though a source told The Dispatch last week he did not practice ahead of the Southern Mississippi game. It is not clear whether he has done so this week but Moorhead said he, Shrader and freshman Jalen Mayden are all capable of running with the No. 1 offense.
Regardless of who’s under center for MSU, junior running back Kylin Hill will heavily factor into the offensive equation. Hill, who is currently averaging 20.5 carries per game, ranks No. 2 in the nation with 320 yards through the season’s first two weeks — including a 197-yard outburst against Louisiana Week One.
“Just seeing the way that he runs, he breaks tackles, he beats you with speed, he’s a great jump cut guy,” Klieman said of Hill. “He does everything, and they’re giving him the ball enough to make plays. I know that he’s going to be a focal point to what we are doing on defense to try and slow him down.”
With extreme heat advisories expected Saturday, MSU faces it’s second straight game in which temperatures at kick off may reach the 90s. Prepping for the heat wave, Moorhead said last week’s win over Southern Miss was a slight preview for what the conditions may be like.
“As I learned very quickly, Mississippi heat and humidity is a little bit different than other places,” he added. “I can’t speak to their level of preparedness but I know last week and this week our training staff, our strength and conditioning staff, our nutrition staff (have been preparing) in terms of hydration and our practice related things. We’re excited about how we’re getting our guys ready.”
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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