K-State has been looking for an offensive identity for the first six weeks, and the Wildcats may have finally found it in a 35-24 win over KU in the Sunflower Showdown.
Behind a dominant rushing performance from quarterback Avery Johnson and running back Joe Jackson, the Wildcats piled up 568 yards of total offense in the 18th consecutive win over the Jayhawks.
For Collin Klein, the performance offered a glimpse of what K-State's offense becomes when its two best offensive weapons are operating at such a high level.
Jackson and Johnson combined for 291 rushing yards, helping open up timely passing opportunities. Also, when the Wildcats were trying to run out the clock, the duo took over.
Jackson was the workhorse, finishing with 27 carries for 159 yards and one touchdown. His biggest play of the game was a 64-yard run that set the Wildcats up to score. He consistently got positive yardage and helped the Wildcats stay in manageable situations.
While he delivered much of his damage early, it was Johnson who set the tone from the very beginning. On the first drive, his 59-yard run helped give the Wildcats the early 7-0 lead. While he scared fans for a second as he remained on the ground, he missed only one play and was fine the rest of the game.
He finished the game with 132 rushing yards on only 11 rushes, but he was also able to create big plays passing. He completed only 14-of-24 on the day, but finished with 209 yards and a touchdown. On Saturday, Johnson averaged 15 yards per completion, compared to his season average of seven. The Wildcats have to find more explosive plays in the passing game, and Johnson was able to do that against the Jayhawks,
What made the K-State duos performance even more exciting was how much it complemented each other.
Jackson's ability to attack defenses between the tackles created the opportunities for Johnson to exploit the perimeter. The Jayhawks never really had an answer for the RPOs, and Johnson did a terrific job of making the right read throughout the day.
For much of the season, K-State has searched for the offensive consistency needed to compete against Big 12 talent. While it was only one game, the recipe on Saturday is one the Wildcats should look to replicate.
K-State controlled possession for more than 36 minutes and repeatedly leaned on its rushing attack to keep the Jayhawks off balance. One area still hurting the offense is the red zone, where the Wildcats had to settle for field goals too often.
If Saturday was any indication, then Klein may have found the blueprint he has been searching for in leaning on Jackson and Johnson.
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