Inside Slant

The Sports Xchange

October 02, 2018 at 8:01 pm.

Snyder bristles at outcry over QBs

Going into Big 12 play, the rotation Kansas State used at quarterback seemed as if it would be scrubbed.

Sophomore Skylar Thompson was declared the starter after alternating with Alex Delton. Wildcats coach Bill Snyder even indicated it was time for the Wildcats to make the most of one QB and gain continuity against Big 12 rivals.

When Thompson sputtered, however, in the league opener at West Virginia, Delton was inserted. According to media reports, Snyder did not confer with his assistants when he made the switch and Thompson openly admitted he was surprised about getting benched. Snyder went on to start Delton in a 19-14 loss to Texas on last week.

Not that Delton went the distance. The run-first junior was woefully ineffective and failed to get the Wildcats in the end zone on a fourth-down call from the Texas 1 on the last play of the first half. Thompson was then inserted to begin the second half and led the Wildcats to their only scores, but the 19-0 deficit they dug in the first half was too much to overcome.

Kansas State (2-3, 0-2 Big 12) now must try to rebound at Baylor (3-2, 1-1) on Saturday, though Snyder provided little clarity on his QB situation following the Texas setback.

“In all reality,” said Snyder, “who starts probably does not impact the ballgame.”

When presented the numbers on K-State’s quarterbacks at his weekly press conference, Snyder bristled and said, “What are you missing? You’re not on the field coaching.”

As much as no one wants to see Snyder’s legend tarnished before he retires for good (the coach turns 79 on Oct. 7), his statements leave many followers scratching their heads wondering if his football acumen remains intact. Or, whether he is simply too stubborn to acknowledge a mistake for backing Delton.

Thompson is expected to start at Baylor, though Snyder said Delton will play.

The passing skills possessed by Thompson enabled the Wildcats to rally against Texas, though a deflected pass on their final possession forced a punt and the Longhorns were able to run out the clock.

Still, it was readily apparent that Kansas State played with more emotion and was considerably more effective with Thompson packing more diversity into the offense. Running back Alex Barnes, as well as the offensive front, looked far more energized in the second half. So too did the defense, which played well much of the game and were victimized by special teams, which allowed a long touchdown return Texas broke on the Wildcats’ first punt.

“I was very proud of our defense,” Snyder said of a unit that allowed just 339 yards, including 148 in the second half. “I thought they did play extremely well … but at the end of the day, we just couldn’t get the brakes put on when we absolutely needed it.”

Nor could Thompson overcome the inability of Kansas State to score in the first half. On the last play near the Texas goal line, a pass by Delton looked to be catch-able, though wide-open fullback Adam Harter got his feet twisted and awkwardly dropped the ball.

Neither Kansas State quarterback was made available to the media following the game.

The Kansas State defense cannot be expected in the high-octane Big 12 to overcome those kinds of offensive mistakes and keep the Wildcats in games like the unit did against Texas. Offensive production is desperately needed, something Thompson provided on two second-half scoring drives against the Longhorns.