College Football - KSU

KSU FootballSnyder: "I have never been involved in a ballgame in which bowl eligibility and a division championship were on the line at the same time. I'm gratified on how much progress we make from week to week, but this past week, we didn't make much progress. So that wasn't very gratifying at all.  We have to play better than they (Nebraska) do. That's the bottom line anywhere. It is going to a big challenge to play in a very large stadium with a bunch of red-clad fans cheering against you, but that's part of this game."

East vs WestSnyder: “They (Missouri) are a dynamic team, especially in the first half. If you look at the tape, regardless of which half it is, you can tell that they are a pretty good team. They do some awfully good things on defense. Even when Blaine Gabbert was injured and couldn't move, their offense still put up pretty good numbers.” Pinkel: “I’m a big Coach (Bill) Snyder fan. I always have been and I have great respect for him. They are playing good football right now. They are running the football well, and they are playing good defense. They are No. 1 in the Big 12 in turnover margin, and I think that has a lot to do with the success that they’re having.”

 I’m going to attempt to delve into the Cats season beyond the obvious. Of course, that’s always my goal. The difference here is that it is only now that K-State’s football team is really on my radar screen. I’m learning much of this for the first time. You will have to forgive me if I deep-sixed KSU after losing to La-Lafayette earlier in the season. Nothing was expected of this team and it looked like expectations were going to be realized in spades. Of course, that’s part of the charm. Bill Snyder + Low Expectations = History of Success.

What happens when a Wildcat Marries a Jayhawk?Snyder: “Well, I’m quite certain that the vast majority of our players would like to bring the Governor’s Cup back to Manhattan. This game is very important to all of our team, especially our players from Kansas. I think that this is a very significant game for every one involved on both sides. The hardest part about it is the fact that he (Mangino) has a very fine football team. That’s what makes it more complex than anything else.” Mangino: “Kansas State is a team that has shown a lot of improvement since last season. They are improving in every area of their game. They play good fundamentals, just like you would like to have your team play all the time. They are aggressive on defense and they have enough playmakers on offense to hurt you. They have one of the best, if not the best, return man in the country in Brandon Banks. It is a Big 12 game on the road, so it is important and we are looking forward to it.”

KSU FootballSnyder: “The first thing that comes to mind is their defense. As their numbers indicate, they have been very impressive this year. Secondly, their coaching background that they have is very talented, as well as the talent level of the players that on are their roster. But what is most impressive to me is the ability that they have shown to overcome adversity. They lost Sam Bradford and his replacement (Landry Jones) has been playing lights out. He is becoming more comfortable now that he knows that the offense is his and since then, the rest of the team seems to have more confidence in him.''

KSU FootballSnyder: “One might think that coming off the loss at Texas Tech would be very emotionally difficult. But in order to get ready for the next game you always have to keep things in perspective. You have to be careful about how you think about the previous game. You have to put the past behind you in order to focus on the next game. There's not really a lot of time to think about what happened the previous game because you have one day to process the emotions that come with either a win or a loss. So, it is very important for myself and the rest of the coaching staff to keep our players focused on the task at hand.''

KSU FootballK-State and Texas A&M will meet for just the 14th time on Saturday as the Aggies hold an 8-5 edge in the all-time series. The Wildcats are 3-5 in the series under head coach Bill Snyder as well as during the Big 12 era. At home, K-State is 2-3 against Texas A&M and last year's 44-30 K-State win in College Station snapped a five-game losing streak to the Aggies. K-State will look to rebound from a loss at Texas Tech last weekend and also set its sights on improving to 3-0 at home in 2009 on Saturday.

Bill SnyderI was going to keep you in suspense as to my opinion of him, but then I went and let the cat out of the bag. Nevertheless, let’s make on thing clear. I’m not really a K-State fan, but I am a Big 12 fan and even more so, a Big 12 north fan. That includes KSU. So, except when it is in direct conflict with KU’s interest or the best interest of the Big 12 north or the best interest of the Big 12, I’m a Wildcat fan. In the case of KSU and Bill Snyder, it’s impossible for me (or, IMO, any objective person) not to be a fan. Everyone knows that K-State sucked before he arrived and everyone knows he turned it around. But, not everyone knows what I’m going to tell you.

Ron PrinceI can’t say it is justified, but there are two basic reasons Ron Prince was fired – expectations and KU. In both cases, the mountain was too big to climb and the result was inevitable - whether today or at the end of the season.