CARNAC THE MAGNIFICENT?

As K-State heads into the bulk of the conference schedule, its record stands at 4-0 for the first time since its championship season of 2003. While Daniel Thomas has received most of the acclaim during the Wildcats' perfect start, he hasn't done it alone. The offensive line has shown excellent run blocking in 3 of the first 4 games, and the defense, while not flashy, has played effectively. The receivers have been blocking downfield beautifully and have shown better catching ability than perhaps was expected.

Perhaps the signature of this team so far has been that it has made big plays when it's needed to, allowing it to win 3 of the first 4 games in the fourth quarter. An important component in this has been the play of quarterback Carson Coffman. We criticized Coffman on Twitter during last Saturday's game following his interception. While he needs to avoid bad interceptions like last Saturday's and the pick-6 he threw the previous week versus Iowa State, we thought we owed Coffman a more complete and fair assessment of his job as the Cats' quarterback so far. 

The Good
 
* Physical tools. Coffman's showing better arm strength this year than last. He's also shown that he has enough speed and strength to run the option effectively with Thomas, which could be critical to the success of K-State's running game as the season progresses...especially inside the red zone, where K-State has had its issues over the last couple of seasons. He's not going to break the 40 yard run like a Bishop or Roberson, but, like Jonathan Beasley, Coffman runs the ball well enough to pick up a first down--or game winning touchdown--when it's needed.
* 4th quarter play.  Thus far, Coffman's played his best when the game's been on the line. The last two weeks, he's led critical drives in crunch time. Nice quality to have in a QB.
*  Running the offense.  Pre-snap, Coffman's shown an ability to check to the right plays based on what the defense is showing him.  This ability really helps Snyder's offense to function properly. 

The Bad
 
* 1st-3rd quarters. For whatever reason, Coffman doesn't look as fluid and confident until the chips are down. He needs to speed up his progression and improve his post-snap reads in the first 3/4 of the game. Just slightly improved play here would make late-game heroics less necessary. At times, especially early in game, it's appeared that BCS-level football moves too quickly for his decision-making ability.  Hopefully this will improve as he gains experience and confidence.
*  Interceptions. He only has two, but as a game-management quarterback, Coffman needs to avoid the type of INT's he's thrown so far: those that can be returned for touchdowns or at least good field position. Without these miscues, the Wildcats might have had a more comfortable lead earlier in each of the last two games. As the Wildcats head into Big 12 play, such miscues could cost them games and wind up in the UGLY category. 

The Ugly
 
*  Missing the open home run.  Although he's showing improved arm strength, Coffman is still struggling to find the touch needed for some of the throws critical to Snyder's system: namely, the home-run throws down the field that are set up by K-State's running game. Coffman has missed open receivers down the field badly so far this year, and has not even missed in a spot where his receiver can come back and make a play on the ball. These throws are a staple of Snyder's offense when it's clicking along, and Coffman needs to start hitting them. 

The Bottom Line
 
Coffman's playing better than we thought he would. He actually has the potential to lead a very potent Wildcat attack if he can bring up those aspects of his game that are lagging behind so far this season. If he's able to get those areas up to speed quickly enough, the Wildcats should be able to make a strong run at the North title. 

[Addendum:  One thing we forgot to discuss was the role of the o-line's shaky pass blocking so far this year. Part of Coffman's troubles in making post-snap reads is no doubt due to the shaky pass blocking by an o-line that has been above-average at run blocking. If Coffman regularly has more time to get through his progression, his reads and completion percentage should improve.]

BIG 12 THOUGHTS HEADED INTO WEEK 2

• Poor, poor KU. All that work done in the Mark Mangino era down the drain. With one 6-3 loss to NDSU, the Jayhawks are back to being a college football laughingstock. The Hawks need a solid performance against Georgia Tech tomorrow to try to get back on track. But K-Staters can feel the Jayhawks' pain: in Ron Prince's first game, the Cats almost lost to Illinois State. And last year, in Bill Snyder's first year back, the Cats went down and lost to the University of Louisiana (formerly Lafayette). Transitions can be tough in the new, parity-driven era of college football.
• Because transitions can be tough, we were impressed by Texas Tech's win over SMU. It was only by a touchdown, but this was a game we had circled as a possible loss, as defense-minded Tommy Tuberville took over the Red Raiders' air attack and June Jones brought in what promises to be a high-scoring SMU program. If Tuberville can tighten up the Tech defense while not hindering the offense, Tech could bring itself into the conversation with OU and Texas, who both looked a bit shaky last weekend.
• Why did everyone think OSU was going to be at the bottom of the Big 12 South this year? Granted, their demolition of Washington State looked better on paper, given the weakness of the WSU squad, but all Mike Gundy's done while at OSU is bring in athlete after athlete. OSU should have a dangerous running attack again this year, and enough athletes around the rest of the field to keep them in most games.
• Baylor is another team that seems to be getting less respect than they deserve. After seeing Baylor in person last year, we believe they finally have the size and athleticism to play with other Big 12 teams--and with Robert Griffin at QB, they have a weapon that may lead them to a couple of big wins this year.
• Daniel Thomas picked up right where he left off last year, torching the UCLA defense for almost 250 yards on the ground. It is amazing that he can change directions as quickly as he can, given his size and power. It's a rare combination, and one that makes him a pleasure to watch and a threat to school and conference records. The Cats also showed that his backup, William Powell, can be an effective weapon behind their veteran offensive line.
• Games we're most looking forward to seeing this weekend: we'll probably be at the OSU-Troy game in person, but we're most interested in seeing how KU bounces back against Georgia Tech and how OU performs against FSU. Colorado also has an opportunity to make a statement as they head to Berkeley to take on Cal...hopefully we'll be able to see the field amidst the wafting clouds of reefer smoke.