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Why Kansas State Is Confident In QB Blake Barnett If Avery Johnson Remains Sidelined
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- Why Kansas State Is Confident In QB Blake Barnett If Avery Johnson Remains Sidelined
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
Quarterback has arguably been the most stable position for the Kansas State Wildcats the past three seasons.
That's because senior Avery Johnson was durable as the three-year, full-time starter. All that changed when Johnson was injured at some point after the victory against the Kansas Jayhawks Oct. 17 in the Sunflower Showdown.
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Since, Johnson has missed the last two games and faces the possibility of sitting a third straight. If that is the case, first-year Wildcats coach Collin Klein is confident in backup Blake Barnett.
According to Klein, Barnett was in "attack mode" when came on in relief of Dillon Duff last Saturday in the first quarter on the road against the Colorado Buffaloes. The Wildcats failed to pull off a comeback victory, but it had nothing to do with Barnett's play.
He completed 18 of 28 passes for 224 yards and three touchdowns in 27-24 loss to the Buffaloes in overtime . The performance was especially impressive considering Barnett was coming off an injury. He hadn't practiced much but Klein said it was a "gutsy" performance.
That's why Klein is at least comfortable with Barnett under center if Johnson is unavailable for Saturday's game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Of course, the Wildcats would rather their leader in the lineup.
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And why not? The team has grown comfortable with Johnson the past few seasons. He's accomplished something that is a rarity these days in college sports. He remained with the same program despite getting plenty of offers to go elsewhere in this new NIL era of the NCAA.
But Barnett showed plenty of poise despite being unsure if he was even going to play against the Buffaloes. He was called upon once Duff began to struggle. It was the first playing time for Duff at the collegiate level. A sophomore, he completed the only pass he threw for three yards but the offense was never able to get going.
By then, Klein had seen enough. That's when he called Barnett's number. He responded with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Josh Manning in the second quarter that tied the game at 7. Later, he connected with tight end Linkon Cure for a 33-yard score that made it 14-14 in the third quarter. It was the first touchdown for Cure, who is developing into one of the Wildcats top receivers.
But Barnett's most impressive work was on his final drive of regulation. With 55 seconds remaining and the Wildcats trailing 21-14, he led them on a six-play, 62 yard drive that ended with a six-yard touchdown pass to tight end Garrett Oakley to force overtime .
While he is no Johnson, the Wildcats will at least have a shot with Barnett in the lineup.
