In The Spotlight

[MeanGreen61]

In The SPOTLIGHT

Rian Johnson

Staff Writer

September 23, 2005

A national rushing leader will be featured this weekend. Unfortunately for the Mean Green, he is in the opposing backfield.

Wildcats junior running back Thomas Clayton enters the game atop the NCAA with 164.5 rushing yards per game. Clayton leads a category that NT has dominated over the past few years. In addition to Clayton, the Kansas State offense relies on the ability of its quarterback to recognize defensive schemes at the line.

“They are big and physical up front,” NT Head Coach Darrell Dickey said. “Coach Snyder does a great job in his game planning of always having his quarterback get them in the right play. They do a lot of play checking at the line, and they know how to attack you defensively.”

Junior quarterback Allen Webb enters the game with relatively few passing yards. Webb has thrown for four touchdowns and two interceptions, with a completion percentage of 58. On Sept. 10 against Marshall, Webb had 18 rushing attempts for 58 yards, alongside his 10 of 19 passing for 126 yards and two touchdowns.

The Mean Green offense is looking at a very tough defense as well. The Wildcats have limited opponents to 78 yards rushing, and the defense is rated 25th in the nation so far this season.

The Mean Green wide receivers will also have a hard time against the Kansas State defense. The Wildcats are ranked 20th in the nation in pass efficiency defense.

“Defensively … they play a lot of man, and they play it very well,” Dickey said.

It will be a difficult challenge for the Mean Green to rebound from last week’s loss with a win over a BCS school, but Coach Dickey said he is anxious to see how his players handle a loss like last week.

“We’ve got our hands full based on our opponent this week, but my biggest concern right now is our football team and how we react to a disappointing loss just like how we reacted to a big win,” Dickey said.

Coaching Briefs:

NT Head Coach Darrell Dickey played quarterback at Kansas State and took the program to its first ever bowl game.

Kansas State Coach Bill Snyder was an assistant coach at NT from 1967-78 under Hayden Fry. Also, Snyder’s first win as a head coach was against NT.