GAME BREAKDOWN
KEY MATCHUP: The Kansas State secondary has been without its best player, CB Duke Shelley, because of an injury and now confronts another potentially lethal passing offense possessed by Texas Tech. The Wildcats’ pass rush, while spotty, mixed in more blitzes in the Kansas win and benefitted from the aggressive play of LB Justin Hughes. Still, this figures to be a tough test, particularly for Shelley’s replacement, A.J. Parker, who was picked on by Kansas.
DRAFT SLANT
–OG Abdul Beecham is not a senior who gets much draft hype but could be a lineman an NFL team at least looks at in free agency. Kansas State has sent numerous linemen to the NFL from Bill Snyder’s system, largely because of the technique and discipline they exert. Cody Whitehair (Chicago) and B.J. Finney (Pittsburgh) are two offensive linemen from Kansas State currently in the league.
ROSTER REPORT
–QB Skylar Thompson did not dress for the Kansas game while continuing to recover from a concussion suffered in the TCU defeat on Nov. 3. QB Alex Delton played the entire game against the Jayhawks after alternating with Thompson early in the season. Thompson could be available against Texas Tech. Freshman John Holcombe could also play in the final two games for the Wildcats, according to coach Bill Snyder.
–CB Duke Shelley and CB Walter Neil each missed the Kansas game with injuries. Defensive backs who were previously backups this season such as Johnathan Durham, Jahron McPherson and Lance Robinson, have been pressed into more significant action.
–DB Colby Moore had trouble on two holds for kicks in the TCU loss and again could not place the ball down and had to attempt a pass that fell incomplete in the Kansas win. The senior, who is listed as a defensive back, has handled that obligation on special teams for four seasons.
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