Kansas State defeated Troy 42-13 to move to 2-0 on the season.
The Wildcats started off the scoring just like last week with a 9-yard pass from Will Howard to Jadon Jackson. The Ole Miss transfer has been a bit of a surprise in the receiving core and went for 77 yards this afternoon. Wide receiver Phillip Brooks was also impressive for the Wildcats, finishing with a game-high 94 yards on seven receptions.
“I was so happy for Phil,” head Coach Chris Klieman said. “.We went to him plenty of times and we put a lot on him.”
There was a lot of talk on how the Wildcats would stop Troy’s rushing game, which gashed Stephen F. Austin for 342 yards last week, including 248 from Kimani Vidal. Vidal was kept in check today, as the star back rushed for 83 yards on 17 carries. Most of those yards came from a 46-yard run.
Among those responsible for containing the rushing attack was defensive end Khalid Duke, who finished with two sacks.
“It’s been real fun,” Duke said. “Just being able to play fast and don’t have to think much when playing.”
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Iowa Western (JUCO) transfer Will Lee III forced Kansas State’s first takeaway of the year, grabbing an interception in the second quarter. The Wildcats took advantage of a turnover-prone Troy offense, which turned the ball over four times last week. Kansas State forced two turnovers tonight.
Quarterback Will Howard threw for over 250 yards for the second straight week. Howard, however, still had one hiccup where he overthrew R.J. Garcia in the second quarter and was intercepted. Howard did a great job controlling the game, throwing for three touchdowns and rushing for two.
“This was a game we learned a lot, and it’s something we needed,” Howard said. “I think that was a really good team and a great team to learn from.”
