Behind Enemy Lines: Kansas State

Heading into Week 6, the Baylor Bears welcome the Kansas State Wildcats into McLane Stadium. Although both teams are separated by just one loss, it feels like these teams are coming in on opposite ends of the spectrum. While both of Baylor's losses have come by less than a touchdown to teams that have been ranked, Kansas State's win last week against UCF snapped a two-game losing streak at the hands of Army and Arizona. Despite that, this is still a potent offense with one of the most talented quarterbacks in the country, which has the chance to severely derail Baylor's season and hand them their second conference loss. With that, our Josh Crawford continues his Behind Enemy Lines series as he sits down with Chuck Bausman of Kansas State on SI to get his perspective on how the Wildcat season has played out so far.

Q: What has been the biggest factor in Kansas State's slow start this season? A team that fought tooth and nail with the current top team in the conference in Week 0 now looks like they may be fighting for bowl eligibility

Bausman: Kansas State's three losses have all been by one score. Those games truly can and have been decided by a freak bounce, a bad penalty, an untimely turnover. The Wildcats believe they are close to straightening out their season, and that started with the UCF victory.

Q: What's your current view of Avery Johnson? Completing over sixty percent of his passes and just one interception, but two sub-par performances led to two bad losses vs. Army and Arizona. What's stopping him from making that jump as a consistent passer?

Bausman: It’s only Avery Johnson stopping Avery Johnson. He’s talented and, like in most levels of football, as the quarterback goes, so goes the offense. Kansas State knows it needs consistency from its top player, and I believe that message is drummed in daily. He needs better decision-making, which will cut down on errors. From K-State’s perspective, he is a talent and if he improves, so will the Wildcats.

Q: Where do you see a potential matchup advantage for Kansas State going into this Baylor game?

Bausman: This looks like a tough game for the Wildcats. Baylor runs the ball well, and Sawyer Robertson has been a problem for every team. K-State ranks 74th in defense, allowing 362 yards per game. Baylor ranks 11th in total offense at 504.2 yards per game. This is a real potential problem for the Wildcats.