Chris Klieman in awe of Will Howard’s moxie after victory over UCF
Kansas State quarterback Will Howard receives a snap during the third quarter against UCF Saturday September 23, 2023 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. (Lynn Harrington/stayaliveinpower5)
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Kansas State approached its’ Big 12 opener with some uncertainty at the most important position on the field.
After all, senior quarterback Will Howard was gimpy throughout the week from the hits he suffered at Missouri. Coach Chris Klieman remained confident in Howard’s arm though, but was concerned about his mobility. Regardless of the matter, Klieman knew there was nothing that was going to stop Howard from being out on that field Saturday night.
He wanted to lead the reigning Big 12 champs in their conference opener, and the rest of the offense rallied behind Howard. Klieman credits the primetime slot because it gave the Wildcats more recovery time to evaluate Howard, and it all paid off.
“I don’t think there was ever a thought that our guys thought that Will wasn’t going to play, I really don’t,” Klieman said. “I mean he’s that kind of guy, we just expect Will Howard to play quarterback, and that’s a sign of a great leader like he is.”
Howard didn’t have to force things against UCF’s defense, considering DJ Giddens steamrolled the unit on the ground for 207 yards and four touchdowns. However, the signal-caller did his part too, and rushed for 64 yards and two scores. Howard even averaged 9.1 yards per carry. That shocked Klieman, because he was unsure how effective Howard would be with his legs. Howard’s 31-yard rushing touchdown late in the fourth quarter, was his longest of the season.
“We didn’t know if Will would play, he was not 100 percent by any means,” he said. “But in the second half I told him you have to run the football for us to secure this win, you absolutely have to, because they were starting to key in on things.”
Howard completed 27 of his 42 passes for 244 yards and an interception. Kansas State (3-1) racked up 536 yards of total offense. Not to mention the Wildcats led the Knights in plays, yards, first downs and time of possession with Howard behind center. On top of that Klieman’s squad converted nine of their 15 third downs. Even UCF Coach Gus Malzahn thought Howard’s performance was impressive.
“He (Howard) ran pretty good, he’s a real guy, he’s a real quarterback and a really good player,” Malzahn said.
There’s no denying Howard is tough as nails, and his competitive spirit inspires his teammates. Klieman wants Howard to build off the double-digit win over UCF (3-1), and the bye week is coming for the team at the perfect time. The offense will get to iron out all of the wrinkles and heal. Kansas State will resume play on the road at Oklahoma State in two weeks, and everyone should be healthy.
In the meantime Klieman expects Howard to study film, build more chemistry with his receivers, and dive deeper into the playbook. The Wildcats are riding a big wave of momentum, and 1-0 in Big 12 play, but they’re still the hunted. So it’s up to the leadership and experience of Howard to motivate everyone on the season goal, which is to defend their Big 12 crown.
