Avery Johnson amazes fans with big play ability in win over Arizona

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Kansas State’s sophomore quarterback continues to impress fans with his athleticism, after putting together a memorable performance in the victory over Arizona Friday night.

Avery Johnson dazzled with his arm and his legs in front of a sold out home crowd, and made others around him better. The clash of the Wildcats centered around the two gunslingers, but Johnson snatched the red carpet from Noah Fifita, and took advantage of the spotlight.

After all, he passed for two touchdowns, and eclipsed the century mark in rushing yards. Johnson never blinked when the Wildcats found themselves down by a touchdown early in the first quarter. He quickly responded with a touchdown drive of his own, and never looked back. Kansas State (3-0) scored 31 unanswered points, and Coach Chris Klieman was in awe of how Johnson commanded the offense.

“Our quarterback’s a pretty good player and he (Johnson) rose up tonight when we needed him to, and played really good football,” Klieman said. “Was really calm, and made some plays with his feet, made some plays with his legs, and that was a fun performance to watch him.”

Johnson completed 14 of his 23 throws, and averaged 6.5 yards per carry. That’s what makes him a weapon, and it’s mind-boggling that he’s still developing as a passer, but Klieman finds Johnson’s maturation process encouraging.

The fans want to see him complete more passes to the wide receivers. Johnson showed the ability to utilize all of his targets, and both of his touchdown throws were to tight ends. It was obvious he orchestrated the offense with confidence, and had Arizona’s defense on its’ heels with tempo.

Johnson kept his foot on the gas pedal, and is grateful that the rest of the Wildcats helped him make a statement against a ranked team.

“I think the best thing we did is we didn’t let up, we had a lead, and when we got that lead, we kept it all night, so credit to our defense for playing really well tonight,” Johnson said. “We just continued to be explosive, and we converted better on third down tonight, which was a big part of our game plan this week.”

Kansas State led Arizona in plays, total offense, first downs, third down conversions and yards per play. Most importantly, Johnson made smart decisions with the football, and the Wildcats didn’t commit any turnovers. Even Arizona Coach Brent Brennan admitted that he had no answers for Johnson’s dual-threat capability.

“Well, I don’t think we’re the first team to have an issue with an athletic quarterback, but this guy is something different,” Brennan said. “He’s a 10.4 100-meter [dash] guy, he’s unique, and in those moments where we’re trying to keep him in the pocket, his ability to get outside of one person and create a big play was obviously damaging to what we’re trying to get done.”

The six-foot-two, 192-pounder gave the rest of the Big 12 a taste of his ability, and Johnson is proud that he delivered on the hype. Still, Johnson believes he’s just cracking the surface, and knows there’s always room for improvement. From footwork, to going through his progressions, and understanding how to live to play another down, Johnson is his own worst critic. Everything is still a work in progress, and he’s learning on the job.

The Wildcats have a ton of momentum following the victory, and there’s no denying that they’re one of the Big 12’s top contenders approaching conference play. As for now, Johnson just wants to take it all in, and enjoy the win before another grueling week of practice.

“It felt really good, being able to match up with another top-20 team in the nation, and being able to go out and have a dominant win like that, it was really fun tonight.”