Texas Football Breakdown: Scouting Week 10 vs. Kansas State

The 2023 college football season is fast approaching, and the hype for Texas football in Year Three of the Steve Sarkisian era is high. The Longhorns bring back 17 starters from a 2022 squad that won eight games and had flashes of greatness. Those flashes must become more consistent if the Horns want to leave their mark during their final season in the Big 12.

In July, Texas was selected atop the Big 12 Media Preseason Poll for the first time since 2009. The Horns received 41 of 63 first-place votes, ahead of Kansas State’s 14 and the four received by Oklahoma and Texas Tech. This solidified Texas as the program to beat in the Big 12 this fall.

The Longhorns first took the field for fall camp on Wednesday, Aug. 2. The hype for Texas football and the 2023 season has grown with every passing practice. It would be apropos to take a game-by-game look at the Longhorns’ 2023 opponents, diving into every aspect of what Texas will face this fall.

Take a look at the first eight Texas games I previewed earlier this month:

• Week One vs. Rice
• Week Two at Alabama
• Week Three vs. Wyoming
• Week Four at Baylor
• Week Five vs. Kansas
• Week Six vs. Oklahoma
• Week Eight at Houston
• Week Nine vs. BYU

Texas welcomes the Kansas State Wildcats into the friendly confines of Darrell K Royal Memorial Stadium for an early November Big 12 battle. The Longhorns have dominated this head-to-head, holding a six-game win streak over the Wildcats. Last season, Texas marched into the Little Apple and knocked off the 13th-ranked Wildcats 34-27. According to ESPN’s matchup predictor, the Horns have an 81 percent chance of beating Kansas State on Nov. 4.

Here is everything you need to know about the 2023 Kansas State Wildcats and their matchup against Texas.

Breaking down how Texas football matches up against Kansas State.

Overview:

Chris Klieman enters his fifth season as the head coach of the Kansas State Wildcats with his highest expectations yet. The Wildcats enter the 2023 season ranked No. 16 in the preseason poll, the first time they have been in the preseason Top 25 since 2017. They were also selected second in the Big 12 Media Preseason Poll, a nod to the job Coach Klieman has done in replacing the great Bill Snyder.

The Wildcats are the reigning Big 12 Champs and will undoubtedly have this matchup against Texas circled. 2022 was a monumental year for the program as they notched their first conference championship since 2003. Coach Klieman and his staff continue proving that you can succeed with a program focused on player development.

A lot will likely be on the line when Kansas State travels to Austin for this early November matchup. It will be a stylistic clash between two of the best teams in the Big 12, but who will claim victory?

Offense:

Kansas State legend Collin Klein is back as a second-year offensive coordinator. Klein has worked well with senior quarterback Will Howard and believes this is the year Howard takes the next step.

Howard only played in seven games last season, so his counting stats are nothing to write home about. However, he was third in the Big 12 in both yards per attempt and QB rating. Howard continued progressing throughout the offseason and is poised for a breakout 2023 campaign.

Despite the losses of Deuce Vaughn and Malik Knowles, the Kansas State offense still has a bevy of offensive weapons. Florida State transfer Treshaun Ward will join sophomore DJ Giddens to form one of the more formidable backfield duos in the conference. On the outside, Iowa transfer Keagan Johnson will immediately slot in as Howard’s top target. The offensive scheme at Iowa limited the former four-star recruit, but he has all the tools to be a true No. 1. Phillip Brooks returns after catching 45 passes for 587 yards last season. Also, expect former fullback-turned-tight end Ben Sinnott to have a significant role in this offense. His teammates refer to him as “Mini Gronk.”

All five starting linemen return from a unit that finished in the top half of the conference in most major statistics last season. LG Cooper Beebe is the name to know here, coming off a season where he was selected as the Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year. The Wildcat front is mean and physical, embodying the style of play of a Coach Klieman team.

Defense:

The Kansas State defense loses seven starters from a year ago. Their 52 percent returning production rate is 92nd in the country. The linebacking unit did not suffer much attrition as 2022 starters Daniel Green and Austin Moore are back. Outside of that, however, the Wildcats will rely on their renowned internal development to make waves on this side of the ball.

The defensive line had a few standouts in the spring, such as Uso Seumalo and Brendan Mott, but no one on this roster will bring the level of 2022 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Felix Anudike-Uzomah.

In the backend, safety Kobe Savage is the lone returning starter. He is coming off a second-team All-Big 12 season and will only continue to grow as a player this fall. The rest of this unit’s question marks will be a significant issue all season long, especially against an explosive passing attack like the Longhorns.

The Kansas State linebackers will have a considerable burden of carrying this side of the ball. Yes, I believe in the internal development of Coach Klieman and am confident the Kansas State defense will be competent this late in the season. However, they will not be as good as the 2022 defense, which gave up less than 22 points per game.

Prediction:

This game was circled on the calendars of both teams when the 2023 schedule was released. A matchup between preseason Big 12 No. 1 and No. 2 will certainly get the juices flowing. Will Howard is one of my favorite quarterbacks in the conference and can carry this Kansas State team to a few extra wins. However, in this matchup, the talent of Texas will overwhelm the Wildcats as the game progresses. It should be a tight battle, but the home-field advantage for Texas will make a massive difference. – Kansas State-27, Texas-31