Which Kansas State quarterback will West Virginia see?
Kansas State’s football team is hard enough to prepare for, much less when you don’t know who will quarterback the Wildcats.
Sophomore Alex Delton has filled in admirably for injured senior Jesse Ertz throughout the season, then last Saturday in Lubbock, redshirt freshman Skylar Thompson took over for the dinged-up Delton and delivered a stirring rally that gave the Wildcats a 42-35 victory over Texas Tech in overtime.
So when West Virginia arrives in Manhattan, Kansas, for a game Saturday, the Mountaineers legitimately have no idea who they might see.
“I don’t view it as incredibly difficult,” West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen said. “They don’t change their offense a ton. They’re going to run the quarterback. Or run the wildcat. They’re going to try to establish the run. All those guys can throw the ball as well. They can hurt you in the passing game.”
Maybe so. But Thompson played the entire second half against Tech, and with the game on the line, he produced.
Thompson led a 10-play, 53-yard drive to a field goal early in the fourth quarter, cutting Tech’s lead to 35-27. Then Thompson’s 54-yard completion to Dalton Schoen ignited a five-play, 80-yard touchdown drive, capped by a 2-point conversion pass that tied the game with 42 seconds left. Then Thompson threw a touchdown pass to Byron Pringle in overtime that proved to be the winning score.
KSU coach Bill Snyder said the “pecking order is pretty much in place,” meaning Ertz, Delton, Thompson. “But Skylar has played well in each of the last two ballgames. I haven’t been disappointed in either one. I like his poise. For a young guy, he understands the system, consequently, you can put more on his plate. They’re both doing well.”
Kansas State needs one more victory to become bowl eligible. The Wildcats might get it against West Virginia, which isn’t sure which quarterback will be leading K-State.