After a subpar junior season, Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson is showing glimpses of his sophomore season
Now, this is more like it.
This is why Kansas State Wildcats fans made all the fuss about quarterback Avery Johnson when he joined the program in 2023. This is what they all wanted to see.
On Saturday, Johnson's talents were on full display in the Wildcats' 31-20 victory against the Tulane Green Wave at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. He completed 21 of 28 passes for 227 yards while also running 12 times for a career-high 152 yards and two touchdowns.
The performance helped K-State improve to 3-0 this season and complete the non-conference schedule undefeated. It also showed that Johnson is back after a somewhat struggling junior season.
After a strong sophomore year (his first as a starter), he took a step back last year. He battled inconsistency all season. He never could string together consecutive solid performances. His numbers declined across the board. As a result, the Wildcats finished a disappointing 6-6 and coach Chris Klieman resigned at the end of the season.
The lone positive was it opened the door for K-State alum Collin Klein to take over as head coach. It was Klein who was mainly responsible for recruiting Johnson to Manhattan. At the time, Klein was the offensive coordinator. He developed a strong relationship with Johnson during the recruiting process and their time together at K-State.
After two seasons at Texas A & M, Klein is back to help groom the player he put so much effort into bringing to Manhattan. Klein and Johnson are benefiting from their strong relationship.
It shows by the way Johnson is playing. Although it's just been three games, he is on pace to put his name all over the Kansas State record book. He already owns the school record for touchdown passes. Other marks are soon to fall.
If Johnson continues playing like this once the Big 12 conference season begins, the Wildcats could find themselves playing for a league title and perhaps more. It starts this Saturday on the road against the Cincinnati Bearcats.
MORE KANSAS STATE NEWS
Kansas State improves to 3-0 after Tulane victory
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K-State's Collin Klein is adjusting to new role on the fly
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Shandel Richardson is the publisher of KStateRoundtable. He can be reached at [email protected]
