Why Kansas State's Collin Made Bold Move In Making QB Switch Vs. Colorado

The Kansas State Wildcats lost a game they had every chance to win but probably shouldn't have even been in contention to win. 

The Wildcats had all sorts of quarterback issues entering Saturday's matchup on the road against the Colorado Buffaloes. They were playing without starter Avery Johnson, who missed his second straight game with an injury. 

They were set to go with sophomore Dillon Duff, who entered having taken zero snaps at the college level. They had two other quarterbacks who were supposedly unavailable also because of injuries. 

As expected, Duff struggled because of the circumstances. No one expected him to handle this situation well. In fact, it's unfair to have asked him to do so. Not many players could have stepped in during this ordeal and produced. 

Duff lasted just three series, completing one pass. The Wildcats scored zero points. 

And that's when Klein stepped into action. He called an audible. Surprisingly, he made the switch from Duff to Blake Barnett, who was dealing with an injury. He staved it off to almost lead the Wildcats to victory. 

Barnett completed 18 of 28 passes for 224 yards and three touchdowns. The Wildcats fell just short in their chance to put popular yet scrutinized Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders on the hot seat. 

Should Klein have gone for the two-point conversation after Barnett led a touchdown-scoring drive in the final minute? We'll save that for another column. But Wildcats gave it their all with the odds stacked against them. 

Of course, it was against the Buffaloes, who were winless in the Big 12 conference prior to the game. Still, you have to be impressed with the way Klein handled the quarterback situation. 

He saw something wasn't working. He found something that was. That's what solid coaches do. They make adjustments when things aren't going their way. You hear the term "in-game" coach often in sports. Most of them are really good at what they do because they handle adversity. 

And that's what Klein did on Saturday. 

Even though this was another "L," this season, it should be a win for Klein and the Kansas State fan base. The Wildcats aren't that far off in turning this thing around. 

They were ahead at halftime against the Cincinnati Bearcats before faltering in the second half. They played the Houston Cougars tough. And now they have two more losses without their starting quarterback. 

This season is lost because of the Big 12 and College Football Playoff hopes are gone. But at least some progress is being made.