Kansas State QB Will Howard makes the case (again) to take over as full-time starter

Kansas State has looked like an absolutely dominant football team in two games this season.

What do they have in common? Will Howard.

The junior quarterback served as the Wildcats’ primary quarterback during a 31-3 victory over Baylor on Saturday at McLane Stadium, and he was at the center of a post-game celebration when the team learned it had regained control of its destiny in the Big 12 championship race thanks to other scores across the league. He was also QB1 when K-State demolished Oklahoma State, 48-0, a few weeks ago.

That doesn’t seem like a coincidence. K-State has been at its best this season when Howard has been in command of the offense.

It’s getting harder and harder for Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman to continue starting Nebraska transfer Adrian Martinez instead of Howard. The plan all season has been to use Howard in no more than four games in order for him to redshirt and preserve a year of college eligibility for later in his career.

But that plan may be changing after Howard led the Wildcats to 405 yards and four touchdowns against the Bears, with Martinez exiting the game late in the first quarter with a lower-body injury. Howard is playing like the best quarterback on the roster, and he might get the starting nod when K-State heads to West Virginia for its next game.

“It’s something we are going to talk about each week,” Klieman said.

Klieman went on to say that Howard and Martinez are both in a good place. The Wildcats feel comfortable rolling with either quarterback. But they sided with Howard on Saturday. The offense was humming with him in the game, and the coaches decided there was no need to go back to Martinez even after he was cleared to return.

“He was really good,” Klieman said of Howard. “Will has been preparing each week the last few weeks, and when Adrian went down ... I said, ‘This isn’t a helmet popping off. We’re rolling.’ You know, I looked at Will and I said, ‘Will, you got it.’ Remember, Will has been here before, and I know how important this one was to Will to play well. And he played really well.”

Indeed, the offense simply looked better when Howard was at the controls and Martinez was watching from the sideline.

Collin Klein became a more aggressive play-caller, the team moved at a faster pace and the threat of a downfield passing attack opened up a lot of things for the Wildcats on the ground when Howard was on the field.

Star running back Deuce Vaughn finished with 154 all-purpose yards and a touchdown. He can thank Howard for at least some of those numbers. Tight end Ben Sinnott looked like an All-American, making seven catches for 89 yards and two touchdowns.

“I know how much he prepares and how hard he works,” Sinnott said. “So whenever his moment comes, he’s going to be ready, and he’s going to be prepared and he’s going to take advantage of it.”

Howard didn’t blink when he saw Martinez limp off the field following his injury on a QB sneak.

“I have gotten used to it,” Howard said. “At this point, it’s my job. I’m going to own my role, and if that’s coming in relief when I need to I have done it a couple of times now. I’m getting kind of used to it. Credit to all the guys around me for rallying around me and and staying up for me, just telling me how much they believe in me and everything. When you have got that and you have guys who make plays for you it makes my job easy.”

Howard once again gave the Wildcats an instant spark when he entered the game. Had Martinez stayed healthy, there’s no telling how the rest of the game would have gone. But there is no question that Howard coming in was the best thing for the Wildcats.

After looking stagnant on the majority of their first two drives, they began rolling when Howard entered. He completed 18 of 26 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns, showing poise in the pocket even when Baylor kept sending blitzers his way from different angles and directions.

His highlights included throwing a beautiful pass into a tight window to Sinnott, which Sinnott came down with in the end zone between a pair of Baylor defenders, and several precision passes while he was under pressure.

Howard has only played in three games this season, and the offense looked terrific in all three. He led K-State to a 28-10 lead at TCU before he was briefly knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury and the Horned Frogs mounted a comeback. Then he guided the Wildcats to a 48-0 demolition of Oklahoma State. Then he carved up Baylor’s defense.

K-State has only relied on Howard when Martinez has been hurt, but it may be time for that to change. The Wildcats pivoted back to Martinez last week against Texas. Though he played well against the Longhorns, he lost two costly turnovers and K-State was unable to win.

The Wildcats are now within reach of a berth in the Big 12 championship. If they win their final two games, at West Virginia and vs. Kansas, they will make it to Arlington, Texas for the championship game. Playing the best quarterback should be a high priority for the Wildcats moving forward.

Right now, that looks like Howard.