Why Kansas State’s victory at West Virginia was a statement game for QB Will Howard

The last time Will Howard played a football game at Milan Puskar Stadium he walked off the field in a state of sorrow.

It was 2020 and he was making the first road start of his college career as a freshman. Family and friends made the drive over from his hometown of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, and watched as Howard did little right during a 37-10 defeat that sent the Wildcats on a five-game losing streak.

Howard was humiliated.

So you can imagine how big he smiled late Saturday afternoon after he returned to the site of that meltdown as a junior and led K-State to a 48-31 victory over West Virginia that moved the Wildcats within one win (or a Texas loss) of earning a berth in the Big 12 championship game.

You could say he found redemption. You could also say he looked like a completely different quarterback, completing 19 of 27 passes for 294 yards and two touchdowns.

“I definitely had this one circled,” Howard said afterward. “I didn’t have a good memory of being here last. I wanted to change that, and I’m really glad that I did, because that was a good team that we just beat and they’re a really good home team. This was a big-time, quality win, and I’m excited about it.”

K-State football coach Chris Klieman wondered if West Virginia fans realized Howard was the same quarterback they saw two years ago.

“Will was really good,” Klieman said. “He’s been under control. I’m happy for him to come back here after being here in 2020 as a freshman on a tough day. He was able to come back here, it’s close to home. He had a ton of family here. Will Howard is playing at a really high level, and he is one of the most improved players in college football.”

This will probably go down as the most satisfying victory of Howard’s career.

Not only did he lead the Wildcats to 48 points and 437 yards, he did so after Chris Klieman put his trust in him as QB1. Yes, Adrian Martinez was unable to play with a lower-body injury, but Howard deserved to start on Saturday. He has been K-State’s most productive passer all season, and Klieman went so far as to say “it’s his football team now” when speaking about Howard earlier this week.

The Wildcats rallied around Howard, and he responded by playing impressive football.

He connected with Malik Knowles six times for 111 yards and a touchdown. He hooked up with tight end Ben Sinnott three time for 85 yards and a score. He also helped Sammy Wheeler, Kade Warner and Phillip Brooks make big plays.

“Just by looking at the score you can tell he played lights out,” Knowles said. “He played how you want your starting quarterback to play.”

Howard was so good that you almost forget about the fact that he threw a pick-six in the first quarter. It was an awful throw that West Virginia defender Malachi Ruffin returned for a touchdown that erased an early 14-0 lead for the Wildcats.

It is unlikely that Howard could have recovered from that type of mistake at this time a year ago. But it ended up not mattering in the grand scheme of things in this game.

“I think that is a credit to our team’s character, for just continuing to rally around me and knowing that we would bounce back from that,” Howard said.

“It was big time, because we could have folded. I feel like a younger me would have. But I came back differently today, after maturing a little bit. I tried to use it as motivation, just to come back stronger from it. And we played a heck of a game.”

Klieman didn’t say a word to him after the interception.

He knew Howard would bounce back.

“The kid is playing with so much confidence,” Klieman said. “He made a bad throw. ... Will is a seasoned veteran. You don’t need to say anything to him. He responded well and gave us a couple explosive plays.”

Howard had already proven that he was a different quarterback this season by lighting up Big 12 defenses in his three prior games. He led K-State to a 28-10 lead at TCU, a 48-0 victory over Oklahoma State and a 31-3 win at Baylor while throwing nine touchdowns compared to just one interception.

K-State fans had already embraced him as their quarterback of the present and the future. His future seemed bright before he returned to West Virginia on Saturday.

Still, this was encouraging. There was some fear that Howard might not be able to handle the pressure of starting at quarterback with a full week of buildup toward this game. In his three previous appearances this season, he only played after Martinez was ruled out. Howard prepared like a backup.

His role changed on Saturday, but his stellar play did not.

He has come a long way since his first trip to West Virginia.