It was an up-and-down season for Johnson as he took over for Will Howard as the team’s starting quarterback. He led the Wildcats to nine victories, including feel-good wins over Kansas, Colorado and Rutgers. But he also melted down and threw too many interceptions in losses to BYU, Houston and Arizona State.

When leading rusher DJ Giddens opted out of the game to enter the NFL Draft, the Wildcats turned to Dylan Edwards and Joe Jackson, and they did not disappoint. The duo combined with quarterback Avery Johnson for 347 yards on the ground. Except for one interception, Johnson was solid as well, guiding a K-State offense that finished with 542yards.

In addition to the matchup of K-State's offense against Rutgers' defense favoring the Wildcats, the battle on the other side of the ball is also favorable for Klieman's squad. Kansas State ranks No. 17 nationally in defensive success rate and limits opponents to only 21.9 points a contest.