Big 12 Football: Week 1 Power Rankings

Sep 5, 2015; Manhattan, KS, USA; Kansas State Wildcats head coach Bill Snyder watches his team as they defeat the South Dakota Coyotes, 34-0, at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports

Kansas State was all over the web on Saturday, but not exactly for football (NSFW).

While the band was busy creating art, the football team was busy rolling South Dakota. The Wildcats shut out the Coyotes 34-0, and even though South Dakota isn’t exactly Alabama, a shutout is still impressive.

Morgan Burns set the tone of the game when he returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. All was well for the Cats until starting quarterback Jesse Ertz got hurt after only two plays.

Backup quarterback Joe Hubener turned in an average performance after replacing Ertz. He went 9 of 18 for 147 yards and one touchdown. Kansas State will need a lot more offense than that to compete in the Big 12.

There is still no word regarding Jesse Ertz’s injury. Hubener will most likely start next week against UT-San Antonio, but as of now there is no timetable for Ertz.

As of now, Kansas State is going to be a defensively driven team, which is what we expected from them. The Wildcats are going to have to rely on a backup quarterback to lead their offense, so that’s probably going to stall offensive growth.

The Wildcats are in flux without their starting quarterback, who could be out for a very long time. Next week they travel to San Antonio to take on the Roadrunners who played Arizona tough in their opener. It won’t be too easy, but don’t be surprised to see Kansas State bring home a victory next week.

Next: Oklahoma State