Kansas State Football: Wildcats will ride Deuce Vaughn back to bowl game

With talented running back Deuce Vaughn and a better QB situation than a year ago, Kansas State football has reason for optimism in 2021. 

Kansas State football is in an awkward spot as the 2021 season approaches as the Wildcats have as much to worry about off the field as on it.

With Texas and Oklahoma poised to leave the Big 12 for the SEC, Kansas State is one of the programs that finds itself between a rock and a hard place.

While Iowa State and Kansas seem like solid fits for the Big Ten, and the three Texas schools, plus Oklahoma State could probably find a partner with the Pac-12 conference, there isn’t a clear landing spot for Kansas State.

Maybe the Wildcats stick with Kansas, their long-time natural rival, but it’s hard to see how Kansas State can be that attractive to the Big Ten? Kansas wouldn’t be either without its basketball team and even though K-State is solid in both sports, it’s not a big brand.

But that doesn’t mean the Wildcats can’t have a productive 2021 season, one that returns the program to a bowl game.

Chris Klieman took over for the legendary Bill Synder two years ago and won eight games in 2019 and followed that up with a 4-6 record last year.

There weren’t a ton of bright spots for the Wildcats in 2020, however, one bright spot was electrifying running back Deuce Vaughn, who notched three 100-yard rushing games as a freshman and another game with over 150 total yards in a win over Texas.

That win over the Longhorns made Kansas State 4-1 before the bottom fell out and the Wildcats lost five straight. So which K-State team will show up in 2021? Let’s find out.