After losing 2 of their first 3 games of the season, the Kansas State Wildcats desperately needed to pick up a win over Arizona in a game between Big 12 teams that won't count in the conference standings. The Wildcats have been shockingly underwhelming this season as they needed a last-second touchdown to beat North Dakota, while they've lost to Iowa State and Army.
Part of the reason for Kansas State's struggles has been the fact that Avery Johnson doesn't look any better than he was last season and may have regressed. This is a player that was so talented and so promising that Kansas State fans were happy that Will Howard transferred to Ohio State as it meant that Johnson would play.
This season, Avery Johnson has been off to a slow start in his first three games as he's completed just 65.3% of his passes for 763 yards and 6 touchdowns with an interception while he hasn't been nearly as explosive as everyone thought. Even while Johnson was off to a slow start, there was a hope that he could start to turn his season around.
If the first half of Friday Night's game against Arizona is any indication, the Kansas State offense and Johnson are still in trouble. Johnson attempted 12 passes, completing 6 of them for only 15 yards. It's almost impossible to complete 6 passes and only have 15 yards yet this disaster Kansas State team has accomplished it.
Arizona has taken a 17-3 lead into the half, and if Kansas State is somehow going to claw its way back into this game, Johnson is going to need to find a way to be effective as a passer. The Wildcats offense has settled for way too many passes at or near the line of scrimmage and Arizona has been able to contain everything as there's almost no risk of allowing the play to get behind them.
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