Former Kansas State Quarterback Will Howard Advances To CFP Semifinals

The Ohio State Buckeyes blew out Oregon with a statement victory Wednesday.
Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard takes the field prior to the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025.
Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard takes the field prior to the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Quarterback Will Howard saw his last game at Kansas State as Avery Johnson excelled in the 2023 Pop-Tart Bowl.

Now, he is having a renaissance in his first year outside Manhattan, KS. The new Ohio State signal-caller is headed to the CFP semifinals after a statement victory over Oregon Wednesday night.

Howard went 17-of-26 for 319 yards and three touchdowns, connecting with wide receiver Jeremiah Smith seven times for 187 yards and two scores. Running back TreVeyon Henderson added 94 yards and two touchdowns on the ground while Ohio State's defense suffocated the Ducks up front. Their early dominance stunned Oregon to a deficit they couldn't overcome.

Howard's last game against Oregon ended in a gut-wrenching loss, handing the team the first of its two losses this season. He slid down on a QB run as the time expired, eliminating the chance to get a final play and possibly take the lead.

"I still have nightmares about that play," Howard said in the pregame interview. "I'm thankful that we even get a chance to go out there and play these guys again. The way we lost that game, it still hurts."

Howard got the last laugh against the Buckeyes, conveniently handing the nation's No. 1 team their first loss of the season. He has now thrown for 3,490 yards, 32 touchdowns, and nine interceptions in his first year at Ohio State.

Howard and the Buckeyes play Texas (13-2) on Jan. 10 in the Cotton Bowl.

Jayden Armant is a graduate of the Howard University School of Communications and a contributor to Kansas State Wildcats on SI. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.


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Jayden Armant
JAYDEN ARMANT

Jayden is a journalism school graduate of Howard University. He was the 2024 recipient of the Terez Paylor scholarship award. He previously worked at the Orlando Sentinel.