How Does Tulane Compare to Kansas State in Their Upcoming Clash?

What are Kansas State’s roster's strengths and weaknesses, and how does Tulane compare to them?

Sep 17, 2022; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; The Tulane Green Wave and Kansas State Wildcats line up before the snap of the ball during the fourth quarter at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: / Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports

For many Tulane fans, the season's biggest game is Week 2 when the Green Wave hosts the Wildcats. It will be one of two matchups against Power Five programs currently scheduled for Tulane next season, the other being when they travel to Norman Stadium in Week 3 to take on the Oklahoma Sooners.

So, what are the Wildcats' strengths? Offensively, it starts with the run game. DJ Giddens returns for them this season after putting up over a thousand yards and double-digit touchdowns last season. Giddens’ powerful running style should be complemented well by Colorado transfer Dylan Edwards, the speedster of the two.

The Wildcats also have an experienced offensive line. While they aren’t the best on paper, they’ll be starting four seniors with the sole exception of Andrew Leingang, their junior guard. Like Tulane, however, Kansas State will be trotting out an inexperienced quarterback in Avery Johnson. Johnson was rated as a top ten quarterback in the country coming out of high school and possesses elite abilities as a runner. In the limited time he played last season as a freshman, he threw for 479 yards, 5 touchdowns, and had no interceptions.

Defensively, Kansas State’s strength is its secondary. They have two solid corners in Keenan Garber and Jacob Parrish, who boasts elite speed. At safety, Marques Sigle, VJ Payne, and Jordan Riley are all more than capable playmakers. The weakness of this defense comes in its front seven, with the exception of senior linebacker Austin Moore. If Tulane can stop Moore from making plays and avoid falling behind, Makhi Hughes has the potential to have a huge day.

On special teams, Chris Tennant is a solid kicker with great range and a career-long of forty-eight yards. At punter, the only options are true freshmen Simon McClannan and Teagan Cobb, with McClannan likely being the starter of the two. Do not be surprised if Kansas State elects to play more aggressively with the inexperienced punters this season.

If I had to pick a favorite in this game, I would nod to Tulane based on the matchups. The Wave’s defensive line matches up well against Kansas State’s strength, their run game. However, Kansas State does not have the front seven to stop the Tulane run game, giving the Wave a great advantage.