K-State Prepares for Showdown Against Army’s Triple Option Attack

MANHATTAN, Kansas — Kansas State University is gearing up to face the Army Black Knights this Saturday at 6 p.m. at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The Wildcats (1-1) will look to bounce back from a recent loss and tackle Army’s unique triple-option offense, which led the Black Knights to their winningest season in history last year.

K-State head coach Chris Klieman expressed confidence in his team’s preparation. “We’ve had a good week of practice. We watched the film and were very critical of it on Monday and put it to bed and moved onto Army,” he said. “The energy level is up, and the players are doing what I hoped they would do, which is to hold each other accountable to the standard we all expect.”

Last week, K-State narrowly defeated North Dakota 38-35 after suffering a previous defeat to Iowa State in Ireland. Though they were ranked No. 17 in the AP Top 25 Poll to start the season, the Wildcats face a daunting task against Army, which has a history of success against teams like K-State, having not beaten the Black Knights in their previous three encounters.

On the other hand, Army (0-1) is coming off a surprising loss to Tarleton State, where they gave up a two-touchdown lead. Despite this setback, Army’s recent record of 16 wins in their last 19 games highlights their potential threat to K-State. Coach Jeff Monken emphasized the challenge ahead, stating, “It’s one of the things that our guys really cherish in their experience at West Point is their ability to play in games like this against teams like this.”

K-State’s defense will need to be highly disciplined to counter Army’s triple-option offense, which is known to confuse defenses. Linebacker Daniel Green, who leads the Wildcats with 18 tackles this season, acknowledged the difficulties presented by this style of play. “Guys have to be dialed into what they’re doing,” he said.

Both teams understand the significance of this matchup, with K-State looking to avoid further slips in their season while Army aims to regain momentum in their campaign. Klieman reiterated the importance of the game, saying, “This will be a big game. You don’t often get a chance to have a service academy come in here, and Army is the best of the best.”

As the game nears, both teams are prepared for a physical showdown, recognizing that each snap will be crucial in the battle for victory.