The Kansas State Wildcats open the 2010 football season this Saturday as they host the Bruins of UCLA from the Pac-10 Conference. The Bruins, like K-State, are picked to finish near the middle of the pack in its conference but unlike the Wildcats played in a bowl game last year. K-State was 6-6 last year and 4-4 in Big 12 play.
The Wildcat offense will look to have more balance this year, as senior captain and 3-year letterman Carson Coffman will again start the year under center. Coffman, who started the first four games last season, was 2-2 as a starter and completed 60 percent of his 117 pass attempts for 860 yards and two touchdowns along with four interceptions. Last year against the Bruins he was 20 for 34 with 193 yards and two interceptions.
The bulk of the K-State offense will rest on the broad and healthy shoulders of senior running back Daniel Thomas. Thomas, who rushed for 1,265 yards and scored 11 touchdowns, last year, is a NFL prospect and will be behind a very good fullback and an experienced offensive line. Smith Center native and sophomore fullback Braden Wilson is 6-foot 3-inches and weighs 254 pounds. Wilson is a ferocious blocker and according to coach Bill Snyder is one of the hardest workers on the team.
The offensive line is experienced as four of the five players were starters last year and they will average almost 315 pounds a man. Wade Weibert will be the center, Zach Kendall and Kenneth Mayfield the guards while Manase Foketi and Clyde Aufner will man the tackle positions. The wide-outs are all new except Aubrey Quarles, who played two years ago but was red-shirted last year because of an injury. This is also a deep position as five other players will be looking for playing time, including Kansans Brodrick Smith and Chris Harper.
The K-State defense will also have some experience and will enjoy having end Brandon Harold, a 2008 Freshman All-American, back from injury. Joining him up front will be Prizell Brown and Ray Kibble in the middle and Antonio Felder playing the other end. Junior Alex Hrebec has the most career starts of any linebacker with 10. Safeties Tysyn Hartman and Emmanuel Lamur give the Wildcats a lot of experience in the secondary as Lamur has the most tackles of any player returning with 68 and Hartman had a team-high five interceptions.
The UCLA Bruins are coached by former Colorado coach Rick Neuheisel and were 7-6 (3-6 Pac-10) last year and beat Temple 30-21 in the EagleBank Bowl. The offense returns six starters including sophomore quarterback Kevin Prince who threw for more than 2,000 yards last year and completed 56 percent of his 308 passes with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions. Prince has been battling an oblique strain this preseason and is just now getting back to practice and Neuheisel has said he must be able to play at full speed and be sharp before being allowed to start. If he can’t go, sophomore Richard Brehaut will start.
