Five Things I Would Like To See In The Pop-Tarts Bowl
The Pop-Tarts Bowl is Thursday night in Orlando. Pardon me if I am not very excited about the matchup between K-State and North Carolina State. I’m not sure what to make of this game since we will not see the 2023 versions of the teams battle on the field. What we’re going to see is a preview of the 2024 versions of these teams. The transfer portal has affected both programs, most notably K-State quarterback Will Howard announcing his transfer and the best defensive player in college football, North Carolina State linebacker Payton Wilson, opting out of playing in the game to prepare for the NFL draft. Those two players, along with many others on both sides not playing, make it difficult to predict what may happen and how it will affect the game. What will I be looking for when watching? Here are five things I’d like to see.
1) A win
K-State is a two-point favorite over North Carolina State. The Wolfpack are playing without their best player. There are no excuses. The Wildcats need to get a win.
2) A productive offense
K-State Offensive line coach Conor Riley is calling plays in the bowl game as interim offensive coordinator in place of departing Collin Klein. Klein played a similar role in K-State’s bowl game a couple of years ago, and the offense was so explosive that he won the permanent job after the 42-20 win in the Texas Bowl against LSU. Can Riley show that he has what it takes to take the reigns as K-State’s offensive coordinator going forward?
3) A productive Avery Johnson
I won’t overreact if Johnson has a bad night, nor will I overreact if he has a great night. We know Johnson can run and throw the ball effectively in spurts, but is he ready to do it for an entire game? That’s what I’m looking for.
4) The future
We will see what the future looks like at multiple positions on the field. Wide receiver, tight end, linebacker, and cornerback are positions that I will be watching closely. Can the young Wildcats on the roster step up and be productive against a solid North Carolina State team?
5) A Sterling Lockett punt return
Not only was Lockett listed on the depth chart as a punt returner, but head coach Chris Klieman mentioned Lockett in his bowl game press conference as a receiver to watch going into 2024. I’m looking forward to seeing him on the field in game action.
I will not overreact either way to how this game may turn out. It’s simply a preview of the 2024 K-State Wildcats. I honestly can’t predict what may happen, nor can anyone else. But I’ll give a prediction anyway. K-State 24 North Carolina State 21.