Quarterback Blaine Gabbert and company found a lot of holes on their way to 38 points and 433 total yards in the 38-12 victory last Saturday. Coach Bill Snyder blamed the performance partially on a complacent week of practice after the biggest win of the season.
"We made a lot of minor mistakes that can easily be fixed," said cornerback David Garrett. "I would say missed tackles, everyone not running to the ball, probably a couple blown coverages."
Gabbert didn't see much pressure from the K-State front line, and the secondary allowed touchdown throws of 80 and 54 yards to the Big 12's leading receiver, Danario Alexander. Pass-oriented Missouri averaged 5.6 yards per carry. For only the second time all season, the Wildcats failed to force a turnover.
Snyder was disappointed the team didn't show much progress in its final home game, and Garrett said the defense probably took a step back in terms of tackling.
"We know our d-line can play better than what they did play, and we know we can play better than what we played," said Garrett, who has 29 tackles this season. "So, we're not pointing no fingers."
Snyder and defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald said they'll be spending a lot of time in practice this week trying to find answers. K-State might not have much margin for error Saturday against Nebraska, though, which hasn't allowed more than 17 points all season.
This week, the Wildcats face a different kind of challenge with a Husker offense that seemed to find its stride in a 31-10 win at KU last week. Nebraska showed plenty of balance, piling up 214 rushing yards and 196 yards passing.
"Their offense is dynamic," said Fitzgerald, who leads the Wildcats with six sacks this season. "They can go to the spread offense or the pro style, the downhill running, so we just have to be ready for both."
Nebraska's breakout game against Kansas included a career-high 154 receiving yards for junior receiver Niles Paul, along with 156 yards on 28 carries for Roy Helu, Jr.
"He's an awfully good back," Snyder said. "That's probably an understatement. He has speed, he selects running lanes, I think, very well."
Run defense has been a strong point for the Wildcats, who have given up only 105 yards per game. K-State hasn't allowed a 100-yard rusher since UCLA's Johnathan Franklin in the third game of the season.
The defense has shown an ability to deal with adversity so far this season, recording two of its best games after its first two conference losses. They gave up just two meaningless second-half touchdowns in a blowout against Texas A&M after being embarrassed at Texas Tech, 66-14.
The success at Kansas came after a tough 42-31 loss at Oklahoma, where the Wildcats gave up 458 yards of offense and a crucial conversion from a 1st and 45. Now they'll look to overcome a disappointing effort against Missouri, where Garrett said they probably took a step back in terms of tackling.
"You can't dwell on that game too long," Fitzgerald said. "As of (Monday), we're really focused on Nebraska. We still have a great opportunity ahead of us."
