The Kansas State Wildcats are finally starting to look like the defense we expected — and it all started with Desmond Purnell. After an up-and-down start to the season, Purnell exploded against TCU with two interceptions, including a pick-six, earning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors and setting the tone for a dominant night in Manhattan. Christian Rauh breaks down how Purnell’s breakout performance brought energy back to the Wildcats defense and why this could be the turning point of the season. From PFF grades and advanced data to the key adjustments Chris Klieman and Joe Klanderman made, Kansas State is beginning to find rhythm at the perfect time. The linebacking crew stepped up across the board. Rex Van Wyhe graded out as K-State’s highest defender, Jordan Allen made a major impact filling in for injured starters, and VJ Payne and Donovan McIntosh rounded out one of the most complete defensive efforts of the season. But it wasn’t perfect. Missed tackles from Purnell and Austin Romaine, along with continued struggles in the secondary, leave plenty to address during the bye week. Christian digs into what’s next for this defense — from cleaning up tackling to tightening coverage against the pass. Can the Wildcats’ defense carry this momentum into Lawrence and keep the streak alive over Kansas? On the offensive side, the tight ends continue to be the backbone of the attack. Will Swanson and Garrett Oakley led the way with strong grades and a red zone presence that is finally giving Avery Johnson consistent options through the air. The offensive line is also quietly improving in both run and pass blocking, showing balance and poise after early-season inconsistency. Locked On College Conferences, Basketball & More 🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnCollege Follow on Twitter: https://x.com/lockedonKState Follow the show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3HhcfyjaoLGxYjsL1KmSZM More Coverage from Christian Rauh: https://blueprintsportsnetwork.com/ #KansasState #KansasStateFootball #KansasStateWildcats #NCAA #CollegeFootball Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! 5-Hour ENERGY Enough with boring, flavorless caffeine, it’s time to give your caffeine a flavor upgrade with 5-hour ENERGY®️ shots. Get the favorites you love or be bold and try something new in-store and online at https://www.5hourENERGY.com or Amazon today. Square To learn more, go support your favorite neighborhood spot and see what Square has been up to in your neck of the woods. And then if you have extra time, check out https://square.com/go/lockedoncollege Peloton Let yourself run, lift, flex, and push forward. Explore the new Peloton Cross Training Tread+ today at https://www.onepeloton.com. Quo See why over 90,000 businesses trust Quo, formerly OpenPhone. Get started free and get 20% off your first 6 months at https://www.Quo.com/LOCKEDONCOLLEGE. DoorDash With DoorDash Streaks, you save every Saturday you order — stack it up all season and you could save up to $250. Order this Saturday. Keep the streak alive. Fuel your gameday — only with DoorDash. Terms apply. Promo period through 11/18. Mazda It’s the small details that make the big plays. And just like there’s more to every player, there’s more to a Mazda vehicle. Mazda. Move and Be Moved. Gametime Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply. Monarch Money Take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE at https://www.monarchmoney.com/lockedoncollege for 50% off your first year. FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Football season is around the corner, visit the FanDuel App today and start planning your futures bets now. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Big 12 Conference: Arizona Wildcats, Arizona State Sun Devils, Baylor Bears, BYU Cougars, UCF Knights, Cincinnati Bearcats, Colorado Buffaloes, Houston Cougars, Iowa State Cyclones, Kansas Jayhawks, Kansas State Wildcats, Oklahoma State Cowboys, TCU Horned Frogs, Texas Tech Red Raiders, Utah Utes, West Virginia Mountaineers
The Kansas State Wildcats are finally starting to look like the defense we expected — and it all started with Desmond Purnell. After an up-and-down start to the season, Purnell exploded against TCU with two interceptions, including a pick-six, earning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors and setting the tone for a dominant night in Manhattan. Christian Rauh breaks down how Purnell’s breakout performance brought energy back to the Wildcats defense and why this could be the turning point of the season. From PFF grades and advanced data to the key adjustments Chris Klieman and Joe Klanderman made, Kansas State is beginning to find rhythm at the perfect time. The linebacking crew stepped up across the board. Rex Van Wyhe graded out as K-State’s highest defender, Jordan Allen made a major impact filling in for injured starters, and VJ Payne and Donovan McIntosh rounded out one of the most complete defensive efforts of the season. But it wasn’t perfect. Missed tackles from Purnell and Austin Romaine, along with continued struggles in the secondary, leave plenty to address during the bye week. Christian digs into what’s next for this defense — from cleaning up tackling to tightening coverage against the pass. Can the Wildcats’ defense carry this momentum into Lawrence and keep the streak alive over Kansas? On the offensive side, the tight ends continue to be the backbone of the attack. Will Swanson and Garrett Oakley led the way with strong grades and a red zone presence that is finally giving Avery Johnson consistent options through the air. The offensive line is also quietly improving in both run and pass blocking, showing balance and poise after early-season inconsistency. Locked On College Conferences, Basketball & More 🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnCollege Follow on Twitter: https://x.com/lockedonKState Follow the show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3HhcfyjaoLGxYjsL1KmSZM More Coverage from Christian Rauh: https://blueprintsportsnetwork.com/ #KansasState #KansasStateFootball #KansasStateWildcats #NCAA #CollegeFootball Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! 5-Hour ENERGY Enough with boring, flavorless caffeine, it’s time to give your caffeine a flavor upgrade with 5-hour ENERGY®️ shots. Get the favorites you love or be bold and try something new in-store and online at https://www.5hourENERGY.com or Amazon today. Square To learn more, go support your favorite neighborhood spot and see what Square has been up to in your neck of the woods. And then if you have extra time, check out https://square.com/go/lockedoncollege Peloton Let yourself run, lift, flex, and push forward. Explore the new Peloton Cross Training Tread+ today at https://www.onepeloton.com. Quo See why over 90,000 businesses trust Quo, formerly OpenPhone. Get started free and get 20% off your first 6 months at https://www.Quo.com/LOCKEDONCOLLEGE. DoorDash With DoorDash Streaks, you save every Saturday you order — stack it up all season and you could save up to $250. Order this Saturday. Keep the streak alive. Fuel your gameday — only with DoorDash. Terms apply. Promo period through 11/18. Mazda It’s the small details that make the big plays. And just like there’s more to every player, there’s more to a Mazda vehicle. Mazda. Move and Be Moved. Gametime Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply. Monarch Money Take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE at https://www.monarchmoney.com/lockedoncollege for 50% off your first year. FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Football season is around the corner, visit the FanDuel App today and start planning your futures bets now. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Big 12 Conference: Arizona Wildcats, Arizona State Sun Devils, Baylor Bears, BYU Cougars, UCF Knights, Cincinnati Bearcats, Colorado Buffaloes, Houston Cougars, Iowa State Cyclones, Kansas Jayhawks, Kansas State Wildcats, Oklahoma State Cowboys, TCU Horned Frogs, Texas Tech Red Raiders, Utah Utes, West Virginia Mountaineers