MANHATTAN — Kansas State football linebacker Desmond Purnell liked what he saw from the Wildcats' defense in their 2024 season opener , but he wasn't the least bit surprised.
The fact that the Wildcats effectively shut down Tennessee-Martin's offense Saturday night in a 41-6 victory at Bill Snyder Family Stadium should be the rule, not the exception.
"You already know how last year went, one of the top teams in the nation," said Purnell, one of eight returning starters from a unit that was pretty salty in its own right. "I feel like we can be top five in about every category.
"That's what we strive for every day."
Related: Will Kansas State football be a contender in the Big 12? Our 2024 game-by-game predictions
Related: Kansas State football vs UT-Martin: Scouting report, prediction for Wildcats' 2024 opener
It was a good thing that the defense was on its game early while the offense sputtered, holding UTM to 83 first-half yards and a field goal as the Wildcats limped to a 17-3 lead. And it only got better after the intermission.
For the game, UTM managed just 134 yards total offense, including 36 on 38 rushing attempts. And the Skyhawks managed just 98 yards through the air.
"Our defense, I thought, was really good all night," K-State coach Chris Klieman.
There was plenty for him to like.
Even though the Wildcats didn't create any turnovers, they kept UTM under duress all night, recording four sacks and 11 tackles for loss.
"The defense did their thing today, so it was awesome," said nose tackle Damian Ilalio. "I think we did good.
"I think there's a lot to improve, obviously."
More: Former Kansas State basketball guard Jacob Pullen talks about his career scoring record
Ends Brendan Mott and Tobi Osunsanmi led the charge on the defensive line, combining for two of the sacks. Osunsanmi, a sophomore who moved from linebacker to end during the offseason, had 1.5 by himself.
"Brendan Mott and Tobi Osunsanmi played their tails off and got after the quarterback," Klieman said. "And thank heavens they did, because I thought they had a couple really good wideouts."
Osunsanmi, who was a safety and linebacker in high school, but has grown into his new position at 6-foot-3, 248 pounds, likes the switch.
"I feel like it allows me to just go," he said. "I feel like at linebacker I was thinking. Now that I'm closer (to the ball), I can just go and do what I'm good at, and that's my speed."
And then there was Purnell, who led the team with seven tackles, including 1.5 for loss, with a quarterback hurry.
"Desmond's a stud," Klieman said. "That kid, he's a great football player. He probably gets not the recognition that he deserves from outside, but inside our walls, and when you guys have seen that kid, the kid's a freaking great football player.
"He plays hard, he plays physical, he runs through contact and doesn't miss tackles. We're so excited to have Des and the way he's playing."
Purnell was particularly happy with the way the Wildcats shut down UTM's running game.
"We knew that coming in, that's what they wanted to do, but that's what they wanted to initiate, so let's just get on their side of the line of scrimmage and make them go three and out and make them punt the ball so we can get it back to our offense."
Even the six points the defense gave up were misleading. Both UTM field goals came off turnovers. The first followed quarterback Avery Johnson's first career interception, and the second was with a short field when K-State fumbled the second-half kickoff.
Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State football defense rises to the occasion in 41-6 rout of Tennessee-Martin
Local News
Comments / 0