Auburn Opponent Breakdown: Kansas State Wildcats
Nov 30, 2013; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas State Wildcats head coach Bill Snyder on the sidelines against the Kansas Jayhawks in the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
The Auburn Tigers will leave home for the first time in 2014 to travel for a Thursday night matchup in Manhattan, Kansas against the Kansas State Wildcats. Here’s a breakdown of K-State’s season to date, and their outlook for the rest of 2014.
Head Coach: Bill Snyder (180-90-1 in 23 seasons)
Bill Snyder is beyond a doubt a hall of fame football coach. What he has done at Kansas State can only be described as the biggest turnaround in the history of college football. He took the nation’s worst football program (the team was 0-26-1 in its last 27 games prior to Snyder’s arrival) and turned K-State into an annual contender in the Big 12.
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With the win last week at Iowa State, the Wildcats have officially won twice as many games as they have lost under Snyder’s direction. Snyder has led Kansas State to three conference titles, most recently in 2012. That season, Snyder coached quarterback Collin Klein to a spot as a Heisman Trophy finalist, and the team reached the Fiesta Bowl.
As the head coach at K-State, Snyder has never faced Auburn. The teams met during the 2007 season, but Snyder briefly retired from coaching in 2005. Ron Prince was the head coach that led the Wildcats in their trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium, which the Tigers won 23-13. Snyder returned as head coach in 2009.