Allow no more than 20% on third down
Another area where Kansas State is the worst in the Big 12 is third-down conversion percentage where they have been successful on just 3 of 22 attempts through two games. That’s just 13.6%.
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This week, Tech’s goal should be to keep KSU to 20% or below when it comes to that all-important aspect of the game. If that happens, the KSU offense will have a tough time sustaining any momentum.
Unfortunately, Tech is in the bottom half of the conference in this category. Sitting at No. 7, the Red Raiders are allowing opponents to convert 38.7% of the time.
The key on third down will be to keep Thompson in the pocket and put pressure on him. If he is allowed to remain comfortable when he looks to pass, he has the savvy needed to be able to pick the suspect Tech secondary apart. Also, he throws fairly well when outside of the pocket and that’s when many of his big plays have come over the course of his career.
Look for QB pressures to be critical this weekend. KSU has only allowed three sacks this year (but they’ve only thrown the ball 55 times so far) so getting home against Thompson may be tough. However, putting him under duress could be just as effective and that’s what Tech has to do, especially on third down.
Kansas State will want to keep the ball away from the Red Raiders and control the clock to protect a suspect defense. If Tech can have success defensively on 80% of its third-down opportunities, it’s hard to imagine KSU being able to keep up with a Red Raider attack that will likely put plenty of points on the scoreboard.