Depth chart news
– Junior offensive tackle Edward Prince will start at left tackle this week against Texas A&M. Season-long starter Alesana Alesana will backup Prince.
– Linebacker John Houlik, who saw his first playing time of the season against Texas Tech after returning from suspension, will start over Ulla Pomele at middle linebacker.
Injury report
– Prince said the health status of starting center Jordan Bedore is in question for Saturday’s game against the Aggies. Bedore left the game in the second quarter with an apparent arm injury, and Zach Kendall slid over from guard to center for the rest of the game.
“He got banged up in the game,” Prince said. “I’ll have to let the medical staff tell me exactly what his status is. He got hit pretty hard on a certain part of his arm and he wasn’t able to continue.”
– Prince said he expects linebacker Antwon Moore to return and play after sitting out the Tech game because of a leg injury.
Player to watch
– Prince said he is very worried about Texas A&M running back Michael Goodson and the offense as a whole.
“They are extraordinary,” Prince said. “He is as fantastic of a runner that I have seen in a long time.”
A game on the ground
– Both the Texas A&M and K-State defenses struggle at stopping the run. The Aggies rank No. 114 out of 119 Division-I teams, allowing 225 yards a game on the ground. Meanwhile, the Wildcats rank 101st in the country, allowing 192.4 yards on the ground.
Starting quarterback for A&M in question
– Longtime Aggie starter Stephen McGee did not start last Saturday against Oklahoma State because of a shoulder injury. Sophomore Jerrod Johnson has played a majority of the snaps at quarterback this season, completing 56 percent of his passes for 670 yards and nine touchdowns. Johnson, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound quarterback reminds Prince of Josh Freeman and JaMarcus Russell.
“I’m really impressed with his pocket awareness,” Prince said. “He can run the football. He can do all of the things you would expect. I think he’s a fearless competitor. He has taken some shots in the pocket, and it hasn’t fazed him at all. We could see both [McGee and Johnson]. I am not sure.”
A pair of struggling teams
– The Aggies have a 2-3 record going into the game, including a loss at home to Arkansas State. They lost last Saturday 56-28 at Oklahoma State. The Wildcats have lost two of their last three games and are looking for a bounce-back win.