He knows what he’s up against, but Dalton Risner isn’t worried.
He plays in the Big 12.
The Kansas State senior right tackle said he’s “very familiar” with No. 18 Mississippi State’s vaunted defensive line, which features stars Montez Sweat and Jeffery Simmons and helped the team force 17 tackles for loss in its season-opening 63-6 drubbing of Stephen F. Austin last week.
But Risner said he’s not fretting about it.
“I think they’re great football players, but I go against a lot of great football players in the Big 12,” said Risner, whose Wildcats host the Bulldogs at 11 a.m. Saturday. “Do those guys look like some of the better film that I’ve watched? For sure. But I’ve seen Big 12 players do the same thing that they’re doing.”
K-State’s front five won’t enter the matchup with much momentum. The offensive line had a forgettable showing last week in the Wildcats’ comeback 27-24 win over FCS foe South Dakota, which registered three sacks in the game.
Linebacker Alex Gray notched two of them.
Add in K-State’s uncharacteristic 13 penalties, and it’s easy to see why Risner called the mistakes his team committed “embarrassing.”
So what led the offensive line to turn in such a paltry outing?
“Mental errors and not finishing blocks,” Risner said. “Mental errors as in holding penalties, offsides, as well as not finishing blocks. (There were) plenty of plays where we could have busted for 10, 20 more yards if myself or anyone else on the offensive line could have finished a block better. We took plays off.”
The Wildcats’ starting offensive line includes Risner, juniors Scott Frantz (left tackle), Tyler Mitchell (left guard) and Adam Holtorf (center), as well as senior Abdul Beecham (right guard). But if last week’s game is any indication, redshirt freshman Josh Rivas may rotate in and out with Beecham, like he did against South Dakota.
Yet Mississippi State (1-0) has plenty of reason to believe its defense — and by extension, its defensive line — will come through against K-State.
The Bulldogs recorded four sacks last week, and Sweat was responsible for two of them.
Stephen F. Austin managed just 77 rushing yards on 41 attempts, good for an average of 1.9 yards per carry.
In fact, Sweat combined with safety Brian Cole for a tackle for loss on the first play from scrimmage.
For this reason, Risner said the Bulldogs are special in their own right — “they’re faster and more athletic than most every person they play,” he said — but the consensus among the Wildcats is that they haven’t changed their approach or attitude in preparation for the game.
That goes for redshirt junior quarterback Alex Delton — locked in a position battle with redshirt sophomore Skylar Thompson — who said he trusts his offensive line and isn’t expecting to need to get passes away quicker.
“Their defensive line is very big, and they’re talented,” Delton said, “so our offensive line has its work cut out for it, but I believe in our offensive line. I trust they’ll get the job done.”
The sentiment extends to the top of the program.
“I read somewhere in some of their output that it was the largest number of tackles for losses they had had since I was born,” K-State coach Bill Snyder said. “That was before football. Obviously, it’s a concern.”
The Wildcats are hoping it won’t be on Saturday.
That’s what Risner is planning on, anyway.
“Our job is to worry about what we do,” Risner said. “And if we worry about what we do as Kansas State football and execute, and have that discipline and that focus, we’re going to be in a good spot toward the end of the fourth quarter.”
