Kansas State football has enjoyed a tremendous rise to the top of the national college football rankings, with only Alabama and perhaps Oregon standing in their path with a few weeks of the season left to go. Much of that has been on the shoulders of Heisman Trophy candidate Collin Klein. Yet given the concussion the quarterback suffered on Saturday, it's a cause for concern for many that the Wildcats might not be able to continue their winning streak.
However the players feel otherwise. For one, the team continued to work well offensively under back-up quarterback Daniel Sams.
"Daniel did a great job," B.J. Finney said. "He stepped right in and he knew what he needed to do. He was calling plays and checks, which were great checks. They were the same that Collin would have made."
Wide receiver Tyler Lockett said Klein remained a leader for the players even when he was off the field.
"Collin was still a leader. He was on the sideline getting us going, especially when things weren't going our way," Lockett said. "That's what I like about him, on and off the field. He's always a leader. Collin is someone you can always look up to."
If anything, the players were so focused on what they needed to do that perhaps the loss of one player doesn't matter.
"I didn't even realize he had left the game," said defensive lineman Travis Britz. "We just kept trying to do our job and keep working."
Bill Snyder has his team ready to play their part on the field no matter what happens to a particular player or in a specific moment. That's the mark of a winning team and Kansas State football should be fine with the leadership they have in place.