Kansas State RB DJ Giddens Hoping To Build Off Week One Performance
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Kansas State running back DJ Giddens drew praise throughout the preseason from the likes of coach Chris Klieman and quarterback Avery Johnson.
On Thursday, it was offensive coordinator Connor Riley's turn. Riley said Giddens was the easily the standout player from the win against UT-Martin in the opener last week.
Giddens had 124 yards on 13 carries.
"Well, I think the easy answer is DJ, you know, very pleased obviously with the exception of playing on special teams with Jayce [Brown]," Riley said. "One of the things I was most impressed with is how our wide receivers blocked out on the perimeter."
AVERY MAKING SPECIAL APPEARANCE PREGAME
Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson has some pregame work Saturday before the actual pregame workout.
He is expected to appear on ESPN's College GameDay before taking the field against Tulane in New Orleans. The network announced it via social media Thursday.
The show is broadcast from Ann Arbor, Mich., this week for the marquee matchup between Michigan and Texas. Among the others making appearances are Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian, Wolverines basketball coach Dusty May and actor Will Ferrell.
Johnson is making the second start of his career. A sophomore, he helped lead the Wildcats past UT-Martin in the opener. Johnson received some Heisman Trophy consideration love during the preseason but has to step it up this week in order to remain in the conversation. Last week he completed 14 of 21 passes for 153 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
Kansas State opens Big 12 play next week but refuse to overlook Tulane. The Green Wave pulled off a 17-10 upset when the teams last met in 2022.
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Kansas State Wildcats On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com
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Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star. TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here