Why are DJ Giddens and the Kansas State Wildcats suddenly having trouble running the ball?

It didn’t take long for Chris Klieman to identify the most frustrating thing about Kansas State’s recent loss to Houston.

He was upset about how the Wildcats ran the ball that game.

More accurately, he thought they did a terrible job as Wildcats on the field against the Cougars. Rushed for just 89 yards on 34 attempts. K-State averaged 2.6 yards per rush in this game. Worst of all, Klieman could see such a performance coming. K-State wasn’t very good in wins against Kansas and West Virginia.

“We’ve been talking about this for a while,” Klieman said. “We are not playing with good enough fundamentals and techniques. This has indeed been the case for the last few weeks. We managed to overcome this with an sometimes explosive game. But it’s the same thing we talked about after we won the (KU) game on Monday. We’re not good enough at identifying blocks, sustaining blocks, finishing blocks, and when we do that we may still have to go through an arm tackle. And right now we’re not doing well at all.”

This is a concerning development for a team that is expected to have one of the most explosive offensive attacks in college football this season.

K-State lived up to expectations at the start of this season. I’m starting running back DJ Giddens He averaged 7.3 yards per rush in his first six games and looked like one of the best players in the Big 12 as he racked up yards and touchdowns.

But things have changed drastically since then.

Take away a 54-yard sprint against Kansas and opposing teams have held Giddens to 2.9 yards per carry over his last three games.

Dylan Edwards was a nice change-of-pace option against KU and in the early games, but the Colorado transfer was held to 31 yards on eight carries in Houston.

Then there’s quarterback Avery Johnson, who averaged 7.3 yards per carry as a dual-threat player. Then he got injured against Colorado and that part of his game was wiped out. The Corn product has only 70 rushing yards on 29 attempts over the last four games, averaging 2.4 yards per rush.

To be fair, Johnson ran for 67 yards and a touchdown against Kansas. But against Houston, it looked like he was running to get out of bounds instead of running to gain yards. And he didn’t even attempt a single run against West Virginia.

Maybe offensive coordinator Conor Riley needs to develop a more consistent strategy for how and when to coach Johnson.

K-State still ranks second in the Big 12 with a 5.8-yard rushing average, but its success rate has dropped recently.

From where?

Some credit needs to be given to opposing defenses. Teams like Oklahoma State and Colorado fare badly against the run. But West Virginia, Kansas and Houston focused all their attention up front.

They didn’t want to let Giddens beat them, and they did.

“People are making some demonstrations and pressures against us,” Klieman said. “We are trying to detect and prevent this. “When you do that, you’re not managing football.”

It will be interesting to see how K-State responds. The Wildcats will have this week off before returning to the field on Nov. 16 against Arizona State.

Riley is a former offensive lineman who loves nothing more than throwing the ball up the middle. Fans can expect a few changes that will allow Giddens, Edwards and Johnson to get more practice space.

For a crime that has lost its identity, this feels like a top priority.