FIESTA BOWL Snyder building on legacy at K-State

The veteran coach led the Wildcats to their first conference title since 1934.
By ROB TODOR
VINDICATOR SPORTS EDITOR
TEMPE, Ariz. -- In the world of college football, Kansas State coach Bill Snyder is regarded as some sort of miracle worker.
Consider this fact: in Snyder's 15 seasons at the Big 12 Conference school, he has won as many games -- 127 -- as the program enjoyed in the previous 51 years before his arrival in 1989.
The Wildcats added to Snyder's legacy this season with 11 more wins and the school's first conference championship since 1934. Kansas State is one of only two Division I-A schools in history to win at least 11 games six times in a seven-year span.
Yet, Snyder craves one thing that his opponent, Jim Tressel, already has -- a national championship.
Respect game
That won't happen this season, either, but a victory over Tressel's Buckeyes Friday night in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl would give Snyder and the Kansas State program a serious dose of national respect.
"It [would be] another step, a special step in our program, quite obviously," said Snyder, "but by the same token, a lot of very positive things have taken place with Kansas State football over the years, and if we were fortunate enough to [beat Ohio State] it would be another mark.
"I think we're a program that just, week in and week out, year in and year out, has attempted to become a little bit better, and I think by and large with a few blips on the screen, that has probably been the case," he added.
"We've played in 11 consecutive bowl games and I don't know if there's another football program that's won 11 games in six out of seven years, so I think there's some things that Kansas State University has accomplished."
Similarities
Tressel sees similarities in his coaching background to Snyder.
"Coach Snyder and I were both kind of raised as assistant coaches in the Big Ten and there were certain ways of attending to detail and good, tough, hard-nosed, physical football, making sure that you stay up with the times and maybe even be on the cutting edge of some things," he said.
"We've studied Kansas State for the last 15 years, whether we were at Youngstown State stealing some of their stuff from them, or watching them from afar at Ohio State. They do things right, they do them tough, they do them clean, they do them hard and that's why they're good year after year."
Both teams this season featured highly-rated defenses; Ohio State finished No. 1 in the nation defending the run and was No. 9 overall, while Kansas State was ranked No. 5 overall.
The Wildcats had the fourth-lowest points allowed average in I-A and Ohio State was ranked 13th.
"Kansas State's defense is predicated on great speed, great aggressiveness and toughness," said Tressel. "They're going to make you earn every yard you get. They have the great ability to diagnose, a great ability to find out what you did against them and see what they have to do to stop it the next time."
Mistake free
Snyder said Ohio State is a team that "understands how not to beat yourself."
"This is a football team, from a coaching standpoint, from a player standpoint, that truly understands how to win. It's a team that's not going to make mistakes," he said.
"They're an excellent defensive football team, [the] best defense in the nation against the run, and that's not just numbers," he continued. "They truly are a tremendous and talented and fast football team playing against the run."
Tressel said he's been impressed by the Buckeyes' practice sessions since arriving in Arizona the day after Christmas.
"I think our practice preparation and tempo and focus has been as good as we've ever had," he said. "We've been very, very pleased as a coaching staff with the way our young people have approached it."
todor@vindy.com