Kansas State may have had no problems putting away South Dakota on Saturday, winning 34-0, but there was some negative news to come out of the game. Starting quarterback Jesse Ertz limped off the field just two snaps into the game. The knee injury forced Ertz to miss the rest of the game, and it appears he will miss an undetermined amount of playing time in the coming weeks as well.
“Jesse is going to be out for quite some time,” Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder on the Big 12 coaches conference call Monday. Snyder did not say just how long his quarterback may be out, and suggested the Wildcats have little choice but to move on. The veteran head coach did suggest Ertz will remain an active team member while unable to play.
“We will miss him. We feel badly about the loss and he will be there. He has been a wonderful individual for us, very representative of our value system, of our team and really developing as a leader. I am quite confident he will stay invested in what we are doing and will be very helpful to all of his teammates. We will move on.”
Ertz was replaced by junior Joe Hubener, who came in relief to complete nine of his 18 passing attempts for 147 yards and a touchdown. Hubener also rushed for 38 yards in Kansas State’s season-opening victory. Hubener will get the start for Kansas State this weekend when the Wildcats hit the road to play at UTSA. Per The Wichita Eagle, this will be the first time Ertz, a former walk-on, has ever started a football game, including high school.