It took exactly one play for Kansas State to lose its flexibility at the quarterback position.
On the first play of the 2015 season, sophomore starter Jesse Ertz sustained a knee injury that will keep him out “for quite some time,” coach Bill Snyder said on the weekly Big 12 teleconference Monday. Joe Hubener will take his place when K-State visits Texas-San Antonio this week.
Ertz ran the ball for five yards to lead off K-State’s 34-0 victory over South Dakota, and was on the field for one more play before limping to the sideline. After several minutes, he was taken to the locker room on a cart and did not return to the sideline.
“We’ll miss him and we feel badly about the loss,” Snyder said. “He’s been a wonderful individual for us and I’m quite confident he’ll stay invested in what we’re doing.”
Hubener entered the game and found his stride after some early jitters, completing 9 of 18 passes for 147 yards and a touchdown. He had two passes dropped, including one that would have resulted in a 60-yard score.
“For Joe to come in when he did, I’m sure that surprised the daylights out of him, but under the circumstances I thought he played well,” Snyder said.
Hubener also rushed for 38 yards but ended one of K-State’s promising drives early in the first half with a fumble at the goal line.
The Cheney native has never started a football game at quarterback in his life — including at the high school level — and will be asked to do so for the first time in a road environment this weekend.
True freshman Alex Delton was in the game for the final minutes against South Dakota but did not attempt a pass.
