Boykin leads the Big 12 and is fourth nationally in total offense at 361.9 yards per game. But he is coming off his worst game of the season, when he completed only 12 of 30 passes and threw for a season-low 166 yards at West Virginia.
Patterson said he practiced well last week and has practiced well again this week.
One of the things Patterson looks for from the Horned Frogs is poise. He said he could see that on the sideline in the West Virginia game when he watched the ABC broadcast of the game.
Receiver Kolby Listenbee said composure was key to coming back from a 27-14 deficit.
Patterson said a former West Virginia player complimented him after the game.
The quarterback scramble remains one of Patterson’s most pressing concerns for his defense, and Kansas State’s Jake Waters is not easing his mind.
The Horned Frogs have been hit-and-miss against elusive quarterbacks. Oklahoma’s Trevor Knight proved the toughest to contain, running for 61 yards.
Cornerback Kevin White felt good about his performance against West Virginia’s Kevin White, the conference’s leading receiver. But he said it would not have meant anything without Jaden Oberkrom’s game-winning kick.
The next challenge is Kansas State’s Tyler Lockett.
Oberkrom, whose 37-yard field goal won the game at West Virginia last week, was named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, given to the country’s top place-kicker. Oberkrom was also a semifinalist in 2012.
The junior from Arlington Martin leads the nation with 11.3 points per game. He has made 14 of 18 kicks, including his last five in a row. He is 5-for-7 from 40-plus yards this year, and his 69 percent rate for his career from that distance ranks third in Big 12 history.