This is why this whole discussion is pointless...
...Kansas State had a safety playing over the top on that play. There is no tight end on that side of the field. Didn't Knight see the safety before the snap?
What did he think the safety standing at the 10 was doing? He was nowhere near the line of scrimmage, so he wasn't blitzing. Unless there was a run fake, he wasn't coming up. Even if Knight had pump faked - and, then, managed to complete the pass -
the safety had plenty of angle to tackle Neal, probably at about the 20-25 yard line.
Three years Knight has been here, and that's his read on that safety in that defense? A safety not creeping up to fake a blitz, or coming into the box to play the run?
Assuming the K-State cornerback knows the coverage that was called for the play, he knew he'd have safety help; therefore, it wasn't a gamble at all for him to jump the route. He knew help was behind him should there be a pass play.
Look at the blocking on the play as well. Dimitri Flowers pulls over and take out the K-State end. Had the option been a run, Perine would have only had the safety to beat...assuming Neal also blocks the corner...and, yes, I know that is a lot to assume in Neal's recognition as well.
Horrible. A damn good block by Flowers, though; blew up the K-State end. Offensive line did a great job there. But, Knight had the play screwed up from the pre-snap read of the defense.
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=11720595