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K-State dealt with more quarterback injury issues in a loss at Oklahoma State. Here’s Chris Klieman with the latest on Will Howard and Skylar Thompson’s health.

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — A Kansas State squad that lost its opener to Arkansas State two weeks ago, had its roster depleted by COVID-19, and entered Saturday’s game against No. 3 Oklahoma as a four-touchdown underdog overcame it all to pull off one of the biggest stunners of the season.

Skylar Thompson passed for 334 yards and ran for three touchdowns, and the Wildcats rallied from 21 points down to beat the third-ranked Sooners 38-35, a 50-yard field goal by Blake Lynch with 4:32 remaining providing the margin of victory.

Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said he didn’t know until Friday if he’d have enough players available at all position groups to play the game. Turns out, the Wildcats had exactly what they needed.

“You find out a lot about a person and about a team from a challenge and adversity, and this team responded,” Thompson said. “I had no doubt going into this game that we were going to have a chance to win just by the way that we handled the last two weeks, the way we practiced, the way we came together and corrected our mistakes.”

Freshman Deuce Vaughn caught four passes for 129 yards and ran for a touchdown for the Wildcats. It was Kansas State’s first-ever road win against a top-three team in the AP poll.

Kansas State upset Oklahoma 48-41 in Manhattan, Kansas, last year, making the loss especially disappointing for the Sooners. Oklahoma outgained the Wildcats 517 yards to 400 but had four turnovers to none for Kansas State.

“We just made critical errors that gave them a chance,” Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley said. “Give Chris (Klieman) and Kansas State a lot of credit. When we made errors, he made us pay.”

Oklahoma freshman Spencer Rattler passed for 387 yards and four touchdowns, but he threw three interceptions.

“He’s a young guy in his second start,” Riley said. “We’re going to continue to build on it and he’s going to continue to get better and get coached better as well.”

In the opening moments of the second quarter, Rattler threw into traffic and found Drake Stoops for a 32-yard touchdown. It was the first career score for the son of former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, and it gave the Sooners a 14-0 lead.

Thompson’s 39-yard touchdown pass to Chabastin Taylor in the second quarter cut Oklahoma’s lead to 14-7, but the Sooners answered with Marvin Mims’ 9-yard touchdown reception in the final minute of the first half.

Rattler’s 53-yard pass to Stoops led to Seth McGowan’s 5-yard touchdown run and gave the Sooners a 35-14 lead late in the third quarter.

“We knew when we were down 21 we were just like, we’re going to get our chance, we’re going to get our shot,” Vaughn said. “We’re going to see how good we are at battling adversity. That’s exactly what we did. When things started to turn our way, we were like we can’t get too high. We never got too low. We stayed even-keeled.”

Two short rushing touchdowns by Thompson got the Wildcats back in the game.

Kansas State’s Nick Allen blocked Reeves Mundschau’s punt, and the Wildcats took over at the Oklahoma 38. Vaughn’s 38-yard touchdown run on the Wildcats’ second offensive play and the critical extra point tied it at 35 with 8:17 to play.

Kansas State’s Jahron McPherson intercepted Rattler in the final minute to help close out the win.

“For me, I dream about this all the time,” McPherson said. “For me, I was just so happy and happy for my team. I do everything for my team. I was just happy for all of us.”

Oklahoma had a regular-season loss each of the four times it has reached the College Football Playoff. The Sooners hope they can bounce back again.

“We’re very disappointed, but the resolve is very strong,” Riley said. “We know how to respond to a loss around here, and we’ll do it, and it’s going to take every single one of us.”

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State’s stadium erupted with cheers. Soon, its student section emptied onto the field to celebrate K-State’s 48-41 win against No. 5 Oklahoma (7-1, 4-1) on Saturday afternoon.

Most of them — the students and the players — were not alive the last time K-State (5-2, 2-2) topped Oklahoma at home in 1996. First-year head coach Chris Klieman was coaching defensive backs at Western Illinois at the time.

Fans had not rushed the field at Bill Snyder Family Stadium since clinching a Big 12 Championship at home against Texas in 2012. This time, the Wildcats knocked off the four-time defending Big 12 champion.

“It was crazy. It was a surreal moment,” said true freshman receiver Joshua Youngblood, who had three catches and his first career touchdown on a jet sweep. “It was great having them down there, talking to everybody, seeing people who were in my classes come to the game. It’s a great feeling.”

“That was a crazy moment,” added senior center Adam Holtorf. “That’s something that I’ll truly remember forever, being a senior and being able to beat a highly-ranked team at home the way we did. There’s so many things going through your head, but it’s something special.”

For a little more than three quarters, K-State’s execution was something special.

Behind it, the Wildcats overcame 10-0 and 17-7 deficits in the first quarter to take a 24-23 lead to halftime. They outscored Oklahoma 17-0 in the third quarter to build a 25-point lead and they held on in the fourth quarter for the victory.

K-State’s win was sealed when an onside kick recovery by Oklahoma with less than two minutes left was overturned by replay review, prompting a loud roar in the stadium and putting K-State’s offense into the victory formation.

“I don’t know if it has really fully hit me yet, to be honest. I’ve just been at a loss for words,” K-State quarterback Skylar Thompson said. “I was sitting at my locker kind of just thinking about what we just did and how we did it. It’s a special moment for me in my life, but I know for Kansas State and the history, it’ll go down as a game people will remember forever. Just the thought of me being a part of it, a small part of it, is something I’m truly grateful for.”

Thompson and K-State’s offense came together quickly after a three-and-out to start the game.

The Wildcats followed that series with three consecutive scoring drives of 10 or more plays that ate up a combined 15:45 of clock. K-State ended up with eight straight scoring drives between the first and fourth quarter — the most against a Big 12 opponent since recording eight in 2012 against West Virginia. K-State’s run of scores was capped by a 10-play, 73-yard touchdown drive to go up 48-23 early in the fourth quarter.

“What can you say about the resolve of our guys? I’m so proud of the players and the coaches. We told them before the game that we belong on this stage and told them to continue to believe,” Klieman said. “The guys continued to believe throughout the game. Even when we were down 10-0 and 17-7, I saw a sideline of guys who felt like they really had a chance to win the football game and stay in the football game against a great, great football team.”

The Wildcats used effective offense as a second defense, winning the time of possession by more than 16 minutes (38:08 to 21:52). They did so, in part, with a rejuvenated run game.

K-State rushed for 213 yards, led by James Gilbert’s 105 on 13 carries. Jordon Brown, in his first action since K-State’s Big 12 opener against Oklahoma State, added 63 yards on 12 carries. Thompson chipped in 39 yards and a career-high four scores on the ground. He also connected on 18-of-28 through the air for 213 yards, hooking up with nine different receivers.

“We were so confident going into this game,” senior left tackle Scott Frantz said. “(The coaches) had a great game plan and said, ‘Hey, just trust us. If you execute it, it’s going to work.’”

The Wildcats also forced and took advantage of a pair Oklahoma turnovers, turning them into 14 points.

“We talked about being able to create a huge turnover to change the momentum,” Klieman said. “We were able to create two.”

AJ Parker intercepted a pass off an Oklahoma trick play late in the first half. Thompson scored three plays later on a 14-yard draw on third-and-10.

Senior linebacker Eric Gallon made a pair of game-changing plays close together in the second half.

Gallon suffered a serious injury on his second crucial play, a forced fumble on a pooch kick about midway through the third quarter. Ross Elder recovered the fumble, which led to one of Thompson’s touchdown runs. The series before, Gallon, a senior, deflected a third-down pass to cap a three-and-out. It, too, opened the door to a short field and a quick K-State score.

“Those were amazing plays. We love Eric. When he went down, we made the decision we had to go win it for him and for everything he’s worked for and everything he’s done,” Parker said. “Prayers out to EG. We used his plays to get the win and we’re forever thankful for him.”

K-State, one win away from bowl eligibility, will head to Lawrence next weekend to face Kansas for the Dillons Sunflower Showdown. It will kick at 2:30 p.m., on FS1.

]]> https://powercatgameday.com/k-state-stuns-5-oklahoma/feed/ 0 10236 https://powercatgameday.com/wildcats-winning-streak-ends-ksu-64-isu-78/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wildcats-winning-streak-ends-ksu-64-isu-78 https://powercatgameday.com/wildcats-winning-streak-ends-ksu-64-isu-78/#respond Sun, 17 Feb 2019 01:18:03 +0000 https://powercatgameday.com/?p=9903 https://powercatgameday.com/wildcats-winning-streak-ends-ksu-64-isu-78/feed/ 0 9903 https://powercatgameday.com/k-state-falls-to-texas-in-big-12-opener-47-67/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=k-state-falls-to-texas-in-big-12-opener-47-67 https://powercatgameday.com/k-state-falls-to-texas-in-big-12-opener-47-67/#respond Thu, 03 Jan 2019 06:15:56 +0000 https://powercatgameday.com/?p=9868 https://powercatgameday.com/k-state-falls-to-texas-in-big-12-opener-47-67/feed/ 0 9868 https://powercatgameday.com/k-state-explodes-in-2nd-half-for-win-over-osu/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=k-state-explodes-in-2nd-half-for-win-over-osu https://powercatgameday.com/k-state-explodes-in-2nd-half-for-win-over-osu/#respond Tue, 16 Oct 2018 16:33:20 +0000 https://powercatgameday.com/?p=9786 Manhattan, Kan. – It was another big day for Alex Barnes and Kansas State on the ground Saturday against Oklahoma]]>

Manhattan, Kan. – It was another big day for Alex Barnes and Kansas State on the ground Saturday against Oklahoma State, but this time the Cats could walk away from the game feeling good about their performance.

It took a bit for the rushing attack to turn into points for K-State, as the Cats found themselves trailing 6-3 at halftime. Andrew Hicks, who is usually the K-State punter, had field goal duties for the day. He missed his first attempt from 51 yards out, but the second attempt was good.

K-State was held without a touchdown in the first half, making it the sixth half this season without a touchdown by Kansas State.

When K-State came out for the second half they made an early defensive statement forcing a three and out on the Oklahoma State offense. That stop gave Kansas State the energy to score on four straight possessions, all by Alex Barnes.

The first touchdown took 4:59 and went 70 yards which started a trend for the Wildcats who had three of their four touchdowns come on drives of 70 or more yards. Kansas State’s final four drives, not including the drive at the end of the game with a kneel down, produced touchdowns.

Barnes used this 181 yard, four touchdown performance to follow up his 250 yard, four touchdown performance in Waco, Texas last weekend versus Baylor. The four scores by Barnes tied his career high for a game.

Oklahoma State’s offense struggled through the day, Taylor Cornelius threw for 184 yards, but was also picked off twice by Duke Shelley. On the ground the Cowboys’ runningback Justice Hill only ran for 41 yards on 11 carries. This was the first time in the last two seasons that OSU didn’t win, when allowing less than 40 points.

Up Next: Kansas State enters their bye week before a road trip to Norman, Oklahoma to take on the Oklahoma Sooners who are on a bye this week, but will face TCU at Amon G Carter Stadium on October 20^th.

Just as Kansas State coach Bill Snyder wanted it, Saturday’s Purple-White spring game was nothing out of the ordinary.

There were impressive performances from young players and plenty of areas to improve on display as Purple beat White 31-28 at a rainy Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

“Nobody did anything that surprised me,” Snyder bluntly put it afterwards.

Alex Delton and Skylar Thompson continued their battle for the starting quarterback spot with evenly-matched outings. Both played for both teams in the game, giving them the chance to face K-State’s starters and backups on the defensive side of the ball.

Delton passed for 201 yards and three touchdowns, while Thompson added 204 yards and two scores. Neither threw an interception.

“I thought both of them played reasonably well,” Snyder said. “We flipped a coin to decide who would be the first guy to take reps with the ones. That’s an indication of how close they’ve been throughout spring practices.”

The more surprising — and perhaps encouraging — aspect of K-State’s offense came from the receiving corps. With Byron Pringle and Dominique Heath gone, there are plenty of questions to be answered as the season approaches.

Chabastin Taylor and Landry Weber attempted to ease the doubts, combining for 183 yards and three touchdowns. The pair, along with Zach Reuter, appear to be challenging Isaiah Zuber and Dalton Schoen at the top of the depth chart.

Snyder said Taylor has a ways to go but it making progress.

“It’s been up and down, kind of a roller coaster with him,” Snyder said. “It’s a new process and system for him. You can see he’s got some skill. He’s just got to learn how much of an investment it really takes. But he’s made some headway and he played well today.”

Alex Barnes appears to have a firm grip on the starting running back spot for the time being. He logged 18 carries for 98 yards and a touchdown, while Justin Silmon carried the ball only twice.

K-State made several changes to its coaching staff over the offseason, which is rare in the second Snyder Era. As a result, the Hall of Fame coach said the spring game was just as important for his new coordinators as it was for his players.

“There’s always going to be a new dynamic every year because of different players, but that is even more true when you have some new guys on your coaching staff,” he said. “For them, learning the communication systems is the biggest thing.”

As many as eight starters were held out of the game due to injuries, although it was just precautionary in most cases.

The future has arrived.

Kansas State rallied from a 19-7 deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Iowa State, 20-19, as time expired Saturday evening in Manhattan.

Thompson found Isaiah Zuber in the back of the end zone to cap a ten-play, 87-yard drive in the final two minutes.

“I don’t think giving up is in their vocabulary,” K-State coach Bill Snyder said. “I think they always fight.”

For more than three quarters, K-State’s offense accomplished very little against the Cyclones. In fact, the Wildcats didn’t even reach 100 total yards until the fourth quarter.

A comeback in such circumstances seemed unlikely at best. But Snyder knows Thompson has the X-factor, even as a redshirt freshman.

“I think he’s a poised young man,” Snyder said. “He pays close attention to the coaches and works diligently on what he does. He has a confidence level that is appropriate for the position he plays.”

Thompson completed 15 of 21 passes in the game for 152 yards, with 110 of those coming on the Wildcats’ final two drives of the game.

The Wildcats (7-5, 5-4 Big 12) were without the majority of their starting secondary as D.J. Reed, Kendall Adams and A.J. Parker all missed the game. ISU quarterback Kyle Kempt completed 24 of 36 passes for 264 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

But K-State held ISU to a pair of field goals deep in its own territory, which proved to make a huge difference in the game.

“I was very proud of them,” Snyder said. “One of our nemeses was third downs; they converted too many. But I was pleased with the youngsters that filled in.”

The Cyclones (7-5, 5-4) had a chance to close the game in the final minutes, and appeared to do so. But a pass interference penalty on K-State was picked up and forced ISU to punt.

Thompson and the offense took over at their own 13 yard line with 1:55 remaining. All of a sudden, K-State’s receivers found open space, and Thompson made all the throws he needed to.

Similar to the game itself, the game-winner to Zuber didn’t go as planned. Thompson scrambled and rolled out to the right in desperate search of an open man. At the last possible moment, he found Zuber with space at the back of the end zone.

K-State will learn its bowl destination next week.

One of the strangest weeks in Bill Snyder’s tenure as Kansas State’s football coach had one final twist.

With the program’s uncertain future in the spotlight and pegged a 20-point underdog in Las Vegas, K-State beat No. 10 Oklahoma State Saturday afternoon, 45-40, for the Wildcats’ first win in Stillwater since 1999.

K-State also clinched bowl eligibility for an eighth straight season.

“We addressed the value of being able to play collectively as a team,” Snyder said. “The offense had a role in it, the defense had a role in it and special teams had a role in it.”

After OSU (8-3, 5-3) took a 10-7 lead in the first quarter, the Wildcats outscored the Cowboys 35-3 in the middle quarters to open up a 42-13 lead. Byron Pringle and Skylar Thompson were the undisputed stars of K-State’s offense. Pringle caught three touchdown passes and also scored on an 89-yard kickoff return.

Thompson completed 10 of 13 passes for 203 yards, and also rushed for 93 yards on 17 carries.

“Skylar did awfully well,” Snyder said. “We were able to get the ball down field and get some big plays. We were in a drought with big plays.”

As dominant as the offense was, K-State’s defense may have been just as impressive. OSU star quarterback Mason Rudolph only found a rhythm late in the game when the Cowboys made a furious comeback bid. He threw two interceptions, tying a season high.

K-State (6-5, 4-4) very nearly coughed up the 29-point lead it built in the third quarter. OSU scored 20 straight points to end the game and got the ball back with 2:12 to go, trailing by just five.

But Rudolph threw four straight incomplete passes as the Wildcat defense held on.

Snyder said he was more “frightened” than nervous toward the end of the game, but “at the end of the day, they made the stop that won the ball game.”

In the final minutes, Thompson was hurt on a hit that forced a costly fumble, but he did return for K-State’s final drive.

The win was Bill Snyder’s first as an unranked team against an AP Top 10 team on the road.

K-State will conclude the regular season next week against Iowa State before learning its bowl destination.

SNYDER MUM ON LEAVITT REPORT

After the game, Snyder was asked about a Brett McMurphy report that K-State had planned to make Jim Leavitt the program’s coach-in-waiting last year before Snyder rejected it.

Snyder didn’t have much to say on the matter, stating “I don’t know who Brett McMurphy is.”

“I’ve heard there’s an article out there. I don’t know who wrote it or what it said.”

Forcing four turnovers and holding West Virginia scoreless in the second half seems like a pretty good recipe for success.

But scoring points, it turns out, is also important to winning football games. Kansas State did not do enough of the latter in a 28-23 loss to the No. 23 Mountaineers Saturday afternoon.

“The defense kept getting the ball back, but the offense couldn’t get it in the end zone,” Bill Snyder said. “We had great field position all day. It just didn’t happen.”

The K-State defense held WVU scoreless to five punts and zero points in the second half. But the Mountaineers did just enough damage in the second quarter, when they scored 21, to render the effort fruitless.

West Virginia’s first four drives consisted of two turnovers and two punts. Three of those drives resulted in the Wildcats taking over on the Mountaineers’ side of midfield. But all that came of them were two Matt McCrane field goals.

“Across the board, we had some issues (with the offense),” Snyder said.

D.J. Reed was responsible for both takeaways in the first quarter, a strip of David Sills followed by an interception he returned to the WVU 2-yard-line.

K-State (5-5) could not take advantage, scoring just three points on four WVU turnovers in the first half. In his first career start, Skylar Thompson struggled at times with pass accuracy and pocket awareness. He finished 13 of 26 for 159 yards and two interceptions.

It didn’t help that Thompson was K-State’s only healthy scholarship quarterback, so the Wildcats’ patented quarterback run game was almost nonexistent to avoid the chance of injury.

“He did some good things over the course of the ballgame, but struggled from time to time,” Snyder said. “But it wasn’t Skylar. There were a lot of reasons we didn’t win that ballgame.”

No sequence summed up the first half, or the game, as well as the final minute. After K-State scored to get within 21-20, West Virginia fumbled in K-State territory. Thompson was immediately intercepted by a Mountaineer defensive lineman with ten seconds left.

Grier found a wide open Ka’Raun White for a 30-yard touchdown as time expired, giving WVU a 28-20 lead and dealing a massive blow to K-State’s momentum.

“I guess we could have run the clock out, and in hindsight that’s what we should have done,” Snyder said.

K-State had chances to take the lead in the fourth quarter. The best of which ended deep in WVU territory when Thompson was picked off with 7:50 to go.

The loss was K-State’s fourth by a touchdown or less this season.

Kansas State’s first second-half comeback win since 2015 didn’t come a moment too soon.

With bowl eligibility in question and trailing by 11 points in the fourth quarter, the outlook was bleak for the Wildcats Saturday afternoon at Texas Tech.

A few good plays and a couple fortunate breaks later, K-State topped the Red Raiders 42-35 in overtime.

K-State (5-4, 3-3 Big 12) started the game well, leading 17-7 in the second quarter. But Texas Tech took control of the game at that point, on both sides of the ball, and led 35-27 with less than four minutes to play.

That stretch included three Wildcat touchdowns being nullified by penalties, which added to the frustration and seemed to indicate K-State was doomed to suffer its fourth loss of the season by a touchdown or less.

That’s when things went from weird to weirder.

Texas Tech (4-5, 1-5) missed a 31-yard field goal that would have put the game on ice with 3:40 remaining. Skylar Thompson, who took over for the injured Alex Delton at halftime, quickly drove K-State down the field and tied the game on a two-point conversion to Dalton Schoen with 42 seconds left.

Then, instead of attempting to win the game in regulation, and with one of the nation’s best offenses, Red Raiders coach Kliff Kingsbury decided to take the game to overtime. He ran two plays up the middle as the final seconds ticked away and boos rained down at Jones AT&T Stadium.

In overtime, K-State scored first on a pass from Thompson to Byron Pringle. The Wildcat defense, which was torched through the air for most of the day, earned its biggest stop of the season to escape with a win. Nic Shimonek’s fourth-down pass sailed out of the back of the end zone.

Thompson and Delton finished the game with 263 passing yards and two scores, while Alex Barnes and Justin Silmon had 90 yards rushing on 12 carries.

LAWRENCE — Kansas State’s ninth-straight win over rival Kansas won’t do much to restore confidence in the Wildcats’ sputtering season. But it wasn’t a loss, and that will have to do, for now.

K-State used three Matt McCrane field goals and a D.J. Reed kickoff return for a touchdown to overcome KU, 30-20, at Memorial Stadium.

The Jayhawks entered the game coming off the worst offensive performance in Big 12 Conference history, but KU looked reenergized under new quarterback Carter Stanley.

Stanley and his receivers, primarily Steven Sims, Jr., caused problems all afternoon for a K-State secondary that gave up 400 passing yards to No. 9 Oklahoma last week.

Stanley finished the afternoon with 418 passing yards and a touchdown.

It was critical for the Wildcats (4-4, 2-3 Big 12) to get stops in the red zone, and they did hold KU to a pair of short field goals in the first half, which made a big difference late in the game.

They were also aided by Reed’s 99-yard return, which gave K-State a 7-3 lead in the first quarter.

K-State never led by more than 14 points. The offense, quarterbacked by Alex Delton in the first half and Skylar Thompson in the second, were able to sustain drives for much of the day. But KU’s defense made big stops, too, giving the Jayhawks a chance late.

Delton was hobbled after a hit late in the first half. He and Thompson combined to complete 8 of 13 passes for 138 yards.

The big story, however, was the resurgence of Alex Barnes in K-State’s game plan. A week after getting just six carries and voicing his frustration with reporters after the game, Barnes rushed 23 times for 128 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

His Wildcat-formation keeper with 7:36 to play restored a 14-point lead, 27-13.

KU (1-7, 0-5) would not go away, answering right back on a 60-yard connection from Stanley to Sims.

It wasn’t until McCrane’s third field goal of the day, a 41-yard boot with 1:41 to go, that K-State finally put the game on ice.

The Wildcats will face Texas Tech next week in Lubbock.

Led by Heisman candidate Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma erased a 21-7 deficit before winning 42-35 on a 22-yard Rodney Anderson touchdown run with seven seconds left.

K-State played its best football of the season in the first half, but reverted back to a cocoon on offense in the third quarter, which allowed the Sooners to avoid their first loss in Manhattan since 1996.

It marked the Wildcats’ third loss this season by a touchdown or less.

“I’m tired of coming into the locker room under such circumstances,” Bill Snyder said. “We’ve lost too many ball games. You have to play complete games to win in this conference.”

Alex Delton and Alex Barnes combined for 250 rushing yards, but the majority of them came in K-State’s excellent first half. Barnes did not touch the football in the second or third quarters, despite scoring on a 75-yard run on the Wildcats’ first possession of the game.

K-State had 202 yards of offense in the first quarter and 210 after that.

“Part of it was Oklahoma playing better and making adjustments,” Snyder said. “Part of it was execution and missing a few blocks.”

The Wildcats tied the game at 28 after a botched snap on an Oklahoma punt handed K-State the ball deep in OU territory.

It took less than two minutes, however, for the Sooners to retake the lead, 35-28, with 5:16 to go. The Wildcats’ secondary gave up 410 yards through the air.

Delton did lead K-State back down the field to even the game once again on a five-yard pass to Isaiah Zuber with 2:25 to play.

But that was more than enough time for Mayfield and the OU offense, which was within field goal range before Anderson’s game-winning touchdown.

“We played well enough at times to be a successful football team,” Snyder said. “But we didn’t put it all together, and that’s the nature of it. That’s what’s disappointing to me.”

Delton completed 12 of 14 passes for 144 yards, one touchdown and one interception in his second career start. The 35 points K-State scored were the most since a 55-point performance against Charlotte on Sept. 9.

K-State fell to 3-4 on the season and 1-3 in Big 12 play.

Between four hours of weather delays, Kansas State and No. 6 TCU faced off in a defensive battle Saturday afternoon. The difference between the teams was evident from the very beginning.

One side had a healthy and experienced starting quarterback. The other side did not.

The result was a 26-6 victory for the Horned Frogs at Bill Snyder Family Stadium as K-State suffered its third loss in four games.

“They wanted to win and they gave a great effort,” Snyder said. “There are just some things that aren’t taking place, and that falls in my lap.”

The Wildcats’ Jesse Ertz was in uniform but did not see the field for K-State, and the offense struggled all day to move the football. Alex Delton took Ertz’s place and made his first career start.

He wasn’t able to build on an impressive performance last week at Texas, when he rushed for 79 yards and two touchdowns in a 40-34 overtime defeat. TCU only allowed him to find open space on one occasion, a 36-yard run in the third quarter.

Delton finished the game 11 of 29 passing for 146 yards, while rushing for 39 yards.

“Alex really struggled today, but it wasn’t all his fault,” Snyder said. “He played with great effort. You can’t fault him for that.”

K-State’s defense did a solid job holding down the Horned Frogs’ attack. TCU entered the game with the Big 12’s best rushing offense. The Wildcats limited them to 98 yards on the ground and forced a fumble.

In addition to the delayed start, the game was stopped for another hour early in the fourth quarter when a severe storm rolled through the area. In terms of the score, the game was still within reach, with K-State only trailing 20-6 at the time. But the Wildcats ultimately did not threaten a comeback.

The game, scheduled for 11 a.m., did not conclude until 6:15 p.m.

TCU quarterback Kenny Hill threw for 297 yards but was held without a touchdown.

K-State’s task won’t be any easier next week when K-State hosts Oklahoma. The Sooners haven’t lost in Manhattan since 1994.

In the early going of Saturday’s Big 12 opener for Kansas State, it looked like a blowout was imminent. The Wildcats had winless Baylor on the ropes, mostly thanks to great defense.

In the end, the win was harder to earn than expected, but it was still a win. K-State beat the Bears 33-20 to move to 3-1 on the season.

“We were inconsistent,” Bill Snyder said. “We were not a good team – a disciplined team – in the second half today. Quite obviously, we have to be a more disciplined football team than what we are, in some areas.”

The Wildcats opened the game in perfect fashion when Jesse Ertz found Isaiah Zuber for a 16-yard touchdown less than two minutes into the game. But for the offense, it was one of only a few very productive drives on the day.

K-State took a 20-3 lead at halftime and looked poised to dismantle the Bears, who entered the day 0-4 on the season.

But Matt Rhule’s team didn’t back down.

Baylor scored on plays of 74 and 70 yards in the second half, climbing within a touchdown twice. K-State’s offense continued to do just enough to maintain a lead, but not much more than that.

The biggest issue, for a second straight game, were drops by Wildcat receivers.

“I can put my finger on it, in fact I can put more than a finger on it, and I certainly will,” Snyder said. “We will continue to work on it. You get it corrected or we find somebody else (to play).”

K-State kicker Matt McCrane’s four field goals proved to be crucial, as the Bears were unable to get within a score of the Wildcats in the game’s final eight minutes. McCrane connected from 49 yards with 8:06 to go to make it 30-20.

“If you look at the entirety of his career, he’s been very good,” Snyder said. “It takes a lot of focus and he does it quite well.”

K-State quarterback Jesse Ertz rushed for 95 yards and a touchdown, but only completed 7 of 17 passes for 119 yards.

In Baylor’s effort to pull the upset, the Bears made a few critical self-inflicted errors that made a huge difference. Late in the third quarter, a bad snap over quarterback Zach Smith’s head was recovered by K-State at the BU 14 yard line.

In the fourth quarter, BU’s punter fumbled a snap and gave the Wildcats another very short field. K-State turned those opportunities into 10 important points.

Kansas State went into SEC country and got exactly the physical battle you’d expect.

What was not expected, however, was how many mistakes Bill Snyder’s team made in a 14-7 loss to Vanderbilt.

Between two turnovers and seven penalties, K-State consistently made its task harder than it needed to be, and that was the difference in the end.

“We missed some assignments and made some mistakes,” Wildcat coach Bill Snyder said. “But that takes nothing away from what Vanderbilt did. They played well.”

Commodore quarterback Kyle Shurmur scored on a two-yard keeper with 8:23 left to break a 7-7 tie and K-State was unable to find a second touchdown to force overtime in the final minutes.

The Wildcats (2-1) appeared to take a 14-7 lead in the second quarter on a Kendall Adams fumble return, but after review, it was ruled Shurmur was down before coughing up the ball. Replays of the play shown to the media and on the TV broadcast were inconclusive.

K-State quarterback Jesse Ertz and his receivers struggled to establish anything in the air against Vanderbilt’s defense. Wildcat receivers had several drops on passes that would have given K-State a first down.

Ertz finished the night 10 of 28 passing for 76 yards.

“It was about discipline and focus,” Snyder said of his receivers’ struggles. “(They) tried to go somewhere before the ball is in your hands.”

Ertz did have a solid night running the ball, totaling 126 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries.

But aside from their quarterback, the Wildcats’ rushing attack was stagnant.

Alex Barnes had 34 yards on 8 carries, while Justin Silmon, who made his season debut, had 41 on three attempts.

The K-State defense played very well overall. Shurmur, who entered the game with the highest QBR in the nation, was held to 205 yards passing. As a team, the Commodores (3-0) had 271 yards of offense to the Wildcats’ 277.

K-State is off next week before opening conference play against Baylor at Bill Snyder Family Stadium on Sept. 30.

For the second week in a row, a defensive player stole the show for No. 19 Kansas State. Cornerback D.J. Reed passed the torch to safety Kendall Adams on Saturday as the Wildcats rolled Charlotte, 55-7, and moved to 2-0 on the season.

Adams scored two touchdowns in the first half, on an interception return and on a returned backward pass, to help K-State open up a dominant 38-7 lead by halftime.

“A lot of guys played well,” K-State coach Bill Snyder said. “Whether it was consistently throughout the ballgame remains to be seen. But we did some good things.”

The Wildcat offense slowly and calmly did whatever it wanted to do, especially early. K-State scored on all four of its drives in the first half, averaging seven yards per play.

Jesse Ertz’s day was over by the fourth quarter. He completed 16 of 21 passes for 178 yards, while rushing for 76 yards and a score on 13 carries.

“What I was pleased with was our ability to run the ball, even against schemes that are designed to stop it,” Snyder said. “I thought we did very well with that.”

With 3:48 left in the first quarter, Adams stepped into the passing lane of Charlotte quarterback Hasaan Klugh and glided 30 yards for a score. Two drives later, Adams scooped up a deflected lateral pass and returned it 46 yards for another.

It marked the first time since 1999 that a K-State player scored on an interception return and fumble return in the same game.

“He did played well today, and it wasn’t just the turnovers that he was invested in,” Snyder said. “He did a nice job in the other elements of the game as well.”

Charlotte’s highlights of the game were limited to a 5-minute span late in the first quarter. After Adams’ pick-six made it 21-0, the 49ers returned the ensuing kickoff 65 yards. Charlotte quarterback Hasaan Klugh scored three plays later on a 19-yard run.

Alex Barnes led the Wildcats’ ground attack with 99 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. As a team, K-State totaled 304 rushing yards, compared to 186 in the season opener.

Receiver Byron Pringle, running back Justin Silmon and cornerback Duke Shelley were notable players who did not see the field against Charlotte. All three were in pads on the sideline, and Snyder said he hopes to have them available next week.

Next week, K-State will hit the road for the first time this season. The Wildcats face Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tenn.

Kansas State wasn’t a polished team in its season opener Saturday, but the Wildcats did show glimpses of how good they could be once they are.

Big plays from cornerback D.J. Reed and receiver Byron Pringle led the way in No. 20 K-State’s 55-19 victory over Central Arkansas at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

The Wildcats gave up 421 total yards to an experienced UCA offense that controlled the ball for almost two-thirds of the game, but showed improvement in the second half, and forced three turnovers.

One of them was an interception late in the first half by Reed, and it wasn’t even close to his biggest play of the night.

He returned the opening kickoff 96 yards to the UCA 3 yard line. Not satisfied with being held out of the end zone, he returned a punt 62 yards for a score in the second quarter. He is a perfect weapon for a program synonymous with special teams success.

“He played very well,” Snyder said. “I wish his conditioning would have been a little bit better, and we’ll work on that, but he did a nice job.”

Quarterback Jesse Ertz showed off the deep passing threat that Snyder praised during the summer. He averaged 33 yards per completion, and looked completely in-sync with Pringle. The two connected three times for 121 yards, including a 55-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

Ertz exited the game after three quarters. He passed for a career-high 333 yards and four scores without an interception.

“It became obvious after a while that we weren’t running the ball,” Snyder said. “We needed to throw the ball, and we tried to take what they gave us.

“He had a few balls, maybe two or three, that he missed on. But overall I thought he threw the ball very well.”

UCA managed to keep the game respectable for most of the first half, climbing within 17-16 midway through the second quarter. The Bears used a balanced attack and continued to frustrate the Wildcat defense on third down.

But K-State’s adjustments at the half brought UCA’s upset hopes to a very swift end.

“We have to get better playing against the option, and that’s my concern right now,” Snyder said. “We’re going to practice at midnight and work on that.”

K-State outscored UCA 17-3 after halftime, and all starters were out of the game by the 10:00 mark of the fourth quarter.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Skylar Thompson played the entire fourth quarter, which marked his collegiate debut. He did not throw a pass, but rushed for a team-high 49 yards on three carries.

The Wildcats host Charlotte next week in another dress rehearsal before a much more difficult final ten games.

In a season that has involved more than a handful of missed opportunities for the Kansas State football team, this one will sting the longest.

Searching for their first win over a ranked team since 2014, K-State let a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter slip away Saturday afternoon in a 43-37 loss to No. 18 Oklahoma State.

“We were inconsistent in the latter half of the ball game,” K-State coach Bill Snyder said. “We didn’t do all the things we needed to do. Oklahoma State had something to do with that, and the rest is on our shoulders.”

The Wildcats (5-4, 3-3 Big 12) did a lot of the little things they needed to in order to win. They established a dominant running game. They forced three Cowboy turnovers. They controlled the clock.

But the little things they didn’t do, aided by the decision to punt on 4th and inches at midfield in the fourth quarter, gave OSU just enough of an opportunity to steal a win.

“I didn’t want to (go for it),” Snyder said. “I didn’t want to put our defense in a bad spot.”

OSU quarterback Mason Rudolph passed for 457 yards and five touchdowns, including an 82-yard strike to James Washington with 7:45 left to get the Cowboys within 37-35. OSU went ahead for good on a 17-yard run by Chris Carson with 1:46 left.

K-State drove down the field in the final two minutes, getting inside the OSU 10 yard line. But an offensive pass interference penalty led to a game-sealing interception in the endzone as time expired.

Jesse Ertz completed 12 of 18 passes for 87 yards, and added 153 yards rushing and three touchdowns.

“I thought Jesse played well,” Snyder said. “He has some family issues that probably could have become a distraction. But he managed the game well.”

The Wildcat defense struggled in the first half, but appeared to turn a corner in the third quarter, forcing two punts and an interception in OSU’s first three drives of the second half. The interception was returned 29 yards for a touchdown by Duke Shelley.

After Shelley left the game with an injury, Rudolph picked apart the K-State secondary.

Alex Barnes and Charles Jones combined for 142 yards rushing on just 15 carries for K-State, who rushed for 345 yards as a team.

The Wildcats are off next week before taking on Baylor in Waco on Nov. 19.

By Corey Dean

After K-State fell short 26-13 to #7 ranked Stanford Coach Snyder summed up the Cats performance with “we were inconsistent consistently”.  A theme that was shared among the players after the game where things seemed just out of reach and the offense just enough out of synch to keep K-State on the wrong side of the scoreboard despite out gaining Stanford 335 yards to 272  yards on the night.

Preseason Heisman favorite Christian McCaffrey was still the deciding factor for Stanford despite being largely held in check by the K-State defense.  It only took two plays for McCaffery to make a huge difference, with his two touchdown runs of 35 and 41 yards accounting for well over half of his 126 total rushing yards in the contest.  Stanford also got a great game out of QB Ryan Burns in his first collegiate start, completing his first 10 pass attempts including a 40 yard touchdown strike to Michael Rector on the first play of the 2nd quarter.

For K-State, the night was a rough one on offense. Quarterbacks Jesse Ertz and Joe Hubener both struggled to complete passes on the night, connecting on just 19 of 41 total attempts and each QB tossing a costly 2nd half interception. Ertz finally broke through late in the 4th quarter with a 15 yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Zuber with 1:49 remaining that cut the Stanford lead to 19-13.  After an unsuccessful onside kick attempt, McCaffery slammed the door shut with his final TD run on the very next play. K-State was lead in rushing by Charles Jones 43 yards on 8 carries, but was held to just 92 yards as a team on 32 attempts.

The defense highlighted the night for K-State, breaking a 13 game streak of Stanford scoring 30 or more points, and held the Cardinal to just 70 total yards in the second half.  Elijah Lee led the way on defense with 12 tackles, tying his career high and senior safety Dante Barnett had a great return from last year’s injury with 2.5 tackles for loss. Senior linebacker Charmeachealle Moore sparked the Cats in the third quarter with a 35 yard fumble return, just stepping out of bounds on what initially looked like a touchdown for the Cats.

K-State now has some extra time to regroup with next weekend’s open date before facing Florida Atlantic at home on September 17th.

Last season, Kansas State’s offense was limited by its lack of big-play ability. If Saturday’s Purple-White Spring Game provided any indication of what’s to come this fall, big plays will be in much greater supply.

A host of new faces in the K-State receiving corps stole the show in the Wildcats’ spring finale, a 35-21 Purple victory at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

“I feel like we have the capability (to make big plays), but we have to go out and prove that,” K-State coach Bill Snyder said. “You can see the potential we have. But we have to make more plays on the ball.”

Junior college transfer Byron Pringle, whose progress was a popular topic throughout spring practices, caught nine passes for 163 yards and a touchdown. For at least one day, he appeared to be the Wildcats’ top receiving target as the 2016 season approaches.

“He’ll make his way,” Snyder said. “I want him to keep getting better like I want everyone else to keep getting better. He’s young in our program.”

Jesse Ertz took the first snaps with K-State’s starting offense after missing almost all of last season with a knee injury. He completed 12 of 18 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown.

Joe Hubener had the best afternoon of the quarterbacks, however. He passed for 319 yards and two scores, while redshirt freshman Alex Delton added 139 yards through the air.

Additionally, in stark contrast to last year’s spring game at Sporting Park in Kansas City, turnovers were not a problem.

“I thought the quarterbacks played pretty well for the most part,” Snyder said. “As I’ve talked about, when one starts to inch ahead, the others catch up. You could see that today.”

In addition to Pringle’s breakout performance, Corey Sutton, Isaiah Zuber and Zach Reuter made an impact at the receiver position. The trio combined for 130 yards, two touchdowns and a handful of impressive catches in traffic.

On the defensive side, Topeka native Brogan Barry, who played for the White team, led all players with 11 tackles.

In the midst of a competitive battle for the starting running back job, Justin Silmon led the rushing attack. He totalled 88 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 14 carries.

Snyder has expressed concerns about his team’s depth this spring, and reiterated that player development over the summer will be key as his team prepares for its season opener at Stanford on Sept. 2.

“I have some concerns there, and it’s about execution as much as anything,” he said.

Before the game, Ertz, Jordan Willis, Dante Barnett and Dalton Risner were named team captains for the 2016 season. Risner, along with true freshman quarterback Skylar Thompson, did not play in the game.

The trio of Justin Edwards, Stephen Hurt and Brian Rohleder bid farewell to their home arena by knocking off TCU in dominant fashion, 79-54.

“We said it was a big game and we prepared like it was a big game,” K-State coach Bruce Weber said. “It was a nice night. We played with energy and made plays.”

Fittingly, it was Edwards that got things rolling. After trailing 4-0 out of the gate, K-State went on a 14-0 run that featured a pair of three-pointers by the Toronto, Canada native.

It was just the beginning of one of the best shooting performance this season. The Wildcats seemingly could not miss, whether from the paint or outside, and finished the first half a white-hot 76.2 percent from the field.

Barry Brown drained three threes in the opening period, during which K-State’s lead ballooned to 20 points.

Even Rohleder got in on the barrage. His buzzer-beating jumper before halftime gave the Wildcats a 47-28 lead and doubled his point total for the season.

“It was a fun moment, and definitely one that I’ll never forget,” Rohleder said.

Brown led K-State (16-14, 5-12 Big 12) with 15 points all on three-pointers, while Edwards, Wesley Iwundu and Dean Wade joined him in double figures.

Rohleder and Hurt scored four points apiece.

The Wildcats weren’t as sharp in the second half, shooting 40 percent and committing eight turnovers, but TCU was unable to make any legitimate run. The outcome was never in question.

As a result of the lopsided score, all three seniors came out of the game early to standing ovations. Weber said it was a priority to make the night about them.

“Down the stretch, I wanted everyone to get a chance to play,” he said. “I’m happy for the seniors. This was their night.”

The Horned Frogs (11-19, 2-15) were led by Chaunsey Collins, who scored 11 points. TCU is now 1-35 in Big 12 road games since joining the conference.

K-State will conclude its regular season with a road trip to Texas Tech on Saturday, before heading to Kansas City for next week’s Big 12 Championship.

No one will ever know how a court-storming would have turned out this time around. The Kansas Jayhawks decided to make that discussion irrelevant.

Paced by Frank Mason’s 16 points, No. 2 KU built a 17-point lead over its in-state rival, then held on to win 72-63 after K-State cut the deficit to three.

“I was proud of the way our guys battled, but we came here to win and we didn’t,” K-State coach Bruce Weber said. “The difference was their bench and the way they took advantage of turnovers.”

Similar to the first meeting, a 77-59 KU win in Lawrence, K-State let a solid start become meaningless. Despite early foul trouble, the Wildcats led 25-21 with six minutes to play in the first half.

From there, the Jayhawks took control.

KU (23-4, 11-3 Big 12) rattled off an 18-4 run to end the period, during which K-State made just one shot from the field. The Jayhawks, meanwhile, made eight of their final ten attempts.

“That stretch at the end of the first half was the difference in the game,” Weber said. “It was pretty similar to what happened at their place. We just had a bad few minutes.”

The run continued to begin the second half, before D.J. Johnson and Stephen Hurt brought the Wildcats back. They combined for 20 second-half points, and Hurt’s three-pointer with four minutes left made it a 62-58 game.

The hole was simply too deep. KU let its lead get as small as three, but K-State never had possession of the ball with a chance to tie. For the game, the Jayhawks shot 50 percent from the field.

“We got it to three, and that’s the chance we wanted,” Hurt said. “We just have to be able to finish, and it’s frustrating that we didn’t do that.”

In addition to Hurt’s 13 points, Barry Brown scored 13 as well, while Johnson and Justin Edwards each added 11.

The loss snapped K-State’s two-game win streak against KU in Manhattan. The Wildcats have a quick turnaround and host No. 24 Texas on Monday.

If Wednesday night’s performance against No. 21 Baylor was any indication, it was more of a flash in the pan.

The Wildcats were outmatched by the Bears’ zone defense from the opening tip in a 82-72 loss at Bramlage Coliseum.

“It was a disappointing performance for our guys,” K-State coach Bruce Weber said. “We were on top of the world Saturday night, and I guess we didn’t handle it very well.”

For the second straight game, a bad start set a tone. This time, K-State could never fully climb out of its hole.

Free throws were the only saving grace for K-State in the first half. Despite shooting 39 percent and 0-of-6 from three-point range, a 14-of-15 performance at the charity stripe kept the game within reach.

The Wildcats (14-10, 3-8 Big 12) got within 29-26 with 4:49 to play before halftime. Baylor outscored K-State 14-6 to close the period, however, and led 43-32 at the break.

“I thought we had an opportunity to make a push right there,” Weber said. “But we couldn’t ever get the stops we needed. We got in foul trouble and we lost our focus.”

The second half saw K-State make a couple more runs, getting within five multiple times, but never closer thanks to finishing 2-of-14 from long range.

Baylor finishing the game 29-of-30 on free throws didn’t hurt its cause, either.

D.J. Johnson scored a career-high 19 points and Justin Edwards added 19 as well, but K-State didn’t get the complimentary scoring efforts it needed. Freshmen Barry Brown and Dean Wade were held to 13 points combined.

Weber said it was just one of those nights for his team, which has struggled outside the paint for much of the season.

“The other night, everything was going in. Tonight it wasn’t,” Weber said. “That’s why you play the game. You never know what’s going to happen. Tonight, we didn’t get it done with our shooting.”

The Wildcats dominated the glass, out-rebounding Baylor 35-25. The Bears’ leading rebounder, Rico Gathers, missed the game with an illness.

But BU’s outside shooting advantage more than made up for it. The Bears (18-6, 7-4) hit seven threes in the game, compared to the two from K-State, both of which came with less than a minute left.

Baylor was paced by Al Freeman’s 21 points.

The Wildcats will begin a two-game road trip Saturday against Oklahoma State in Stillwater.

After three minutes, it looked like No. 1 Oklahoma might run Kansas State out of Bramlage Coliseum. The Sooners led, 9-0, and the Wildcats hadn’t even attempted a shot.

Not so fast. This is college basketball, after all.

Wesley Iwundu scored 22 points, Dean Wade added 17 in his first game coming off the bench and K-State knocked off the top-ranked Sooners, 80-69 Saturday evening.

“We’ve had a lot of adversity from our injuries and losing close games, so I’m really proud of our guys,” K-State coach Bruce Weber said. “It was a great team win. I told our guys they couldn’t just want to win, they had to go out and show it.”

After coming up just short in nearly all of their chances against ranked teams this season, the Wildcats (14-9, 3-7 Big 12) chose the best possible time to reverse the trend. Entering the game, K-State was 0-7 against ranked teams this season.

Down its starting point guard and facing the potential national player of the year in Buddy Hield, K-State was thoroughly outmatched on paper.

No one told the Wildcats that.

“I don’t think it’s a mental block (against ranked teams), we just haven’t made the plays to beat those teams,” D.J. Johnson said. “But it’s a weight off our shoulders to win this one.”

Wade hit four of his first five shots, getting K-State back in the game after its poor start. OU struggled to defend the Wildcats the rest of the way.

On the other end, the Sooners (19-3, 7-3) suffered an uncharacteristic shooting performance, making just 6 of 24 three-point attempts. OU entered the game averaging 11.5 made threes per game.

Hield in particular was held to a 3-of-8 effort from long range.

“We really shut them down,” Weber said. “We’ve had some good stretches on defense this season, but we played an entire game of good defense tonight.”

K-State held a six-point advantage at halftime, but OU rallied to take a 45-41 lead with 16 minutes to go.

Iwundu, in particular, would not let another potential marquee win slip away. He engineered much of the Wildcats’ offense in the second half and hit a go-ahead jumper with 13 minutes left. K-State never trailed again.

“We needed someone to be special,” Weber said. “It was a team win, but Wes spearheaded it.”

Johnson recorded a pair of tip-in baskets to help maintain the lead down the stretch. He finished with 12 points and eight rebounds.

After the game, K-State fans refrained from storming the court. Instead, Iwundu led his team to the student section.

“We have every reason to hold our heads high,” Iwundu said. “We beat the No. 1 team in the country.”

Fortunately for Kansas State, its bench players were prepared to pick up the slack.

Big contributions from Carlbe Ervin, D.J. Johnson and Barry Brown lifted the Wildcats over Ole Miss, 69-64, in the Big 12-SEC Challenge.

Stokes limped off the court with 12:36 left in the first half and had to be taken to the locker room in a wheelchair. In the minutes that followed, the Rebels turned an early eight-point deficit into a lead.

But Ervin, who took Stokes’ place at the point guard position, refused to get rattled after a shaky start. He scored seven points and dished out four assists in his career-high 24 minutes of action.

K-State (13-8) led 38-36 at halftime and grabbed control of the game with a strong frontcourt presence in the second half, spearheaded by Johnson. He scored eight of his game-high 14 points after halftime while also recording seven rebounds.

The Wildcats struggled once again from long range, making only three of 19 attempts, but the final make was massive. It came off the hand of Brown, who had just missed a free throw and hustled to get the rebound.

He drained the jumper from the corner, giving K-State a 60-45 lead and capping a 17-2 run with 8:45 to go. Ole Miss would not climb within single digits again until the final two minutes.

Brown finished with seven points, all in the second half. Wesley Iwundu and Justin Edwards added 11 and 10, respectively.

Ole Miss guard Stefon Moody, who entered the game averaging an SEC-best 24.5 points per game, was held to just 10 on 3-of-6 shooting. He had scored at least 20 points in 14 straight contests.

For the game, the Rebels (13-8) shot 39 percent and committed 17 turnovers.

K-State coach Bruce Weber said Stokes’ knee does not appear to have structural damage, but the freshman will undergo an MRI.

K-State finished the nonconference portion of its schedule with an 11-2 record. The Wildcats return to Big 12 play Wednesday, when they take on No. 4 Kansas in Lawrence.

Kansas State hoped its shooting struggles were at an end when the Wildcats shot a season-high 56 percent against Texas Tech earlier this week.

It may have been a flash in the pan, however. Poor shooting buried K-State in an early 17-point hole that proved to be insurmountable in a 76-63 loss to No. 17 Iowa State Saturday afternoon.

After jumping to an early 6-2 advantage, the Wildcats made just one of their next 15 shots from the field, allowing the short-handed Cyclones to slowly build their big lead.

“I didn’t think we were very tough, and we weren’t tough finishing around the hoop,” K-State coach Bruce Weber said. “Give (ISU coach) Steve (Prohm) credit. He had those guys ready to play, even though they’ve been short-handed all year.”

K-State (11-6, 1-4 Big 12) would heat up late in the first half, closing the period on a 14-7 run. ISU led 32-23 at the break.

Better production around the rim allowed the Wildcats to trim the deficit to five points with 9:45 to play. ISU answered with a 7-0 run of its own, however, and K-State never got within striking distance again.

“We needed to get another stop there, and we didn’t,” Weber said. “Iowa State made some big shots. We didn’t do a very good job with our one-on-one defense.”

Justin Edwards led the Wildcats with 19 points, while Barry Brown, who had scored at least 15 in every Big 12 game, was held to just 4 points on 1-of-10 shooting.

Lack of depth didn’t appear to be an issue for Iowa State (13-4, 2-3), who used only seven players but still managed to shoot above 50 percent and stay out of foul trouble. The Cyclones were led by Monte Morris’ 19 points.

The loss was K-State’s first by double digits at Bramlage Coliseum since 2009. The Wildcats return to action next Wednesday at No. 22 Baylor. – See more at: http://1350kman.com/slow-start-dooms-k-state-in-loss-to-no-17-cyclones/#sthash.igQOA8xI.dpuf

The Wildcats struggled to maintain a consistent attack, but when they were hot, they were on fire. And that was more than enough to move to 7-1 on the season.

“We did a nice job of sharing the ball when we needed to,” K-State coach Bruce Weber said. “It was a grind for us at the beginning, but we figured it out.”

K-State made seven of its first nine shots and built an early 14-5 advantage. But the Wildcats couldn’t keep their foot on the gas, thanks to some miscommunication on offense and a few missed assignments on the other end.

The Eagles closed the game to within 33-27 before K-State pulled away. The Wildcats finished the first half on a 9-2 run, then slowly extended the lead throughout the second half.

Justin Edwards and Wesley Iwundu each scored 14 points, leading five Wildcats in double figures. For the game, K-State shot 44 percent.

“Wes and Justin have been very good for us,” Weber said. “They’ve been the consistent players we need them to be. You can see it in the stats.”

After committing 12 turnovers in the first half, K-State didn’t commit any in the second, making the task of stretching the lead much easier.

“We were a little out of sync in the first half and didn’t attack their zone in a positive fashion,” Weber said. “Give our guys credit. We got after them at halftime and we played a much cleaner game in the second half.”

K-State will now head to SEC country for a second straight weekend. The Wildcats face Texas A&M (7-2) on Saturday.

Weber said avoiding turnovers will be the key to defeating one of the best teams K-State will face this season.

“We have to take care of the ball,” he said. “They’re as good as any team we play, including in our league. They have a really deep team.”

Kansas State did not enjoy the talk about potentially accepting a bowl bid with a losing record. The Wildcats decided to extend their season the old fashioned way, and did so with style.

Thanks to receiver-turned-quarterback Kody Cook and yet another kickoff return touchdown by Morgan Burns, K-State rallied to defeat West Virginia, 24-23, on Senior Day at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The Wildcats finished the regular season 6-6.

“The fight and the spirit, that never give up attitude, those are the things that I’ll remember most from this season,” Snyder said. “Having to come back in two out of the last three ball games shows that never-say-die spirit.”

The game didn’t develop much of a rhythm until the second quarter. With the score tied 3-3, K-State staggered as halftime approached. Joe Hubener threw two interceptions in the period, which WVU turned into a 13-3 lead at the intermission.

On the first play of the third quarter, a hard hit on Hubener knocked K-State’s starting quarterback out of the game. Similar to the Oklahoma State game in early October, wide receiver Kody Cook stepped in, and immediately brought a new spark to the offense.

His first drive resulted in the Wildcats’ first touchdown of the game, bringing K-State within 13-10.

On his second drive, he connected with Deante Burton for a 77-yard touchdown that put K-State ahead, 17-13, with 11:14 left in the third. It was the Wildcats’ longest play of the season.

From that point on, the momentum seemed to stay entrenched on the Wildcat sideline.

After the Mountaineers took a 23-17 lead with 13:07 to play, Burns took the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for his fourth such score of the season, giving K-State a 24-23 advantage.

The three-time defending Big 12 special teams player of the week appears to be in line to continue ownership of the award.

“All the credit goes to our blockers,” Burns said. “They make me look a lot better than I am. I felt like our offense and defense fed off the momentum from our special teams in the second half.”

The Wildcat defense, led by Charmeachealle Moore’s 17 tackles, got the stops it needed down the stretch. Moore tackled WVU quarterback Skyler Howard at the line of scrimmage on 4th-and-1 with 3:50 to play.

To ice the game, Cook connected with Burton on 3rd and 7 for 14 yards. Cook, playing in his final game in Manhattan, completed 4 of 12 passes for 121 yards. He also rushed for 34 and a touchdown.

“This is the craziest season I’ve ever been a part of,” Cook said. “I’m just happy that we get to ride a high into our bowl game.”

It took three straight wins to end the season to make a bowl trip possible. Even against an easier schedule down the stretch, it seemed like a tall task for a team that had lost six straight games. But the Wildcats refused to let earlier failures define their season.

“There’s not a player in this program who has been involved in a losing season,” Snyder said. “I wanted that to be important to them, and it was. We talked about not backing into a bowl game. It wouldn’t have nearly the meaning.”

K-State appears to be in line for a Liberty Bowl invitation, but nothing will be set in stone until matchups are announced Sunday afternoon.

Five days after the Wildcats’ late collapse against No. 9 North Carolina in the CBE Classic, K-State looked like a team that left its spark in Kansas City, but it made just enough plays down the stretch to hold off a gritty Bulldog squad.

“I was worried we would have a little bit of a hangover,” K-State coach Bruce Weber said. “We didn’t have the energy we needed to have. But we did make some plays when we needed to.”

SC State refused to let K-State find any separation early on, and the Wildcats’ nine first-half turnovers proved to be costly. The Bulldogs led by as many as five and K-State didn’t take the lead for good until the 7:35 mark of the first half.

Even then, SCSU refused to go away. The Wildcats led 36-30 at halftime.

“We’ve been a good defensive team this year, and today we obviously weren’t,” Weber said. “You have to give them some credit. They exploited some of our weaknesses.”

After a 5-0 run by the Bulldogs to open the second half, K-State appeared to find its stride. Wesley Iwundu keyed a 10-0 run that saw the Wildcats’ lead grow to 11 points with 15 minutes to play.

But even then, success wasn’t sustainable. K-State suffered multiple scoring droughts of at least three minutes in the second half. SC State climbed back within a point with 8:13 to play.

The Wildcats’ 17 turnovers did a lot to negatively counter K-State clear rebounding advantage, 39-28.

Thanks to four clutch free throws by Justin Edwards in the final seconds, the Wildcats avoided a massive letdown after a very positive first two weeks of the 2015-16 campaign.

“You win games like this with character,” Weber said. “We had a similar situation last year against Texas Southern and didn’t win it. This time, we found a way to win.”

Edwards led the Wildcats with 18 points and seven rebounds, while Dean Wade added 12 points. Stephen Hurt also recorded a double-double, the first of his career.

K-State is now 5-1 on the season and returns to action Friday at Georgia. – See more at: http://1350kman.com/sloppy-k-state-hangs-on-to-beat-south-carolina-state/#sthash.V79xYfEO.dpuf

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The latest installment of the Sunflower Showdown looked a lot like the previous five. The players were different and the crowd was smaller on a frigid day at Memorial Stadium, but Kansas State’s establishment of dominance was as firm as ever.

The Wildcats got off to the fast start they’ve lacked for weeks, then cruised to a 45-14 victory over Kansas to retain the Governor’s Cup.

Aside from allowing a KU touchdown drive to tie the game at seven, K-State was flawless in the first quarter, scoring three touchdowns on offense and another on special teams. The game was essentially decided within minutes of kickoff.

“The first half was satisfying,” K-State coach Bill Snyder said. “I can’t say the same for the second half. But I’m glad we won, and we played well enough to do so.”

Winston Dimel scored K-State’s first two touchdowns of the day on a pair of runs in the first eight minutes of the first quarter. Just 90 seconds after his one-yard plunge put the Wildcats in front 14-7, Morgan Burns fell on a blocked punt in the end zone.

A week of speculation that KU could score an upset was gone before some fans had reached their seats.

“It’s always significant to start games well,” Snyder said. “Oklahoma State was probably our last one. But we didn’t put two halves back to back, and to be a good football team, you have to do that.”

K-State (5-6, 2-6 Big 12) ran the ball at will against the Jayhawks in the first half and topped 200 yards on the ground for just the third time this season. Joe Hubener led the way with 88 yards and two scores, while Charles Jones added 70 yards on 13 carries.

Hubener also completed 10 of 17 passes for 133 yards.

The Wildcats led 35-7 at halftime. After KU’s 79-yard touchdown drive early in the first quarter, the Jayhawks totaled just 246 yards of offense the rest of the way, which includes a 93-yard drive in the final minutes of the game against K-State’s reserves.

Snyder was pleased with the effort from his defense – for part of the game, anyway.

“I’m glad they didn’t run that same route again,” Snyder said in reference to KU’s 27-yard touchdown completion in the first quarter. “We are capable of being a good team, but you can’t be a good team until you string an entire game together.”

Kansas finished its season 0-12, becoming the first team in Big 12 history to go winless through an entire season.

Beating KU has always been a priority for Bill Snyder, who now has 20 victories over the Jayhawks in his career.

“I appreciate all the people in the state of Kansas,” he said. “Everyone has a side. It means a lot to so many people – KU people, just like it means a lot to K-State people – so, that makes it very meaningful to me.”

K-State’s win sets up a pivotal regular season finale. A victory over West Virginia next week would send the Wildcats to their sixth consecutive bowl game. A loss could keep the Wildcats home for the holidays if they aren’t called upon to fill an empty bowl slot.

Having talked about the importance of a bowl game for weeks, K-State understands the significance of the one guaranteed game it has left.

“Other than the Governor’s trophy, all we talked about (after the game) was preparation for next week,” Snyder said. “It all boils down to that.”

But on Saturday, the Wildcats could only take care of one game, and they did so with an ease that has become the standard in this rivalry.

By Tyler Dreiling

Jack Cantele had done it before. From almost the same spot, even. But not like this.

The beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, perhaps. It wasn’t pretty. It shouldn’t have even happened. But in a flurry of Iowa State mistakes and K-State’s first good fortune in weeks, the Wildcats kept their bowl hopes alive and ended a six-game losing streak with a 38-35 victory Saturday.

It took a 21-point comeback to accomplish, which tied the largest in school history.

“Maybe we got a break or two that we hadn’t gotten in those other ball games,” K-State coach Bill Snyder said. “I’m awfully proud of them for hanging in there and not giving up.”

K-State (4-6, 1-6 Big 12) was thoroughly outplayed in the first half and trailed 35-14. The Wildcats were well on their way to a crippling loss that would eliminate any remaining shot at a successful season.

But it didn’t happen.

K-State pitched a shutout in the second half, and got within a touchdown with 13:13 remaining. It had three chances to tie the game after that point, and failed each time.

Iowa State (3-8, 2-6) took over possession with 1:31 to play. Fans streamed for the exits, and for good reason.

A minute later, many were working their way back down the stairs. K-State had the ball at its own 45 after the Cyclones’ second fumble in five minutes. ISU could have kneeled the ball, but didn’t.

Joe Hubener hit Andre Davis for a 42-yard completion. Charles Jones punched it in three plays later. Tie game.

Iowa State could have taken the game to overtime at that point. It didn’t. Cyclone QB Joel Lanning was sacked, lost the ball, and K-State’s Cre Moore recovered at the ISU 22 with ten seconds left. It was Iowa State’s third fumble of the fourth quarter.

Then, it was Cantele time from 42 yards out. Right down the middle.

“I didn’t feel pressure,” Cantele said. “If I missed, I knew we were going to overtime and we would have had all the momentum.

“One thing that has always motivated me is my past. If you have a bad game, you can just forget about it, but that’s not how I operate. I keep things in my mind and let them motivate me.”

Hubener led the Wildcats with 90 yards rushing on the day, while Jones added 67 and two scores. Statistically, it was average. But in a series dominated by unconventional finishes in recent years, Iowa State grabbed defeat from the jaws of victory.

Snyder said the comeback was made possible by his team’s improved defense after the intermission.

“We didn’t give up the extensive big plays like we did in the first half,” Snyder said. “We played more inspired and created turnovers.”

The victory marked K-State’s eighth straight over the Cyclones, and all but one of them has been decided by single digits.

After the game, the Wildcats’ locker room was as excited as Snyder has ever seen it.

“They enjoyed the daylights out of it,” he said. “I’ve been around here for a couple hundred years, and I’ve never seen a locker room like that.”

It was a celebration long overdue.

“That was fun,” linebacker Elijah Lee said. “I haven’t seen the locker room like that before. It’s one thing to win some non-conference games, but to beat a Big 12 team and to do it like that, it was pretty loud in there.”

The Wildcats have plenty of work to do, and still must win their final two games to get to 6-6. But the outlook on things is drastically different than it was with 90 seconds left.

This time, the ball bounced K-State’s way. All three of them.

It came Friday night against South Dakota, when K-State found itself ice cold from the field and trailing by as many as eight points in the first half.

The Wildcats passed the test with flying colors, defeating the Coyotes 93-72, thanks to Justin Edwards’ aggressiveness and solid play from freshmen Barry Brown and Dean Wade.

“We were worried about this game as a staff,” Weber said. “We put a lot of energy into that Columbia game, and we have Kansas City on the other side of this. We talked about being focused and ready for tonight, and I don’t think we were at the start.”

K-State (3-0) looked crisp on both ends of the floor in Monday’s victory, but took a step backwards against the Coyotes early on. The Wildcats missed 11 of their first 12 shots and trailed 42-39 at the break.

South Dakota, led by Shy McClelland’s 14 points, shot 53 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes, which Weber said was a result of USD playing a vastly different style than his team’s first two opponents. “Every game is different,” he said.

“Every game has a different style and different mentality.”

Wade was the only Wildcat who established a rhythm in the first half. In the second, Edwards’ drives to the basket and Brown’s timely shooting were the difference-makers.

K-State took the lead for good on a pair of Edwards free throws with 15:36 to go. Brown scored 13 points in the second half and finished with a team-high 18.

“Obviously, Barry had a phenomenal game,” Weber said. “He got us going with some energy.”

The Wildcats held USD under 40 percent from the field in the second half, while asserting their will on the offensive end against the much smaller Coyotes.

K-State outscored South Dakota 51-25 over the final 18:56. USD never took momentum back after falling behind.

Aside from Brown’s 18 points, Wade, Edwards and Stephen Hurt each scored 15. It was the Wildcats’ second straight game with at least four players in double figures.

“We had a lot of guys ready to step up,” Weber said. “Slowly but surely, we’re making progress.”

K-State will see its level of competition increase significantly as it heads to the CBE Classic in Kansas City next week. The Wildcats will open the tournament against Missouri at Sprint Center at 6 p.m. Monday. – See more at: http://1350kman.com/k-state-recovers-from-slow-start-routs-south-dakota/#sthash.j62MTonP.dpuf

LUBBOCK, Tex — Over the last 25 years, Kansas State has seldom made history for the wrong reasons. But the Wildcats did just that on Saturday at Texas Tech, losing a sixth-consecutive game for the first time since 1989.

This loss was not unlike many others for K-State (3-6, 0-6 Big 12), whose season may be circling the drain. The Wildcats gave up far too many points early, then saw their comeback bid come up short in a 59-44 defeat.

“We have to start ball games better,” K-State coach Bill Snyder said. “It’s that simple. “You can take your pick of the last five or six games. We have not been functional on the first drive, and that puts us behind.”

Aside from Morgan Burns’ 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, which tied the game at seven, K-State’s first quarter was its worst of the season. The Red Raiders moved the ball without any resistance, scoring four touchdowns and totalling 298 yards of offense.

Between the scores, the Wildcats tried to install a passing attack, despite Texas Tech’s reputation of poor rush defense. It was unsuccessful.

“We have to be able to throw the ball and have balance in our offense to be a productive offensive football team,” Snyder said. “If we’re one-sided, and the other team is a decent team, we’re in trouble.”

Down by 21, K-State changed course in the second quarter, and rallied to get within 35-28 early in the third. Joe Hubener had three rushing touchdowns and Charles Jones totalled 99 yards on the ground.

The Wildcat defense buckled down as well, forcing Tech into three punts and a fumble during the stretch.

But the hole dug early on was too deep to emerge from. K-State’s offense fizzled late in the third quarter and Texas Tech seemed to put the game away with 17 unanswered points.

K-State was not quite done. The Wildcats scored 16 points over a four-minute stretch in the fourth quarter to climb within 52-44. Hubener found Dominique Heath for a six-yard score, then hit Kyle Klein from 33 yards out two minutes later.

The Wildcats recovered one onside kick, but had a second one called back due to penalty. For the second straight week, an admirable effort late came up just short.

The Red Raiders finished the game with 658 yards of total offense. TTU quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw for 384 yards, while running back DeAndre Washington added 248 yards and three scores.

The Wildcats must now win their final three games of the season to reach bowl eligibility for the sixth straight season. Against Iowa State, Kansas and West Virginia, it’s certainly possible.

But K-State is not thinking about three wins. It just wants to stop the bleeding with one.

“We’ve shown that we won’t give up,” cornerback Duke Shelley said. “This hurts, but we are capable of rallying together.”

The Wildcats host ISU at 11 a.m. next Saturday.

Wesley Iwundu scored 23 points to lead three Kansas State players in double figures as the Wildcats opened the 2015-16 season with an 80-53 victory over Maryland Eastern Shore Friday night at Bramlage Coliseum.

With both teams struggling from the floor, the game was fairly close early on as K-State led just 13-12 with 12:54 left in the first half but an 11-3 run widened the margin to 25-14 just six and half minutes later. Justin Edwards who had 17 points on the night put an exclamation point on the first half by knocking down a three-pointer with under 10 seconds left sending the Wildcats into the locker room with a 35-21 advantage.

UMES was never closer than 11 points in the second half as Kansas State turned on the steam. The third Wildcat in double figures was newcomer Barry Brown, a Freshman from St. Petersburg, Fla. who also had 17 points. Dean Wade, the Freshman from St. John, Kan. chipped in with eight points. However, the most exciting entry into the game happened in the first half with D.J. Johnson seeing his first action in 602 days, since K-State’s loss to Kentucky in the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament. Johnson made an immediate impact by completing a three-point play just seconds after coming off the bench much to the delight of the fans who turned out for the opener.

K-State was able to win handily despite sluggish shooting. The Cats shot 38 percent for the game and made just 24 of 62 shots attempted from the floor while also missing 14 free throws. However, the Hawks weren’t much better going 14-47 for a paltry 29 percent.

Kansas State (1-0) will return to the Bramlage hardwood on Monday to face Columbia out of the Ivy League. The Lions last season took a Kentucky team that was undefeated into the Final Four to the wire at Rupp Arena. The game will be the back end of a doubleheader with the K-State Women who were 73-67 winners in their opener Friday night at Tulsa. The Women’s game with Abilene Christian will tip off at 5:30 p.m. while the Men’s game is expected to start around 8 p.m.
– See more at: http://1350kman.com/iwundu-shines-as-cats-thrash-umes-in-opener/#sthash.x6ABA1tn.dpuf

By Tyler Dreiling

If there is a remedy for Kansas State to resurrect its quickly deteriorating season, playing the Baylor Bears was probably not it.

Paced by true freshman Jarrett Stidham’s excellent performance in his first career start, the No. 6 Bears survived a late K-State comeback bid for a 31-24 victory Thursday night at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, sending the Wildcats to their fifth straight loss.

It was a very familiar game for banged-up K-State (3-5, 0-5 Big 12). Similar to its losses to Oklahoma State and TCU, the Wildcats played a decent game in many phases. It just wasn’t good enough.

“With the exception of one game, we have always been competitive, and tonight was no different,” coach Bill Snyder said. “I’m pleased with their effort.”

After Baylor opened the game with a score, K-State responded by driving 88 yards in 17 plays, capped by Joe Hubener’s one-yard touchdown run. The drive melted over nine minutes of game time, which was exactly what the Wildcats had to do to keep an upset within reach.

But costly turnovers prevented K-State from matching the national title hopefuls step-for-step. Hubener fumbled at the BU 22 yard line as K-State tried to tie the game at 14, then threw an interception on the Wildcats’ following drive.

The Bears gratefully accepted the free opportunities. On the first play after Hubener’s interception, BU wide out Corey Coleman went 81 yards down the sideline for an easy score, putting Baylor ahead 21-7.

In the ongoing absence of cornerback Danzel McDaniel and All-Big 12 safety Dante Barnett, the K-State secondary was outmatched. Stidham completed 23 of 33 passes on the night for 419 yards and three touchdowns.

Coleman, who leads the Big 12 in touchdowns, had another monster game, catching 11 passes for 216 yards and two scores.

His catch over Duke Shelley with 5:10 left in the third quarter gave the Bears a 28-10 lead, seemingly eliminating any chance of the Wildcats springing an upset.

But K-State refused to give in, scoring with 9:47 to play on Hubener’s second rushing touchdown of the game, and again at the 4:07 mark, when he found Deante Burton from ten yards out. Suddenly, it was 31-24.

“We were much better defensively in the second half,” Snyder said.

After Baylor missed a 41-yard field goal with a minute to play, Kody Cook’s trick play interception cemented the Wildcats’ fate.

K-State’s offense did show signs of life for the first time in almost a month, as Hubener totaled 153 yards rushing against a physical defense. For the game, K-State had 430 total yards, which topped its output in the Wildcats’ last two games combined.

Obviously, it was only a small step up a very tall ladder.

“I’ve seen improvement,” Snyder said. “In order to eliminate mistakes, you have to practice better. We’re made some headway there. But it takes time.”

A rare bright spot for K-State is that its grueling stretch to open Big 12 play has finally come to an end. The final four teams on schedule have an overall record of 11-21 this season. But the Wildcats must defeat three of them to ensure bowl eligibility.

The task will begin on Nov. 14 when K-State heads to Texas Tech. The Wildcats have won two straight in Lubbock.

AUSTIN, Tex — For a while, it looked like Kansas State may get boat-raced for a second straight week. Considering the weather conditions, it would have been fitting.

To the Wildcats’ credit, they refused to give in to Texas like they did to Oklahoma a week earlier. But a lack of offensive firepower proved costly once again as K-State fell to 3-4 on the season with a 23-9 loss to the Longhorns on Saturday afternoon.

With multiple chances to tie the game in the 4th quarter, the Wildcat offense, aside from Charles Jones, was inept. Jones finished with 122 yards rushing, over half of his team’s total output.

Texas took a 16-0 lead midway through the second quarter, and recovered a short kickoff immediately after. The Longhorn rushing attack was dominant early in the contest, which was drenched by rain throughout.

But K-State buckled down defensively from that point on, holding Texas on downs after the recovered kickoff, and never allowed a sustained drive the rest of the way.

Unfortunately, with the way things have gone on the other side of the ball, a 16-point deficit appeared to be, and ultimately was, insurmountable.

Joe Hubener found Dominique Health for a seven-yard touchdown with less than a minute before halftime, and Jack Cantele made a field goal in the third quarter to get the Wildcats within seven, but K-State never got inside the Texas 35 yard line from that point on.

Jones did what he could, reading blocks as well as he ever has and finding holes for multiple runs of 10-20 yards. But Hubener was unable to complete passes when he absolutely had to.

He finished the game 10 of 22 passing for 97 yards. His interception into double coverage with 4:22 to play ended any comeback hopes, and Texas’ Tyrone Swoopes iced the game with a 10-yard touchdown run three plays later.

Longhorn quarterback Jerrod Heard was held in check after halftime. He passed for just 99 yards, while adding 61 on the ground.

K-State will get some extra time off before it returns to the field. The Wildcats host No. 2 Baylor on Thurs., Nov. 5, hoping to avoid a five-game skid to begin league play.

Coach Snyder knows his coordinators need to get better, but he also defended them at this week’s press conference.

But the Wildcats didn’t, and by the time they made adjustments, it was far too late. The result was perhaps the low point of the second Bill Snyder Era, a 55-0 loss that marked the first time K-State (3-3, 0-3 Big 12) has been shut out since 1996.

Oklahoma jumped to a 7-0 lead, then gave K-State a couple brief opportunities to climb back in the game. Joe Hubener missed Deante Burton on what would have been a game-tying 75-yard touchdown pass, and K-State stalled in the OU red zone two drives later.

The Sooners (5-1, 2-1) were done playing with their food at that point.

OU quarterback Baker Mayfield was terrific, connecting on five first-half touchdown passes. For every positive play by the Wildcats, OU had an answer and then some. It was an old-fashioned beat down in virtually every way.

By midway through the third quarter, most of the sold out crowd at Bill Snyder Family Stadium had left.

“I would have left, too,” Snyder said. “I think all of us are embarrassed. I can’t remember being in a game like this.”

Late in the first half, after his second interception of the day, Hubener was benched in favor of Kody Cook, who last played quarterback against Oklahoma State.

Cook was actually less effective at the position, completing just one of eight passes for six yards. Hubener returned in the fourth quarter, and finished the game with four completions for 39 yards.

In total, the Wildcats accumulated just 110 yards of offense, punted eight times, and committed three turnovers. Running backs Charles Jones and Justin Silmon combined for eight carries in the game.

Mayfield exited the game in the third quarter. He finished 20 of 27 passing for 282 yards and five touchdowns.

K-State heads to Austin, Texas next week for a date with the rejuvenated Longhorns, who will be off a bye week following their victory over OU.

On the topic of finding a way to bounce back, Snyder called it “one of the most significant challenges that any of us have ever met.”

By Tyler Dreiling

Two weeks ago, no football team in the country had a longer streak of success when leading at halftime than Kansas State.

After the Wildcats’ second straight loss in such fashion, that streak is a distant memory.

K-State fell to No. 2 TCU, 52-45, Saturday night at Bill Snyder Family Stadium after hitting the locker room with an 18-point lead.

TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin gave his team the lead on a 69-yard touchdown run with 6:07 left, then connected with Josh Doctson on a 55-yard strike to recapture it with 1:10 to go after K-State’s game-tying field goal.

The Wildcats (3-2, 0-2 Big 12) trailed right out of the gate when Aaron Green took the game’s first play 86 yards for a score. From that point on, the first half was dominated by the Wildcats.

Joe Hubener had three touchdown runs as K-State controlled the clock with its slow, methodical run game. The Wildcats’ time of possession in the first half tripled that of their opponent.

When combined with some timely stops from the defense, K-State looked as good as it has all season.

The second half was a very different story.

The Wildcats failed to melt the clock as effectively, partially because of an increased effort to throw the ball rather than run it.

As a result, the dangerous and electric TCU offense was given more possessions. The Horned Frogs scored when it mattered.

“They played better defensively than we did offensively in the second half,” K-State coach Bill Snyder said.

K-State faced fourth and one at the TCU 20 yard line with 1:52 left, trailing 45-42. After a timeout, the Wildcats, who averaged nearly five yards per rushing attempt in the game, elected to go for the tie.

“Obviously, the field goal was the wrong thing to do,” Snyder said. “It was one of those choices… It’s a hard choice.”

It took mere moments for the Horned Frogs to take the lead for good and keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive.

Hubener finished the game with 111 yards rushing and 157 more through the air. Jones complimented him with 79 yards on 13 carries.

“I was proud of our youngsters because they didn’t give in,” Snyder said. “We didn’t play well enough to win. But I liked the way they came back from last week’s ball game. They played with a passion and spirit I hadn’t seen this year.”

K-State hosts No. 10 Oklahoma next week with kickoff set for 2:30 p.m.