KSU in four-way tie at No. 2 in Big 12 standings after crushing TCU
Kansas State wide receiver Jayce Brown (1) celebrates with teammate Jadon Jackson (0) after catching an 11-yard touchdown during the third quarter against TCU Saturday October 21, 2023 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. (Lynn Harrington/stayaliveinpower5)
MANHATTAN, Kan. — The Wildcats were on a mission to show that their win in last year’s Big 12 Championship Game wasn’t a fluke.
The highly-anticipated rematch between Kansas State and TCU fell short of living up to the hype though. That’s because the Wildcats annihilated the Horned Frogs, and won the game 41-3 in front of a sold out crowd of 52,580 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
Coach Chris Klieman was in awe of the atmosphere for the matchup, and thought the fans represented the program well.
“Hats off to our fans, it was another sellout, it was unbelievably loud, and impacted the game,” Klieman said. “Our players were loving it, it was extremely loud out there the entire game, and they make a huge difference for us.”
The venue became a house of pain for the Horned Frogs, as the Wildcats fed off the crowd’s energy. The offense basically scored at will in the first half, with a combination of runs and passes. Before a blink of an eye, the Wildcats generated 21 points on the scoreboard in the first quarter. Not to mention Klieman’s squad racked up a jaw-dropping, 406 yards of total offense in the first half.
Klieman operated with two quarterbacks, and was successful. Will Howard and Avery Johnson orchestrated multiple drives that ended in touchdowns. TCU’s defense didn’t know what to do, and looked confused at times. The Wildcats basically used the Horned Frogs for target practice, and led in yards, plays, first downs and time of possession. Not to mention Kansas State converted 10 of its’ 13 third downs.
What impressed Klieman is how the offense was able to spread the wealth around in the ground game. Everyone got in on the action, including the quarterbacks and running backs. The Wildcats finished with a season-high, 343 rushing yards, which Klieman thought was amazing.
“To get 587 yards, and 343 rushing, and a lot guys contributed, it was something,” he said. “When a bunch of guys love each other and they don’t care who gets credit, really special things can happen, and it happened tonight.”
Howard completed 10 of his 16 passes for 154 yards and three touchdowns. Johnson threw for 90 yards, and a score. He also rushed for 73 yards. Running back Treshaun Ward rushed for a team-high, 89 yards and caught a touchdown, while Giddens added 85 on the ground and also found the end zone.
True freshman wideout Jayce Brown hauled in four passes for 88 yards. His 11-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter basically put the game out of reach. It was also Brown’s first touchdown of the year. Most importantly, the offense committed no turnovers.
Klieman was just as proud of his defense too. TCU had an explosive offense, and turbo tempo, but Kansas State’s defense adjusted and made plays throughout the contest. The Horned Frogs were held to their lowest point total as a Big 12 member. Jacob Parrish finished with a team-high, six tackles. Desmond Purnell picked off a pass and tallied five stops. Kobe Savage also had five tackles. Jevon Banks put the quarterback to the turf.
“I thought we dominated the game up front, they’re really good, their running back is a stud, we needed to get pressure on the quarterback, and we did,” the 56-year old coach said. “I thought we covered as well as we have all year.”
Now Kansas State (5-2) has won three of its’ last four conference games, and is currently in a four-way tie in the Big 12 standings. The Wildcats are very much alive in the Big 12 race to defend their crown. This win was one step closer in Klieman’s eyes, and he wants to keep the momentum going.
