Kansas State outlasts Kansas to stay alive in tight Big 12 race

MANHATTAN, Kan. — The Wildcats returned to Bill Snyder Family Stadium for their first home game in the month of October, and a sold out crowd was ready for the Sunflower Showdown.

Kansas State took care of business too, and beat rival Kansas 29-27 for its’ 16th-straight victory in the series. It wasn’t easy by any means though, and the Jayhawks took the Wildcats down to the wire. However, No. 16 Kansas State was able to prevail, courtesy of two clutch fourth quarter field goals from kicker Chris Tennant.

Coach Chris Klieman was proud that his players persevered, and responded swiftly to adversity. After all, the Wildcats had some mental breakdowns on defense, and their offense was inconsistent at times. However, once the smoke cleared, Kansas State led Kansas in total offense, plays, yards per play and time of possession.

After Kansas drew first blood with a 28-yard touchdown run by Sevion Morrison in the first quarter, Kansas State responded. Early in the second quarter quarterback Avery Johnson led the offense on a 13-play, 95-yard touchdown drive, that took over six minutes off the clock. Johnson found tight end Will Anclaux for a 24-yard touchdown, which tied the game up at seven points apiece.

The Wildcats capitalized on some of the Jayhawks’ mental breakdowns early on. Kansas State (7-1) caught a break after a Kansas player stepped out of bounds at the one-yard line on a kickoff return. On the next play the Wildcats’ defense tackled running back Devin Neal in the endzone, and recorded a safety, which gave them a two-point lead and sent the crowd of 52,074 into a frenzy.

That’s when Klieman knew the game was going to be unpredictable, and his team would be in a dogfight for the rest of the evening.

“We missed opportunities, I think they missed opportunities, it was a game of who could make another play,” Klieman said. “You know the safety was such a critical moment for us to get that two points, because that was really the difference in the game.”

Kansas State was able to build on that lead after Johnson threw a two-yard touchdown to tight end Garrett Oakley. Kansas answered the bell though, and quarterback Jalon Daniels led the offense on a scoring drive, that ended with a 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Luke Grimm.

Safety Marques Sigle later halted a promising Jayhawk drive after he intercepted Daniels’ pass in the endzone, and returned it out to the 50-yard line. Although the Wildcats led 16-14 at halftime, Coach Lance Leipold made adjustments.

There were a lot of offensive fireworks in the third quarter, and the two teams combined for 20 points. Johnson started it off with a 10-yard rushing touchdown. The Jayhawks scored 13 unanswered points with touchdown runs by Neal and Daniels, which gave them the lead entering the fourth quarter.

Regardless, the Wildcats finally woke up early in the final period, with a 28-yard field goal from Tennant. It pulled Kansas State within one point. The odds weren’t in the Wildcats favor down the stretch when the Jayhawks had the ball with under four minutes left, but the defense stepped up when it mattered the most.

Linebacker Austin Romaine hit Daniels as he scrambled, and forced a fumble, in which edge rusher Brendan Mott recovered. The turnover made the crowd go wild, and all of the momentum shifted to Kansas State’s side. On the Wildcats’ next drive, Johnson led the offense down to the the Jayhawks’ 33-yard line.

Johnson got lucky after he nearly threw an interception while taking a hit, but special teams came through on the next play. Tennant connected on a 51-yard field goal, that gave Kansas State the lead for good with under two minutes left in the contest. Klieman was proud to see Tennant come through in the clutch, and knew he would deliver.

“The last month of watching Chris Tennant, I knew that was going in,  and I had no doubt in my mind,” he said. “There’s nobody on our sideline that had any doubt, because for one month that kid has done nothing at practice, but drill the football, and it was exciting for him to be able to do that, being a senior from Kansas.”

The Wildcats were able to stay alive in the Big 12 race with the win. Not to mention Kansas State remains undefeated at home this season. Johnson completed 19 of his 34 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a rushing score. Running back DJ Giddens rushed for a game-high, 102 yards. Wideout Jayce Brown recorded five catches for a game-high, 98 yards.

Defensively, Romaine led the Wildcats with six tackles, including five solo. Linebacker Desmond Purnell generated a sack on Daniels, to go along with five stops. Sigle had the only interception of the game.

Kansas State is still tied for second in the Big 12 standings, but holds a tie-breaker over Colorado after the win. It was a hard-fought victory in Klieman’s eyes, and he thought the support from the home crowd was phenomenal, considering it was the 18th consecutive sellout at the venue.

“I knew it was going to be one of the best environments in my six years here, and I told the kids that on Monday to be where their feet are, and to enjoy it.”