Kansas State Too Much For New Mexico State Aggies
Sep 22, 2001 | Football
Sept 22, 2001
Final Stats?|?Quotes?|?Notes
By DOUG TUCKER
AP Sports Writer
MANHATTAN, Kan. - For a week at least, Bill Snyder was not the tough taskmaster Kansas State has come to know.
Like his players, the coach of the No. 12 Wildcats had trouble getting refocused following the terrorist attacks that led to the cancellation of all pro and major college football games last week.
"It was hard for everyone," Snyder said Saturday after his Wildcats got back in action with a 64-0 romp over winless New Mexico State.
"I thought they were kind of slow and unfocused. But I suspect they would probably grade me the same way."
Josh Scobey ran for four touchdowns, one short of the team record, as the Wildcats seized a 50-0 halftime lead and handed the Aggies (0-4) their most lopsided defeat since a 73-3 loss to Oklahoma in 1989.
Aaron Lockett had a 13-yard touchdown reception and returned the second-half kickoff 97 yards for another score against New Mexico State, which has been outscored 64-6 in the first quarter.
"I've never been so embarrassed in my life," New Mexico State quarterback K.C. Enzminger said. "That's not us. We're not that bad. We just didn't prepare well."
The senior quarterback sensed Saturday morning his team was not ready to play.
"There were a lot of guys goofing around. Nobody was focused. I saw it coming," he said.
In the lopsided first half, the Wildcats (2-0) scored off a fumbled punt, a fumbled center snap on an attempted punt and two interceptions by DeMarcus Faggins, who totaled 72 return yards.
With the offensive line overwhelming New Mexico State's defensive front, Scobey had 112 yards on 16 carries and scored on runs of 3, 6, 9 and 14 yards.
"I know my line blocked real well," Scobey said. "I don't know how well I ran, but they gave me some pretty nice holes. I just hit them and went with it."
The Aggies, who have played four straight opponents who are currently ranked, had just 6 yards of total offense in the first period to Kansas State's 195. For the game, Kansas State outgained New Mexico State 521-114.
"They are not a bad football team," Snyder said. "They are a program that is making strides. They have come a long ways."
Whether the events of Sept. 11 had anything to do with New Mexico State's sloppy play or not, coach Tony Samuels was offering no excuses.
"It was a very emotionally draining experience for the team, the coaches and everybody in the whole country," he said. "In these kind of situations, things can snowball in a hurry and that's exactly what happened."
Scobey's apparent 20-yard scoring run on Kansas State's first possession was nullified by a holding penalty, forcing the Wildcats to settle for Kyle Altvater's 23-yard field goal.
Ell Roberson was 7-of-10 for 181 yards. With six minutes left in the second quarter, he connected with Derrick Evans, who took the ball at midfield and outran the defenders for a 43-0 lead.
Second-team quarterback Marc Dunn made it 50-0 with 27 seconds left in the half when he flipped a 13-yard TD pass to Lockett following Faggins' 30-yard interception return.
Jon McGraw recovered punter Brian Copple's fumble on the New Mexico State 14, setting up Scobey first TD on a 3-yard run.
After a short punt, Roberson scored Kansas State's second TD on a 1-yard run.
After Scobey's 6-yard TD run, Josh Buhl recovered punt returner RonShay Jenkins' fumble on the 9 and Scobey, after a 5-yard penalty, made it 36-0 with a 14-yard run.
Aggies quarterback K.C. Enzminger had thrown 61 passes without an interception when Faggins stepped in front of the receiver and picked off a first-down pass and returned it 42 yards to the 34, setting up Scobey's 9-yard TD run. Roberson's 2-point conversion run made it 30-0 early in the second quarter.
Freshman Darren Sproles scored on a 1-yard run for a 64-0 lead late in the third period.
