Rolling K-State Faces Suggs, Sun Devils In Holiday Bowl
Dec 26, 2002 | Football
Dec 25, 2002
By JUSTIN EINHORN
AP MegaSports Writer
Kansas State has the best defense in the nation, but Arizona State may havethe country's best defensive player.
However, one player does not make a whole team successful, and that's amajor reason why the Wildcats are huge favorites over the unranked Sun Devilsheading into the Holiday Bowl on Friday.
Keeping Arizona State's Terrell Suggs away from quarterback Ell Robersonwill be one of Kansas State's top priorities in its quest to finish with 11wins for the fourth time in five years.
This could be the final collegiate game for Suggs, who may opt to turn proafter setting an NCAA record with 22 sacks and winning the Lombardi Award asthe nation's top lineman during a brilliant junior campaign.
"Every team in the NFL is looking for pass rushers and he's the best," SunDevils coach Dirk Koetter said.
This is the best defense Koetter's team has faced all season.
Featuring Thorpe Award-winning cornerback Terence Newman, Kansas State(10-2) led the nation in total and scoring defense, allowing just 245.6 yardsand 10.2 points per game.
That unit helped the Wildcats dominate their final five games, winning by astunning 253-30 margin. That outstanding close to the regular season gotK-State up to No. 6 in the AP poll and eighth in the Bowl Championship Seriesstandings, but that was not enough to garner the team a BCS bowl berth.
"We should have beat out Florida State, but it's all about politics,"Kansas State wide receiver Taco Wallace said. "I thought we were in for sure.Why shouldn't we? I'm pretty sure it makes the whole team mad, but we're in abowl game."
All that's keeping Kansas State from an unbeaten season is seven points -its total margin of defeat in losses to Oklahoma and Texas. The Wildcats had tosettle for the Holiday Bowl, which they won in 1995 and 1999.
Kansas State is a three-touchdown favorite - a spread Kansas State coachBill Snyder is at odds with.
"Someone's going to lose a lot of money if they keep those numbers going,"said Snyder, not long after the odds were released with his team as a 17-pointfavorite.
Another big reason why Snyder's team is expected to win easily is an offensewhich finished second nationally with 45.7 points per game.
"Certainly we'll have our work cut out for us," Koetter admitted.
While Roberson completed nearly 55 percent of his passes for 1,365 yards,the junior quarterback did the most damage with his feet as he ran for 969yards and 13 touchdowns.
Teammate Darren Sproles was one of the Big 12's top tailbacks, rushing for1,347 yards and 16 scores while averaging 6.2 yards per carry.
Sproles and Roberson will be chased around by the speedy Suggs, a251-pounder who originally came to ASU to play tailback. His 29? tackles for aloss led the nation and he also tied for the most forced fumbles in the Pac-10with six.
No matter how well Suggs and the defense performs, the Sun Devils (8-5)likely will need the duo of Andrew Walter and Shaun McDonald to find holes in aseemingly impenetrable Kansas State defense to have a shot at the upset.
"Their quarterback-receiver combination is certainly a challenge," Snydersaid. "They have great numbers to support that."
Despite not even starting the first four games, Walter eclipsed DannyWhite's single-season school record for passing yards with two games left inthe season. The sophomore quarterback threw for 3,584 yards with 26 touchdowns,and he benefitted greatly from having McDonald as a target.
The undersized wideout finished with 76 receptions for 1,291 yards with 13touchdowns, making the All-Pac-10 first team.
Kansas State has never won in five previous matchups with Arizona State,though these schools have not met since 1989.
