Kansas State Postgame Notes
Dec 27, 2002 | Football
Dec. 27, 2002
Recap?|?Final Stats?|?Photo Gallery
TEAM NOTES:
--Kansas State made its 11th bowl game appearance with its match-up against Arizona State in the 2002 Pacific Life Holiday Bowl... It was also the Wildcats' 10th straight postseason appearance... The program has been to a bowl in each season since 1993... K-State is one of only seven schools to appear in a bowl game each of the last 10 years... The group includes Nebraska (34 straight), Michigan (28), Florida State (21), Tennessee (14), Florida (12), Kansas State (10) and Virginia Tech (10).
--Today's game marked the third time that Kansas State has played a bowl game in California with all three appearances occurring at the Holiday Bowl... The Wildcats played in their first Holiday Bowl in 1995 with the team posting a 54-21 victory over Western Athletic Conference champion Colorado State... The program made a return trip in 1999 and posted a 24-20 win over Washington... The team is now 3-0 all-time in bowl games played in California and in the Holiday Bowl.
--Kansas State now holds a 6-5 all-time record in bowl games, including a 6-4 mark under head coach Bill Snyder... Today's win snapped a one-game bowl-game losing streak by the Wildcats and the first since a 35-21 win over Tennessee in the 2001 Cotton Bowl... K-State has now won three of its last four bowl games.
--Kansas State now holds a 1-5 record all-time against Arizona State... This was the first meeting between the two schools in a bowl game... The previous five meetings all occurred in Tempe, Ariz., in a stretch from 1964 through 1989... Prior to tonight's contest, the most recent meeting between the two programs took place on Sept. 9, 1989, a contest which was Bill Snyder's first game as the Kansas State head coach... Arizona State won that game, 31-0... The first game in the series, a 21-10 ASU win on Nov. 7, 1964, stands as the closest of the five meetings between the teams...
--Kansas State now holds a 2-10-1 record against teams from the state of Arizona (1-5-1 vs. Arizona and 1-5 vs. ASU)... K-State is now 5-14-1 all-time against teams from the Pacific-10 Conference, including a 2-0 mark in bowl games (a win over Arizona State and a 24-20 win over Washington in the 1999 Holiday Bowl).
--With tonight's win, Kansas State tied the school record for wins in a single-season with its 11th of the season... The Wildcats also posted 11 wins in 1997 (11-1), 1998 (11-2), 1999 (11-1), 2000 (11-3) and 2002 (11-2)... The program has now produced an 11-win season in five of the last six years... K-State was one of just three schools in college football history to win 11 games in four consecutive seasons from 1997-2000... The Wildcats have now won at least nine games in a single-season 10 times in school history, including nine of the last 10 seasons.
--Kansas State posted the largest comeback in a bowl game in school history, as the Wildcats overcame a 13-point deficit near the end of the second quarter to earn the 34-27 victory... The largest the team had trailed in a bowl game was three points on five occasions (3-0 to Wyoming in 1993 Copper Bowl, 3-0 to Syracuse in 1997 Fiesta Bowl, 3-0, 13-10 and 20-17 to Washington in 1999 Holiday Bowl)... It marks the first victory this season when trailing in a contest... The only time Kansas State trailed this season were in losses to Colorado (10/5) and Texas (10/19)... The last time the Wildcats won a game when behind was against Louisiana Tech (11/17) at home (down 7-0 in the first quarter)... Arizona State's second quarter score marked the third time this season that Kansas State has allowed its opponent to score first in a contest... The Wildcats had been 0-2 this season when allowing its opponent to score first and also when trailing at the half (Colorado and Texas).
--With four rushing touchdowns this afternoon, Kansas State has scored at least one rushing touchdown in 29 of the last 30 games, including the 2000 Big 12 Championship... K-State continued its 13-game streak of rushing for more yards than its opponent today by tallying 224 yards to the Sun Devils' 17 rushing yards.
--With Bobby Walker's first quarter interception, Kansas State has now created a turnover in 12 of its 13 contests in 2002... The only game in which the Wildcats didn't manufacture a turnover was Nebraska (11/16)... Now with 19 interceptions, K-State ranks ninth nationally in pick... The Wildcats have at least one interception in 51 of the last 58 games and in 61 of the last 67 outings (including bowl games)... K-State now has had 28 interceptions in their last 18 games, a string dating back to 2001 and including the Insight.com Bowl against Syracuse... The team has grabbed 14 opposing passes in the last eight games combined.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES:
--Junior QB Ell Roberson's 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter was his 16th rushing touchdown of the season, which placed him in a tie for third with Josh Scobey (2000) on the school single-season list for rushing touchdowns... The 16 touchdowns also placed him in a tie for third with Scobey (2000) and Bill Butler (1971) for season touchdowns... The score was also the 25th of his career, which placed him fourth on the career rushing touchdown list... It was his 25th overall touchdown, which placed him in a tie for sixth on the career touchdown list with J.J. Smith (1991-94).
--With his three rushing touchdowns tonight, Ell Roberson tied Jonathan Beasley for the school record for rushing touchdowns in a bowl game... Beasley had three against Washington in the 1999 Holiday Bowl... Both Beasley and Roberson were the Offensive MVPs of the Holiday Bowl (Beasley in 1999 and Roberson in 2002).
--Roberson has now rushed for at least two touchdowns in a game seven times in his career, including five times in 2002... He also tied his season-high with three rushing touchdowns, set also against Kansas (11/2) and Nebraska (11/16).
--With 63 yards rushing, Roberson became the first quarterback in school history to eclipse 1,000 yard rushing in a single-season... He concluded the season with 1,032 yards... He became the seventh Wildcat in school history to tally 1,000 yards rushing... He now ranks sixth on the school's single-season rushing list.
--With 278 total yards of offense tonight, Roberson moved up five spots to third on the school's single-season total offense chart... He now has 2,612 total yards of offense on the season... Only Michael Bishop (3,592-1998) and Jonathan Beasley (3,135-2000) totaled more yards of total offense in a single-season in Kansas State history.
--Sophomore RB Darren Sproles' 41-yard touchdown run in the second quarter was his 17th rushing touchdown of the season, which placed him in a tie for second place with Jonathan Beasley (2000) on both the school single-season lists for touchdowns and rushing touchdowns... It marked Sproles' sixth run of 40 or more yards on the season... The touchdown gave him 104 points on the season, which tied him with Beasley for the third-most points in a single-season... He also became the fifth Wildcat to tally at least 100 points in a single-season.
--Darren Sproles rushed for 118 yards tonight, his 10th overall and ninth in a row 100-yard rushing games. Both continue to extend school records... With nine 100-yard games in his career, Sproles ties Eric Hickson and J.J. Smith for the school record.
--Senior CB Terence Newman's 36-yard catch in the second quarter was his second reception of the season and the first since the opener against Western Kentucky (8/31)... His first catch was a 51-yard touchdown reception against the Hilltoppers... He followed that with his first multi-catch game of his career with a 15-yard reception in the third quarter and a catch for a loss of four yards in the four quarter... Newman also collected his first carry of his career in the third quarter, as he took a reverse 29 yards for a first down... He ended the game with two carries for 29 yards... He touched the ball in four different ways in tonight's contests, seeing action as a kick returner, punt returner, receiver and rusher.
--Senior FS Bobby Walker's first quarter interception was his sixth of the season, which tied him for third on the Kansas State single-season interception list... The pick was also the seventh of his career... Walker became the seventh Wildcat to total six interceptions in a single-season... Jerametrius Butler in 2000 was the last Wildcat to produce six interceptions in a season.
--Senior WR Taco Wallace's 41-yard catch in the second quarter marked his 14th catch of 25 or more yards this season... The 41-yard reception was the third-longest of both the season and of his career... The catch ranked behind the 58-yard touchdown against Eastern Illinois (9/14) and the 46-yard touchdown against Missouri (11/23).
--Junior WR Derrick Evans earned his first touchdown of the season with his 10-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that broke the 27-all tie... The touchdown is the second of his career and the first since a 72-yard touchdown reception against New Mexico State (9/22/01).
