Kansas State University Athletics
Kansas State University
Ohio State
K-State Rally Falls Short in 35-28 Loss to Ohio State in Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
Jan 03, 2004 | Football
TEMPE, Ariz.No. 8 Kansas State started slowly but finished with a fury in the 33rdAnnual Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. But it was enough to overcome a 21-point third-quarter deficit as the Wildcats lost a hard fought 35-28 decision to No. 7 Ohio State in its first ever BCS bowl game at Sun Devil Stadium.
The loss dropped the Wildcats to 11-4 on the season, 6-6 all time in bowl games, but K-State still notched its sixth 11-win season in the last seven years to become just the second program in the nation to accomplish that feat.
Trailing 35-14 heading into the fourth quarter, Ayo Saba scored from three yards out to cap an eight-play, 46-yard drive and closed the game to 14 points.
Ell Roberson's second rushing touchdown of the game with just 2:47 to go pulled K-State within a touchdown, setting up the frantic finish.
After recovering the ensuing on-sides kick, the Wildcats were flagged for being offsides, forcing a re-kick. This time the Buckeyes (11-2) recovered at the K-State 36.
But the Wildcats held and got the ball back with 1:12to play at their own 10-yard line. A 21-yard completion to Davin Dennis, who finished with a career-high seven receptions for 113 yards moved the ball to the K-State 26. On the next play Roberson connected with Jermaine Moreira for 26 yards to the OSU 48 to get Kansas State within striking distance.
However, Roberson's desperation pass from midfield was batted down at the 2, allowing Ohio State to escape with its second straight Fiesta Bowl victory.
Roberson completed 20 passes on a career-high 51 attempts for 294 yards. His 51 attempts were the most ever by a Wildcat in a bowl game, surpassing Darrell Dickey's 34 in the 1982 Independence Bowl.
Josh Buhl tied a Kansas State bowl game record with 13 total tackles, equaling Laird Veatch's total from the 1993 Copper Bowl vs. Wyoming, and giving him a K-State single-season record of 184.
Ohio State's Craig Krenzel, the game's MVP for the second year in a row, threw four TD passes to lead the Buckeyes, finishing the game 11-for-24 for 189 yards with two interceptions. Cedrick Williams snared both picks for the Wildcats, including one in the end zone on the first play of the second quarter, for a career high.
Ohio State, which entered the game with the top-ranked rushing defense in the country, held All-American Darren Sproles to a season-low 38 yards on 13 carries. K-State was held to just 84 yards rushing for the game, the first time the Wildcats failed to hit the century mark this season.
The Buckeyes' first score came when Harlen Jacobs blocked Jared Brite's punt and John Hollins returned it 7 yards for a touchdown.
Krenzel's 36-yard pass to Bam Childress set up his scrambling, 6-yard touchdown pass to Holmes that made it 14-0.
After Chris Gamble's interception at the Kansas State 17, Krenzel threw over the middle to Jenkins for the TD and it was 21-0 with 37 seconds left in the first quarter.
Kansas State's offense, which rolled up 519 yards against Oklahoma, finally showed some life with a 70-yard, 11-play touchdown drive, capped by Sproles 6-yard run with 3:01 to play in the half.
Roberson threw 17 yards to Thomas Hill, then ran 14 yards for the score to slice the lead to 21-14 with 8:59 left in the third quarter.
But the Buckeyes took the kickoff and went 74 yards in nine plays to go up 28-14. Krenzel's 31-yard pass to Holmes made it 35-13 with 37 seconds left in the third quarter.
