'Cats Battle Past Kansas, 12-3

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) -- Allan Evridge threw the game-winning, 8-yard touchdown pass to Jordy Nelson in the fourth quarter to help Kansas State beat Kansas 12-3 Saturday.

Kansas State (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) beat the Jayhawks for the 12th time in 13 years, but constantly stymied itself with mistakes and poor execution. The Wildcats had more penalty yards than offensive yards in a sloppy, scoreless first half.

But Kansas (3-2, 0-2), which snapped an 11-game losing streak to the Wildcats last year, consistently failed to capitalize. All the Jayhawks could manage was a 28-yard field goal by Scott Webb after Mark Simmons' 50-yard catch-and-run produced a first down on the 18.

Both teams benched their starting quarterbacks in the first half. The Jayhawks even used a third -- Marcus Herford -- who took a pass from Charles Gordon on a trick play that gained 34 yards.

But on third-and-6 from the 14, Adam Barmann, who had started at quarterback and been taken out, returned and fumbled the ball away.

Neither team reached the 10-yard line until the final minute of the third quarter when Evridge, who replaced starter Allen Webb, ran 8 yards on a quarterback keeper.

Officials tacked on a half-the-distance penalty for a facemask on the Jayhawks and two plays later Evridge connected in the end zone with Nelson, who has caught a touchdown pass in five straight games.

With 4:30 left, Tim Reyer's 41-yard punt was downed on the Kansas 1-yard line. On third-and-9, Tearrius George tackled quarterback Brian Luke in the end zone for a safety.

Jeff Snodgrass tied it 3-3 in the third quarter with a 38-yard field goal following a turnover by Kansas. Ted Sims recovered Jon Cornish's fumble on the 14. But three straight running plays by the Wildcats each netted minus yardage.

The Kansas State offense, which has been staggered by injuries to the line, has only 57 yards rushing the last two games.

When guard John Hafferty went out in the first quarter, he became the fourth starter on the offensive line injured since fall drills began.

Subtracting their 73 penalty yards, the Wildcats had minus-4 yards of total offense in a miserable first half that also saw them fumble three times. On successive possessions, they punted on fourth-and-24 and fourth-and-40.

They finished with 182 yards but were penalized 12 times for 94. Kansas had nine penalties for 73 yards and lost three of its four fumbles.

Reyer, the sophomore punter who drew national attention the week before when he when he failed to take the field on a punting play that resulted in a safety for Oklahoma, got a derisive applause from the crowd the first time he appeared.

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Team Stats

Allan Evridge

Allen Webb

Players Mentioned

Allan Evridge

Tearrius George

John Hafferty

Jordy Nelson

Tim Reyer

Ted Sims

Jeff Snodgrass

Allen Webb

Players Mentioned

Allan Evridge

Tearrius George

John Hafferty

Jordy Nelson

Tim Reyer

Ted Sims

Jeff Snodgrass

Allen Webb

Kansas State University Athletics