Kansas State University Athletics
Kansas State University
7-0 , 4-0
West Virginia
5-2 , 2-2
No. 4 K-State Rolls to 55-14 Win at No. 13 West Virginia
Oct 20, 2012 | Football
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) -- Collin Klein ran for four touchdowns and threw three TD passes as fourth-ranked Kansas State got little resistance from West Virginia (No. 13 BCS, No. 17 AP) in a 55-14 victory Saturday night that turned a matchup of Heisman Trophy contenders into a campaign ad for the Wildcats' quarterback.
Klein was 19 for 21 for a career-high 323 yards and ran for 41 yards for the Wildcats (7-0, 4-0 Big 12).
Geno Smith threw his first two interceptions of the season and finished 21 for 32 for 143 yards.
Kansas State (7-0, 4-0) scored on its first eight possessions, making it 52-7 with 2:25 minutes left in the third quarter when Klein hit Tyler Lockett over the middle for a 20-yard score.
Milan-Puskar Stadium was already half empty by that point, and a long line cars was creeping out of the parking lot.
The first meeting since 1931 of the new Big 12 rivals was so lopsided that by the time it was finished it was hard to even remember that this matchup started as a battle for first in the conference.
With the Mountaineers seemingly determined to at least stop the run early, Klein completed his first seven passes, including a 10-yard touchdown that Lockett made a stretching, toe-dragging catch on in the back corner of the end zone. That made it 10-0 in the first.
The K-State running game went to work on the third drive and Klein finished that off with a 1-yard plunge.
Klein made it 24-0 on the next Kansas State drive, taking an option keeper 8 yards. That gave him 39 rushing touchdowns over the last two seasons to break an FBS record held by Eric Crouch of Nebraska and Stacey Robinson of Northern Illinois.
Tavon Austin finally put a little life back into the sellout crowd when he took the ensuing kickoff back 100 yards for a score with 4:12 left in the first half.
The bad news for West Virginia was that it gave the Wildcats more than enough time to get the ball back in the end zone -- which they did.
Klein hit Lockett deep for 44 yards and a few plays later he finished off the drive with another 1-yard dive.
The first half onslaught went like this for Kansas State: five possessions, 346 yards, four touchdowns and a field goal. The offense was unstoppable and the defense was just as good, holding Smith to 62 yards by flooding the secondary with defenders and taking away the down field throws.
Team Stats
KS 3, WVU 0
KS - Cantele, A. 33 yd field goal 7 plays, 41 yards, TOP 3:35
KS 10, WVU 0
KS - Lockett, Tyler 10 yd pass from Klein, Collin (Cantele, A. kick) 9 plays, 92 yards, TOP 5:25
KS 17, WVU 0
KS - Klein, Collin 1 yd run (Cantele, A. kick), 9 plays, 64 yards, TOP 4:10
KS 24, WVU 0
KS - Klein, Collin 8 yd run (Cantele, A. kick), 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:28
KS 24, WVU 7
WVU - Austin, Tavon 100 yd kickoff return (Bitancurt, Tyle kick)
KS 31, WVU 7
KS - Klein, Collin 1 yd run (Cantele, A. kick), 8 plays, 78 yards, TOP 3:50
KS 38, WVU 7
KS - Harper, Chris 21 yd pass from Klein, Collin (Cantele, A. kick) 2 plays, 24 yards, TOP 0:51
KS 45, WVU 7
KS - Klein, Collin 1 yd run (Cantele, A. kick), 5 plays, 16 yards, TOP 2:34
KS 52, WVU 7
KS - Lockett, Tyler 20 yd pass from Klein, Collin (Cantele, A. kick) 7 plays, 77 yards, TOP 3:35
KS 52, WVU 14
WVU - Austin, Tavon 5 yd pass from Smith, Geno (Bitancurt, Tyle kick) 9 plays, 54 yards, TOP 2:56
KS 55, WVU 14
KS - Cantele, A. 42 yd field goal 7 plays, 17 yards, TOP 3:35
