Kansas State University Athletics
Kansas State University
4-6 , 1-6
Iowa State
3-8 , 2-6
Late Rally Propels K-State Past Iowa State, 38-35
Nov 21, 2015 | Football
MANHATTAN, Kan. - Kansas State scored 10 points, including a game-winning Jack Cantele 42-yard field goal, in the final 42 seconds of the game to cap a 21-point comeback as the Wildcats defeated the Iowa State Cyclones, 38-35, in front of 53,297 fans at Bill Snyder Family Stadium on Saturday.
K-State's 21-point comeback is tied for the biggest comeback in school history, the last coming at Missouri on Nov. 6, 2004 after trailing the Tigers 21-0 in the second quarter.
The win snapped a six-game losing streak by K-State (4-6, 1-6 Big 12), the school's longest skid since 1989.
Junior quarterback Joe Hubener threw for 216 yards on 18-of-31 passing and one touchdown to go with 90 yards on 20 attempts. Fellow junior Charles Jones carried the ball 15 times for 65 yards, including two scores. Jones' 65 yards moved him into 23rd place in school history with 1,082 career yards.
Redshirt freshman receiver Dominque Heath caught five passes for 31 yards in the game, moving him to fourth in school history with 298 yards and third in school history in catches by a freshman with 22. Fellow wide-out Kody Cook led all Wildcat receivers with 68 yards on five catches.
On defense, redshirt freshman Kendall Adams recorded a career-high 12 tackles and his first career sack. Linebacker Charmeachealle Moore also added double-digit tackles with 10, as well as a sack. Jordan Willis forced two fumbles during the game, while Will Geary and Marquel Bryant each forced one.
Iowa State (3-8, 3-6 Big 12) opened the scoring as quarterback Joel Lanning connected with Trever Ryen on a 21-yard touchdown pass, capping a 3-play, 40-yard drive to give the Cyclones a 7-0 lead five minutes into the first quarter. The score was set up by a 46-yard punt return by Allen Lazard.
K-State answered on the next drive with a 4-yard touchdown pass from fullback Glenn Gronkowski to fellow fullback Winston Dimel to tie the game, 7-7. Gronkowski's touchdown pass was the first by a non-quarterback since Daniel Thomas threw a 67-yard touchdown pass to Aubrey Quarles at Baylor in 2010. It was also Dimel's first receiving touchdown of the season and his fourth overall.
The Cyclones took advantage of good field position after a Wildcat fumble on the 4-yard line, as Lanning scored on a 1-yard rush on 4th-and-goal to push the Cyclone lead to 14-7.
Lanning threw his second touchdown of the day on Iowa State's next possession, hitting Lazard on a 30-yard score, capping a 5-play, 71-yard drive, to give the Cyclones a 21-7 lead with 8:11 remaining in the second quarter.
Reigning Big 12 Special Teams Play of the Week Morgan Burns returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards to cut the lead to 21-14. The score was Burns' third return touchdown this year, moving him into second place in school history. It was also the first time in school history that a player has had two 100-yard returns in a single season.
Iowa State answered two plays later as tailback Mike Warren broke out for a 76-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 28-14 with 7:34 remaining before halftime. The run was the longest for the Cyclones since Oct. 8, 2011. Warren finished the day with 195 yards, making him the first Iowa State rusher to go for over 100 yards against K-State since 2005.
ISU extended the lead to 35-14 just 29 seconds before halftime as Lanning hooked up with Lazard on a 16-yard scoring strike to cap off a 7-play, 67-yard drive. The touchdown was Lazard's second score of the game and marked the first time in his career with multiple touchdowns in a game.
K-State opened the second half by marching 67 yards in just over six minutes on 12 plays to set up an 8-yard run by Jones to cut the lead to 35-21 with 8:49 in the third quarter. The drive was kept alive when Hubener hit Heath for 13 yards on 3rd-and-11.
Hubener threw his first touchdown pass of the day on the Wildcats' next drive, connecting with Cook on a 7-yard pass to pull within 35-28. Jones rushed for 21 of the 70 yards during the drive.
With Iowa State attempting to run out the clock with just 1:31 remaining in the contest, the K-State defense came up with a big play as Geary forced Warren to fumble with linebacker Elijah Lee recovering at the K-State 45.
On the next play, Hubener connected with receiver Andre Davis for 42 yards to put the Wildcats at the Iowa State 13. After a pair of Hubener rushes, Jones was able to tie the game up at 35-all with 42 seconds remaining on his second rushing touchdown of the day from 5 yards out.
With just 40 seconds remaining and the game headed to a likely overtime, the defense again came up with a big play as Bryant forced Lanning to fumble which was recovered by Charmeachealle Moore at the Iowa State 22 with just 10 seconds left on the clock. Two plays later, Cantele connected from 42 yards out for the win.
K-State returns to action next Saturday as it heads to Lawrence, Kansas, for the 112th Dillons Sunflower Showdown against the Kansas Jayhawks. Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast nationally on Fox Sports 1.
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Team Stats
ISU 7, KS 0
ISU - Ryan, Trever 21 yd pass from Lanning, Joel (Netten, Cole kick) 3 plays, 40 yards, TOP 1:21
ISU 7, KS 7
KS - Dimel, Winston 4 yd pass from Gronkowski, G. (Cantele, Jack kick) 9 plays, 65 yards, TOP 4:46
ISU 14, KS 7
ISU - Lanning, Joel 1 yd run (Netten, Cole kick), 4 plays, 3 yards, TOP 1:47
ISU 21, KS 7
ISU - Lazard, Allen 30 yd pass from Lanning, Joel (Netten, Cole kick) 5 plays, 71 yards, TOP 2:26
ISU 21, KS 14
KS - Burns, Morgan 100 yd kickoff return (Cantele, Jack kick)
ISU 28, KS 14
ISU - Warren, Mike 76 yd run (Netten, Cole kick), 2 plays, 76 yards, TOP 0:20
ISU 35, KS 14
ISU - Lazard, Allen 16 yd pass from Lanning, Joel (Netten, Cole kick) 7 plays, 67 yards, TOP 2:12
ISU 35, KS 21
KS - Jones, Charles 8 yd run (Cantele, Jack kick), 12 plays, 67 yards, TOP 6:06
ISU 35, KS 28
KS - Cook, Kody 7 yd pass from Hubener, Joe (Cantele, Jack kick) 12 plays, 70 yards, TOP 5:39
ISU 35, KS 35
KS - Jones, Charles 5 yd run (Cantele, Jack kick), 4 plays, 55 yards, TOP 0:40
ISU 35, KS 38
KS - Cantele, Jack 42 yd field goal 2 plays, -3 yards, TOP 0:07
