Kansas State University Athletics
Kansas State University
8-4 , 6-3
TCU
6-6 , 4-5
K-State Runs Over TCU, 30-6, in Big 12 Finale
Dec 03, 2016 | Football
FORT WORTH, Texas – For the first time since 2012, Kansas State was powered by two 100-yard rushers as the Wildcats handled TCU for a 30-6 victory before 42,746 fans at Amon G. Carter Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The win gave K-State eight regular-season wins prior to a bowl game for the fourth time in the last six seasons, while the Wildcats finished in fourth place in the Big 12 with a 6-3 mark. This marks the fourth time in the last six years that K-State has finished with six conference wins and the 12th time it has happened under head coach Bill Snyder.
K-State (8-4, 6-3 Big 12) held a small advantage at the half, 10-6, behind 192 rushing yards and a 32-yard rushing touchdown from quarterback Jesse Ertz. TCU (6-6, 4-5 Big 12) was held to just 158 yards of total offense and two field goals before the break.
The Wildcats' defense clamped down after intermission, surrendering only 122 yards in the second half while also forcing five three-and-out possessions from the Horned Frogs. Meanwhile, Ertz and sophomore wide receiver Byron Pringle connected for K-State's longest offensive play this season, an 83-yard touchdown score. Behind Ertz's career rushing performance, the Wildcats ran away with the game, adding 144 rushing yards in the second half to finish with 336 for the game.
Ertz, a junior, and the Big 12's leading rusher amongst quarterbacks, finished with a career-high 170 rushing yards and one touchdown on 19 carries in his 12th start of the season. It was Ertz's third 100-yard rushing performance of the season and the fifth most rushing yards by a quarterback in school history. Ertz was also 9-of-21 for 159 yards and one touchdown through the air.
Out of the backfield, Ertz was joined as a 100-yard rusher by running back Justin Silmon. Filling in for Alex Barnes, Silmon rushed for 133 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries Saturday, a new career-high in rushing yards and touchdowns for the sophomore. Sophomore Winston Dimel and senior Charles Jones added 16 and 15 yards, respectively, as K-State rushed for more than 200 yards for the sixth straight game.
With so much success on the ground, K-State relied much less on its passing attack. Only two receivers brought down passes, with Pringle reeling in six for 126 yards and one touchdown – the 83-yarder. With the 100-yard performances from Ertz and Silmon combined with a 126-yard output on the receiving end by Pringle, it marked the first time since the 2003 season opener against California that the Wildcats had two 100-yard rushers and a 100-yard receiver.
Freshman Isaiah Harris, who had four catches this season prior to Saturday's game, was on the receiving end of three passes for 33 yards, both career-highs.
The Wildcats finished the day with 495 yards of total offense, including 336 on the ground, surpassing the 300-yard rushing mark for the fourth time this season. With today's rushing effort, K-State's season total swelled to 2,795 yards, moving up four spots to fourth place in school history for the most rushing yards in a single season in school history.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Big 12's top defense held the nation's 18th ranked offense to just 280 total yards. K-State shut out TCU in the second half and became the first team to hold the Horned Frogs without a single touchdown score in a game since 2006.
Junior linebacker Elijah Lee and sophomore cornerback D.J. Reed led the charge for K-State's defensive players with eight tackles each. Junior defensive lineman Will Geary came up with seven stops, including three-and-one-half tackles for loss. Five other Wildcats tallied five tackles on the day, including junior linebacker Trent Tanking, who came up with K-State's only takeaway and his first career interception on the game's final play.
Redshirt freshman defensive end Reggie Walker finished with four tackles and two sacks, a career-best for him, while senior defensive end Jordan Willis also registered one sack, giving him 11.5 total sacks in 2016, tying him with Ryan Mueller (2013), Ian Campbell (2006) and Nyle Wiren (1996) for K-State's single-season sack record.
TCU won the coin toss and deferred until the second half. From its own 32-yard line, K-State opened with a 13-play, 68-yard drive that used 56 rushing yards, including a long of 29 yards from Ertz. The Wildcats' drive stalled at TCU's 10-yard line as Patterson came on to connect from 27 yards just over five minutes into the game.
The Horned Frogs, led out by quarterback Foster Sawyer, completed two passes to move into Wildcat territory before K-State's defense rallied to halt TCU's first possession at the 39-yard line.
TCU worked with a short field minutes later to level the score, 3-3, with a 31-yard field goal from Brandon Hatfield at the 2:12 mark of the first quarter.
After two empty possessions, K-State put the defensive battle on the backburner five minutes into the second quarter. Silmon busted loose for a 35-yard run to begin the drive and two plays later, Ertz ran right, untouched for a 32-yard touchdown, his 10th of the season. The Wildcats' three-play, 61-yard drive took just 1:18 as K-State went up 10-3 with 9:17 to play in the first half.
K-State's running game asserted its dominance again on the next possession until TCU popped the ball away from Dimel on a lengthy carry. The Horned Frogs mustered up 40 yards in 12 plays to settle for a 40-yard field goal just before the half to narrow the margin, 10-6.
A quick TCU three-and-out took up the first minute of the third quarter before K-State took over from its own 17. On third and long, Ertz completed a slant to Pringle, who outran all Horned Frog defenders for an 83-yard touchdown – K-State's longest offensive play from scrimmage this season. Just 1:59 into the second half, K-State built a 17-6 advantage.
The Wildcats forced another Horned Frog three-and-out on the ensuing possession before mounting their second scoring drive of the third quarter. The six-play, 72-yard drive featured five rushing plays, including back-to-back runs of 26 yards from Silmon and a 31-yarder from Ertz. Silmon refused to be stopped on his five-yard touchdown run, putting K-State on top 23-6 with 8:22 to play in the third quarter as Patterson was unable to connect on the extra point.
K-State held TCU without another score, shutting out the Horned Frogs in the second half, while the Wildcats would tack on a touchdown with 2:32 to play in the game. Silmon plunged into the end zone for his second rushing touchdown of the day to push the score to 30-6 – a score that K-State would see out to the end.
With the regular season now complete, K-State will learn its bowl destination on Sunday afternoon.
Team Stats
KS 3, TCU 0
KS - Patterson, Ian 27 yd field goal 13 plays, 68 yards, TOP 5:04
KS 3, TCU 3
TCU - Hatfield, B. 31 yd field goal 8 plays, 30 yards, TOP 1:43
KS 10, TCU 3
KS - Ertz, Jesse 32 yd run (Patterson, Ian kick), 3 plays, 61 yards, TOP 1:18
KS 10, TCU 6
TCU - Hatfield, B. 40 yd field goal 12 plays, 40 yards, TOP 3:02
KS 17, TCU 6
KS - Pringle, Byron 83 yd pass from Ertz, Jesse (Patterson, Ian kick) 3 plays, 83 yards, TOP 0:58
KS 23, TCU 6
KS - Silmon, Justin 5 yd run (Patterson, Ian kickfailed), 6 plays, 72 yards, TOP 2:48
KS 30, TCU 6
KS - Silmon, Justin 3 yd run (Patterson, Ian kick), 11 plays, 55 yards, TOP 6:13
