Kansas State University Athletics
Saturday, October 28
Lawrence, Kan.
2 p.m.
Kansas State University
4-4 , 2-3
30
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Kansas
1-7 , 0-5
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Kansas State
7
3
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6
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20
K-State Claims Governor's Cup with Sunflower Showdown Win
Oct 28, 2017 | Football
LAWRENCE, Kansas - Alex Barnes collected a season-high 128 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Matthew McCrane hit all three of his field goal attempts to help Kansas State stave off in-state rival Kansas for a 30-20 win at Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Barnes' performance, which included a career-high 23 carries, was his second-straight 100-yard rushing game. The sophomore running back is the first Wildcat to break the century mark in consecutive games since he did so last season against Baylor (129) and Kansas (103).
McCrane converted from 31, 36 and 41 yards in the win, which ended a three-game losing skid from the Wildcats (4-4, 2-3) and extended their winning streak in the Sunflower Showdown to nine games. The senior's last field goal against the Jayhawks essentially iced the game, as it pushed K-State's lead to 30-20 with 1:21 to play.
The Wildcats accumulated 340 yards of offense, highlighted by 202 on the ground. It marked their fifth game this season with at least 200 rushing yards.
K-State held a 10-6 lead at halftime, fueled mostly by D.J. Reed's 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Reed's return, which followed a 28-yard made field goal from the Jayhawks for the game's first points, marked the junior's first kickoff return touchdown of his career. It also extended K-State's streak of seasons with at least one kickoff return score to 13, the longest active streak in the nation.
On the first play out of halftime, K-State senior linebacker Jayd Kirby forced and recovered a fumble while sacking Kansas quarterback Carter Stanley. The turnover placed K-State's offense at the Jayhawks' 18-yard line. Three plays later, Barnes barreled into the end zone from three yards out to extend K-State's lead to 17-6.
K-State took advantage of another short field in the fourth quarter, when Byron Pringle returned a punt 10 yards to Kansas' 26-yard line. The Wildcats needed just three plays, all runs from Barnes, to find the end zone and push their back to two scores, at 27-13 with 7:36 to play.
Kansas' offense came up with two fourth-quarter scoring drives, including a 60-yard touchdown pass from Stanley to Steven Sims to cut K-State's lead back to seven points with 6:51 left on the clock. Sims finished with 233 yards receiving on nine catches.
While allowing 482 yards of offense, K-State came up with a much-needed defensive stop in the fourth quarter. After punting it back to the Jayhawks with under five minutes to play, K-State forced a three-and-out to regain possession.
Wildcat freshman quarterback Skylar Thompson, who stepped in for injured starter Alex Delton in the second half, then helped engineer K-State's final scoring drive. Thompson connected with Dalton Schoen on third-and-six for a 12-yard completion to move the Wildcats into field goal range. For the game, Thompson completed 4-of-6 passes for 40 yards and ran for another 39 yards.
In the first half with Delton under center, K-State's offense compiled 197 yards of total offense in the first half but had trouble finishing drive. The Wildcats' first drive ended with a lost fumble on Kansas' 17-yard line. On their next drive, the Wildcats came up short on a fourth-and-one run play inside the Jayhawks' 10-yard line.
Delton finished 4-of-7 through the air for 98 yards while also tallying 36 rushing yards.
Kansas collected 126 yards of total offense in its first two drives of the game, but the Wildcats managed to limit the damage to field goals each time. After Kansas' second field goal, the Wildcats kept their in-state rival off the scoreboard for nearly 22 minutes of game clock before the Jayhawks broke through early in the fourth quarter.
Junior defensive back Duke Shelley and sophomore safety Denzel Goolsby each led the team with seven total tackles. Kirby finished with five tackles, including a career-high four tackles for loss, the most by a Wildcat since Charmeachealle Moore notched four against West Virginia in 2015. He also forced three fumbles, becoming the first Wildcat to cause at least two since Jordan Willis forced two against Iowa State in 2015.
Pringle reeled in three passes for 92 yards, putting the junior receiver over 1,000 receiving yards for his career. He is K-State's seventh community college transfer to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in program history and the first since Brandon Banks did so in 2008-09.
OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Sophomore Alex Barnes was a yard short of matching a career-high with 128 yards and scored two touchdowns to lead the Wildcats rushing attack. K-State rushed for 202 yards as a team, with quarterbacks Skylar Thompson (39) and Alex Delton (36) providing the other yardage.
DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Senior linebacker Jayd Kirby filled up the stat sheet with five tackles, including 4.0 for loss and a sack, three forced fumbles and a pass broken up. His sack came on the first play from scrimmage in the second half and resulted in both a forced fumble and recovery. K-State scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive.
SPECIAL TEAMS STARS OF THE GAME
Place-kicker Matthew McCrane surpassed 50 career field goals with three more successful tries Saturday. McCrane's makes from 31, 36 and 41 yards gave him 15 field goals on the year, which ranks 10th most in school history.
DJ Reed tallied up 189 total return yards (152 kick return / 37 punt return), including a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to answer KU's opening salvo. Reed's first career kickoff-return touchdown made it 13 straight seasons that the Wildcats have returned a kick for a score, the longest active streak in the nation. It was also K-State's 110th non-offensive touchdown since 1999, also the most in the nation.
STAT OF THE GAME
22 – Career wins by Bill Snyder over Kansas, the most by an active coach over any one opponent. K-State is 22-4 all-time against KU, including a 10-3 mark in Lawrence.
SEASON RECORD UPDATE
K-State 4-4 (2-3 Big 12)
Kansas 1-7 (0-5 Big 12)
WHAT'S NEXT
K-State travels to Lubbock next weekend for a Big 12 tilt with Texas Tech, a game that will be shown nationally on FS1. The Wildcats and Red Raiders are set to kick off at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
K-State Head Coach Bill Snyder
On the importance of special teams...
"Well I don't know that we really saw that there was any deficiencies in Kansas's special teams game. There wasn't anything we did that was abnormal – everything we did was in our realm of things that we do and have in our book. I just thought we did a nice job – with one exception when we let one kick get back on us."
On the rivalry between K-State and Kansas...
"Well I think the significant thing, and I think the people of KU would feel the same way, it's so much about young people. We've got young people in our program from the state of Kansas, KU has people in their program from the state of Kansas and it means so much to them in the fact that when you have an in-state rivalry like that… 50 percent of every community is one side or the other. So, the youngsters are brothers and sisters that go to school, they have to live with that for a period of time, parents go to work and there's both sides there. It just has that significant value, just because of, we play North Carolina or Texas and our people never see their people and we don't go to the same school; so, it's not ingrained individually and throughout an entire family like it is with this rivalry. So, it becomes highly significant for the young people in our program. "
On whether or not K-State threw everything they could in defensive adjustments...
"Everything we could, well no, we still had plenty in our play book. We did everything we could to make the attempt to stop them. We had some trouble with the tempo again; they got the last touchdown pass, and we've got two safeties standing back there talking to each other while the ball is going over their heads because they can't get lined up. We just have to be able to view the tempo of the team we're going to play from here on out. There are some fast tempo teams and it gave us some trouble last week, and it gave us a little trouble today as well. It definitely cost us seven points so the best adjustment we can make is to get lined up."
On the job of Kansas and quarterback Carter Stanley's performance...
"I thought they did well. I thought the game plan was good. I said to our players before the ball game that defensively, they're going to line up and play against the run and offensively they're going to throw the ball. Obviously, the thing that's always a big concern for me is quarterbacks flushing or scrambling with the ball and the quarterback draw that comes along with it. That got us a couple times. The rest of the stuff we were alright."
K-State Sophomore Running Back Alex Barnes
On the key to getting first downs down the stretch…
"It was just focus. We saw the looks that we saw in practice. The o-line really got off, dominated their guys and made plays. It was easy to run when they were doing that."
On DJ Reed's impact on the game…
"He's so dynamic. He can change field position in a heartbeat, breaking tackles, just doing everything effortlessly. That's my dude, having him back there really helps us out a lot."
On running from the Wildcat formation…
"I feel good, I feel comfortable. I've been here for three and a half years, I know the playbook by now so it's just another play."
On KU offering a stiff challenge despite recent struggles…
"They came out and popped us in the mouth. That program is on the rise, a lot of respect to them. They've got athletes on defense running around, flying around making plays. They gave us their best shot. We didn't come out prepared and obviously we showed that today."
K-State Senior Offensive Lineman Dalton Risner
On K-State's quarterback play...
"It's remarkable with those guys. I don't think you guys really understand how hard it is to be a quarterback in the Big 12. It's absolutely ridiculous. I'm an offensive lineman; I don't know how hard it is. Hats off to those guys for going out there and running an offense like that. For a third string quarterback to come in and do what (Thompson) did today and not throw interceptions and not cough up the ball, I'm extremely proud of him."
K-State Junior Wide Receiver Byron Pringle
On Skylar Thompson entering the game...
"Skylar did wonderful. Skylar came in, stepped up and played a big role today. He does that every day, though."
K-State Senior Linebacker Jayd Kirby
On the sack, forced fumble and recovery to start the second half...
"I got the call, got lined up and everybody executed well. It left me a wide-open lane to go hit the quarterback. It was a big play in the game. It gave our offense the ball back (with a short field)."
On the win against Kansas...
"(Kansas) played well today and played us hard and gave us a good effort. We just have to keep rolling, keep getting better and keep winning. It's just a huge game. It's just a big rivalry game with a lot of emotion and a lot of people energized and ready to go."
K-State Junior Defensive Back D.J. Reed
On his touchdown return...
"I was just happy that I got to touch the ball. I knew from the get-go that if I got the chance to touch the ball that I was going to make something happen. My blockers did a great job and once I saw the hole it was history."
On special teams...
"From watching film, I saw a player from TCU make a big play on a punt return (against Kansas). I saw Iowa State make a big play on a punt return. I knew there were going to be opportunities but I didn't know whether or not they were going to kick me the ball."
Kansas Head Coach David Beaty
Opening Statement...
"First of all, got to give Coach Snyder credit, his team. They did exactly what they have to do to win, which is exactly kind of the MO of their ball club. I thought they did a really nice job today of controlling field position. That's obviously a big, big factor in games, particularly when you're factoring in wins and losses. But there were some really good things on our side, as well.
"I'm really proud of our guys, very unsatisfied, but really proud of the way our guys responded. Offensively coming back, being able to respond off of a couple weeks that were unacceptable, defensively seeing that unit continue to improve, and those guys were in an average starting field position of 46, and man, that's a big deal. Those guys being able to get off the field three times giving up a field goal with those type of odds makes it difficult.
"I thought Clint Bowen and his staff continue to do a good job of building that defense and getting those guys better each week. Coach Meacham, I think he did a terrific job of putting a game plan together and making sure that we got our playmakers the ability to get the ball in their hands.
"There were some good things today. I thought Carter (Stanley) did a great job in his first start for us this season. He did some of the things that we really thought he could do, and I was really proud of him."
On the decision to go with Carter Stanley at quarterback...
"You know, basically what we do each week is we look at the opponents and we look at what gives us the best chance to win. The good thing is both those guys, him and Peyton (Bender), are very, very good friends. They're roommates, and there for one another. When that decision was made, it was a very nice, smooth transition and Peyton did a nice job of being there for him. Carter gives us a little bit more of an element to move around, and you've got to extend plays in this league to be able to do that. I think that really helped us today."
On K-State's kick return touchdown to answer the opening score...
"Yeah, we knew they were dangerous. We struggled in the specialist department today, placement of kicks, that we've got to just get better at. We've got really talented, capable guys there, and you know, today just wasn't their day. I mean, the placement on that last kick was obviously not where we wanted it. They've got very dangerous guys back there. We knew that. Placement really is a big, big deal in college football in terms of where you put those balls, where you put the balls and where your coverage is headed, particularly when you have very explosive guys.
"Now, we still have to cover it. We still have to cover it, but the ball being placed is so critical, and we didn't do a very good job of that at all today, and that hurt. That caused a lot of the hidden yardage. And the thing about that that I think probably hurts the most is that that's something that you control. They really didn't do much to be able to gain from that. It was a mistake we made. And we just have to be better than that. We have to be better than that."
Kansas Sophomore Quarterback Carter Stanley
On Steven Sims Jr.'s performance...
"I think it was a combination of things. Steven is an incredible football player. He is a guy that we need to get the ball to like we did. It was a combination of him being a great player and what the defense was showing us."
On keeping plays alive on his feet...
"It is something we work on in practice. We do the scramble drill all week. It is nice to know where the guys are going to go based on how far down the field they are. It is nice to look down and have guys who have been coached where to go."
On pumping up the rest of the team...
"I have always been taught that is the quarterback's job. Get everyone going from a fourth-string player who isn't even dressed out, to the starting members of the team. Make everyone believe that you can win the game."
Kansas Junior Wide Receiver Steven Sims Jr.
On being frustrated coming into today's game...
"I didn't let it change any of my habits. I still came in and worked hard every day at practice. I wasn't being selfish. They knew I was mad that I wasn't getting the ball but as a wide receiver, you want the ball every play."
On frustration from the entire team...
"As an offense, we were all frustrated because we weren't scoring any points. We have a lot of playmakers on offense, so we feel like we can put up points with anyone. But we need to execute more and Kansas State came out to play today as well."
On having a much more productive offense today as compared to last week...
"We have expected that out of ourselves since week one. We just have to chalk it up, learn from it and get better next week."
On what situations allowed for big plays today...
"Coach (Doug) Meacham moved me around. He had me in the slot, lined up at running back, going in motion. (He) Just moved me around, using my talents and creating space for me."
Kansas Junior Defensive Tackle Daniel Wise
On if he feels better after the game today compared to the disappointment he felt last week...
"It was good to see everybody kind of working together. Everybody had the same fiery passion. Obviously, we didn't come out with a win. (It) doesn't feel good to lose, but you see things starting to click."
On if the energy in Memorial Stadium today was a boost for the team emotionally...
"Yeah, the Jayhawk fans were on it tonight. They were giving it the juice we needed, creating the noise in the stands. That's what we like."
Kansas Junior Linebacker Joe Dineen Jr.
On why both he personally, and the team together, was more competitive in this game than in past games...
"I'm not really sure why exactly, but we knew coming in that this was a huge rivalry, obviously. I think I put a little bit of extra emphasis on the game. I don't know why necessarily, but I feel like everyone knew coming in that this was a big game, big opportunity for us."
Barnes' performance, which included a career-high 23 carries, was his second-straight 100-yard rushing game. The sophomore running back is the first Wildcat to break the century mark in consecutive games since he did so last season against Baylor (129) and Kansas (103).
McCrane converted from 31, 36 and 41 yards in the win, which ended a three-game losing skid from the Wildcats (4-4, 2-3) and extended their winning streak in the Sunflower Showdown to nine games. The senior's last field goal against the Jayhawks essentially iced the game, as it pushed K-State's lead to 30-20 with 1:21 to play.
The Wildcats accumulated 340 yards of offense, highlighted by 202 on the ground. It marked their fifth game this season with at least 200 rushing yards.
K-State held a 10-6 lead at halftime, fueled mostly by D.J. Reed's 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Reed's return, which followed a 28-yard made field goal from the Jayhawks for the game's first points, marked the junior's first kickoff return touchdown of his career. It also extended K-State's streak of seasons with at least one kickoff return score to 13, the longest active streak in the nation.
On the first play out of halftime, K-State senior linebacker Jayd Kirby forced and recovered a fumble while sacking Kansas quarterback Carter Stanley. The turnover placed K-State's offense at the Jayhawks' 18-yard line. Three plays later, Barnes barreled into the end zone from three yards out to extend K-State's lead to 17-6.
K-State took advantage of another short field in the fourth quarter, when Byron Pringle returned a punt 10 yards to Kansas' 26-yard line. The Wildcats needed just three plays, all runs from Barnes, to find the end zone and push their back to two scores, at 27-13 with 7:36 to play.
Kansas' offense came up with two fourth-quarter scoring drives, including a 60-yard touchdown pass from Stanley to Steven Sims to cut K-State's lead back to seven points with 6:51 left on the clock. Sims finished with 233 yards receiving on nine catches.
While allowing 482 yards of offense, K-State came up with a much-needed defensive stop in the fourth quarter. After punting it back to the Jayhawks with under five minutes to play, K-State forced a three-and-out to regain possession.
Wildcat freshman quarterback Skylar Thompson, who stepped in for injured starter Alex Delton in the second half, then helped engineer K-State's final scoring drive. Thompson connected with Dalton Schoen on third-and-six for a 12-yard completion to move the Wildcats into field goal range. For the game, Thompson completed 4-of-6 passes for 40 yards and ran for another 39 yards.
In the first half with Delton under center, K-State's offense compiled 197 yards of total offense in the first half but had trouble finishing drive. The Wildcats' first drive ended with a lost fumble on Kansas' 17-yard line. On their next drive, the Wildcats came up short on a fourth-and-one run play inside the Jayhawks' 10-yard line.
Delton finished 4-of-7 through the air for 98 yards while also tallying 36 rushing yards.
Kansas collected 126 yards of total offense in its first two drives of the game, but the Wildcats managed to limit the damage to field goals each time. After Kansas' second field goal, the Wildcats kept their in-state rival off the scoreboard for nearly 22 minutes of game clock before the Jayhawks broke through early in the fourth quarter.
Junior defensive back Duke Shelley and sophomore safety Denzel Goolsby each led the team with seven total tackles. Kirby finished with five tackles, including a career-high four tackles for loss, the most by a Wildcat since Charmeachealle Moore notched four against West Virginia in 2015. He also forced three fumbles, becoming the first Wildcat to cause at least two since Jordan Willis forced two against Iowa State in 2015.
Pringle reeled in three passes for 92 yards, putting the junior receiver over 1,000 receiving yards for his career. He is K-State's seventh community college transfer to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in program history and the first since Brandon Banks did so in 2008-09.
OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Sophomore Alex Barnes was a yard short of matching a career-high with 128 yards and scored two touchdowns to lead the Wildcats rushing attack. K-State rushed for 202 yards as a team, with quarterbacks Skylar Thompson (39) and Alex Delton (36) providing the other yardage.
DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Senior linebacker Jayd Kirby filled up the stat sheet with five tackles, including 4.0 for loss and a sack, three forced fumbles and a pass broken up. His sack came on the first play from scrimmage in the second half and resulted in both a forced fumble and recovery. K-State scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive.
SPECIAL TEAMS STARS OF THE GAME
Place-kicker Matthew McCrane surpassed 50 career field goals with three more successful tries Saturday. McCrane's makes from 31, 36 and 41 yards gave him 15 field goals on the year, which ranks 10th most in school history.
DJ Reed tallied up 189 total return yards (152 kick return / 37 punt return), including a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to answer KU's opening salvo. Reed's first career kickoff-return touchdown made it 13 straight seasons that the Wildcats have returned a kick for a score, the longest active streak in the nation. It was also K-State's 110th non-offensive touchdown since 1999, also the most in the nation.
STAT OF THE GAME
22 – Career wins by Bill Snyder over Kansas, the most by an active coach over any one opponent. K-State is 22-4 all-time against KU, including a 10-3 mark in Lawrence.
SEASON RECORD UPDATE
K-State 4-4 (2-3 Big 12)
Kansas 1-7 (0-5 Big 12)
WHAT'S NEXT
K-State travels to Lubbock next weekend for a Big 12 tilt with Texas Tech, a game that will be shown nationally on FS1. The Wildcats and Red Raiders are set to kick off at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
K-State Head Coach Bill Snyder
On the importance of special teams...
"Well I don't know that we really saw that there was any deficiencies in Kansas's special teams game. There wasn't anything we did that was abnormal – everything we did was in our realm of things that we do and have in our book. I just thought we did a nice job – with one exception when we let one kick get back on us."
On the rivalry between K-State and Kansas...
"Well I think the significant thing, and I think the people of KU would feel the same way, it's so much about young people. We've got young people in our program from the state of Kansas, KU has people in their program from the state of Kansas and it means so much to them in the fact that when you have an in-state rivalry like that… 50 percent of every community is one side or the other. So, the youngsters are brothers and sisters that go to school, they have to live with that for a period of time, parents go to work and there's both sides there. It just has that significant value, just because of, we play North Carolina or Texas and our people never see their people and we don't go to the same school; so, it's not ingrained individually and throughout an entire family like it is with this rivalry. So, it becomes highly significant for the young people in our program. "
On whether or not K-State threw everything they could in defensive adjustments...
"Everything we could, well no, we still had plenty in our play book. We did everything we could to make the attempt to stop them. We had some trouble with the tempo again; they got the last touchdown pass, and we've got two safeties standing back there talking to each other while the ball is going over their heads because they can't get lined up. We just have to be able to view the tempo of the team we're going to play from here on out. There are some fast tempo teams and it gave us some trouble last week, and it gave us a little trouble today as well. It definitely cost us seven points so the best adjustment we can make is to get lined up."
On the job of Kansas and quarterback Carter Stanley's performance...
"I thought they did well. I thought the game plan was good. I said to our players before the ball game that defensively, they're going to line up and play against the run and offensively they're going to throw the ball. Obviously, the thing that's always a big concern for me is quarterbacks flushing or scrambling with the ball and the quarterback draw that comes along with it. That got us a couple times. The rest of the stuff we were alright."
K-State Sophomore Running Back Alex Barnes
On the key to getting first downs down the stretch…
"It was just focus. We saw the looks that we saw in practice. The o-line really got off, dominated their guys and made plays. It was easy to run when they were doing that."
On DJ Reed's impact on the game…
"He's so dynamic. He can change field position in a heartbeat, breaking tackles, just doing everything effortlessly. That's my dude, having him back there really helps us out a lot."
On running from the Wildcat formation…
"I feel good, I feel comfortable. I've been here for three and a half years, I know the playbook by now so it's just another play."
On KU offering a stiff challenge despite recent struggles…
"They came out and popped us in the mouth. That program is on the rise, a lot of respect to them. They've got athletes on defense running around, flying around making plays. They gave us their best shot. We didn't come out prepared and obviously we showed that today."
K-State Senior Offensive Lineman Dalton Risner
On K-State's quarterback play...
"It's remarkable with those guys. I don't think you guys really understand how hard it is to be a quarterback in the Big 12. It's absolutely ridiculous. I'm an offensive lineman; I don't know how hard it is. Hats off to those guys for going out there and running an offense like that. For a third string quarterback to come in and do what (Thompson) did today and not throw interceptions and not cough up the ball, I'm extremely proud of him."
K-State Junior Wide Receiver Byron Pringle
On Skylar Thompson entering the game...
"Skylar did wonderful. Skylar came in, stepped up and played a big role today. He does that every day, though."
K-State Senior Linebacker Jayd Kirby
On the sack, forced fumble and recovery to start the second half...
"I got the call, got lined up and everybody executed well. It left me a wide-open lane to go hit the quarterback. It was a big play in the game. It gave our offense the ball back (with a short field)."
On the win against Kansas...
"(Kansas) played well today and played us hard and gave us a good effort. We just have to keep rolling, keep getting better and keep winning. It's just a huge game. It's just a big rivalry game with a lot of emotion and a lot of people energized and ready to go."
K-State Junior Defensive Back D.J. Reed
On his touchdown return...
"I was just happy that I got to touch the ball. I knew from the get-go that if I got the chance to touch the ball that I was going to make something happen. My blockers did a great job and once I saw the hole it was history."
On special teams...
"From watching film, I saw a player from TCU make a big play on a punt return (against Kansas). I saw Iowa State make a big play on a punt return. I knew there were going to be opportunities but I didn't know whether or not they were going to kick me the ball."
Kansas Head Coach David Beaty
Opening Statement...
"First of all, got to give Coach Snyder credit, his team. They did exactly what they have to do to win, which is exactly kind of the MO of their ball club. I thought they did a really nice job today of controlling field position. That's obviously a big, big factor in games, particularly when you're factoring in wins and losses. But there were some really good things on our side, as well.
"I'm really proud of our guys, very unsatisfied, but really proud of the way our guys responded. Offensively coming back, being able to respond off of a couple weeks that were unacceptable, defensively seeing that unit continue to improve, and those guys were in an average starting field position of 46, and man, that's a big deal. Those guys being able to get off the field three times giving up a field goal with those type of odds makes it difficult.
"I thought Clint Bowen and his staff continue to do a good job of building that defense and getting those guys better each week. Coach Meacham, I think he did a terrific job of putting a game plan together and making sure that we got our playmakers the ability to get the ball in their hands.
"There were some good things today. I thought Carter (Stanley) did a great job in his first start for us this season. He did some of the things that we really thought he could do, and I was really proud of him."
On the decision to go with Carter Stanley at quarterback...
"You know, basically what we do each week is we look at the opponents and we look at what gives us the best chance to win. The good thing is both those guys, him and Peyton (Bender), are very, very good friends. They're roommates, and there for one another. When that decision was made, it was a very nice, smooth transition and Peyton did a nice job of being there for him. Carter gives us a little bit more of an element to move around, and you've got to extend plays in this league to be able to do that. I think that really helped us today."
On K-State's kick return touchdown to answer the opening score...
"Yeah, we knew they were dangerous. We struggled in the specialist department today, placement of kicks, that we've got to just get better at. We've got really talented, capable guys there, and you know, today just wasn't their day. I mean, the placement on that last kick was obviously not where we wanted it. They've got very dangerous guys back there. We knew that. Placement really is a big, big deal in college football in terms of where you put those balls, where you put the balls and where your coverage is headed, particularly when you have very explosive guys.
"Now, we still have to cover it. We still have to cover it, but the ball being placed is so critical, and we didn't do a very good job of that at all today, and that hurt. That caused a lot of the hidden yardage. And the thing about that that I think probably hurts the most is that that's something that you control. They really didn't do much to be able to gain from that. It was a mistake we made. And we just have to be better than that. We have to be better than that."
Kansas Sophomore Quarterback Carter Stanley
On Steven Sims Jr.'s performance...
"I think it was a combination of things. Steven is an incredible football player. He is a guy that we need to get the ball to like we did. It was a combination of him being a great player and what the defense was showing us."
On keeping plays alive on his feet...
"It is something we work on in practice. We do the scramble drill all week. It is nice to know where the guys are going to go based on how far down the field they are. It is nice to look down and have guys who have been coached where to go."
On pumping up the rest of the team...
"I have always been taught that is the quarterback's job. Get everyone going from a fourth-string player who isn't even dressed out, to the starting members of the team. Make everyone believe that you can win the game."
Kansas Junior Wide Receiver Steven Sims Jr.
On being frustrated coming into today's game...
"I didn't let it change any of my habits. I still came in and worked hard every day at practice. I wasn't being selfish. They knew I was mad that I wasn't getting the ball but as a wide receiver, you want the ball every play."
On frustration from the entire team...
"As an offense, we were all frustrated because we weren't scoring any points. We have a lot of playmakers on offense, so we feel like we can put up points with anyone. But we need to execute more and Kansas State came out to play today as well."
On having a much more productive offense today as compared to last week...
"We have expected that out of ourselves since week one. We just have to chalk it up, learn from it and get better next week."
On what situations allowed for big plays today...
"Coach (Doug) Meacham moved me around. He had me in the slot, lined up at running back, going in motion. (He) Just moved me around, using my talents and creating space for me."
Kansas Junior Defensive Tackle Daniel Wise
On if he feels better after the game today compared to the disappointment he felt last week...
"It was good to see everybody kind of working together. Everybody had the same fiery passion. Obviously, we didn't come out with a win. (It) doesn't feel good to lose, but you see things starting to click."
On if the energy in Memorial Stadium today was a boost for the team emotionally...
"Yeah, the Jayhawk fans were on it tonight. They were giving it the juice we needed, creating the noise in the stands. That's what we like."
Kansas Junior Linebacker Joe Dineen Jr.
On why both he personally, and the team together, was more competitive in this game than in past games...
"I'm not really sure why exactly, but we knew coming in that this was a huge rivalry, obviously. I think I put a little bit of extra emphasis on the game. I don't know why necessarily, but I feel like everyone knew coming in that this was a big game, big opportunity for us."
Team Stats
KS
KU
Total Yards
340
482
Pass Yards
138
418
Rushing Yards
202
64
Penalty Yards
35
42
1st Downs
15
20
3rd Downs
3
6
4th Downs
0
0
TOP
31:05
28:55
1st Quarter
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KS 0, KU 3
KU - Rui,Gabriel 28 yd field goal 10 plays, 73 yards, TOP 2:48
KS 7, KU 3
KS - Reed, D.J. 99 yd kickoff return (McCrane, M. kick)
KS 7, KU 6
KU - Rui,Gabriel 42 yd field goal 9 plays, 53 yards, TOP 4:07
2nd Quarter
KS 10, KU 6
KS - McCrane, M. 31 yd field goal 6 plays, 25 yards, TOP 2:41
3rd Quarter
KS 17, KU 6
KS - Barnes, Alex 3 yd run (McCrane, M. kick), 3 plays, 18 yards, TOP 1:24
KS 20, KU 6
KS - McCrane, M. 36 yd field goal 7 plays, 35 yards, TOP 3:46
4th Quarter
KS 20, KU 13
KU - Martin,Taylor 5 yd run (Rui,Gabriel kick), 9 plays, 97 yards, TOP 3:25
KS 27, KU 13
KS - Barnes, Alex 9 yd run (McCrane, M. kick), 3 plays, 26 yards, TOP 1:25
KS 27, KU 20
KU - Sims,Steven 60 yd pass from Stanley,Carter (Rui,Gabriel kick) 2 plays, 65 yards, TOP 0:37
KS 30, KU 20
KS - McCrane, M. 41 yd field goal 7 plays, 21 yards, TOP 2:52
Game Leaders
CMP
4
TD
0
YDS
98
INT
0
CMP
4
TD
0
YDS
40
INT
0
Players Mentioned
RB
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DB
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LB
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K
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LB
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WR
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OL
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WR
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DB
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DE
/ FootballGAME REPLAY | FB vs Texas Tech
Tuesday, November 04
K-State FB | Klieman Postgame Presser vs Texas Tech
Saturday, November 01
K-State Football | Postgame Highlights vs Texas Tech
Saturday, November 01
K-State FB | Pregame Hype vs Texas Tech
Friday, October 31