Kansas State University Athletics
Saturday, October 13
Manhattan, Kan.
11 a.m.
Kansas State University
3-4 , 1-3
31
vs
12
Oklahoma State
4-3 , 1-3
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Oklahoma State
3
3
0
6
12
Kansas State
0
3
14
14
31
Barnes’ 4 Touchdowns Energizes K-State Over Oklahoma State on Homecoming
Oct 13, 2018 | Football
MANHATTAN, Kan.– Junior running back Alex Barnes found the end zone on four occasions, while the defense held Oklahoma State to the fewest points in the series since 2002, as Kansas State defeated Oklahoma State 31-12 in front of a Homecoming crowd of 50,245 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium on Saturday.
Kansas State (3-4, 1-3 Big 12) has defeated Oklahoma State nine times in their last 11 tries, including consecutive wins over the Cowboys for the first time since the end of a nine-game winning streak in 2002. The Wildcats also have five victories in their last seven Homecoming appearances.
The Wildcats were led by Barnes, who rushed for 181 yards and four touchdowns, behind a career-high 34 attempts. Barnes' effort moved him into the top-10 in K-State history in rushing yards, while also surpassing the 2,000-yard plateau with 2,049 yards in his career. In addition, Barnes has rushed for 175 or more yards in two consecutive games, the most over a two-game span since Darren Sproles rushed for 273 against Missouri and 235 yards against Oklahoma in 2003.
Oklahoma State (4-3, 1-3 Big 12) was held to 12 points, the lowest total in the series since 2002, when the Wildcats defeated the Cowboys 44-9. The Wildcat defense held Oklahoma State to 311 yards and 5-of-15 on third down, while also forcing two turnovers from senior defensive back Duke Shelley.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Following a 319-yard rushing performance a week ago against Baylor, K-State hit the ground running again on Saturday, accumulating 87 yards on the ground in the first quarter, including a 29-yard rush by Barnes. Despite the success on the ground, the Wildcats remained scoreless in the first quarter, while the Cowboys found points on a 48-yard field goal by place-kicker Matt Ammedola to make the score 3-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Upon opening the second quarter, the Wildcats capped off a 13-play, 50-yard drive that resulted in a 31-yard field goal from redshirt freshman Andrew Hicks as the score was knotted at 3-3 with 13:32 left in the half.
On the subsequent Oklahoma State possession, quarterback Taylor Cornelius dialed up a pass to wide receiver Tylan Wallace in the end-zone, in a pass that was bobbled and intercepted by Shelley, who tip-toed in the back of the end-zone to secure the interception.
After a K-State punt, the Cowboys marched down the field and positioned themselves at the K-State 1-yard line, where redshirt freshman defensive end Wyatt Hubert stuffed the Oklahoma State shovel pass for a four-yard loss to force a fourth down. OSU converted on the field goal from 22-yards out, as Amendola connected on 2-of-2 field goals to give the Cowboys six points in the first half.
K-State rushed for 122 yards in the first half, including 18 attempts for 89 yards from Barnes. On their last possession of the half, the Wildcats reached the red-zone, before time ran out in the half, as Oklahoma State led 6-3. The nine combined points in the half were the fewest in the series in any half since the second half of the 1992 matchup.
After no touchdowns in the first half, K-State was able to strike on its opening possession of the second half, as the Wildcats drove 70 yards down the field, capped off by an 11-yard rush by Barnes.
On the next possession, K-State went back to Barnes, where sophomore quarterback Skylar Thompson found Barnes on a wheel route for a 28-yard gain. The pass positioned the Wildcats in the red zone, as Barnes found the end zone from 1-yard out on a carry out of the Wildcat formation. K-State led 17-6 with 2:41 left in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Cowboys fought back behind a 1-yard touchdown rush by Cornelius to bring the score to 17-12 with 14:23 remaining in the game after the failed 2-point conversion.
K-State expanded its lead to 24-12 with another efficient drive in the fourth quarter, in which, the Wildcats drove down the field in 9 plays, spanning 75-yards and 4:42. Barnes found the end zone on his third touchdown of the game, this time from 8 yards out to put the score at 24-12 with 9:41 remaining.
K-State put the game out of reach late in the fourth quarter, when Barnes found the end-zone for the fourth time of the afternoon, making the score 31-12. On Oklahoma State's final possession, Shelley registered his second interception of the game to seal the ball game at 31-12.
OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Alex Barnes – Junior Alex Barnes continued to make history on Saturday, moving into the top-10 in K-State history in rushing yards, while also surpassing the 2,000-yard plateau with 2,049 yards. Over the last three games, Barnes has found the end zone eight times, the most since Collin Klein scored nine touchdowns over a three-game stretch in 2012. Barnes' 175+ yards in consecutive games is the first time since 2003, when Darren Sproles accomplished the feat by rushing for 273 yards against Missouri and 235 yards against Oklahoma.
Dalton Risner– The senior offensive lineman started his 45thgame on Saturday, tied for the third most by a Wildcat offensive lineman since 1989.
DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Duke Shelley – The Wildcat defensive back has forced interceptions in all three of his career starts against Oklahoma State, as the senior secured two interceptions to up his career total to eight.Shelley's interceptions on Saturday up his total to three this season, as he came away with an interception against Baylor a week ago.
Justin Hughes– Coming off of a career-high 11 tackles a week ago against Baylor, Hughes led the Wildcats in tackles on Saturday, registering eight total tackles, including seven solo tackles and one tackle for loss.
STAT OF THE GAME
2002– Saturday's victory gives the Wildcats consecutive victories over the Cowboys for the first time since 2002. Last season featured a shootout in Stillwater, as the Wildcats escaped with a 45-40 victory on November 18.
POSTGAME COMMENTS
BILL SNYDER, K-STATE HEAD COACH
On team's performance against Oklahoma State...
"I think we played like we're capable of playing for the most part. I think Oklahoma State is kind of short-handed right now and to their credit, they don't have all the people in place that they started with in the season. But nevertheless, they're still a good football team and our guys just played well. Coaches did a nice job. When you boil the water out of it, they had three big plays against us; two in the passing game and one in the running game. Outside of that, I thought we played extremely well. But when I say 'extremely well,' we played like we're capable of playing."
On how the win affects upcoming bye-week and preparation…
"I think everyone sees it a little bit differently. From a player's standpoint, they'd play tomorrow if they could. They're excited about winning a ballgame finally. We can always use the extra time and preparation and you never know how it's going to impact you on gameday. Sometimes it's played to our advantage immensely and sometimes it hasn't."
On tackling against Oklahoma State…
"We still have a ways to go. I'd like to say it was better, but I'll have to see the videotape. There were times they had a couple of drives. One of the drives was a touchdown drive; the last one that they hit and we missed two tackles on third down situations that would have stopped the drive and prevented the score. Collectively, over the entirety of the ball game, I thought we did tackle a little bit better, but I reserve judgement until I've seen it on tape."
On running the ball much more efficiently in the second half…
"I think our running game - we've addressed this week in and week out - we've gotten better, gotten better, gotten better. Alex (Barnes) gets a lot of yards, but you get a lot of yards because somebody up front is knocking someone back and our offensive line continues to get better and improve. They did a nice job today. Alex of course ran the ball well, but Dalvin (Warmack) ran the ball well, as did Skylar (Thompson). It's a team oriented deal. We're not going to be an excellent running team until everyone's invested in it. What we do have to do is, we have to throw the ball better. That creates balance in our offense, which you hear me talk about all the time. The more balanced we are, the more difficult it is for somebody to defend one side or the other. We'll have our hands full coming out of this ballgame as it relates to the running game, because whoever we play is going to line up and play the run."
On limiting Justice Hill and the Oklahoma State rushing attack...
"We had to stop the run game, that's true in any ballgame we play in. He is a very, very prominent back. He's an awfully good back regardless of what he got today. We kept bringing up Iowa State held him last week to 66 yards after he had so many 100-yard ballgames, it was kind of a challenge to our defense to get the brakes put on with him, and they did, they responded quite well."
WYATT HUBERT, FRESHMAN DEFENSIVE END
On shutting down Justice Hill's and the OSU running game…
"The one thing we stressed this week was we just have to be in our gaps. We have to know our assignments and be gap sound and be disciplined, especially in the run game. Obviously it worked and paid off."
On defensive improvements...
"We're getting better every single week. We're definitely fixing the things that we're struggling with and those things are starting to fade away, which is a good thing. We're just improving consistently every single week."
DALTON RISNER, SENIOR OFFENSIVE LINEMAN
On the offensive line's performance…
"I think Skylar Thompson and Alex Barnes helped us out a ton in the back field. That is what we have been expecting all season and that is the way we played against Baylor and in the second half against Texas. We just have to keep going off of that and I know we gave it a heck of an effort today as an O-line, but we got a lot of guys helping us out."
On the defensive performance …
"What a tremendous job. To only allow 12 points against Oklahoma State, those guys have been putting up 40-45 points all season. It was a great job by the defense. They had a rough week against Baylor and got a lot of criticism but they came back and bounced back to play great against a great offense today. I am so proud of those guys. It is so great to have a defense that is getting you the ball every three or four minutes."
On Quarterback Skylar Thompson's 19-yard run and dive to the pylon….
"I am so proud of him. You guys know how this season has been going and that we were 0-3 in conference. We could have came into this game and laid down but we brought an edge today. Skylar Thompson played extremely well. It was a shaky first half but that man kept trucking the entire game. To jump up like that and make a play like that shows you how much he is willing to give for his teammates."
ALEX BARNES, JUNIOR RUNNING BACK
On the back-to-back strong rushing performances…
"It's a lot of fun, football is a lot more fun when you are successful. We really struggled during the early parts of the season, but we are finally getting the train on track and getting everything rolling."
On the offensive line and running game…
"Just how physical they (offensive line) are, and how prepared they were. They worked hard in practice this week and they were prepared to go."
On the mentality…
"It's an execution thing. We are finally able to do the things we need to be doing in practice and meetings. It's all the little things in football that end up being big things on Saturdays, and we are finally getting everything under control and we are doing everything we need to do to be successful."
JUSTIN HUGHES, JUNIOR LINEBACKER
On holding Oklahoma State to season lows in both points and yardage…
"We just got after it. We were hype coming out of the locker room. For starters we were just tired of losing so we came out with a mentality that we were not going to lose. We stopped Justice Hill which was a key part of our defense stopping the run game. He is one of the best players in the Big 12. Once we got them to pass the ball we knew we had them where we wanted them."
On getting stops on third down…
"We were talking about that too as a defense, that we have to get off of the field on third down. I know we put an emphasis on just punching our coverages on man-to-man coverages and blitzing as hard as we can. When we did blitz them I noticed they started running the ball on third-and-long just to kind of throw us off. We started focusing on that so they changed back to the pass. So we had them where we wanted them most of the game."
On if he feels like he is flowing to the ball better defensively...
"I am feeling a little bit more comfortable out there. After getting my first start last week as a middle linebacker it was kind of rough but I made up for it. I am trying to keep on pursuing the ball and getting better each week. That is something coach (Blake) Seiler tells me to put an emphasis on, getting better each week. As I get more comfortable I get closer to me playing to my full ability."
SKYLAR THOMPSON, SOPHOMORE QUARTERBACK
On the run game…
"We felt like in the Baylor game and even some games earlier in the season, we had success running the ball. There in the first half we had some mistakes that pulled us out of it, and we weren't finishing drives. But in the second half we got a really good rhythm going. I felt like Coach (Andre) Coleman did a great job of realizing what was working and sticking with it, and we did a great job running the ball."
On the offensive line…
"The offensive line opened up holes left and right. We are trying to find our identity up front, and gel together and get some consistency going. It's really fun being a quarterback behind those guys and playing off their energy and just make plays."
On second half adjustments…
"There wasn't necessarily anything in particular that we wanted to do different in the second half, it was just execution stuff. We kind of just struggled in the second half, including myself. I missed some throws that I normally don't miss. It was just some uncharacteristic plays. It was things we were beating ourselves at. We had a lot of confidence going into the second half, we just knew we needed to score."
DUKE SHELLEY, SENIOR DEFENSIVE BACK
On his two interceptions…
"It feels great. Having two picks in one game...that is the first time I have done that in college football so it is definitely a great feeling. Thankful for the guys up front getting after the quarterback."
On his interception in the end zone…
"I knew the ball was in the air because I had a receiver that was reacting to it. I did not have time to get my head back around but I was just trying to play through the man as best as I could. When I saw him go up for the ball I tried to punch the ball up. The ball ended up coming up and just rolled off my shoulders somehow and landed in my hands. I was definitely grateful for that. It was an exciting play for me."
On getting better with his hands…
"We get on the drills every day. Earlier in the year I had my hands on a couple balls that I should have had that ended up being pass deflections. I was trying to make a conscious effort to try to catch it whenever I get my hands on a ball. I had one on the out route today that I missed on but I was trying to make those plays."
On the defense's confidence…
"The defense definitely has confidence about them. Justin Hughes came in for us and made a great effort. We kept the morale going and stayed hype on the sidelines. It is a mentality. After the all the missed tackles we had a last week there was a mentality all week of wrapping them around the feet, getting stops and getting off the field. We did a good job of that today and I am proud of that."
MIKE GUNDY, OKLAHOMA STATE HEAD COACH
On discipline and penalties…
"We missed on a defensive lineman and (Shane Richards) grabbed him. And we had a holding call. I think the one interference was on (Kenneth Ellison-McGruder), he's right in position and he can't grab a guy. You were there, we gotta keep stressing it to them from that standpoint. The first one, down at the goal line, it was a terrible call. I mean, so I don't know what to tell them. We got a guy that is releasing up the field and pressing, he is in press coverage, where he pushes us right into their guy. So I can't say anything on that, he's working hard trying to do what he can. I really don't think that the penalties were undisciplined, more so that, like I said we just got pushed around quite a bit of times."
On getting pushed around in the second half…
"I don't think it was effort. You know, that's the world they live in where they block down and pull, and when they get into that routine you have to fit up there and you have to be more firm. We may have been protecting a little bit more versus the throw, which we needed to do some of that based on the last three weeks. The only thing I can say is that in the second half they may have worn us down a little bit up front."
On the decision to punt with eight minutes left…
"It was tough. You try to stop them, you try to score, the chances on 4th-and-9 or 4th-and-10 are really low. So, I didn't really feel like that was a tough time. Basically, if you miss there, the percentages kind of climb down there. And holding them back in time and trying to score again."
On preparing for games and what to work on…
"This is a week-to-week deal. We will practice again, get more coverage, get some rest. You can't panic. You can't do that, you know? We have to look and see what we are doing, where we are at, and what can we do to correct it. We are certainly aware of the situation and I mean, you don't have to worry about that. We know what's going on, we are trying to do what we can as soon as possible to fix them. The approach really hasn't changed for years, for me. It's pretty much all the same, I guess you can't take them out there six times and beat them to death. As I said, I think the effort is good. They are giving us effort, so, we look and see what we should work on and change. Not only players, but coaches also.
"I thought we had good schemes. Defensively, when they start pushing us around a little bit late in the third quarter, and offensively we stood with the ball very good. So as a coach, you look at it and say, you know, was there times that we had good protection and had guys open, we didn't throw it or hit them? You can't count that down as a bad play or a bad rep, you gotta say hey we gotta be able to execute that. Then you go to, are we doing something so much that we aren't getting quality reps? That's kind of what I am talking about. There's a lot of different ways to look at it, you gotta come up with the best plan, put it all together and from that point move forward."
JUSTIN PHILLIPS, SENIOR LINEBACKER
On moving forward as a team…
"I have no idea, I can't even comment. I'd have to go back and look at film to see what happened, if we got tired or we were just undisciplined in the second half, I don't know."
On the feelings after the game...
"I'm tired of losing. We've got to find something to do. Of course we've got the bye week ahead of us so guys will be able to get rest, take care of their bodies and get back to work."
On what needs to be done to be ready again in two weeks...
"Just take care of our bodies, get healthy and make sure guys are ready to roll for the next game."
On being on the same page about today's game...
"I think guys came out fired up, everybody had the same energy, everybody was on the same task, just doing what we had to do to get the win. Coming out in the second half, things just went the other way."
TAYLOR CORNELIUS, SENIOR QUARTERBACK
On taking some hits these last couple of weeks…
"I am fine, I am 100 percent."
On the team performance heading into the open week…
"We would like to be better. But it is what it is, we have to move on we can not dwell on the losses. We have to put some wins on the board."
On keeping motivated…
"We have a lot of football games left. Anything can happen. We have a lot of games to win."
On lopsided time of possession…
"It kind of sucks not being out there a lot. They did a nice job taking care of the ball. I don't think that they had any turnovers. They chewed the clock. Their time of possession was a lot more than us."
On how he can improve...
"Taking care of the ball. Two turns in a game. It is what it is and I have to move on."
JORDAN BRAILFORD, JUNIOR DEFENSIVE END
On moving forward as a team…
"We just have to let them know that this is unacceptable. This isn't our cultural. We have to make sure that we stay locked in. We definitely just have to challenge each other. We can't really just go back home and keep doing the same thing. We have to get each other riled up, get each other to look at ourselves in the mirror and find out what's going on, play on another level."
On mistakes…
"You have to stay positive when people mess up, it's just the name of the game. People are going to mess up, but at the same time you have to let them know what's right and what's not right. We have to make sure they react the right way. We need to get better. Keep getting better. We can not just stay stagnant because when you do that you lose. We just have to get better. We have to keep pushing."
SEASON RECORD UPDATE
K-State 3-4 (1-3 Big 12)
Oklahoma State 4-3 (1-3 Big 12)
WHAT'S NEXT
K-State will return to action on October 27, as the Wildcats travel to Norman, Oklahoma to take on the No. 11/11 Oklahoma Sooners at the Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
Kansas State (3-4, 1-3 Big 12) has defeated Oklahoma State nine times in their last 11 tries, including consecutive wins over the Cowboys for the first time since the end of a nine-game winning streak in 2002. The Wildcats also have five victories in their last seven Homecoming appearances.
The Wildcats were led by Barnes, who rushed for 181 yards and four touchdowns, behind a career-high 34 attempts. Barnes' effort moved him into the top-10 in K-State history in rushing yards, while also surpassing the 2,000-yard plateau with 2,049 yards in his career. In addition, Barnes has rushed for 175 or more yards in two consecutive games, the most over a two-game span since Darren Sproles rushed for 273 against Missouri and 235 yards against Oklahoma in 2003.
Oklahoma State (4-3, 1-3 Big 12) was held to 12 points, the lowest total in the series since 2002, when the Wildcats defeated the Cowboys 44-9. The Wildcat defense held Oklahoma State to 311 yards and 5-of-15 on third down, while also forcing two turnovers from senior defensive back Duke Shelley.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Following a 319-yard rushing performance a week ago against Baylor, K-State hit the ground running again on Saturday, accumulating 87 yards on the ground in the first quarter, including a 29-yard rush by Barnes. Despite the success on the ground, the Wildcats remained scoreless in the first quarter, while the Cowboys found points on a 48-yard field goal by place-kicker Matt Ammedola to make the score 3-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Upon opening the second quarter, the Wildcats capped off a 13-play, 50-yard drive that resulted in a 31-yard field goal from redshirt freshman Andrew Hicks as the score was knotted at 3-3 with 13:32 left in the half.
On the subsequent Oklahoma State possession, quarterback Taylor Cornelius dialed up a pass to wide receiver Tylan Wallace in the end-zone, in a pass that was bobbled and intercepted by Shelley, who tip-toed in the back of the end-zone to secure the interception.
After a K-State punt, the Cowboys marched down the field and positioned themselves at the K-State 1-yard line, where redshirt freshman defensive end Wyatt Hubert stuffed the Oklahoma State shovel pass for a four-yard loss to force a fourth down. OSU converted on the field goal from 22-yards out, as Amendola connected on 2-of-2 field goals to give the Cowboys six points in the first half.
K-State rushed for 122 yards in the first half, including 18 attempts for 89 yards from Barnes. On their last possession of the half, the Wildcats reached the red-zone, before time ran out in the half, as Oklahoma State led 6-3. The nine combined points in the half were the fewest in the series in any half since the second half of the 1992 matchup.
After no touchdowns in the first half, K-State was able to strike on its opening possession of the second half, as the Wildcats drove 70 yards down the field, capped off by an 11-yard rush by Barnes.
On the next possession, K-State went back to Barnes, where sophomore quarterback Skylar Thompson found Barnes on a wheel route for a 28-yard gain. The pass positioned the Wildcats in the red zone, as Barnes found the end zone from 1-yard out on a carry out of the Wildcat formation. K-State led 17-6 with 2:41 left in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Cowboys fought back behind a 1-yard touchdown rush by Cornelius to bring the score to 17-12 with 14:23 remaining in the game after the failed 2-point conversion.
K-State expanded its lead to 24-12 with another efficient drive in the fourth quarter, in which, the Wildcats drove down the field in 9 plays, spanning 75-yards and 4:42. Barnes found the end zone on his third touchdown of the game, this time from 8 yards out to put the score at 24-12 with 9:41 remaining.
K-State put the game out of reach late in the fourth quarter, when Barnes found the end-zone for the fourth time of the afternoon, making the score 31-12. On Oklahoma State's final possession, Shelley registered his second interception of the game to seal the ball game at 31-12.
OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Alex Barnes – Junior Alex Barnes continued to make history on Saturday, moving into the top-10 in K-State history in rushing yards, while also surpassing the 2,000-yard plateau with 2,049 yards. Over the last three games, Barnes has found the end zone eight times, the most since Collin Klein scored nine touchdowns over a three-game stretch in 2012. Barnes' 175+ yards in consecutive games is the first time since 2003, when Darren Sproles accomplished the feat by rushing for 273 yards against Missouri and 235 yards against Oklahoma.
Dalton Risner– The senior offensive lineman started his 45thgame on Saturday, tied for the third most by a Wildcat offensive lineman since 1989.
DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Duke Shelley – The Wildcat defensive back has forced interceptions in all three of his career starts against Oklahoma State, as the senior secured two interceptions to up his career total to eight.Shelley's interceptions on Saturday up his total to three this season, as he came away with an interception against Baylor a week ago.
Justin Hughes– Coming off of a career-high 11 tackles a week ago against Baylor, Hughes led the Wildcats in tackles on Saturday, registering eight total tackles, including seven solo tackles and one tackle for loss.
STAT OF THE GAME
2002– Saturday's victory gives the Wildcats consecutive victories over the Cowboys for the first time since 2002. Last season featured a shootout in Stillwater, as the Wildcats escaped with a 45-40 victory on November 18.
POSTGAME COMMENTS
BILL SNYDER, K-STATE HEAD COACH
On team's performance against Oklahoma State...
"I think we played like we're capable of playing for the most part. I think Oklahoma State is kind of short-handed right now and to their credit, they don't have all the people in place that they started with in the season. But nevertheless, they're still a good football team and our guys just played well. Coaches did a nice job. When you boil the water out of it, they had three big plays against us; two in the passing game and one in the running game. Outside of that, I thought we played extremely well. But when I say 'extremely well,' we played like we're capable of playing."
On how the win affects upcoming bye-week and preparation…
"I think everyone sees it a little bit differently. From a player's standpoint, they'd play tomorrow if they could. They're excited about winning a ballgame finally. We can always use the extra time and preparation and you never know how it's going to impact you on gameday. Sometimes it's played to our advantage immensely and sometimes it hasn't."
On tackling against Oklahoma State…
"We still have a ways to go. I'd like to say it was better, but I'll have to see the videotape. There were times they had a couple of drives. One of the drives was a touchdown drive; the last one that they hit and we missed two tackles on third down situations that would have stopped the drive and prevented the score. Collectively, over the entirety of the ball game, I thought we did tackle a little bit better, but I reserve judgement until I've seen it on tape."
On running the ball much more efficiently in the second half…
"I think our running game - we've addressed this week in and week out - we've gotten better, gotten better, gotten better. Alex (Barnes) gets a lot of yards, but you get a lot of yards because somebody up front is knocking someone back and our offensive line continues to get better and improve. They did a nice job today. Alex of course ran the ball well, but Dalvin (Warmack) ran the ball well, as did Skylar (Thompson). It's a team oriented deal. We're not going to be an excellent running team until everyone's invested in it. What we do have to do is, we have to throw the ball better. That creates balance in our offense, which you hear me talk about all the time. The more balanced we are, the more difficult it is for somebody to defend one side or the other. We'll have our hands full coming out of this ballgame as it relates to the running game, because whoever we play is going to line up and play the run."
On limiting Justice Hill and the Oklahoma State rushing attack...
"We had to stop the run game, that's true in any ballgame we play in. He is a very, very prominent back. He's an awfully good back regardless of what he got today. We kept bringing up Iowa State held him last week to 66 yards after he had so many 100-yard ballgames, it was kind of a challenge to our defense to get the brakes put on with him, and they did, they responded quite well."
WYATT HUBERT, FRESHMAN DEFENSIVE END
On shutting down Justice Hill's and the OSU running game…
"The one thing we stressed this week was we just have to be in our gaps. We have to know our assignments and be gap sound and be disciplined, especially in the run game. Obviously it worked and paid off."
On defensive improvements...
"We're getting better every single week. We're definitely fixing the things that we're struggling with and those things are starting to fade away, which is a good thing. We're just improving consistently every single week."
DALTON RISNER, SENIOR OFFENSIVE LINEMAN
On the offensive line's performance…
"I think Skylar Thompson and Alex Barnes helped us out a ton in the back field. That is what we have been expecting all season and that is the way we played against Baylor and in the second half against Texas. We just have to keep going off of that and I know we gave it a heck of an effort today as an O-line, but we got a lot of guys helping us out."
On the defensive performance …
"What a tremendous job. To only allow 12 points against Oklahoma State, those guys have been putting up 40-45 points all season. It was a great job by the defense. They had a rough week against Baylor and got a lot of criticism but they came back and bounced back to play great against a great offense today. I am so proud of those guys. It is so great to have a defense that is getting you the ball every three or four minutes."
On Quarterback Skylar Thompson's 19-yard run and dive to the pylon….
"I am so proud of him. You guys know how this season has been going and that we were 0-3 in conference. We could have came into this game and laid down but we brought an edge today. Skylar Thompson played extremely well. It was a shaky first half but that man kept trucking the entire game. To jump up like that and make a play like that shows you how much he is willing to give for his teammates."
ALEX BARNES, JUNIOR RUNNING BACK
On the back-to-back strong rushing performances…
"It's a lot of fun, football is a lot more fun when you are successful. We really struggled during the early parts of the season, but we are finally getting the train on track and getting everything rolling."
On the offensive line and running game…
"Just how physical they (offensive line) are, and how prepared they were. They worked hard in practice this week and they were prepared to go."
On the mentality…
"It's an execution thing. We are finally able to do the things we need to be doing in practice and meetings. It's all the little things in football that end up being big things on Saturdays, and we are finally getting everything under control and we are doing everything we need to do to be successful."
JUSTIN HUGHES, JUNIOR LINEBACKER
On holding Oklahoma State to season lows in both points and yardage…
"We just got after it. We were hype coming out of the locker room. For starters we were just tired of losing so we came out with a mentality that we were not going to lose. We stopped Justice Hill which was a key part of our defense stopping the run game. He is one of the best players in the Big 12. Once we got them to pass the ball we knew we had them where we wanted them."
On getting stops on third down…
"We were talking about that too as a defense, that we have to get off of the field on third down. I know we put an emphasis on just punching our coverages on man-to-man coverages and blitzing as hard as we can. When we did blitz them I noticed they started running the ball on third-and-long just to kind of throw us off. We started focusing on that so they changed back to the pass. So we had them where we wanted them most of the game."
On if he feels like he is flowing to the ball better defensively...
"I am feeling a little bit more comfortable out there. After getting my first start last week as a middle linebacker it was kind of rough but I made up for it. I am trying to keep on pursuing the ball and getting better each week. That is something coach (Blake) Seiler tells me to put an emphasis on, getting better each week. As I get more comfortable I get closer to me playing to my full ability."
SKYLAR THOMPSON, SOPHOMORE QUARTERBACK
On the run game…
"We felt like in the Baylor game and even some games earlier in the season, we had success running the ball. There in the first half we had some mistakes that pulled us out of it, and we weren't finishing drives. But in the second half we got a really good rhythm going. I felt like Coach (Andre) Coleman did a great job of realizing what was working and sticking with it, and we did a great job running the ball."
On the offensive line…
"The offensive line opened up holes left and right. We are trying to find our identity up front, and gel together and get some consistency going. It's really fun being a quarterback behind those guys and playing off their energy and just make plays."
On second half adjustments…
"There wasn't necessarily anything in particular that we wanted to do different in the second half, it was just execution stuff. We kind of just struggled in the second half, including myself. I missed some throws that I normally don't miss. It was just some uncharacteristic plays. It was things we were beating ourselves at. We had a lot of confidence going into the second half, we just knew we needed to score."
DUKE SHELLEY, SENIOR DEFENSIVE BACK
On his two interceptions…
"It feels great. Having two picks in one game...that is the first time I have done that in college football so it is definitely a great feeling. Thankful for the guys up front getting after the quarterback."
On his interception in the end zone…
"I knew the ball was in the air because I had a receiver that was reacting to it. I did not have time to get my head back around but I was just trying to play through the man as best as I could. When I saw him go up for the ball I tried to punch the ball up. The ball ended up coming up and just rolled off my shoulders somehow and landed in my hands. I was definitely grateful for that. It was an exciting play for me."
On getting better with his hands…
"We get on the drills every day. Earlier in the year I had my hands on a couple balls that I should have had that ended up being pass deflections. I was trying to make a conscious effort to try to catch it whenever I get my hands on a ball. I had one on the out route today that I missed on but I was trying to make those plays."
On the defense's confidence…
"The defense definitely has confidence about them. Justin Hughes came in for us and made a great effort. We kept the morale going and stayed hype on the sidelines. It is a mentality. After the all the missed tackles we had a last week there was a mentality all week of wrapping them around the feet, getting stops and getting off the field. We did a good job of that today and I am proud of that."
MIKE GUNDY, OKLAHOMA STATE HEAD COACH
On discipline and penalties…
"We missed on a defensive lineman and (Shane Richards) grabbed him. And we had a holding call. I think the one interference was on (Kenneth Ellison-McGruder), he's right in position and he can't grab a guy. You were there, we gotta keep stressing it to them from that standpoint. The first one, down at the goal line, it was a terrible call. I mean, so I don't know what to tell them. We got a guy that is releasing up the field and pressing, he is in press coverage, where he pushes us right into their guy. So I can't say anything on that, he's working hard trying to do what he can. I really don't think that the penalties were undisciplined, more so that, like I said we just got pushed around quite a bit of times."
On getting pushed around in the second half…
"I don't think it was effort. You know, that's the world they live in where they block down and pull, and when they get into that routine you have to fit up there and you have to be more firm. We may have been protecting a little bit more versus the throw, which we needed to do some of that based on the last three weeks. The only thing I can say is that in the second half they may have worn us down a little bit up front."
On the decision to punt with eight minutes left…
"It was tough. You try to stop them, you try to score, the chances on 4th-and-9 or 4th-and-10 are really low. So, I didn't really feel like that was a tough time. Basically, if you miss there, the percentages kind of climb down there. And holding them back in time and trying to score again."
On preparing for games and what to work on…
"This is a week-to-week deal. We will practice again, get more coverage, get some rest. You can't panic. You can't do that, you know? We have to look and see what we are doing, where we are at, and what can we do to correct it. We are certainly aware of the situation and I mean, you don't have to worry about that. We know what's going on, we are trying to do what we can as soon as possible to fix them. The approach really hasn't changed for years, for me. It's pretty much all the same, I guess you can't take them out there six times and beat them to death. As I said, I think the effort is good. They are giving us effort, so, we look and see what we should work on and change. Not only players, but coaches also.
"I thought we had good schemes. Defensively, when they start pushing us around a little bit late in the third quarter, and offensively we stood with the ball very good. So as a coach, you look at it and say, you know, was there times that we had good protection and had guys open, we didn't throw it or hit them? You can't count that down as a bad play or a bad rep, you gotta say hey we gotta be able to execute that. Then you go to, are we doing something so much that we aren't getting quality reps? That's kind of what I am talking about. There's a lot of different ways to look at it, you gotta come up with the best plan, put it all together and from that point move forward."
JUSTIN PHILLIPS, SENIOR LINEBACKER
On moving forward as a team…
"I have no idea, I can't even comment. I'd have to go back and look at film to see what happened, if we got tired or we were just undisciplined in the second half, I don't know."
On the feelings after the game...
"I'm tired of losing. We've got to find something to do. Of course we've got the bye week ahead of us so guys will be able to get rest, take care of their bodies and get back to work."
On what needs to be done to be ready again in two weeks...
"Just take care of our bodies, get healthy and make sure guys are ready to roll for the next game."
On being on the same page about today's game...
"I think guys came out fired up, everybody had the same energy, everybody was on the same task, just doing what we had to do to get the win. Coming out in the second half, things just went the other way."
TAYLOR CORNELIUS, SENIOR QUARTERBACK
On taking some hits these last couple of weeks…
"I am fine, I am 100 percent."
On the team performance heading into the open week…
"We would like to be better. But it is what it is, we have to move on we can not dwell on the losses. We have to put some wins on the board."
On keeping motivated…
"We have a lot of football games left. Anything can happen. We have a lot of games to win."
On lopsided time of possession…
"It kind of sucks not being out there a lot. They did a nice job taking care of the ball. I don't think that they had any turnovers. They chewed the clock. Their time of possession was a lot more than us."
On how he can improve...
"Taking care of the ball. Two turns in a game. It is what it is and I have to move on."
JORDAN BRAILFORD, JUNIOR DEFENSIVE END
On moving forward as a team…
"We just have to let them know that this is unacceptable. This isn't our cultural. We have to make sure that we stay locked in. We definitely just have to challenge each other. We can't really just go back home and keep doing the same thing. We have to get each other riled up, get each other to look at ourselves in the mirror and find out what's going on, play on another level."
On mistakes…
"You have to stay positive when people mess up, it's just the name of the game. People are going to mess up, but at the same time you have to let them know what's right and what's not right. We have to make sure they react the right way. We need to get better. Keep getting better. We can not just stay stagnant because when you do that you lose. We just have to get better. We have to keep pushing."
SEASON RECORD UPDATE
K-State 3-4 (1-3 Big 12)
Oklahoma State 4-3 (1-3 Big 12)
WHAT'S NEXT
K-State will return to action on October 27, as the Wildcats travel to Norman, Oklahoma to take on the No. 11/11 Oklahoma Sooners at the Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
Team Stats
OSU
KS
Total Yards
311
421
Pass Yards
184
130
Rushing Yards
127
291
Penalty Yards
70
40
1st Downs
15
23
3rd Downs
5
7
4th Downs
2
1
TOP
22:08
37:52
1st Quarter
OSU 3, KS 0
OSU - Ammendola, Matt 48 yd field goal 10 plays, 36 yards, TOP 4:31
2nd Quarter
OSU 3, KS 3
KS - Hicks, Andrew 31 yd field goal 13 plays, 50 yards, TOP 6:32
OSU 6, KS 3
OSU - Ammendola, Matt 22 yd field goal 6 plays, 52 yards, TOP 2:32
3rd Quarter
OSU 6, KS 10
KS - Barnes, Alex 9 yd run (Hicks, Andrew kick), 9 plays, 70 yards, TOP 4:59
OSU 6, KS 17
KS - Barnes, Alex 1 yd run (Hicks, Andrew kick), 7 plays, 62 yards, TOP 3:34
4th Quarter
OSU 12, KS 17
OSU - Cornelius, T. 1 yd run (Cornelius, T. passfailed), 10 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:18
OSU 12, KS 24
KS - Barnes, Alex 8 yd run (Hicks, Andrew kick), 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 4:42
OSU 12, KS 31
KS - Barnes, Alex 3 yd run (Hicks, Andrew kick), 11 plays, 75 yards, TOP 5:32
Game Leaders
CMP
11
TD
0
YDS
130
INT
0
Players Mentioned
RB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
OL
/ Football
DB
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QB
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