SE: Barnes Sparks K-State to Sunflower Showdown Win, Eclipses 1,000 Yards for Season
Nov 11, 2018 | Football, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
The play wasn't designed to go outside, but Alex Barnes had no other option. He probably didn't need to jump, but he wanted to make sure he got every inch he could.
This play — a 3-yard gain on fourth-and-2 to extend what would end up being K-State's game-winning drive against Kansas on Saturday — embodied what Barnes has been about at K-State. More times than not, he gets what his team needs, by any means necessary.
Out of the Wildcat formation, Barnes bounced a run outside after seeing the inside gap was plugged up. As he felt Jayhawks closing in from behind, Barnes jumped forward to ensure he got to the first down marker.
"I felt people pursuing from the back," he said, "so I just kind of sacrificed everything, went up and got what I could."
Barnes got the first down, after a mid-air collision with a Jayhawk. Two plays later, K-State quarterback Alex Delton bolted into the end zone from 21 yards out, a run that made the difference in K-State's 21-17 win over Kansas. But it was a run made possible by Barnes a few plays earlier.
"That embodies what Alex Barnes is all about," senior right tackle Dalton Risner said of Barnes' fourth-down run. "It just shows the type of kid he is."
"He probably would have gotten three or four more yards if he had stayed down," K-State head coach Bill Snyder added, with a laugh, "but it just demonstrates what every snap means to him. He knew the significance of that particular snap, and he wasn't going to be denied. But he plays like that constantly. Every snap, he plays that way.
"Alex is a great competitor…great competitor."
Barnes' leaping gain was his last of the day. It finished off his 117-yard, two-touchdown performance on 22 carries. His outing pushed him across the 1,000-yard mark for the season, as he joined 15 other Wildcats to accomplish the feat.
"It's a really big honor," Barnes, who now has 2,296 career rushing yards, said of the milestone. "Our o-line's really paved the way for me, really made it easy. A lot of my (touchdown) runs I've been untouched and I'm just been able to get to the house. So, kudos to them."
For the season, Barnes now has five 100-yard rushing games. For his career, the Pittsburg native now has 10 — tied for fourth in school history. It's no coincidence, however, that three of Barnes' 100-yard games have come against the Jayhawks.
"Being from Kansas, you always want to beat KU," Barnes, the Big 12's leading rusher, said. "Where I'm from, everybody is big KU fans."
"I don't think Alex has a game that means any more to him, to be honest. That guy brings it every single game," Risner said, before adding: "But you kind of see a little bit of an edge to him when he plays KU. There's a little bit of a nastiness to him. He just brings an edge, and I love that."
Barnes certainly brought that edge to start K-State's first drive of the second half. During it, he collected 53 yards on the ground on three carries. He capped it with a 24-yard touchdown run to give K-State its first points and a 7-3 lead.
On K-State's next possession, he made one Jayhawk miss to finish a 2-yard touchdown run out of the Wildcat formation. When the Wildcats needed three yards late in the fourth, they went back to Barnes and the Wildcat formation. Once again, it worked.
"Honestly, it's like a weight lifted off your shoulders to have a running back like Barnes," Delton said. "Barnes is going to give it everything he has and then some more. Being quarterback, sometimes I feel that pressure but knowing I can hand off to him and he's going to get five, six, a touchdown, to be honest, it's such a relief and makes me feel more comfortable."
The play wasn't designed to go outside, but Alex Barnes had no other option. He probably didn't need to jump, but he wanted to make sure he got every inch he could.
This play — a 3-yard gain on fourth-and-2 to extend what would end up being K-State's game-winning drive against Kansas on Saturday — embodied what Barnes has been about at K-State. More times than not, he gets what his team needs, by any means necessary.
Out of the Wildcat formation, Barnes bounced a run outside after seeing the inside gap was plugged up. As he felt Jayhawks closing in from behind, Barnes jumped forward to ensure he got to the first down marker.
"I felt people pursuing from the back," he said, "so I just kind of sacrificed everything, went up and got what I could."
Barnes got the first down, after a mid-air collision with a Jayhawk. Two plays later, K-State quarterback Alex Delton bolted into the end zone from 21 yards out, a run that made the difference in K-State's 21-17 win over Kansas. But it was a run made possible by Barnes a few plays earlier.
? Go-ahead 4th quarter TD
— K-State Football (@KStateFB) November 10, 2018
? Defense holds in the final minute
? #KStateFB takes the #SunflowerShowdown
?? Game highlights ?? pic.twitter.com/ROQ9X8icgV
"That embodies what Alex Barnes is all about," senior right tackle Dalton Risner said of Barnes' fourth-down run. "It just shows the type of kid he is."
"He probably would have gotten three or four more yards if he had stayed down," K-State head coach Bill Snyder added, with a laugh, "but it just demonstrates what every snap means to him. He knew the significance of that particular snap, and he wasn't going to be denied. But he plays like that constantly. Every snap, he plays that way.
"Alex is a great competitor…great competitor."
Barnes' leaping gain was his last of the day. It finished off his 117-yard, two-touchdown performance on 22 carries. His outing pushed him across the 1,000-yard mark for the season, as he joined 15 other Wildcats to accomplish the feat.
On that touchdown run, Alex Barnes has topped the 1,000-yard rushing mark this year, the 16th in school history!#KStateFB pic.twitter.com/CnPwuFOtDL
— K-State Football (@KStateFB) November 10, 2018
"It's a really big honor," Barnes, who now has 2,296 career rushing yards, said of the milestone. "Our o-line's really paved the way for me, really made it easy. A lot of my (touchdown) runs I've been untouched and I'm just been able to get to the house. So, kudos to them."
For the season, Barnes now has five 100-yard rushing games. For his career, the Pittsburg native now has 10 — tied for fourth in school history. It's no coincidence, however, that three of Barnes' 100-yard games have come against the Jayhawks.
"Being from Kansas, you always want to beat KU," Barnes, the Big 12's leading rusher, said. "Where I'm from, everybody is big KU fans."
"I don't think Alex has a game that means any more to him, to be honest. That guy brings it every single game," Risner said, before adding: "But you kind of see a little bit of an edge to him when he plays KU. There's a little bit of a nastiness to him. He just brings an edge, and I love that."
Barnes certainly brought that edge to start K-State's first drive of the second half. During it, he collected 53 yards on the ground on three carries. He capped it with a 24-yard touchdown run to give K-State its first points and a 7-3 lead.
On K-State's next possession, he made one Jayhawk miss to finish a 2-yard touchdown run out of the Wildcat formation. When the Wildcats needed three yards late in the fourth, they went back to Barnes and the Wildcat formation. Once again, it worked.
WALK IT OUT. Alex Barnes scores his second touchdown of the game with ease!
— FOX Sports Kansas City (@FSKansasCity) November 10, 2018
Catch @KStateFB on FSKC and the FOX Sports app. pic.twitter.com/elwBmULM83
"Honestly, it's like a weight lifted off your shoulders to have a running back like Barnes," Delton said. "Barnes is going to give it everything he has and then some more. Being quarterback, sometimes I feel that pressure but knowing I can hand off to him and he's going to get five, six, a touchdown, to be honest, it's such a relief and makes me feel more comfortable."
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