SE: K-State Defense Dominates Home Finale in 21-6 Win Over Texas Tech

By Corbin McGuire

There are a number of ways to encapsulate just how dominant K-State's defensive performance was in its 21-6 win against Texas Tech on Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

One way? Go through Texas Tech's game notes, specifically the "last time" section. It needed some updating after this year's battle with the Wildcats.

Before Saturday, the last time Texas Tech was held without a touchdown on the road was in 2006 against TCU.

"That would indicate it was a pretty good defensive effort. I was really proud of our defensive players, our coaches…pretty special," said K-State head coach Bill Snyder, whose team (5-6, 3-5) will close its regular season out at Iowa State on Saturday with a chance to become bowl eligible. "Week in and week out we've gotten a little bit better, little bit better, and a little bit better (defensively)."

The Wildcats showed it on Saturday.

The last time the Red Raiders were held to less than 200 yards of total offense: 2010 against Texas. K-State limited them to 181. It's the fewest yards K-State's allowed Texas Tech since their 1997 meeting when the Red Raiders produced only 117. It's also the fewest total yards K-State's allowed to a Big 12 opponent since holding Iowa State to 140 in 2003.

"It's awesome. Guys are so happy for each other. That's one of the biggest things, is just being able to be proud for your teammates," safety Denzel Goolsby said. "Coach (Blake) Seiler and Coach (Brian) Norwood both have done a great job putting together game plans for us. I'm just happy to see us get a win, happy to send the seniors out with a win, and I'm looking forward to next week, for sure."

Texas Tech also finished with a mere 31 rushing yards on 26 attempts, 115 yards under its season average coming in. It marked the fewest rushing yards K-State's allowed any opponent since Eastern Kentucky picked up only 10 in 2011 and the fewest by a Big 12 opponent since Texas A&M finished with negative 13 in 2009.

"Everyone was doing their job. Everyone was executing, being disciplined in their gaps, their assignments," freshman defensive end Wyatt Hubert, who had five tackles and two sacks, said. "That was a lights out performance by the defense."

The last time the Red Raiders were held to 150 or fewer passing yards was in 2010 against Oklahoma. K-State stifled this year's Texas Tech team to 150 yards through the air. The Red Raiders came in averaging 383.4 passing yards a game, which ranked second nationally.

"It was amazing," linebacker Justin Hughes, who led K-State with eight tackles, said of his group's performance. "I appreciate my guys for giving out their full effort each play. We just went out there and dominated against a high-profile offense, one of the best in the conference. I'm proud of my guys and hopefully we can continue this on to the next game."

One last didn't change for the Red Raiders. They still have yet to win in Manhattan since 2008. They have not beaten a Snyder-coached K-State team in Manhattan since 2004. Early on Saturday, however, it looked like that might change.

Texas Tech collected 93 yards and six points on its first two drives. The Red Raiders averaged 4.9 yards a play on those two possessions, moving the ball like they have all year — with ease.

After that? K-State's defense flipped a switch.

K-State held Texas Tech, the nation's ninth-best scoring offense and seventh-best total offense coming in, to 88 yards of offense on its final 10 drives.

"It was a couple-score game but it just takes a couple big plays, and they are the type of offense that's so capable of having those explosive plays," Goolsby said the defense's mentality, "so we didn't want to take our foot off the gas defensively."

A three-possession sequence in the third quarter turned the game heavily in K-State's favor.

Texas Tech went three-and-out on its first possession of the second half, which was followed by Brock Monty blocking a Red Raider punt out of the end zone for a safety. K-State junior Reggie Walker forced a Texas Tech fumble on its next drive and Hughes recovered it to set up one of Blake Lynch's four made field goals. Texas Tech found some rhythm on its following drive, but AJ Parker halted it when he jumped a short route for an interception on K-State's 13-yard line.

"We knew coming into the game that we were going to have to go after the ball. Everybody was just flying around, making plays on the ball," Hughes said. "We had a plan and we executed the plan very well."

Kansas State University Athletics

SE: K-State Defense Dominates Home Finale in 21-6 Win Over Texas Tech

Players Mentioned

Denzel Goolsby

Wyatt Hubert

Justin Hughes

Blake Lynch

Brock Monty

AJ Parker

Reggie Walker

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