Cats Set for Morning Matchup with Texas Tech

Game 5
rv/rv Texas Tech at 25/rv K-State
Date: Saturday, October 1, 2022
Kickoff: 11 a.m.
Location: Manhattan, Kan.
Stadium: Bill Snyder Family Stadium (50,000)
Series: K-State leads, 13-9
TV: Big 12 Now on ESPN+ (watch)
Mark Neely (Play-by-Play)
Ryan Leaf (Analyst)
Shane Sparks (Sidelines)
Radio: K-State Sports Network; k-statesports.com (Listen)
            Wyatt Thompson (Play-by-Play)
            Stan Weber (Analyst)
            Matt Walters (Sidelines)
SiriusXM Satellite Radio Ch. 199, SXM App 953
Twitter Updates: @KStateFB

THE TOP 5
1) Following a big road win at No. 6 Oklahoma, K-State returns home to face Texas Tech Saturday in a matchup of teams that picked up wins over ranked opponents last weekend. The game will kick at 11 a.m. and be shown on Big 12 Now on ESPN. Texas Tech heads to Manhattan following an overtime win over No. 22 Texas, 37-34, last weekend in Lubbock.

2) Quarterback Adrian Martinez is coming off one of the best performances in his long career as he is the reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week. At No. 6 Oklahoma, Martinez rushed for 148 yards and a career-best four touchdowns while also completing 21-of-34 passes for 234 yards and one touchdown. He directed an offense that totaled 28 first downs and 509 total yards.

3) Running back Deuce Vaughn, a Consensus All-American last year, leads the Big 12 with 117.0 rushing yards per game and three touchdowns. He has 15 100-yard rushing games in his career, including 14 in his last 19 contests. He had 116 rushing yards at Oklahoma last week, teaming with Martinez to give K-State two 100-yard rushers in the same game since the 2017 Cactus Bowl.

4) The Wildcats have been stellar on defense through four games, allowing just 15.8 points per game, 344.5 total yards per game while also forcing seven interceptions. This week, the Cats rank sixth nationally in interceptions, 10th in third down defense, 13th in turnover margin, 19th in pass efficiency defense, and 20th in both scoring defense and total defense.

5) Known for its special teams prowess, K-State has weapons in both primary returners in Malik Knowles (kickoffs) and Phillip Brooks (punts), each of whom have garnered All-America status in their disciplines during their careers. In four games, the Cats have recorded two punt return scores – one coming via a blocked punt and the other on a 76-yard return from Brooks.

STATISTICAL SPOTLIGHTS
509 – Offensive yards by K-State at Oklahoma, its most against a Big 12 opponent since the 2014 Texas Tech game (535 yards).
248.2 – Rushing yards per game this season, which ranks seventh in the nation and tops in the Big 12.
19.8 – Points allowed per game since last season and after the switch to a 3-3-5 defensive alignment.
3 – K-State ranks third in the Big 12 with 127 league wins since the conference's first year in 1996.
0 – Third down conversions surrendered by K-State at Oklahoma when the Sooners faced 3rd and 4 or longer (0-of-8).

TEAM NOTES
BIG 12 HOME OPENERS
• K-State holds a 15-11 all-time record in Big 12 home openers, which includes a 31-21 win over Texas Tech in 2020.
• The Wildcats are 2-1 in Big 12 home openers under head coach Chris Klieman. They defeated Baylor in 2019 but dropped a 37-31 decision to sixth-ranked Oklahoma last year.

A WINNING TRADITION
• Kansas State has been one of the best Big 12 teams since the inception of the conference in 1996. The Wildcats are third with 127 victories, trailing only Oklahoma and Texas.
• The Wildcats also rank third in the conference in winning percentage since round-robin play began in 2011. They sit at 58.0% (58-42), trailing only Oklahoma (80.8%; 80-19) and Oklahoma State (66.7%; 66-33).
• During that stretch, the Wildcats are 32-18 (64.0%) at home in Big 12 play and 26-24 (52.0%) on the road.

AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
• K-State has 206 wins since 1996, which is tied for 24th among all FBS teams with Oklahoma State. The Wildcats are one of just 29 schools to reach the 200-win mark over the last 26 years.
• More recently, the Wildcats are tied for 25th in wins among current Power 5 teams since 2010 with 96.

POSTSEASON PROMINENCE
• K-State has a strong postseason history, going to a bowl game 22 times since 1993, including 10 times in the last 12 years.
• K-State's 22 bowl trips since 1993 rank fourth in the Big 12.
• In an era when over 80 teams play in a bowl game each year, the Cats are one of just 25 Power 5 teams to play in a bowl game 10 times in the last 12 years.

A LOOK BACK AT LAST WEEK
• K-State moved to 1-0 in Big 12 play with its 41-34 win at No. 6 Oklahoma last week.
• Kansas State earned its 11th all-time victory against an Associated Press top-10 team, while it was the fifth in a road game.
• The Wildcats have now defeated a team ranked in the AP Top 25 in four of the last six seasons, including the third time under head coach Chris Klieman.
• The Wildcats defeated No. 5 Oklahoma at home in 2019 and at No. 3 Oklahoma in 2020.

A WINNING HISTORY
• A proven winner with a championship history, Chris Klieman holds a 95-30 career record, as his 76.0% career winning percentage is ranks fourth among current FBS coaches that are at least in their 10th season.
• Klieman, who is 23-17 since arriving at K-State, came to Manhattan after capping his five-year stint as head coach at North Dakota State by winning his fourth national championship in 2018. He guided the 2018 Bison to a perfect 15-0 record.
• Klieman is 5-5 in his career against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 with four of the victories coming at K-State.

BETTER DISCIPLINE
• K-State was one of the least penalized teams in the nation over the final few weeks of the 2021 regular season, as the Cats totaled only four penalties (1.3 per game) for 41 yards (13.7 yards per game) over their final three regular-season games.
• Through four games this year, K-State ranks first in the Big 12 in fewest penalty yards with 40.5 per game.

TAKING CARE OF THE BALL
• Another staple of K-State football over the past decade has been committing very few turnovers, as the Wildcats rank third nationally among current Power 5 teams since 2012 in fewest turnovers per game at 1.19.
• That figure leads the Big 12 as the Wildcats' 155 total turnovers over the last 11-plus seasons are 13 better than the next closest program (Oklahoma, 168).
• So far this season, the Wildcats are plus-6 in turnover margin with seven interceptions and just one lost fumble.

CATS TOPS IN NON-OFFENSIVE TDs
• K-State is the nation's best in non-offensive touchdowns over the last 23 seasons as it has 128 since 1999, seven more than the next closest team.
• Kansas State tallied three non-offensive scores in 2021, including two kickoff-return touchdowns by Malik Knowles.
• The Cats already have two non-offensive scores this year as Seth Porter blocked a punt against South Dakota that was returned for a score by Desmond Purnell, while Phillip Brooks took a punt 76 yards for a score against Missouri.

OFFENSIVE NOTES
KLEIN TAKES OVER AS OC
• A 2012 Heisman Trophy finalist and one of the best signal callers in school history, Collin Klein is in his first season as K-State's offensive coordinator.
• Klein is one of just four Power 5 offensive coordinators to play quarterback at the school in which they work. The other three are Brandon Streeter (Clemson), Tommy Rees (Notre Dame) and Tavita Pritchard (Stanford).
• Klein was promoted to interim offensive coordinator for the 2022 Texas Bowl, and all he did was direct the Wildcats to 42 points – their highest output of the season and third highest in school bowl history – while their 442 yards of total offense was the second-best output of the 2021 season and ranked fifth in K-State bowl history.
• Klein was a co-offensive coordinator for one season at K-State (2018), as he begins a run as the Wildcats' sole offensive play caller for the first time in his career.

OFF AND RUNNING
• K-State has opened the season ranking seventh nationally, third among Power 5 teams and first in the Big 12 by averaging 248.3 rushing yards per game.
• A majority of those yards come from 2021 Consensus All-American Deuce Vaughn, who ranks eighth in the nation and tops in the Big 12 with 117.0 rushing yards per game. Adrian Martinez ranks fourth nationally among quarterbacks with 74.5 rushing yards per game.
• K-State opened the season with 297 yards on the ground against South Dakota, the most by a Wildcat team since recording 342 in the 2019 Kansas game. They then posted 235 rushing yards against Missouri, the first time they had at least 230 rushing yards in consecutive games since the final two games of 2020.
• The Wildcats opened Big 12 play with 275 rushing yards in their win at No. 6 Oklahoma, marking the first time since 2019 they have had multiple games with 275 or more rushing yards.

ADRIAN WAS AWESOME
• Quarterback Adrian Martinez, one of the top transfer signal callers in the 2022 cycle, had a memorable game at No. 6 Oklahoma when he led the Wildcats to a 41-34 victory.
• Martinez totaled 382 yards of offense and accounted for five touchdowns, including four rushing scores en route to Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, Manning Award Star of the Week and Davey O'Brien Award Great 8 honors.
• His four rushing touchdowns tied for the third most in school history and were the most since Skylar Thompson also had four in 2019 against the Sooners.
• Martinez, who had 148 rushing yards at OU, essentially put the game on ice with a 55-yard run on 3rd and 16, which led to K-State's final touchdown and made the score 41-27.
• During the game at OU, Martinez moved over 9,000 career passing yards, as he is the only active quarterback in the nation with 9,000 passing yards and 2,000 rushing yards in a career.

MIX OF NEW AND OLD
• The blueprint for success has been established for the offensive line under coach Conor Riley since he came to Manhattan with Chris Klieman in 2019. That should make for a smooth transition for three new starters in 2022.
• Junior Cooper Beebe, a 2021 First Team All-Big 12 performer who is a Preseason All-American and on the watch lists for the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award, is back started the season at left guard, but he can still play tackle.
• Another seasoned veteran lines up at right tackle in Christian Duffie, a player who has started 25-consecutive games for the Wildcats, the most on the team.
• However, K-State is replacing the interior of the offensive line. Senior Hayden Gillum started at center, while sophomore Hadley Panzer is listed as the starter at right guard.

VAUGHN BACK AT IT
• Running back Deuce Vaughn is looking to duplicate the Consensus All-America season he put together in 2021, and he's off to a great start as he ranks eighth nationally and tops in the Big 12 with 117.0 rushing yards per game.
• Vaughn also ranks 12th nationally and second in the Big 12 in scrimmage yards (rushing plus receiving) per game at 129.3.
• Vaughn has 15 career games with 100 rushing yards with 14 of those coming within his last 19 contests.
• A threat virtually every time he touches the ball, Vaughn has gone for at least 10 yards on 106 of his 531 career scrimmage touches as he is gaining at least 10 yards 20.0% of the time he either takes a hand off or receives a pass.

ALL-PURPOSE BACK
• The high career marks by Deuce Vaughn are not only due to his prowess as a runner, but he has been one of the best running backs in the nation in terms of catching the ball out of the backfield.
• Over the first 27 games of his career, Vaughn has 2,514 rushing yards and 951 receiving yards. With 49 more receiving yards, he will be just the 60th FBS player overall since 1996 to reach the 2,000/1,000 mark and just the 10th from the Big 12.
• However, Vaughn could be one of the fastest players to hit the marks in terms of games played.
• Additionally, he would be just the second Big 12 player to hit those marks prior to the end of his junior year, joining former Texas Tech running back Taurean Henderson.

RECAPPING VAUGHN'S STREAKS
• Deuce Vaughn saw a pair of impressive streaks come to an end against Tulane.
• He finished second in school history with eight-straight games with 100 rushing yards. It was just two behind the record of Darren Sproles, who had 10-straight games between spanning the 2002 and 2003 seasons.
• Vaughn also had a rushing touchdown in nine-straight games, which was the fifth-longest streak in school history.

SINNOTT SET CAREER MARKS
• Tight end/fullback Ben Sinnott was a major part of K-State's win at No. 6 Oklahoma as he hauled in four passes for 80 yards, both career highs.
• Three of his catches went for 20 or more yards, including a career-long reception of 27 yards to convert a 3rd and 5 attempt during K-State's first drive, which resulted in a touchdown.
• Sinnott has a catch in all four games this year after hauling in just two passes for 15 yards last season.

DEFENSIVE NOTES
A BIG TURNAROUND
• The K-State defense switched from a four-man front to a three-man front in 2021, and the change has paid off in spades.
• From 2020 to 2021, the Wildcats trimmed 11.2 points and 100.0 yards per game allowed off their averages.
• In the 17 games since the defensive switch, the Wildcats are allowing just 19.8 points per game and 344.6 yards per game.

PICK ME, PICK ME
• Through four games, K-State has recorded seven interceptions to rank sixth in the nation and tops in the Big 12.
• The seven picks through the first four games are tied for the most by a K-State defense since 2001.
• After opening the year with two picks against South Dakota, the Cats recorded four interceptions on four-straight possessions against Missouri. It was the first time they accomplished that feat since the 2010 Texas game when Tysyn Hartman and Ty Zimmerman each picked off two passes on four-consecutive drives.
• Daniel Green and Kobe Savage each picked off passes against Missouri and Tulane. It was the first time the same two K-State players had interceptions in the same consecutive games since 2014 (Dante Barnett and Randall Evans vs. West Virginia and Kansas).

THIRD DOWN DEFENSE
• A year after ranking 78th nationally and sixth in the Big 12 by allowing a 39.9% conversion rate on third down, K-State enters this week's game ranked 10th in the country and second in the conference with a 26.3% rate.
• The Wildcats have allowed their opponents to convert on third down under 50% of the time in all four games this season, including an 8.3% clip against Tulane.
• Although K-State allowed Oklahoma to convert on 47.1% of its third downs, all eight conversions came on 3rd and 3 or shorter. The Wildcats shut out OU on its eight attempts of 3rd and 4 or longer.

FEW FIRST DOWNS
• The Wildcats also ranked highly in the nation last season in fewest first downs allowed, surrendering 17.9 per game to rank 20th in the nation.
• K-State allowed 20 or fewer first downs in 10 of its 13 games in 2021, including five contests with 15 or fewer.
• It was the second time under head coach Chris Klieman that K-State ranked in the top 20 in that category having placed 17th at 17.2 first downs allowed per game in 2019.
• Since the NCAA made first downs an official statistic in 2008, the Wildcats have only been under 20 first downs allowed per game on four occasions.

PLAYING BEHIND THE LINE
• K-State tallied 90 tackles for loss last year to rank 10th in school history and 26th in the nation. It was the second most by a K-State team since 2004 (2006 squad had 91) and was the Wildcats' best national ranking since placing 18th in 2006.
• K-State recorded 10.0 TFLs against both South Dakota and Missouri to start the 2022 season.
• It is the first time the Cats had 10 or more TFLs in consecutive games since carding 10 apiece against Miami and North Texas in 2012.

FINDING A NEW HOME
• K-State brought in eight transfers from either Division I or community college on the defensive side of the ball, including five that could see significant time early in the season.
• Transfers that are listed on the depth chart include safeties Drake Cheatum (Prairie View A&M), Josh Hayes (Virginia/North Dakota State) and Kobe Savage (Tyler JC), linebacker Gavin Forsha (Tyler JC) and cornerback Jordan Wright (Fullerton College).

GREEN MEANS GO
• One of the nation's top tacklers a year ago, linebacker Daniel Green has also been a pest for opponents in the passing game as he has two interceptions on the year.
• Green is one of just seven linebackers in the nation with multiple interceptions to begin the 2022 season.
• Those picks came against Missouri and Tulane as he is the first Wildcat linebacker with interceptions in consecutive games since Arthur Brown in 2012 against West Virginia and Texas Tech.
• Green returned his interception against Tulane 49 yards to set up a field goal prior to halftime, the longest return by a Wildcat since safety Dante Barnett went 51 yards against Michigan in the 2013 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. It was also the longest by a K-State linebacker since Alex Hrebec had a 51-yard return against Iowa State in 2008.

KING FELIX
• After making a name for himself in 2021, junior defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah is looking to improve off an All-American campaign in which he was also named the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year.
• A Preseason All-American by multiple outlets in addition to being named to the Nagurski Trophy, Bednarik Award and Lombardi Award watch lists, Anudike-Uzomah finished the 2021 season tied for the national lead in forced fumble per game (0.46), while he ranked 11th nationally and second among sophomores in sacks per game (0.85).
• Anudike-Uzomah has seven forced fumbles in his career, just two shy of tying the school record.
• A product of Kansas City, Missouri, Anudike-Uzomah leads the nation among active player in career forced fumbles per game (0.32), while he is seventh in sacks per game (0.66) and 20th in tackles for loss (0.89).
• After carding 2.5 sacks so far this season, Anudike-Uzomah is now 4.0 sacks shy of entering K-State's career top-10 list.

OLD FACE, NEW PLACE
• Safety Josh Hayes is in his sixth year of college football and third school after transferring in the spring from Virginia.
• However, Hayes, a product of Lakeland, Florida, is reuniting with head coach Chris Klieman and defensive coordinator/safeties coach Joe Klanderman in Manhattan after the trio were together at North Dakota State. Hayes played as a true freshman and sophomore in 2017 and 2018 under Klieman before he became the K-State head coach for the 2019 season.
• Hayes saw time in all 15 games in 2017, including his first-career start in NDSU's national championship win over James Madison.
• He went on to play 37 more games with 24 more starts for the Bison before transferring to Virginia for the 2021 season, playing in three games before utilizing his redshirt and transferring to K-State.
• Hayes has played in 58 career games, which ranks fourth in the nation among active players and tops among all Big 12 players.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
SCORING IN THE THIRD PHASE
• One of the main reasons the Wildcats have been a successful program the last three decades is a knack for momentum-swinging plays in the return game.
• Since 2005 (17-plus seasons), the Wildcats have a combined 60 kickoff- and punt-return touchdowns, 21 more than second-place Alabama (39) and 27 more than the next closest Big 12 team (Oklahoma State – 33).
• Of the 60 total returns, a nation-leading 31 are on kickoff returns. The next closest team is San Diego State with 19.
• With the Wildcats' two punt-return touchdowns to begin the 2022 season, K-State has now tallied a punt-return score in every season since 2014, as the nine-year stretch is the longest in school history.

BACK TO BACK
• Desmond Purnell returned a blocked punt for a touchdown against South Dakota, while Phillip Brooks returned one 76 yards for a score against Missouri.
• It was the first time the Wildcats had punt-return scores in consecutive games since 2008 against Texas Tech and Texas A&M, while it was the first time they had one in each of the first two games of a season since 1998 against Indiana State and Northern Illinois.

BROOKS BACK IN THE END ZONE
• Phillip Brooks recorded his fourth-career punt-return touchdown against Missouri, a 76-yarder en route to Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
• He now leads the nation among active players in career punt-return score and punt-return average (17.7), while he is 10th in total punt-return yards (549).
• His four punt-return touchdowns rank second in school history and are tied for fourth in Big 12 history.

KNOWLES WITH A KNACK
• Malik Knowles is the latest Wildcat with a knack for kickoff returns as he was a 2021 Second Team All-American by Phil Steele and a 2022 Preseason All-American by multiple outlets.
• Knowles was the 2021 First Team All-Big 12 kick returner, marking the 15th time in the 26-year history of the Big 12 that K-State had a First Team All-Big 12 returner. The next closest team is former Big 12 member Colorado with four.
• Knowles is tied for fourth in school history in both career and single-season kickoff return touchdowns, thanks to scores last year in back-to-back weeks at Oklahoma State and against Oklahoma.
• Knowles, who also had a 100-yard return in 2019 at Mississippi State, is tied for second nationally among active players with three career kickoff-return scores.
• Knowles currently ranks ranked fourth in school history in career kickoff-return average and touchdowns, while he is tied for second nationally among active players in touchdowns and ranks fourth in average.

ZENTNER'S BOOTS
• Punter Ty Zentner is taking advantage of a second senior season in 2022 as he returns after earning All-Big 12 status a year ago.
• A product of Topeka, Kansas, Zentner ranks second in school history with a 43.24-yard average. That average is held up by five career games with an average of at least 45.0, including a 54.2-yard average against Missouri, which ranked as the second-highest punting average game in school history (minimum 4 attempts).
• His contest against the Tigers featured a career-long punt of 66 yards.
• Zentner was also the Wildcats' primary kickoff man last year, totaling 36 touchbacks on his 67 kickoffs (53.7%), the most by a Wildcat since at least 2004.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Felix Anudike-Uzomah

Cooper Beebe

Phillip Brooks

Drake Cheatum

Christian Duffie

Gavin Forsha

Hayden Gillum

Daniel Green

Josh Hayes

Malik Knowles

Adrian Martinez

Hadley Panzer

Seth Porter

Desmond Purnell

Kobe Savage

Ben Sinnott

Skylar Thompson

Deuce Vaughn

Jordan Wright

Ty Zentner

Kansas State University Athletics