Kansas State, Texas Tech meet with bowl hopes on the line

Dalton Risner knows the math.

Kansas State needs to win three of its final four games to qualify for a bowl, and it is a 5.5-point underdog in its next matchup, a 2:30 p.m. road kickoff against Texas Tech. The Wildcats are in danger of missing the postseason for the first time since 2009, but the freshman center likes those odds.

“We’re still going to make a bowl game,” Risner said earlier this week. “It’s not a if we make a bowl game, it’s when we make a bowl game, what are we going to do with it? We’re going to finish it out and do a good job.”

His teammates share his confidence.

“We know what we have to do long term,” K-State quarterback Joe Hubener said. “We want to go to a bowl game. We have been to five straight bowl games and we don’t want to be the team to end that. We have got four opponents left and we know we have to beat at least three. We think that we are certainly capable of winning all four and it starts this weekend with Texas Tech. That is who our focus is on right now.”

The Wildcats (3-5, 0-5 Big 12) entered the season with bigger hopes than simply reaching a bowl game, but injuries and a five-game losing streak that featured narrow losses to ranked opponents Baylor, Oklahoma State and TCU ruined those dreams.

They are now playing for their teammates and for their coaches. A bowl would be a nice reward for staying positive and working hard in trying times.

“All of the above,” safety Sean Newlan said. “We want to go to a bowl game just as much as our fans want to see us go to a bowl game. But the first thing we have to do is get a win. That is the top priority.”

Texas Tech (5-5, 2-5) is in the same position. The Red Raiders and Wildcats have experienced similar seasons. Coach Kliff Kingbury guided them to a 3-0 start that featured a convincing victory at Arkansas and then suffered a heartbreaking loss to TCU. Texas Tech led until the final moments, when TCU scored a touchdown on a deflected pass to win 55-52.

Wins against Iowa State and Kansas helped Texas Tech players recover a bit, but they have since lost three in a row. They need to win one of their final two games – K-State, at Texas – to reach a bowl.

“We haven’t brought that up as a staff,” Kingsbury said. “Our players know six is the number, I’m sure, but every week we just try to focus on that week and playing our best game. We don’t think we’ve played our best one, yet. We’ve gotten better and improved but we’re not where we want to be. We’ve tried to stay away from that. I guess it’s the elephant in the room for our players, but it’s not something we’re harping on.”

Saturday’s game contains an interesting subplot. A Texas Tech victory sends the Red Raiders to the postseason. A K-State victory puts the Wildcats in terrific shape to reach a bowl with remaining games against Iowa State, Kansas and West Virginia.

K-State coach Bill Snyder tends to downplay long-term goals, preferring to emphasize daily improvement. But he is fine with his players aiming for a bowl.

“You have to reach and grab hold of anything and everything you can,” Snyder said, “in order to continue to supply motivation.”

This story was originally published November 13, 2015 at 2:40 PM with the headline "Kansas State, Texas Tech meet with bowl hopes on the line."