Wildcat Report: Kansas State 35, Missouri State 0

First Quarter

The Key: K-State won the toss and uncharacteristically decided to receive the opening kickoff. The move paid off, as the Wildcats drove 63 yards in 11 plays to take a 7-0 lead on their first drive.

Second Quarter

The Key: The Wildcats limited Missouri State to 19 yards and one first down.

Player of the game

Jesse Ertz. K-State’s quarterback looks like a different player than he did two games ago against Stanford. Ertz was sharp as a passer and runner on Saturday, amassing 179 yards of offense and scoring two touchdowns.

Grades

Offense: A. It was an efficient night for the Wildcats, who gained 270 yards on 35 plays. Ertz threw precision passes in the red zone and K-State averaged 7.5 yards per rush.

Defense: A. The shutout will come with an asterisk, because the game only lasted two quarters. But it’s hard to imagine Missouri State scoring on K-State given another 30 minutes the way the Wildcats were playing.

Special Teams: B. K-State had several quality punt returns and kickoffs, but this unit was far from perfect.

Coaching: A. It couldn’t have been easy keeping players focused through weather delays, but K-State coaches managed the situation well. The Wildcats were ready to go.

Reason to Hope

K-State’s didn’t allow any of its nonconference opponents to gain 300 yards, and its offense scored 98 points in six quarters against Florida Atlantic and Missouri State.

Reason to Mope

Everyone expected K-State to win its last two games. It hasn’t defeated a quality opponent.

Next up

K-State heads to West Virginia on Saturday. The Mountaineers are one of two undefeated teams remaining in the Big 12. They have beaten Missouri and BYU and may enter the top 25 on Sunday. It will be a difficult road test.

Kellis Robinett

This story was originally published September 25, 2016 at 12:07 AM with the headline "Wildcat Report: Kansas State 35, Missouri State 0."