Grades from Kansas State’s 19-14 loss to Texas and a look ahead to Baylor
The Texas Longhorns defeated the Kansas State Wildcats 19-14 on Saturday at Snyder Family Stadium. Here are some thoughts, awards and grades from the game.
Player of the game
Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger didn’t do anything flashy, but he managed this game beautifully. He completed 29 of 36 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown. He rushed for 26 yards on eight carries. He helped the Longhorns take a 19-0 lead and never turned the ball over. Reminds you a lot of what K-State quarterbacks used to do under Bill Snyder.
Play of the game
K-State fullback Adam Harter dropped a pass from Alex Delton in the end zone on the final play of the second quarter. The Wildcats ended up losing by five. There is no understating the significance of that missed opportunity.
Stat of the game
0. As in the number of penalties and turnovers committed by K-State against Texas. When was the last time the Wildcats played mistake free football and still lost?
Quote to note
“Coming out of the locker room at halftime there was a lot of energy. All of us offensive guys got together realizing that we have to get going, there’s no more sitting around.” — K-State center Adam Holtorf on the Wildcats’ improved play in the second half.
Grades
Offense: C. The first half (64 yards and a safety) was a disaster. The second half (153 yards and two touchdowns) was a breath of fresh air. That makes this unit difficult to grade. The Wildcats couldn’t get anything going early behind quarterback Alex Delton, because the Longhorns loaded defenders in the box and took away his ability to run. Then Skylar Thompson came in and forced Texas to change its approach with his arm. It’s hard to fathom why K-State stayed committed to Delton and a sputtering offense for so long, but if the Wildcats can build off what they accomplished in the second half with Thompson they will take their chances in their next game against Baylor.
Defense: B+. There were too many missed tackles for an A, but there wasn’t a whole lot to complain about from Blake Seiler’s unit, otherwise. K-State held Texas to 339 yards and 10 points. That is usually good enough to win. Eli Walker had 11 tackles, Reggie Walker had two sacks and the team combined for six tackles for loss. The Wildcats took a nice step forward on defense.
Special Teams: F. What is going on with K-State’s punt and kick return units? For years, fans have been able to count on the Wildcats running circles around the opposition on special teams. But that wasn’t the case Saturday. Texas, not K-State, returned a punt 90 yards for a touchdown. K-State, not Texas, looked silly trying to run the ball out of the end zone on kickoffs. This is no longer a big advantage for the Wildcats.
Coaching: F. Bill Snyder’s decision to start Delton and stick with him for a full two quarters put the Wildcats behind the 8-ball in this one. The defense played well and the offense looked sharp once Thompson took over. But it wasn’t enough to overcome a 19-0 halftime deficit.
Next up
It doesn’t feel like hyperbole to describe K-State’s next game against Baylor as a must-win for the Wildcats.
At 2-3 and 0-2 in the Big 12, K-State needs a victory at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at McLane Stadium to keep its bowl hopes alive. The Wildcats are famous for mid-season turnarounds under Snyder, but it’s hard to see them coming back from a 2-4 start that includes a loss to the Bears.
Baylor will likely be favored, mostly because of location, but not my much. This feels like a toss-up game.
The Bears (3-2, 1-1) are better than they were a year ago under coach Tom Rhule. They have defeated Kansas, Texas-San Antonio and Abilene Christian this season. Their losses came against Duke and Oklahoma.
They are coming off a 66-33 loss to the Sooners, but the box score is interesting. Baylor piled up 493 yards behind quarterback Charlie Brewer and kept moving the ball until the bitter end.
That could pose some problems for an offensively challenged team like K-State.
K-State has won its last two games against Baylor, downing the Bears 33-20 last season in Manhattan and beating them 42-21 two years ago in Waco.