Grades from K-State’s 31-12 win over Oklahoma State and a look ahead to OU

The Kansas State Wildcats defeated the Oklahoma State Cowboys 31-12 on Saturday at Snyder Family Stadium.

Here are some grades, thoughts and awards from the football game.

Player of the game

Alex Barnes: The Kansas State running back has become the focal point of this offense. A week after rushing for 250 yards and three touchdowns against Baylor, he backed it up with 232 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns against the Cowboys. Both Baylor and Oklahoma State knew Barnes was going to touch the ball on most plays, they simply couldn’t stop him.

Play of the game

Duke Shelley intercepted a Cornelius Taylor pass in the end zone by slapping the ball out of the arms of the intended Oklahoma State receiver and then securing it on the move. That big play prevented the Cowboys from scoring and kept the Wildcats in the game before K-State found its offensive rhythm in the second half.

Stat of the game

41: Rushing yards for Oklahoma State star Justice Hill. Many thought he was the Big 12’s top running back at the beginning of the day, but the Wildcats held him check.

Quote to note

“We played like we are capable of playing ... Extremely well.” — Bill Snyder.

Grades

Offense — B: Alex Barnes is starting to look like a true workhorse. He is getting the ball on the vast majority of plays, and defenses can do little to stop him. He is the Big 12’s current leading rusher. K-State’s offensive line, which is finally playing up to expectations, also deserves credit for the improved rushing attack. The Wildcats ran for 291 yards on Saturday. K-State was at its best in the second half, scoring touchdowns on four consecutive drives. The passing game leaves much to be desired, and the offense did nothing in the first half. But everything seemed to come together late.

Defense — A: Duke Shelley is playing at an all-conference level. The senior cornerback made a pair of interceptions against Oklahoma State and looked like the best defensive player on the field. But he was far from the only standout. Reggie Walker, Wyatt Hubert and Kyle Ball combined to make five tackles for loss and Justin Hughes led the team with eight tackles. Oklahoma State’s usually high-octane offense managed only 311 yards and one touchdown.

Special teams — C: This grade would have been much higher had Isaiah Zuber had the presence of mind to stay in bounds on his biggest return of the day. He had an open lane to the end zone, but lost track of the sideline and stepped out of bounds. Otherwise, it was an average day on special days. Nothing more, nothing less.

Coaching — A: K-State absolutely, positively had to win this game to keep its bowl hopes alive and boost morale as the Wildcats entered their bye week. And K-State’s coaching staff found a way to do exactly that. Andre Coleman seemed to hit his stride as a play caller in this game, and Blake Seiler’s defense made huge improvements after disappointing against Baylor.

Next up

K-State will travel to Oklahoma in two weeks for a game that is arguably the toughest on the schedule. The Sooners’ only loss came by a field goal against Texas on a neutral field.

Oklahoma appears as potent as ever on offense behind quarterback Kyler Murray, but it has struggled on defense this season. So much so that coach Lincoln Riley recently fired defensive coordinator Mike Stoops.

It will be fascinating to see how much different Oklahoma plays on defense in its next game against TCU. The Wildcats will have a close eye on that game this weekend as they prepare for a difficult game against the Sooners.

This story was originally published October 14, 2018 at 12:03 PM.