Grades from K-State’s 14-13 loss at TCU and a look ahead to the Sunflower Showdown
The TCU Horned Frogs defeated the Kansas State Wildcats 14-13 on Saturday at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
Here are some grades, thoughts and awards from the football game.
Player of the game
Jeff Gladney: The TCU defensive end led the Horned Frogs to four sacks and 10 tackles for loss. His constant presence in the backfield, along with L.J. Collier, made it hard for K-State to get much of anything going on offense and put the Wildcats in difficult situations.
Play of the game
Colby Moore threw an interception on a field-goal attempt gone wrong. The play occurred in the second quarter with K-State threatening to take a 10-7 lead. Moore, K-State’s holder, had to abort a short field and roll out to his right for a pass following an iffy snap. In a game where points were at a premium, a successful field goal there could have changed the outcome.
Stat of the game
576: Combined yards for K-State and TCU in this game. Oklahoma (702) had more by itself last week.
Quote to note
“Unfortunately, things didn’t go our way. That’s been the mantra of this season. Things haven’t gone our way.” — K-State quarterback Alex Delton said.
Grades
Offense — D: Alex Barnes rushed for 102 yards on 23 carries and Alex Delton played admirably in relief of Skylar Thompson, completing 15 of 25 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown pass to Malik Knowles, so it wasn’t all bad. But the offensive line surrendered 10 tackles for loss and the Wildcats punted six times. K-State’s lack of playmakers at receiver was evident, as it only averaged 5.8 yards per attempt.
Defense — A: TCU isn’t much to look at right now on offense, and K-State took advantage. The Wildcats held the Horned Frogs to 275 yards. A 67-yard pass from Mike Collins to Jalen Reagor was their only big play of the afternoon. Their other touchdown came after a K-State fumble with a short field. Credit Blake Seiler’s unit for bouncing back after getting embarrassed against Oklahoma last week.
Special teams — F: The Wildcats certainly could have done more to win this game in other areas, but they couldn’t have done much more to lose it on special teams. Isaiah Zuber lost his third fumble of the season on his first punt return, which led to a TCU touchdown. Blake Lynch missed an extra point and the team botched another short field-goal attempt. The days of K-State winning close games with special teams appear over.
Coaching — D: One odd decision in this game occurred early in the third quarter. The Wildcats drove to the TCU 35 and faced a fourth-and-3 with the wind at their back. They could have attempted a field goal or tried to pick up the first down. The game was tied 7-7. A score of any kind would have been huge. But Bill Snyder decided to punt and Devin Anctil booted the ball in the end zone for a touchback. K-State missed out on an opportunity to aggressively play for the win.
Next up
For the first time in years, the Sunflower Showdown feels like a toss-up game.
The Wildcats and Jayhawks enter next Saturday’s 11 a.m. football game at Snyder Family Stadium with identical records (3-6, 1-5 Big 12) and uncertain futures. This could be the last Sunflower Showdown for both Bill Snyder and David Beaty.
Still, K-State will enter the in-state rivalry as a favorite. The Wildcats have won nine straight in the series and Snyder hasn’t lost to KU since his first stint as coach. This will be an opportunity for K-State to end a two-game losing streak and keep its fading bowl hopes alive.
Victory won’t be easy to come by, though. The Jayhawks have quietly covered the spread in back-to-back years against the Wildcats, falling 30-20 last season in Lawrence and 34-19 two years ago in Manhattan.