Why Chris Klieman thinks K-State is ‘ascending’ toward big things after TCU win
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- K-State beat TCU 41-28; Klieman says the program is ascending this season.
- Defense produced a pick-six and fumble TD; Jackson ran for 110 yards.
- K-State holds bowl hope and Big 12 upside; next tests: Kansas, Texas Tech.
It was only appropriate that Kansas State’s 41-28 victory over TCU was played under clear skies on a warm Saturday afternoon at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
Things have gotten dark for the Wildcats at various times this season, but their outlook for the remainder of the year has never felt sunnier.
“I am so proud that we’re going into an off week with a win,” K-State football coach Chris Klieman said. “We’re an ascending football team. I think we’re getting better in all areas.”
Indeed, the Wildcats (3-4, 2-2 Big 12) are beginning to play like a team that might be better than its record indicates.
Junior quarterback Avery Johnson is so confident in his team that he thinks K-State is still capable of doing big things this year, despite a nightmarish start that featured four losses by a combined 13 points.
“I didn’t see us as an underdog going into today’s game,” Johnson said. “And I don’t see us as a 3-4 team now. I didn’t see us as a 2-4 team before this. We just had an unfortunate turn of events early in the year. We didn’t play as well as we wanted to play.
“Then last week at Baylor, things didn’t go our way. You might have one or two of those a year where things don’t go your way, but you win and play well in the other ones to make up for it. When you have bad games, and games don’t go your way, things can look a lot worse than what they are.”
He made sure to finish his thought with an exclamation mark, just in case some fans think the K-State roster checked out after a handful of frustrating losses.
“I’m really happy with how the guys played today,” Johnson said, “and we’re all really happy to be here playing for K-State.”
The K-State locker room felt like a new environment on Saturday.
Klieman said the team was “devastated” after Baylor kicked a long field goal to beat K-State by a single point last week. But everyone in a purple uniform was smiling after this game.
And why not? Just about everyone had something to brag about.
- Desmond Purnell intercepted a pair of passes from TCU quarterback Josh Hoover and returned one of them for a touchdown.
- Wesley Fair scooped up a fumble and gave the Wildcats another defensive score.
- Joe Jackson rushed for 110 yards while filling in for an injured Dylan Edwards.
- Garrett Oakley caught two touchdown passes.
- And Johnson threw for 198 yards and three scores.
Outside of a scoreless first quarter that left some fans yawning, there was nothing to complain about with the home team.
Purnell compared the postgame vibes in the locker room to that of a bowl win.
“Oh, it was electric,” Purnell said. “There is water everywhere, still. I’m sure there is stuff stuck in the floor. It was great. Everybody is excited and happy to get a win.”
The most uplifting thing of all is that K-State has five more games left in the season.
Even though some have already written off the Wildcats, they can still end the year with a bang. Bowl eligibility remains on the table. And if you really want to dream, a trip to the Big 12 championship game remains in the realm of possibility until they suffer another loss in league play.
Most importantly, the next two games are biggies. K-State will take the next week off and then head to Lawrence for a rivalry game against Kansas on Oct. 25. The Wildcats haven’t lost to the Jayhawks since 2008. Keeping that winning streak alive would mean a great deal to the fan base.
After that is a home game against current Big 12 kingpin Texas Tech.
Much will be forgiven if the Wildcats can go on a winning streak.
That seems possible given how well K-State has played in recent weeks. In its past three games, K-State has defeated UCF and TCU at home by double digits. And it lost on the road to Baylor at the buzzer.
It’s also possible that Edwards will have time to get healthy during the upcoming bye week.
The Wildcats have looked like an improved team. If they continue to play this way, their season is far from over.
Optimism has returned.
“Nobody thought we would be here right now in this position that we are in,” Jackson said. “But if we keep working hard every day like we have been, there is still so much out there for us.”