Report card from K-State’s victory over Colorado and a look ahead to bowl season
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- K-State finished 6-6, won four of final six games and clinched bowl eligibility.
- Defense limited Colorado to 3.2 yards per rush and pressured on third downs.
- Most likely bowl is the Independence Bowl in Shreveport with selection Dec.7.
At various points this season, Kansas State football fans have wondered what the Wildcats were playing for.
A slow start prevented them from competing for a Big 12 championship. And a 2-5 record in one-score games made it impossible for them to play in an upper-tier bowl game.
But even after most of their preseason goals were no longer within reach, they won four of their final six games. That includes a 24-14 victory over Colorado on Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, which allowed K-State to finish 6-6 and clinch bowl eligibility for the fifth straight year.
“I feel like we played for each other,” K-State defensive back Gunner Maldonado said. “At the end of the day, we were projected to do whatever preseason. But every game counts. Every game matters. It’s bragging rights versus everybody you play against. The fans don’t come out to just watch us lay down, even though we’re not playing for anything. I feel like we were playing for everybody.”
Some will only remember this K-State football season as a disappointment. After all, this is the first time the Wildcats have failed to win at least eight games during the Chris Klieman era (excluding the pandemic season of 2020).
Still, K-State players are looking forward to a bowl trip.
“I bet a lot of people had doubts about if we were going to make a bowl game,” K-State offensive lineman Taylor Poitier said, “or if we were going to finish out strong the rest of the season. But that’s what we have been doing the whole year. We haven’t been worried about the people outside our locker room. We just kept it together and we got it done.”
Let’s dive into some analysis from the Colorado game ...
Player of the game: Joe Jackson
He was unable to match his record-breaking performance from last week, but Joe Jackson still put up an impressive stat line against Colorado — 142 yards and three touchdowns on 26 rushing attempts.
These were tougher yards than he gained last week. The holes were smaller, and Colorado was ready for him. But he still found a way to move the chains.
Interestingly, Jackson played his best after Dylan Edwards decided to leave the team three weeks ago. In his final three games, Jackson rushed for 504 yards and seven touchdowns.
Stat of the game & quote to note
Colorado went 8 for 17 on third down and 1 for 4 on fourth down. The K-State defense played its best on money downs.
As for the quote ...
“We just couldn’t find ways to win those one-score games this year. I think that’s why our record is the way it is. I don’t think we’re a 6-6 team as far as coaching and talent level, but when you can’t find ways to win games, that’s what your record looks like.” - K-State quarterback Avery Johnson.
K-State football grades
Offense: B. It was a mostly forgettable day for the K-State offense. Avery Johnson completed 10 of 17 passes for 115 yards and the Wildcats only gained 321 yards against the Buffaloes. Those would be terrible numbers under normal conditions. But let’s remember that this game was played in cold and wet conditions. The wind also howled in the second half. K-State got enough done on the ground (206 rushing yards on 43 attempts) to win.
Defense: A. The Wildcats limited the Buffaloes to 3.2 yards per rush. That made it hard for Colorado to get much done in poor weather. Desmond Purnell led K-State with nine tackles and Ryan Davis had three tackles for loss. The Buffaloes only had two scoring drives all day.
Special Teams: A. Luis Rodriguez connected on his lone field-goal attempt and Simon McClannan averaged 51.3 yards per punt. He boomed one for 62 yards in the second quarter.
Coaching: B+. No one was pumped up for this game. Only the most loyal fans in EMAW Nation showed up to cheer on the Wildcats. Klieman deserves credit for getting enough out of his team to win by double digits.
Next up for K-State: Bowl season
The most likely postseason destination for K-State appears to be the Independence Bowl.
That bowl game sent a representative to Manhattan for Saturday’s game, and he even shook hands with Chris Klieman after he was finished with his postgame news conference.
The Independence Bowl is played in Shreveport, La. This year, the game will kickoff at 1 p.m. on Dec. 30. ESPN will televise the action. It is slated to feature a Big 12 team and a Conference USA team.
But there are other bowl possibilities for K-State, especially if BYU and Texas Tech both make the College Football Playoff. The Liberty Bowl could be interested in the Wildcats. So could the Rate Bowl, though it’s unlikely that game would invite K-State to play there in back-to-back seasons.
K-State will learn its bowl destination next week with an announcement on the afternoon of Dec. 7.