MANHATTAN, Kan. – For the fourth time in as many years, Kansas State’s football program led the Big 12 in Academic All-Big 12 selections as 28 Wildcats were honored by the conference on Thursday.

The 28 Wildcats honored were one shy of the school record set by the 2014 and 2016 squads, while the 19 first-team members were one shy of tying the school record. Since head coachBill Snyder’s return to the sidelines in 2009, the Wildcats have totaled 172 Academic All-Big 12 recipients (19.1 per year), including 123 on the first team (13.7 per year).

 

Additionally, Kansas State has totaled 111 Academic All-Big 12 honors over the last four years, 35 more than the next closest team.

 

Headlining this year’s list were a Big 12-best three players that were nominated with a 4.0 GPA in wide receiver Zach Reuter (biochemistry) – who tallied a 4.0 GPA for a second-straight year – offensive lineman Adam Holtorf (agribusiness) and defensive back Brock Monty (business administration). Reuter, who earned first-team honors last year, is one of nine Wildcats repeating as first-team honorees, joining defensive back Brogan Barry (2016; biology), offensive lineman Scott Frantz (2016; secondary education), tight end Blaise Gammon (2016; finance), defensive back Colby Moore (2016; public relations), offensive lineman Dalton Risner (2016; communication studies), linebacker Trent Tanking (2014 and 2016; industrial engineering), tight end Dayton Valentine (2015-16; kinesiology) and defensive end Tanner Wood (2014-16; animal sciences & industry).

 

Other Wildcats earning first-team accolades this year include Kyle Ball (business administration), Dylan Couch (business administration), Alex Delton (physical education), Bryce Fitzner (management), Denzel Goolsby (finance), Mitch Lochbihler (construction science and management), Dalton Schoen (mechanical engineering) and Carlos Strickland II (sociology).

 

K-State’s second-team members were comprised of Evan Curl (mechanical engineering), Winston Dimel (management), Trey Dishon (social sciences), Nick Kaltmayer (electrical engineering), Jayd Kirby(criminology), Reid Najvar (management), Drew Scott (entrepreneurship), Nick Walsh (finance) and Dalvin Warmack (management).

 

Nominated by each institution’s director of student-athlete support services, the 2017 football academic all-league squad is comprised of 120 first-team members combined with 78 on the second team. First-team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA, and the second team are those who have a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA.

 

To qualify, student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 20 percent of their team’s scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible.

 

K-State travels to 10^th-ranked Oklahoma State on Saturday, a 2:30 p.m., contest inside Boone Pickens Stadium that will be shown nationally on ESPN2.

 

The Wildcats return home for Senior Day against Iowa State on Saturday, November 25. The game will kick off at either 11 a.m., on FS1 or 2:30 p.m., on ESPN2 or ESPNU, and a determination for kick time and television designation will be made Sunday morning.

 

Tickets for the home finale are available for $65 apiece or $37.25 per ticket when purchasing a Wildcat 4 Pack. Fans can buy tickets by clicking here, calling 1-800-221-CATS or visiting the main ticket office inside Bramlage Coliseum.

 

– k-statesports.com –

 

RYAN LACKEY
Asst. Director/Athletics Communications | K-State Athletics

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Barry Brown scored 14 points to help Kansas State beat cold-shooting Missouri-Kansas City 72-51 on Tuesday night.

Xavier Sneed had 13 points and Dean Wade and Mawdo Sallah scored 11 points apiece for Kansas State.

After both teams struggled to get baskets early going, the Wildcats (2-0) put together a game-breaking 15-2 run in the final five minutes of the first half to give them a 14-point lead at the half.

The Kangaroos (1-2) struggled shooting for the entire night as they had multiple scoring droughts that would reach three or four minutes at a time. As a team they shot below 30 percent (13 of 50) for the second time in three games this season. Isaiah Ross was the lone player to score in double figures for UMKC with 12 points on 4-of-11 shooting.

BIG PICTURE: Kansas State moves to 2-0 on the season but struggled from the field, shooting 41 percent, which seemed to be contagious as UMKC struggled as well. We’re about a week away from Kansas State’s first tough test of the season when they play Arizona State in the Las Vegas Invitational on November 23.

Game 11
K-State at 15/10/13 Oklahoma State
Date: Saturday, November 18, 2017
Kickoff: 2:30 p.m.
Location: Stillwater, Okla.
Stadium: Boone Pickens Stadium (56,790)
Series: Oklahoma State leads, 39-24

K-STATE FACES ROAD TEST AT NO. 10 OKLAHOMA STATE
Coming off a close defeat last weekend, Kansas State will look to regroup and obtain bowl eligibility on Saturday as the Wildcats head to Stillwater, Oklahoma, to face No. 10 Oklahoma State at Boone Pickens Stadium.

A LOOK AT K-STATE
• Guided by Hall of Famer Bill Snyder, who is in his 26th year at the helm, the Wildcats are looking to become bowl eligible for the eighth-straight season with their next win.
• K-State trailed 35-24, in the fourth quarter at Texas Tech and came back to win. It was the largest fourth-quarter deficit overcome since being down 35-21 to Iowa State back in 2015 and winning, 38-35.
• It was the largest fourth-quarter deficit overcome in a road game in program history.
• The Wildcats have rushed for 788 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground over the last three weeks against No. 9 Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas Tech and West Virginia.
• K-State, which has reached 200 rushing yards five times this season, enter the week third in the Big 12 in rushing at 191.4 yards per game, second in yards per carry (4.9) and third in rushing touchdowns (22).
• K-State is led on the ground by sophomore Alex Barnes with 593 yards and five touchdowns. He has 1,035 career rushing yards to become just the third player in school history to eclipse 1,000 career yards prior to the end of his sophomore season.
• Redshirt freshman quarterback Skylar Thompson, who became the first freshman quarterback to start under Snyder since 2005, led a second-half comeback against Tech, finishing 5-of-8 for 96 yards and a score, while he added a rushing score prior to the game-tying 2-point conversion.
• The K-State defense is led by a pair of linebackers in Trent Tanking (81 tackles) and Jayd Kirby (73 tackles), both of whom rank in the top 10 in the Big 12 in tackles.
• Kirby has 31 tackles, 7.0 TFLs, 2.0 sacks, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and four pass breakups in his last four games.
• Cornerback Duke Shelley is third in the Big 12 with 11 passes defended, including a pick-six at Texas Tech en route to Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors.
• Cornerback D.J. Reed is coming off a game against WVU with five tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and an interception. He leads the Big 12 with 13 passes defended.

A LOOK AT THE SERIES
• Oklahoma State leads the all-time series, 39-24.
• Since 1990, K-State is 12-7 against the Cowboys.
• K-State is 8-21 all-time in games played in Stillwater, and the last road win was back in 1999.
• The last five games played in Stillwater have seen the Cowboys win by a slim average margin of 3.8 points.

NOVEMBER TO REMEMBER
• Under Bill Snyder, K-State is 60-28-1 in the month of November, including a 19-12 mark in his second tenure.
• Since 2009, K-State has had five winning records in the month.

BOWL STREAK
• With one more win, K-State will qualify for its eighth-straight bowl game and 19th under Bill Snyder.
• The Cats went to 11 straight from 1993-2003 and have gone each year since 2010 in his second tenure.
• K-State is one of 21 teams nationally to hold a current bowl streak of a least seven years.

K-State Football Weekly Press Conference Quotes
Head Coach Bill Snyder
On reflecting on loss to West Virginia…

“I think the statistics can probably tell the story. We turned the ball over twice and both turnovers were extremely costly in terms of points. We got penalized in manners that were very costly and kept us out of scoring position. We were unable to score in the red zone, or once you get the ball into scoring position, having the capacity to get something other than field goals. In the first quarter, we had four possessions that started inside the 50-yard line and got a total of six points out of it with two field goals. Those things were obviously issues for us. Big plays in the ballgame, defensively, had an impact. I think three of the four touchdowns they scored, they had possession time for a minute and 10 seconds, so they got 21 points in a minute and 10 seconds. That comes from substantial plays or big plays – two one-play drives and one four-play drive. So, it was a combination of things. Taking nothing away from West Virginia – they are a very fine football team and they have proven that throughout the course of the year – but it was a ballgame that we gave away.”

 

On the team’s response to Oklahoma State being favored by a large margin…

“I think that remains to be seen. I certainly have confidence and faith in them that they will battle and take it personally. I think they will get invested and try to become a better football team and certainly to go down there and compete. I think about the last two ballgames we played against Oklahoma State and both of them went right down to the last drive. We had the lead in both ballgames, lost the lead then had the opportunity to go back and win the game late and we didn’t do it. That was very similar to last week, which we lost also. In the Texas Tech game, the same thing took place. We played well enough to prove we were capable of doing it. Now it’s just a matter of doing it consistently, which we haven’t shown consistency in very many areas during the course of the season.”

 

On red zone defense…

“When we do so, I am certainly proud of our young guys for having the capacity to do that. I think the capacity is there, it is just the matter of when we do it and when we don’t do it. Obviously at the end of the day, the most significant statistic is points on the board, and we have been relatively good in that respect. There are some other things – possession time and third-down conversions – which become significant for us as well. I think we still labor some, even though we had two very big turnovers in terms of interceptions, and of course the two fumbles. Three of the four plays were not routine and were excel-lent plays. D.J. Reed, for instance, had that quick throw out to the boundary, fought off a block and made the tackle, stripped the ball himself and came up with the fumble. It was a major play for us, but we have to do something with it.”

 

On running back Dalvin Warmack…

“He is a young guy that comes to practice every day ready to practice, and he practices well. He practices hard and deserves the opportunity to be on the field a decent amount of the time and proves his worth. He has done that before in previous ball game. In the Texas Tech ballgame, he had a couple of nice runs. He has good quickness to him. He finds daylight quite well. He has good eyes in regards to picking and choosing where he’s going to go. He has a burst to him as well. He has good speed, but he has good quickness. He can change directions well. He’s a pretty decent running back.”

 

On Skylar Thompson’s confidence following the West Virginia game…

“I am sure it was affected in all honesty. I think he is a strong-minded individual, and I think he will respond well when his opportunity comes. He is a young guy that I think wanted to accept maybe more blame for the loss than he deserves. There were some things that he did not do well, but there were a lot of things that he had a help with. To the naked eye, it might seem to be his mistake, but that wasn’t necessarily the case. It was collectively a team effort when you get down to it.”

 

On considering D.J. Reed taking reps with the offense…

“It runs through my mind virtually every day. I love his suddenness, etc. He has so much on his plate right now and we’re struggling against the pass. I do not want to put him in between a rock and a hard place in that respect in terms of snaps on the field, but yes, a lot of thought has gone into it.”

 

On Oklahoma State quarterback Mason Rudolph and the attributes he possesses…

“I think he has several. Number one, I am always impressed by how well young guys can work within a system that they have and be able to a have command of the system. Whether that is passing game or running game changing plays etc., and providing leadership. I think he does all of those things quite well. He gets the ball out of his hands very rapidly. He has a quick release and is a very accurate thrower on most of the throws that he makes. He has good feet. He is a guy that will not get in a hurry in the pocket. They are a pretty good offensive line, vastly improved from last year. They protect him quite well and he manages to negotiate the pocket quite well and buys up an awful lot of time. I read he leads the nation in big-play throws, I think he has 36 passes of 30 yards or more, which is pretty substantial. He is able to get the ball down field as well throwing the short things. They like the short throws as well. They are a big slant team and they throw the attachments outside. He’s got some help, he’s got some guys that can run. (James) Washington is the leader in the nation in regards to big plays. He’s gotten a lot of those long-throw big plays. There are a couple of them that are very effective and productive receivers. Iowa State held him (Washington) to one catch. They did a nice job on him, but some other guys picked up the slack and, consequently, they threw the ball quiet well.”

Junior Offensive Lineman Dalton Risner

On the “us against the world” mentality this week…

“I love that we are large underdogs. I would much rather be a large underdog than be expected to win the game. A great team – and what a great opportunity to go out and beat a team that is supposed to beat us. Regardless of what everyone else thinks, since when has Kansas State needed other people to believe they are going to win a game to win football games? I do not think we ever have. I think it is a really great opportunity and not just because we are large underdogs. If we were expected to be three-point underdogs it would still be a great opportunity. I am just excited for Saturday and excited to get things going.”

 

On the struggle to score early on the road…

“I do not think it has to do with being on the road or being at home. I think that we have kind of struggled scoring touchdowns all season. That is something that we just have to correct. We will have a couple big plays and we will stall out at the 30-yard line. West Virginia is a really good example. We got the best field position out of any game I have been a part of at Kansas State, but we just could not capitalize. It is obviously a huge issue for the offense. I hate just sitting around and talking about it because that is not going to do anything. It is something that we have to correct in practice and it is something that we have to correct in the game. That is probably among the major issue with our whole offense – not finishing drives.”

Redshirt Freshman Quarterback Skylar Thompson

On his first career start…

“It was fun. Obviously it did not go like I wanted it to, but I got an opportunity of a lifetime. That is something I dreamed of since I was a little kid. I played a tough team; schematically it was pretty tough on a quarterback. I learned a lot from it, and I made some mistakes. I can only improve from here. It was a humbling experience.”

 

On the defensive looks from West Virginia…

“They dropped eight into coverage a lot of times. That made it hard to see things that were open. It was definitely a defense I never saw before in my life. It is a process that I have to take day by day. That is a defense I will see the next three years. To get one game under my belt right now is a great learning experience for me.”

 

On starting rather than coming off the bench…

“It was a little different lying in my bed Friday night knowing that I was going to take the first snap rather than not knowing when I will get my opportunity. I did not approach it any different. It was a lot different playing four quarters compared to one or two quarters. I felt a little bit different on Sunday compared to how I did playing one or two quarters against KU and Texas Tech.”

Senior Punter Nick Walsh

On the challenge of playing Oklahoma State on the road this week…

“It is going to be a challenge for sure, but it is the last away game for a lot of these seniors, unless we go to a bowl game, which we obviously want to and have a good feeling that we are going to. It is a fun place to play and a hard place to play – you cannot ask for much more going in and playing a good team like that. That is every kid’s dream – to be on that big of a stage and knock off one of those teams that are ranked high.”

 

On people counting them out on Saturday…

“Crazier things have happened. I do not think it is crazy for us to go in there and win. We have the talent, we have the coaches and we have the product to do so. There has been some crazy things that have happened in some games, and I do not think it is any stretch for us to go in there, put up a good fight and come out with the win.”

 

On the team’s morale right now sitting at 5-5…

“As far as overall attitude, it is obviously not as high as if we were undefeated and staring down a Big 12 Championship. As far as effort and fight, though, it is as high as it would have been if we were undefeated. It is important to this whole team to put us out on a high note. We are doing all we can, and everybody is trying to do their job. We are just trying to finish this season as strong as we can.”

Senior Defensive Back Brogan Barry

On moving on from the loss to West Virginia…

“It definitely hurts, but at the end of the day everyone on this team still wants to go to a bowl game. That is obviously a huge motivating factor. It is one of those things where as much as it hurts, you have to learn from it and put it behind you. Then go back to the grind, one day at a time, and try to keep getting better.”

 

On the fight of the team…

“I think it speaks to the spirit of this team. We have a bunch of guys who are never going to give up, never going to fold, never going to quit, and it really is inspiring when you see guys playing so hard. At the end of the day, you hope that if you keep working hard it will be rewarded with some bounces and luck going our way with a result in our favor.”

 

On the threat of Oklahoma State quarterback Mason Rudolph…

“He is extremely tough, but in addition to that he has a lot of weapons around him. Everyone has to be on their game and ready for their assignments. Their running game really helps out their pass element. It is going to be a big test, but I think everyone is up for it and ready to go to work.”

————
RYAN LACKEY
Asst. Director/Athletics Communications | K-State Athletics

 

GAME #2

KANSAS STATE (1-0) vs. UMKC (1-1)

Tuesday, November 14, 2017 >> 7:10 p.m. CT >> Bramlage Coliseum (12,528) >> Manhattan, Kan.

 

 

COACHES

Kansas State: Bruce Weber (Wis.-Milwaukee ’78)

Overall: 414-223/20^th season

At K-State: 101-68/6^th season

1. UMKC: 2-0

 

UMKC: Kareem Richardson (Evansville ‘97)

Overall: 55-76/5th season

At UMKC: Same

1. Kansas State: 0-1

 

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

Kansas State (1-0)

G: #3 Kamau Stokes

G: #5 Barry Brown, Jr.

G: #20 Xavier Sneed

F: #32 Dean Wade

F: #14 Makol Mawien

 

UMKC (1-1)

G: #0 Xavier Bishop

G: #2 Isaiah Ross

G: #10 Broderick Robinson

F: #5 Jordan Giles

F: #30 Aleer Leek

 

SERIES HISTORY

Overall: K-State leads 17-1

In Manhattan: K-State leads 11-0

Last Meeting: K-State, 83-73, 11/17/2014

Weber vs. Richardson: Weber leads 1-0

 

OPENING TIP

• Kansas State (1-0) continues its 6-game homestand to start the 2017-18 season, as the Wildcats play host to UMKC (1-1) at 7 p.m., on Tuesday at Bramlage Coliseum. K-State has won 17 of the 18 meetings in the series, including the 11 played at home (10-0 at Bramlage Coliseum). The matchup will mark the second time in four years that the two teams have squared off in the second game of the season with K-State coming from behind to post a 83-73 win over the Kangaroos on Nov. 17, 2014.
• Tuesday’s contest will be the second of four home games in an 11-day span before the Wildcats embark upon their first road trip at the Las Vegas Invitational, Nov. 23-24, at the Orleans Arena against Arizona State (1-0), George Washington (1-0) and No. 17/17 Xavier (1-0). The squad plays reigning Big West champion UC Irvine (1-1) on Friday night before hosting Northern Arizona (0-1) on Monday, Nov. 20.
• K-State is attempting to start 2-0 for 14th time in the last 15 seasons and have won its second game of the season 14 consecutive times. The Wildcats have started 2-0 or better 13 times in the last 14 seasons with the lone exception of the 2013-14 season when the squad lost their opener to Northern Colorado. Last season, the team started the season 5-0 before suffering their first loss to No. 23 Maryland.
• The Wildcats have won 17 consecutive games against non-conference opponents in home venues (16 at Bramlage Coliseum). Overall, the school has an 88-5 (.946) record at home in non-conference play since 2006-07, including 86-4 (.956) in the regular season, and has won 77 of their last 80 non-conference home games.
• K-State opened its 114th season on Friday night with a convincing 83-45 win over Patriot League for American, as the team dominated on both ends of the court.  The Wildcats connected on 54.7 percent (29-of-53) of their field goals, including 54.5 percent (12-of-22) from 3-point range, while holding the Eagles to just 30.4 percent (17-of-56).
• It was the largest victory in an opener since also winning by 38 points against Loyola Chicago on Nov. 13, 2009 and the fewest points allowed in an opener since also holding South Dakota to 45 points in a 50-point win on Nov. 29, 1986.
• Junior Dean Wade was one of five Wildcats to register double figures with a game-high 17 points on 6-of-7 field goals, including all 3 treys, with 4 rebounds and 3 assists in just 24 minutes. Redshirt freshman Cartier Diarra and sophomore Makol Mawien had impressive debuts, as Diarra collected 13 points off the bench on 4-of-5 shooting with 4 assists and Mawien nearly had a double-double with 12 points (5-of-7 field goals) with a game-high 9 rebounds and 2 blocks in a start. Juniors Barry Brown, Jr., (10) and Kamau Stokes (10) also scored in double digits.
• With the win, K-State is now 89-25 (.781) all-time in season openers, including a 77-9 (.895) mark at home. The team is now 26-4 (.867) at Bramlage Coliseum in home openers, including a 24-2 (.923) record in season openers. Head coach Bruce Weber is now 18-2 (.900) in his 20-year head coaching career in season openers (Southern Illinois, Illinois and K-State), including an 18-1 (.947) mark in home openers. He is 5-1 in season openers at K-State.

 

NOTES ON UMKC

• UMKC enters Tuesday’s game with a 1-1 record after posting a 110-59 victory over Haskell on Sunday afternoon. The Kangaroos connected on 50.6 percent (39-of-77) from the field and out-scored Haskell, 56-14, in the paint and 33-3 in points off turnovers (off 28 miscues). Sophomore Jordan Giles led all scorers with 21 points, while sophomore Xavier Bishop and junior Mo Ahmed finished with 18 each.
• UMKC opened the year with a 109-57 setback at No. 7/8 Wichita State on Friday night, as the team hit on just 27.7 percent (18-of-65) from the field. The Shockers held a 47-4 advantage in the paint. Sophomore Isaiah Ross led with 12 points off the bench, while senior Broderick Robinson had 11 points and 5 rebounds.
• The Kangaroos are averaging 83.5 points per game on 40.1 percent shooting, including 32.7 percent from 3-point range, with 37.5 rebounds, 12.0 assists, 13.0 steals and 2.5 blocks per game, while allowing opponents to average 84 points on 45.5 percent shooting, including 41.4 percent from long range. The team is strong from the free throw line, averaging 18.5 makes per game on 74.0 percent shooting. The squad is forcing 21 turnovers per game and 13.0 steals per contest.
• Bishop is one of three players averaging in double figures for UMKC, as he leads the team with a 12.0 points per game average on 43.8 percent shooting to go with averages of 3.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.0 rebounds in 19.0 minutes per game. Giles is averaging 11.5 points on 47.1 percent shooting, while Ross is averaging 11.0 points on 29.2 percent shooting with a team-tying 4 treys. Robinson leads in rebounding at 6.0 per game to go with a 6.5 points per game average.
• Head coach Kareem Richardson enters his fifth season at UMKC with a 55-76 (.420) overall record. He led the Kangaroos to a breakthrough season in 2016-17 with an 18-17 overall mark, the second-most victories in school history, and a trip to the CBI. It was the first postseason invitation in school history, which included a victory of Green Bay before ending the season at Wyoming. The team set program records six categories a year ago, including points (2,691), 3-pointers (315) and rebounds (1,213). He has been assistant at Wright State, UMKC, Drake, Xavier and Louisville.

TOM GILBERT
Associate Director for Athletics Communications | K-State Athletics

 

 

MANHATTAN, Kan. – The Big 12 Conference and its television partners have announced that Kansas State’s Senior Day contest against Iowa State on November 25, has been placed on the six-day ready list.

 

The Wildcats and Cyclones will kick off at 11 a.m., on FS1 or at 2:30 p.m., on either ESPN2 or ESPNU. K-State will be in search of its 10^th-straight victory over Iowa State and sixth-straight in Manhattan.

 

Tickets for the home finale are available for $65 apiece or for $37.25 apiece when purchasing a Wildcat 4 Pack. Fans can buy tickets by clicking here, calling 1-800-221-CATS or visiting the main ticket office inside Bramlage Coliseum.

 

The Wildcats travel to No. 10 Oklahoma State on Saturday, a 2:30 p.m., contest inside Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The game will be shown nationally on ESPN2.

 

Big 12 TV Selections for Weekend of Saturday, November 25

Friday, November 24
Baylor at TCU                                     11 a.m.                 FS1

Texas Tech at Texas                        7 p.m.                   FOX

 

Saturday, November 25

Iowa State at K-State                      11 a.m. (FS1) OR 2:30 p.m. (ESPN2 or ESPNU)

Kansas at Oklahoma State            11 a.m. (FS1) OR 2:30 p.m. (ESPN2 or ESPNU)

West Virginia at Oklahoma           TBA                        ABC or ESPN

– k-statesports.com –

 
RYAN LACKEY
Asst. Director/Athletics Communications | K-State Athletics

 

ate Athletics

MANHATTAN, Kan. – The Big 12 Conference and its television partners have announced that Kansas State’s game this coming Saturday at Oklahoma State will kick off at 2:30 p.m., from Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and be televised nationally by ESPN2.

 

It will be the third time this year, including the second in as many weeks, that the Wildcats will play on ESPN2. K-State is looking to snap a two-game losing streak to Oklahoma State, including a five-game skid in Stillwater.

The game can also be heard on 1420 KJCK, The Talk of JC.

Kansas State returns home for Senior Day on Saturday, November 25, when the Wildcats host Iowa State.

 

Big 12 TV Selections for Saturday, November 18

Texas at West Virginia                    11 a.m.                 ESPN

TCU at Texas Tech                            11 a.m.                 FS1

Iowa State at Baylor                        1:30 p.m.             FSN

K-State at Oklahoma State          2:30 p.m.             ESPN2

Oklahoma at Kansas                       2:30 p.m.             ESPN

K-State hosted Fort Riley Day on Saturday at the football game won by West Virginia over the Wildcats 28-23.

( Photos courtesy of Rick Dykstra )

 

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Senior place-kicker Matthew McCrane connected on three field goals to break the K-State record for most field goals in a career, DJ Reed forced two turnovers on defense and the Wildcats held West Virginia scoreless in the second half, but the No. 23 Mountaineers held on for a 28-23 win at Bill Snyder Family Stadium on Saturday.

 

HOW IT HAPPENED

The K-State defense was active early, causing havoc for the Mountaineers offense. On the first defensive possession, Reed, K-State’s junior corner, forced and recovered a fumble for the game’s first turnover. On the subsequent WVU possession, senior defensive end Davis Clark sacked Mountaineer quarterback Will Grier for a four-yard loss, causing the second consecutive empty possession for the Mountaineers.

 

Later in the first quarter, Reed registered his second forced turnover of the game, after Grier’s pass was tipped into the air and nabbed by Reed who returned the interception to the West Virginia three-yard line. Reed’s second turnover led to the first points of the game, as Lou Groza semifinalist McCrane connected on a 21-yard field goal to tie K-State great Martin Gramatica’s career mark. McCrane would add another field goal later in the first quarter to extend the K-State lead to 6-0 and position himself at the top of the leaderboard.

 

The celebration was short lived however, as West Virginia responded with a one-play, 75-yard touchdown strike from Grier to wide receiver Ka’Raun White who escaped the Wildcat secondary. Grier connected on another touchdown pass to David Sills V from 16-yards out as part of a 14-0 swing to push the Mountaineer lead to 14-6.

 

The Wildcats first offensive possession of the second quarter resulted in the team’s first touchdown of the game, as running back Dalvin Warmack set up the Wildcat offense at the one-yard line following a 22-yard carry. Junior fullback Winston Dimel capped of the drive with a one-yard touchdown carry to bring the score within one at 14-13.

 

Before halftime, both teams traded punches as the Mountaineers struck on a four-yard touchdown pass to Sills, and K-State matched with a 2-yard touchdown rush by Dimel, his second of the day. Just before the break, a screen pass was nabbed by a WVU lineman and Grier aired out a 30-yard touchdown to White with time expiring to give his side a 28-20 advantage.

 

Coming out of the break, the third quarter was scoreless as the Wildcats marched down the field but came up empty on a 32-yard field goal attempt – ruled a miss as the ball sailed above the top of the upright and wasn’t fully inside. On the following possession, K-State benefitted from another McCrane field goal, this time from 39-yards out to bring the score to 28-23, West Virginia.

 

With under 10 minutes left in the game, Thompson and the Wildcat offense were moving down the field before another untimely interception as a WVU defender jumped in front of a Thompson pass and returned the interception for 37 yards to the K-State 48-yard line. The Wildcat defense was able to force West Virginia to a three-and-out, but pinned deep inside its own territory, K-State couldn’t get a drive going and West Virginia got a pair of first downs while running out the clock.

 

The K-State offense compiled 332 total yards of offense, including 173 that came on the ground as the Wildcats controlled the time of possession for 36:01. The Wildcats converted 3-of-5 opportunities in the red zone. Defensively the Wildcats forced four turnovers that resulted in three points, all of which came in the first half, as the team allowed 492 total yards of offense to the Mountaineers in the game.

 

OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE GAME

The ground-and-pound attack of Warmack and Dimel proved successful on Saturday, as Warmack rushed for 96 yards on 14 carries, while Dimel pounded in two touchdowns from one and two-yards out to meet his 22^nd career rushing touchdown. Warmack’s 96 rush yards marked a career day as he reached a new career-high in rushing yards, surpassing his previous career high of 90 yards set against Florida Atlantic in 2016.

 

Redshirt freshman Skylar Thompson completed 13-of-26 passing for 159 yards in his first career-start, and took 18 carries for 53 yards on the ground. Thompson connected with Isaiah Zuber four times for 45 yards, as Zuber was the Wildcats’ top receiver in the game.

 

DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE GAME

On the first defensive possession of the game, Reed shed his block and grabbed a hold of West Virginia’s Gary Jennings on a wide receiver screen and stripped the ball from Jennings, and recovering the fumble. Reed’s first half forced fumble and recovery was his first forced fumble of the season, and his second fumble recovery of the season.

 

Later in the first, Reed nabbed his second turnover of the game and his fourth interception of the season. Reed’s two turnovers marks his first multi-turnover game of his career.

 

In the second quarter, sophomore Denzel Goolsby recorded the second K-State interception of the game and his second interception of the season.

 

K-State pressured Grier throughout the game but recorded just two sacks in the game as senior Jayd Kirby brought down Grier for a loss of two, and Clark recorded his second sack of the season. Junior Kendall Adams led the team with 11 total tackles in the game which marks a season high. Kirby followed by tallying nine tackles, seven of which were solo tackles.

 

SPECIAL TEAMS STARS OF THE GAME

McCrane hit three field goals from 21, 39 and 43 yards to break Martin Gramatica’s K-State record of career field goals made with 56. McCrane’s 43-yarder in the first quarter was the record breaker, as he surpassed Gramatica’s previous record of 54 career field goals.

 

With an impressive day on defense, Reed added on with a 44-yard punt return in the third quarter and a 31-yard punt return in the fourth quarter, as he helped set up the Wildcat offense with good field position. Reed returned four punts for a total of 99 yards, and racked up 132 all-purpose yards in the game.

 

Punter Nick Walsh punted eight times for a net of 352 yards on Saturday, including two punts that were downed within the 5-yard line. Walsh also sent two punts over 50 yards, with a long of 52.

 

STATS OF THE GAME

56 – With three field goals from 21, 39 and 43 yards out on Saturday, McCrane set a new K-State record for most field goals made in a career, surpassing Martin Gramatica’s previous record of 54.

 

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

K-State Head Coach Bill Snyder
On Skylar Thompson’s performance…
“He did not play as well as he did the two previous games, but he had a lot of help as well on that regard. He did some good things throughout the course of the ball game, but struggled from time to time. But, like I said, it was not Skylar. There were an awful lot of reasons we did not win that ball game.”

On final play of first half…
“Obviously, it impacted us offensively because the offense did not score in the third quarter. They did not score in the third quarter either so apparently it did not affect our defense too much. It was just a bad series of events.”

 

On DJ  Reed…
“DJ [Reed] played well on special teams. Obviously, he had some very nice returns. He played well defensively as well. Collectively, I think he played well. He had a couple of issues in the passing game on defense, but overall he played well.”

 

SEASON RECORD UPDATE

K-State 5-5 (3-4 Big 12)

West Virginia 7-3 (5-2 Big 12)

 

WHAT’S NEXT

The Wildcats will hit the road as they travel to Sillwater, Oklahoma to take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Boone Pickens Stadium on Saturday, November 18. The kickoff time will be announced Sunday morning.

 

–www.kstatesports.com–

TOM GILBERT
Associate Director for Athletics Communications | K-State Athletics

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder and select players met with members of the media Tuesday at the Vanier Family Football Complex prior to K-State’s Fort Riley Day game against West Virginia on Saturday. The contest against the Mountaineers kicks off a 2:30 p.m., and will be shown nationally on ESPN2. Selected comments from Snyder’s press conference (archived here) are posted below, along with a collection of comments from players.

Only scattered singles and standing-room only seating options remain for the game. Scattered singles are priced at $35 and can be purchased by clicking here. Standing-room only tickets are on sale for $65 and are available by clicking here, while a $149 Wildcat 4 Pack is available by clicking here.

K-State Football Weekly Press Conference Quotes
Head Coach Bill Snyder
On what he would say if told Skylar Thompson would be taking significant snaps late in the season…

“I wouldn’t say it would have surprised me to say he was capable of doing that, that’s not a surprise. We have had an understanding of what he’s capable of. He’s grown beyond some expectations, perhaps that is probably fair to say. I think he has played very consistently, knock on wood, with the opportunities he has had. I’m very pleased with him.”

 

On team’s mindset coming off big win…

“I think the spirit is there. What I am hoping for is the other word that you used, that we have a good deal of focus and they don’t lose sight of that. That’s the most significant thing for me.”

 

On the importance of fixing inconsistencies in the third quarter…

“It is vital. We have always stressed emphasis on trying to be good in the first five minutes of the third quarter. In other words, coming out of the locker room and being able to maintain a level of consistency and success. We have probably ended up, not always, but the vast majority of the time on the receiving end of the football, which means we’ve been fortunate to win more (coin) tosses. It still eats up some time when you talk about the number of plays and the yardage goes right along with it, but teams have made good adjustments at halftime. They come out and we have some difficulty getting them off the field. Consequently, we do not get as many snaps offensively. But, like last week, we came out and went three and out, which gives them two successive opportunities for drives. If they hold the ball a decent amount of time, then you are well through the third quarter. At a point in time, we had only three snaps in the third quarter well into the third quarter of the ballgame. Both sides have to play better, it’s that simple, as well as make better adjustments for whatever their adjustments are. That’s kind of a feeling-out peri-od.”

 

On the defensive play against Texas Tech…

“I think the defensive effort was good. I do not like to give up 405 (passing) yards, but big plays were a part of it. It is matchups just as much as anything. I think one of the big things – which a statistical thing, which doesn’t always lend itself to win ballgames – there was an awful lot of yardage eaten up from their 25 to our 25, which is concerning because they converted third-down snaps. In several instances, we did a good enough job in terms of holding them out of the end zone. The problem is it keeps our offense off the field for an extended amount of time and it alters the field position dramatically as well. From a defensive standpoint, big plays were a part of it, but every scoring drive they had was a 75-yard scoring drive, which all came after the offense scored. We have to do a better job of getting the brakes put on on third down.”

 

On the differences of spread offenses between West Virginia and Texas Tech…

“I do not think there is a great deal of significant difference from West Virginia and Texas Tech. I think they are very similar in what they do. Dana (Holgorsen) is a very bright young coach, as I believe Kliff (Kingsbury) is. Both of them have come from that throwing background where they put the football in the air an awful lot. Both of them are engrained in trying to have balance in their offense. Both of them have done that and had success doing it. It just makes it a little more difficult for a defense. I think the teams in our conference, when you look at the statistics, yes everyone is throwing the ball and throwing it well. You look at the guy we are going to face this week, (Will) Grier, I think he’s like sixth or seventh in the nation in throwing the football, yet he is fourth in the conference. So, yes, the Big 12 is throwing the ball all over the place but is bringing the running game into it. So, they put you in a position where you have to defend both the run and the pass, which may make you a little less efficient against the pass.”

 

On where he views K-State’s offensive balance…

“It is not where I would like it to be at all. In some categories we have gotten a little bit closer, even though our completion percentage is not near what we are accustomed to. Yet, in the last couple of ball-games, that has elevated a little bit. We have not thrown for as many yards, but then again, we have not put the passing game out there with the number of snaps we want to have. We’re not having the invest-ment in it that we want to have. That’s not coming from being negligent, it just comes from what the need happens to be what we are capable of doing.”

 

On how the quarterback situation has altered the offense…

“It is not that there is a dramatic difference between the three, but yes it does have an impact on what we can do and how we can do it as much as anything. In some ways, somebody can look and say you have to run it more because so and so cannot throw very well or whatever the case may be. It is not that, it is just who has a higher degree of capacity in certain areas of execution.”

Sophomore Wide Receiver Dalton Schoen

On Saturday’s win…

“That was just a huge win for our team. To come together like that in the fourth (quarter), being down, getting into overtime, and getting the win builds a lot of momentum and energy from the team.”

 

On the play of quarterback Skylar Thompson…

“We knew he was going to come in and play great. You saw when he came in against KU. He came in and showed some pretty good poise and worked well with the offense.”

 

On the upcoming games…

“It is all about us and how we prepare and execute. I am a firm believer of if we play to our full capabilities, we can beat anyone on our schedule. That goes back to playing to our capabilities and playing a full game. We need to play all four quarters and all three phases of the game, which we have not done yet this season. If we can do that, than we can be something pretty special and beat whoever we have in front of us.”

 

On the offense…

“We are doing a good job of working the balance. The pass and running game have to complement each other. When we get too run heavy, we are predictable, and teams can stack the box. We are working toward the point where we are mixing it up well and making it hard for the defenses to predict what we are doing.”

Senior Place Kicker Matthew McCrane

On evaluating his career and being compared to Martin Gramatica…

“I hate that I missed the kicks that I did and I wish I could have made it a couple more seasons fully healthy. It is exciting and cool to think about, especially to be on a pedestal with somebody like Martin (Gramatica).”

 

On momentum of the team…

“We want to win every one. Skylar (Thompson) did a phenomenal job coming in for us, and I think Alex (Delton) did a good job throughout the game. Skylar showed exceptional leadership, and I think you saw the video from the locker room with Dalton (Risner). That is something we needed and something that those guys gave us. We are one step closer to being bowl eligible and that is our goal.”

 

On getting a break with Texas Tech’s missed field goal…

“We had some momentum going right after that kick when he did miss it. The wind was horrible, especially on that end. I feel for him for sure; I have been in that situation in the past and when he missed the kick, I think we all knew we had a chance to come back and win it.”

 

On the team’s energy carrying over into this week…

“I was talking to Dalton (Risner) in the locker room yesterday. Once we got this win, it finally feels like we are back on the climb again. With the losses previously in the season, it was a letdown for our expectations. I was talking with Dalton and we are excited as a team. I think we played well ultimately, probably not the best that we could have, but I think we did enough for a win. We need to go get another win and that is what we want to do.”

d quarter…

“It is vital. We have always stressed emphasis on trying to be good in the first five minutes of the third quarter. In other words, coming out of the locker room and being able to maintain a level of consistency and success. We have probably ended up, not always, but the vast majority of the time on the receiving end of the football, which means we’ve been fortunate to win more (coin) tosses. It still eats up some time when you talk about the number of plays and the yardage goes right along with it, but teams have made good adjustments at halftime. They come out and we have some difficulty getting them off the field. Consequently, we do not get as many snaps offensively. But, like last week, we came out and went three and out, which gives them two successive opportunities for drives. If they hold the ball a decent amount of time, then you are well through the third quarter. At a point in time, we had only three snaps in the third quarter well into the third quarter of the ballgame. Both sides have to play better, it’s that simple, as well as make better adjustments for whatever their adjustments are. That’s kind of a feeling-out peri-od.”

 

On the defensive play against Texas Tech…

“I think the defensive effort was good. I do not like to give up 405 (passing) yards, but big plays were a part of it. It is matchups just as much as anything. I think one of the big things – which a statistical thing, which doesn’t always lend itself to win ballgames – there was an awful lot of yardage eaten up from their 25 to our 25, which is concerning because they converted third-down snaps. In several instances, we did a good enough job in terms of holding them out of the end zone. The problem is it keeps our offense off the field for an extended amount of time and it alters the field position dramatically as well. From a defensive standpoint, big plays were a part of it, but every scoring drive they had was a 75-yard scoring drive, which all came after the offense scored. We have to do a better job of getting the brakes put on on third down.”

 

On the differences of spread offenses between West Virginia and Texas Tech…

“I do not think there is a great deal of significant difference from West Virginia and Texas Tech. I think they are very similar in what they do. Dana (Holgorsen) is a very bright young coach, as I believe Kliff (Kingsbury) is. Both of them have come from that throwing background where they put the football in the air an awful lot. Both of them are engrained in trying to have balance in their offense. Both of them have done that and had success doing it. It just makes it a little more difficult for a defense. I think the teams in our conference, when you look at the statistics, yes everyone is throwing the ball and throwing it well. You look at the guy we are going to face this week, (Will) Grier, I think he’s like sixth or seventh in the nation in throwing the football, yet he is fourth in the conference. So, yes, the Big 12 is throwing the ball all over the place but is bringing the running game into it. So, they put you in a position where you have to defend both the run and the pass, which may make you a little less efficient against the pass.”

 

On where he views K-State’s offensive balance…

“It is not where I would like it to be at all. In some categories we have gotten a little bit closer, even though our completion percentage is not near what we are accustomed to. Yet, in the last couple of ball-games, that has elevated a little bit. We have not thrown for as many yards, but then again, we have not put the passing game out there with the number of snaps we want to have. We’re not having the invest-ment in it that we want to have. That’s not coming from being negligent, it just comes from what the need happens to be what we are capable of doing.”

 

On how the quarterback situation has altered the offense…

“It is not that there is a dramatic difference between the three, but yes it does have an impact on what we can do and how we can do it as much as anything. In some ways, somebody can look and say you have to run it more because so and so cannot throw very well or whatever the case may be. It is not that, it is just who has a higher degree of capacity in certain areas of execution.”

Sophomore Wide Receiver Dalton Schoen

On Saturday’s win…

“That was just a huge win for our team. To come together like that in the fourth (quarter), being down, getting into overtime, and getting the win builds a lot of momentum and energy from the team.”

 

On the play of quarterback Skylar Thompson…

“We knew he was going to come in and play great. You saw when he came in against KU. He came in and showed some pretty good poise and worked well with the offense.”

 

On the upcoming games…

“It is all about us and how we prepare and execute. I am a firm believer of if we play to our full capabilities, we can beat anyone on our schedule. That goes back to playing to our capabilities and playing a full game. We need to play all four quarters and all three phases of the game, which we have not done yet this season. If we can do that, than we can be something pretty special and beat whoever we have in front of us.”

 

On the offense…

“We are doing a good job of working the balance. The pass and running game have to complement each other. When we get too run heavy, we are predictable, and teams can stack the box. We are working toward the point where we are mixing it up well and making it hard for the defenses to predict what we are doing.”

Senior Place Kicker Matthew McCrane

On evaluating his career and being compared to Martin Gramatica…

“I hate that I missed the kicks that I did and I wish I could have made it a couple more seasons fully healthy. It is exciting and cool to think about, especially to be on a pedestal with somebody like Martin (Gramatica).”

 

On momentum of the team…

“We want to win every one. Skylar (Thompson) did a phenomenal job coming in for us, and I think Alex (Delton) did a good job throughout the game. Skylar showed exceptional leadership, and I think you saw the video from the locker room with Dalton (Risner). That is something we needed and something that those guys gave us. We are one step closer to being bowl eligible and that is our goal.”

 

On getting a break with Texas Tech’s missed field goal…

“We had some momentum going right after that kick when he did miss it. The wind was horrible, especially on that end. I feel for him for sure; I have been in that situation in the past and when he missed the kick, I think we all knew we had a chance to come back and win it.”

 

On the team’s energy carrying over into this week…

“I was talking to Dalton (Risner) in the locker room yesterday. Once we got this win, it finally feels like we are back on the climb again. With the losses previously in the season, it was a letdown for our expectations. I was talking with Dalton and we are excited as a team. I think we played well ultimately, probably not the best that we could have, but I think we did enough for a win. We need to go get another win and that is what we want to do.”