The Kansas State Wildcats rolled up 478 yards to 294 for Stephen F. Austin enroute to a 55-16 victory over the Lumberjacks in Manhattan Saturday night.

KSU coach Bill Snyder thought his team played reasonably well, but noted is work to do on defense. ” We made some mistakes. We just have to do a better job. It’s not rocket science to be able to stop the quarterback when he pulls it down and brings it out.”

Snyder added, “They did a nice job of scrambling with the football. We did a miserable job of defending against the scramble.”

The Wildcats scored on their first three possessions in the game, with Tyler Lockett catching a nine-yard pass from Jake Waters for a score, Waters scoring on a five-yard touchdown run, and Charles Jones scoring on a 15-yard touchdown run.

Jones was one of two running backs seeing extensive playing time for the first time for Kansas State. He scored two touchdowns, rushed for 55 yards on eight carries, and displayed the ability to rush out of the Wildcat formation where the ball was snapped directly to him from center. Also, DeMarcus Robinson rushed for 11 time for 50 yards and touchdowns, and caught four passes for 47 yards.  The indication early in the week was the Jones was the likely starter at running back, but it was Robinson who got the nod to start the ballgame.

Noticeable by his abcence much of the game after a couple of early series was Tyler Lockett. He is believed to have a minor hamstring injury. When asked why Lockett did not play after the first quarter Snyder replied, “Because I didn’t want him to. ” And when asked if Lockett would be able to play an extended role against Iowa State next week the Coach said only, “If I want him to.”

The crowd was reported by KSU at 52,830, the 14th straight sellout and eighth largest crowd ever for a football game at Kansas State.

The Wildcats play at 11 a.m. next Saturday at Iowa State.

 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Kansas City Royals have optioned rookie infielder Christian Colon to Double-A Northwest Arkansas, opening a roster spot for infielder Jayson Nix.

The moves were made before Saturday’s game against Cleveland.

Colon batted .302 in 19 games with the Royals. Nix was claimed off waivers Thursday from Pittsburgh and arrived in time for Saturday’s game.

The 32-year-old Nix hit .111 in 16 games with the Pirates. He began the season with Philadelphia.

Colon, who started seven games at second base and three at third, was the fourth overall pick in the 2010 draft out of Cal State Fullerton. Kansas City plans to recall him Tuesday after Northwest Arkansas’ season ends and major league rosters can be expanded to 40.

 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Chiefs have waived veteran kicker Ryan Succop and placed quarterback Tyler Bray and wide receiver Kyle Williams on injured reserve as they trimmed to the 53-man roster limit.

Succop was engaged in a heated competition for the kicking job with undrafted free agent Cairo Santos.

Ultimately, Succop’s contract may have played a big part in the decision. He was due $2 million this season while Santos will make just $422,000 with the Chiefs.

Bray and Williams were hurt in the Chiefs’ preseason finale against Green Bay.

Other players cut Saturday were defensive backs Malcolm Bronson, Jonathon Amaya, DeMarcus Van Dyke and Justin Rogers; linebackers Alonzo Highsmith, Devan Walker and Nico Johnson; defensive linemen Kyle Love, Kona Schwenke and Dominique Hamilton; offensive linemen Ricky Henry and J’Marcus Webb; wide receivers Mark Harrison and Fred Williams; fullback Jordan Campbell; and running back Charcandrick West.

 

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) – Jake Waters threw for 223 yards and accounted for four touchdowns and Charles Jones ran for a pair of scores as No. 20 Kansas State pounded Stephen F. Austin 55-16 on Saturday night.

Waters threw touchdown passes to Tyler Lockett and Kody Cook while also running for two TDs as the Wildcats improved to 21-2 in season openers under longtime coach Bill Snyder.

The road is about to get tougher. Kansas State travels to Iowa State to open Big 12 play next weekend. Then comes a statement game against sixth-ranked Auburn at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

Stephen F. Austin’s Joe Minden threw for 107 yards in relief of ineffective quarterback Zach Conque, and Gus Johnson had a 30-yard touchdown run after sitting out the entire first half.

 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Michael Brantley and Carlos Santana each had an RBI single in the 11th inning, leading the Cleveland Indians to a 3-2 victory over the sliding Kansas City Royals on Saturday night.

Kansas City has lost three in a row to fall into a first-place tie with Detroit, which split a doubleheader at Chicago. Cleveland is just 3 1/2 back in the bunched AL Central.

The Royals got a run back in the bottom of the 11th when Salvador Perez’s two-out double scored Jarrod Dyson. But Erik Kratz struck out to end the game.

 

 

The main parking lot at Junction City High School was full, as were side lots and parallel parking spots on streets near the senior high Friday night.

That has not normally been in the case in the past for preseason scrimmages, but a new format drew the people to Al Simpler Stadium and the Shenk Gym in substantial numbers.

The football scrimmages included the Junior Jays, middle school seventh and eighth grade teams, and the high school varsity squad. Future Blue Jay activities were also part of the evening. In addition the volleyball team scrimmaged in the Shenk Gym. It made it tough to find a parking place.

Blue Jay Head Football Coach Randall Zimmerman stated there were quite a few people in attendance. “That was neat. That’s what we wanted, to get a lot of people out here, and get the kids in front of them, and try to get them used to a Friday night game like that.”

Zimmerman thought his varsity defense was tough. “Those guys really get to the ball. They line up right. They communicate well.”  He saw some bright spots on offense. ” Obviously we’ve got a lot of things we’ve got to work on. I think that first group is understanding the pace we want to play at. We just need to play a little faster on that side of the ball. “The Blue Jays open the season at Highland Park next Friday.

In volleyball Lady Jay Head Coach Megan Parks thought her setters on the varsity did a good job and were consistent. “The team thought that our serve receive was good, so that’s a plus. Our setters were consistent. They ran things. I really like how they’re developing as leaders and running the court.”

 

 

Student Passes a Hot Commodity at K-State

 

MANHATTAN, Kan. – The student sections at both Bill Snyder Family Stadium and Bramlage Coliseum will be packed with purple once again in 2014-15 as K-State Athletics announced today that more than 9,300 total student passes have been sold for the upcoming football and men’s basketball seasons.

Wildcat students have set an all-time record for basketball/football combo tickets sold as fewer than 100 remain before reaching a season sellout of 7,000 combo passes. The number of total student passes sold for the upcoming season also marks the second straight year that students have surpassed the 9,300 mark, doing its part to run K-State’s consecutive sellout streak at Bill Snyder Family Stadium to 20 games with a full season sellout expected in 2014.

“At a time when others around college athletics may be experiencing a decline in student attendance and ticket sales, we are reminded once again how fortunate we are at K-State for the incredible support of the best students in the country,” Athletics Director John Currie said. “I appreciate our ongoing relationship with the Student Governing Association and SGA President Reagan Kays and want to thank the incredible number of students who will invest their personal time and energy into K-State Athletics this year.”

k-statesports.com

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Royals have designated left-hander Bruce Chen for assignment after six seasons with the team.

Friday’s move came one day after he gave up six runs in the 10th inning of an 11-5 loss to Minnesota.

The 37-year-old Chen is 2-4 with a 7.45 ERA in 13 games this season. He was in the Royals’ rotation when the season began, but went on the 60-day disabled list with a back injury.

The Royals recalled right-hander Louis Coleman from Triple-A Omaha to take Chen’s spot in the bullpen.

Chen won 35 games from 2010-12. He had a 47-43 record with a 4.53 ERA in six seasons with Kansas City.

Chen’s salary for 2014 is $3.25 million, with an option of $5.5 million for next year and a $1 million buyout.

 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – No. 20 Kansas State knows well the perils of playing an FCS school the first weekend of the season. The Wildcats were stunned by North Dakota State last year.

This time, it’s Stephen F. Austin that rolls into town looking for an upset.

The Wildcats return a bevy of talent from a team that rebounded from its season-opening loss to win eight times, though. And the Lumberjacks are coming off a three-win season that resulted in the hiring of coach Clint Conque away from Southland Conference rival Central Arkansas.

Kansas State will be guarding against looking ahead on Saturday night. Big 12 play begins next week at Iowa State, and a showdown with No. 6 Auburn looms after that.

 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Kansas City Royals claimed infielder Jayson Nix off waivers Thursday from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Nix hit .133 in 34 games this season with the Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies. He is a career .214 hitter in seven big league seasons. He’s also played for Colorado, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland and Toronto.

The Royals also activated left-handed pitcher Scott Downs, who had been on the disabled list with a stiff neck. The team also optioned right-handed pitcher Liam Hendriks to Double-A Northwest Arkansas. Hendriks held Minnesota to one run and four hits over seven innings in a no-decision spot start Wednesday in his Kansas City debut.

The Royals recalled right-hander Michael Mariot, who had been on the disabled list at Triple-A Omaha, and put him on the 60-day disabled list to make room for Nix on the 40-man major league roster.

The Royals will have to make a corresponding move to add Nix to the 25-man roster when he reports.