By Jackson Schneider
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Senior Day inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium felt abnormal for a multitude of reasons in 2020. From the 25% capacity crowd, to no band in attendance, to K-State’s first Senior Day loss in 6 years, things just didn’t go the Wildcats’ way.
Kansas State went three-and-out on the game’s first possession and Texas took the ball and ultimately went 81 yards on just seven plays to grab a quick 7-0 lead. Texas would then pounce on the Cats and add a field goal and another touchdown before the end of the first period, taking a commanding 17-0 lead.
“Well, we couldn’t stop them,” said Kansas State Head Coach Chris Klieman. “We ran out of players. We didn’t have Eli Sullivan after play three, didn’t have J-Mac in the second half, the next guy up has got to step up, and we need to be better.”
K-State’s own mistakes surely aided Texas in their quick start, missing a field goal and throwing an interception deep inside their own territory, but the Wildcats wouldn’t quit.
Freshman Deuce Vaughn would break out some of his trademark moves and burst for a 19-yard touchdown run to get K-State on the board with 54 seconds left in the first quarter.
“I know how special he is, and I feel like at this point nothing he does surprises me,” said K-State Quarterback Will Howard on his running back. “He’s an incredibly mature kid and an awesome teammate to be with.”
Texas would waste no time getting those points back, though. On the first play of the second period, Bijan Robsinson would break a tackle and run 30 yards for the score, stretching the Longhorn lead back out to 24-7.
On the next drive, K-State would use two big plays from Deuce Vaughn again, one being a 22-yard run off the right side placing him atop the K-State record books with the most all-purpose yards as a freshman in program history.
“We have a running back for sure for the next three years or however long Deuce is going to be here because he’s an impact guy,” said Klieman. “He can catch the ball, he can run the ball, he gets tough yards, he does everything. We just have to have more guys step up, both sides of the ball, like Deuce.”
The Cats’ drive; however, would stall, but Blake Lynch would drive in a kick from 47 yards out and get K-State back within two scores with 11:40 left in the half. Then, Texas would again drive down the field at will, stretching the lead to 31-10 on a Roschon Johnson touchdown run with 8:17 left in the half.
It would be the first time all season K-State would allow four rushing touchdowns, and Texas managed it before halftime.
On the first play of the next drive, K-State would botch a read option exchange, giving Texas great field position at the 16 yard line.
The game would come to a halt shortly thereafter, as Texas Center Derek Kerstetter suffered a severe leg injury and had to be carted off.
It’s impossible not to mention what an injury like Kerstetter’s can do for a team’s momentum, especially in this case. Texas would come back after a lengthy delay, throw an incomplete pass, and ultimately miss a 30-yard field goal to keep K-State in the game.
Kansas State took advantage of the opportunity, driving 80 yards on 12 plays, in 5 minutes and 10 seconds, capped off by Deuce Vaughn’s second rushing touchdown of the game. It brought K-State back within 14 points with just over a minute left in the half.
“I was really pleased with our offense. We turned the ball over, which we can’t do, but when we didn’t turn it over, we really moved the ball at will,” said Klieman on his team's resolve to end the first half. “We were able to run it, we were able to throw it, we had them off balance. I thought Mess did a great job of play calling, and as poorly as we played, it’s 31-17 at half.”
After being out-gained 268-229, and turning the ball over twice, K-State managed to keep themselves in the contest at the break.
In the half, Texas had seven possessions, scoring on the first five, but missing a field goal and going three and out to end the half helped keep K-State’s hopes alive.
On the first play of the second half, Texas Quarterback Sam Ehlinger threw a pass that was deflected by Will Jones, causing thoughts to stir about a potential comeback for the Wildcats, but the next play, Bijan Robinson took a carry into a pile of humans, burst out the other side and ran 75 yards for a touchdown, regaining all momentum K-State had thought they may have.
Somehow, K-State shook off that Longhorn blow and returned the favor just three minutes later. Will Howard would find Malik Knowles over the middle for a seven yard touchdown, Howard’s seventh touchdown pass of the season. The feat would also put him atop the K-State freshman record books with the most touchdown passes as a freshman in school history, passing Josh Freeman.
But again, Texas would respond. This time, D’Shawn Jamison would return the ensuing kickoff all the way to the K-State one. Roschon Johnson would punch it in on the next play, pushing Texas’s lead to 45-24.
When asked about his team’s tackling struggles, Klieman stated he didn’t believe it was due to lack of effort.
“It's a poor cup, poor leverage, not strong enough, not physical enough, not heavy enough,” he said.
Kansas State refused to quit, scoring on the next possession to again bring themselves back within 14 points. Howard would again connect with Malik Knowles, this time from 29 yards away.
“Having him out for a couple games wasn’t ideal, but he’s a heck of a receiver and a really good football player for us,” said Howard on Malik Knowles. “So continuing to work with him and all the receivers that we have will be really important for me and for our whole offense.”
Six plays, 75 yards and two minutes later? Texas scored again. A reverse to Jor Whittington for 15 yards, The score would be the most points surrendered by K-State this season, and with stil 7:01 left in the third quarter.
The score from Whittington marked yet another record secured in the game, this time in a negative way.
Kansas State surrendered seven rushing touchdowns in the game, its most ever allowed in a single contest in program history.
The onslaught would continue five minutes later when Sam Ehlinger would register his first passing touchdown of the game on what was initially ruled a lateral. After review, it was confirmed that his shovel pass to Cade Brewer was a legal forward pass and Brewer would tightrope the sideline for a 15 yard score.
Will Howard would shortly thereafter throw his second interception of the game, setting Texas up with outstanding field position again. One play later, Ehlinger would find Malcolm Epps for a 32 yard touchdown.
The score would bring UT’s total to 66 points, marking the first time K-State has surrendered 60 or more points since playing Texas Tech in 2009. It was the first time K-State has given up 60 or more at home since a 1984 loss to Missouri. And if that’s not enough milestones for you, it also gave Texas their most points ever scored against Kansas State in series history, breaking the record of 64 from 1942.
Again, all of these records had been broken with still a minute to play in the third quarter.
Texas would tack on a field goal midway through the game’s final quarter, but the damage had already been done.
“I’m disappointed in the loss, disappointed with the outcome, not disappointed in the resolve and effort of our players,” said Klieman. “I’m not disappointed in the fact that we played 10 football games this year when not many people did play that many games and for our guys to battle with all the adversity that they faced.”
The Longhorns would walk out of Manhattan with a convincing 69-31 victory. Their sixth win of the season, bringing their league record to 5-3 and keeping their longshot Big 12 title game aspirations intact for now.
Kansas State would end their season at 4-6, falling in their final five contests of the season. With plenty of young talent, there is cause for a lot of optimism around Chris Klieman and the Wildcats, but the blowout loss to Texas certainly will leave a sour taste in the mouths of many Kansas State fans for the next 273 days until K-State opens their 2021 campaign up against Stanford.
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