MANHATTAN, Kan. – Adrian Martinez accounted for 381 total yards and three touchdowns and No. 13 Kansas State battled back from a 21-point deficit to provide a nail-biting finish against Texas, but a turnover with 24 seconds left sealed the Wildcats’ fate in a 34-27 loss in front of a sellout crowd at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
Martinez threw for 329 yards and two touchdowns and one interception, but the senior transfer quarterback appeared to try to do too much when he checked down on his progression in the pocket and tried to make a play late. Keondre Coburn stripped the ball and Jaylan Ford recovered at the Texas 39-yard line to thwart the Wildcats’ chances to tie the game and match the largest comeback in school history.
“Probably a little bit of trying to do too much,” Martinez said. “I got it batted away.”
K-State, 6-3 overall and 4-2 in the Big 12 Conference, suffered its sixth-straight loss to Texas, 6-3 and 4-2, and saw sole possession of second place in the league standings batted away. K-State now shares second place with Texas and Baylor, which the Wildcats face next Saturday in Waco.
“(Our players) are down for sure,” K-State head coach Chris Klieman said. “We’ve got a bunch of kids that want to win and have a chance to play in December. We’ve got great character in that room and really good leaders. We’ve got to bounce back. It doesn’t get any easier.”