Throughout the week many of he so-called experts around the region and the country were using calculators to figure out just how many points Baylor’s video game-like offense would put up against Kansas State’s Defense. Coming into Saturday’s game the 15th-ranked Bears had scored no fewer than 69 points in their first four games and in the last three they had broken the 70-point barrier each time.
However, Kansas State was focused on getting a Big 12 win after two tough road losses and the Wildcats were able to hold Baylor’s running attack largely in check. The difference in the game was big plays through the air and Baylor made three of those, which was enough to give them their first win ever in Manhattan in a 35-25 victory before a Harley Day crowd of 52,803 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
The Bears won the opening coin toss and elected to receive and moved 59 yards in 12 plays to take an early lead culminating in Quarterback Bryce Petty’s one-yard run on fourth and goal. The touchdown was set up when K-State was called for a personal foul on a third down play that would have forced the Bears to try a field goal. K-State appeared set to answer the score but was stopped on fourth and one on the Baylor nine-yard line on its first drive.
Early in the second quarter, the Wildcats did even the score on Quarterback Daniel Sams’ one-yard plunge to tie the score at 7-7. After the teams traded punts K-State backed up Baylor on its own five-yard line but on the second play of the drive Petty connected with a wide open Tevin Reese for a 93-yard touchdown pass to give Baylor a 14-7 lead. It was the second longest touchdown pass in school history. After a 24-yard field goal by Jack Cantele pulled the Cats to within four points the Bears scored on another big play when Petty found Antwan Goodley for a 72-yard pass and run play which materialized when Goodley appeared to be inadvertently pushed forward by a Wildcat defender into the open field. The touchdown gave the Bears a 21-10 advantage at halftime.
The third quarter belonged to Kansas State as the Wildcats scored 15 unanswered points. Cantele’s 32-yard Field Goal cut the deficit to 21-13. Then K-State blocked a Baylor punt to set themselves up on the Bears 19-yard line. Sams finished the drive with a two-yard run but before K-State could run the two-point conversionf play Sams had to call the Wildcats’ final timeout of the game with 6:54 left in the third quarter. K-State missed the two-point play and trailed 21-19. On Baylor’s next possession, Defensive End Ryan Mueller sacked and stripped Petty of the ball and K-State set up shop on the Baylor 44-yard line. Sams would score again from two yards out but the missed two-point conversion left the Cats in front 25-21 at the end of the third quarter.
In the first minute of the fourth quarter, Baylor would regain the lead for good at 28-25 on Petty’s 54 yard pass to Reese who was once again wide open. Kansas State missed a chance tie the score with 6:49 left when Cantele missed a 41-yard field goal attempt wide left. Still K-State had one more chance when they got the ball back with 4:48 remaining, however the drive ended abruptly when Sams was intercepted by Baylor’s Ahmad Dixon. With no timeouts left for the Wildcats, Baylor was able to take its time and the Bears put the game away on Glasco Martin’s 21-yard run with 1:16 remaining.
While the scoring wasn’t as high as some would expect, there were some impressive offensive numbers on both sides. Baylor racked up 342 receiving yards led by Reese’s 184 yards and 139 by Goodley. Sams had his best day rushing racking up 199 yards on 30 carries and John Hubert added an even 100 yards. Although it came at a crucial time, Kansas State (2-4, 0-3) committed just one turnover was penalized only four times for 37 yards. The loss gave Kansas State its first three-game losing streak since 2008 and an 0-3 start in league play for the first time since 2004.
Kansas State goes into its second open date next week and will return to action October 26 when they host West Virginia on Homecoming at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.