A promising start, a confusing middle and a not-good-enough finish. Saturday’s loss to No. 9 Oklahoma had all the components of Kansas State’s 2017 football season condensed into four wild quarters.
Led by Heisman candidate Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma erased a 21-7 deficit before winning 42-35 on a 22-yard Rodney Anderson touchdown run with seven seconds left.
K-State played its best football of the season in the first half, but reverted back to a cocoon on offense in the third quarter, which allowed the Sooners to avoid their first loss in Manhattan since 1996.
It marked the Wildcats’ third loss this season by a touchdown or less.
“I’m tired of coming into the locker room under such circumstances,” Bill Snyder said. “We’ve lost too many ball games. You have to play complete games to win in this conference.”
Alex Delton and Alex Barnes combined for 250 rushing yards, but the majority of them came in K-State’s excellent first half. Barnes did not touch the football in the second or third quarters, despite scoring on a 75-yard run on the Wildcats’ first possession of the game.
K-State had 202 yards of offense in the first quarter and 210 after that.
“Part of it was Oklahoma playing better and making adjustments,” Snyder said. “Part of it was execution and missing a few blocks.”
The Wildcats tied the game at 28 after a botched snap on an Oklahoma punt handed K-State the ball deep in OU territory.
It took less than two minutes, however, for the Sooners to retake the lead, 35-28, with 5:16 to go. The Wildcats’ secondary gave up 410 yards through the air.
Delton did lead K-State back down the field to even the game once again on a five-yard pass to Isaiah Zuber with 2:25 to play.
But that was more than enough time for Mayfield and the OU offense, which was within field goal range before Anderson’s game-winning touchdown.
“We played well enough at times to be a successful football team,” Snyder said. “But we didn’t put it all together, and that’s the nature of it. That’s what’s disappointing to me.”
Delton completed 12 of 14 passes for 144 yards, one touchdown and one interception in his second career start. The 35 points K-State scored were the most since a 55-point performance against Charlotte on Sept. 9.
K-State fell to 3-4 on the season and 1-3 in Big 12 play.
