Kansas State clinched bowl eligibility on Saturday with their 48-0 victory over No. 9 Oklahoma State at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
The Wildcats’ victory over the Cowboys gives K-State six wins on the season, including four five wins over Power 5 opponents — Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Iowa State and Oklahoma State. Kansas State won their season-opener against South Dakota 34-0.
“It’s huge for our program,” Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman said on Saturday after the blowout win over Oklahoma State. “That’s not the ultimate goal, but that’s one of our goals.”
It is the first time in Klieman’s Kansas State tenure that the Wildcats will go bowling in back-to-back seasons. Last season, Kansas State beat LSU 42-20 in the TaxAct Texas Bowl.
Starting quarterback Adrian Martinez — who has played one total series combined in K-State’s last two games because of a left knee injury — is going to a bowl game for the first time in his five-year college career. Martinez spent the previous four seasons as Nebraska’s starting quarterback before transferring to K-State for his final year of eligibility.
“We have to get Adrian one (bowl-bound shirt) too — I’m sure he’s happy about that,” senior wide receiver Kade Warner said after the game. “But six wins, the first time for him, definitely going to rub it in his face a little bit. But happy for him — and this team.”
With the win over the Cowboys, Kansas State moves into sole possession of second place in the Big 12 behind TCU, who improved their league record to 4-0 after handling West Virginia on the road.
Kansas State fell to TCU, the Wildcats’ lone Big 12 loss of the season 38-28 despite holding a commanding 28-10 first half lead over the Horned Frogs last week. But K-State responded a week later with their best win of the season — and in convincing fashion.
“We’re a damn good football team,’ Warner said. “And we are going to fight every single play, no matter if we are up 25 or down 25, however many minutes are left in the game, we’re going to fight every single game.”
