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It was an unforgettable night for Kansas State true freshman quarterback Avery Johnson.
Johnson, who hails from Maize, Kans., scored all five of Kansas State’s touchdowns, as the Wildcats picked up a big road victory over Texas Tech, 38-21. Johnson is the first quarterback to rush for five touchdowns since Collin Klein, his offensive coordinator, did it in 2011.
It may not have always been the plan for Johnson to take over the keys full-time, but his play left head coach Chris Klieman with no choice.
Will Howard started the game but had another shaky beginning and didn’t look comfortable in the pocket. Although Howard made some nice throws, the offense struggled to move the same way under him as it did with Johnson.
Johnson would make his first appearance on the team’s third drive, scoring Kansas State’s first touchdown. From there, the two spent most of the first half splitting touches before Johnson received most of the team’s second-half snaps.
Johnson finished with just 77 passing yards but was second on the team on the ground, finishing with 91 yards on 12 carries.
It wasn’t just the offense that made plays, though.
The Wildcats defense entered the game struggling to force turnovers, ranking last in the Big 12 in interceptions. After Behren Morton, Texas Tech’s starting quarterback, went out of the game due to injury, the Wildcats took advantage of true freshman Jake Strong.
Strong led the Red Raiders to a touchdown on his first drive before throwing three interceptions in the next 16 plays. Kobe Savage hauled in two of those interceptions, while VJ Payne made an impressive one-handed grab for another.
These interceptions gave Kansas State all the momentum, and the Wildcats never looked back.
Florida State transfer Treshaun Ward led the way in rushing for the Wildcats, rushing for 118 yards on 15 carries. Tight end Ben Sinnott made some big catches through the air, leading the team with 72 receiving yards.
Overall, it was a crucial win to get the Wildcats back in the Big 12 Championship race. Next week, Kansas State will host TCU in a rematch of last season’s conference championship game.
