Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
Kansas State shocks fifth-ranked Sooners
Onside kick call favors Wildcats for upset win
MANHATTAN, Kan. — There was never a moment of uncertainty on Kansas State’s sideline when fifthranked Oklahoma raced to an early lead, or when the Sooners began to mount a frantic fourth-quarter comeback.
There might have been just a bit when they recovered an onside kick.
“It was a little anxious,” Wildcats defensive end Wyatt Hubert said.
Anxiousness that soon gave way to elation.
Officials reviewed the recovery with 1:45 left and determined the ball hit an Oklahoma player a yard early, thereby awarding possession to the Wildcats. They ran out the clock to finish off a 48-41 victory that dealt the Sooners’ national title hopes a major blow.
“Oklahoma isn’t a team that is used to facing adversity very well,” said Hubert, who along with the rest of the Kansas State defense did just enough to hold Heisman Trophy contender Jalen Hurts in check.
“If you can put their backs against the wall,” Hubert said, “things are going to go more smoothly.”
Oklahoma (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) tried to make the case that its player was blocked into the ball on the onside kick.
“We had a similar situation at Baylor my first year. They engaged our player and it definitely hit him before the 10-yard,” Sooners coach Lincoln Riley said, “but I was under the impression if they engage our player into it that there’s no illegal touching. It was a 5050 call that didn’t go our way.”
It was the first home win for the Wildcats (5-2, 2-2) over Oklahoma since 1996, and just their fourth win ever over a top-five team. It also snapped the Sooners’ nation-leading 22-game road win streak — a span of five years and 22 days since their loss at TCU.
Skylar Thompson was 18-for-28 passing for 213 yards and rushed for four touchdowns (4, 14, 3 and 3 yards) and James Gilbert added 105 yards rushing, including a 2-yard TD run.
“I don’t have any idea on the lines and spreads, thank God,” said Wildcats coach Chris Klieman, whose team was a 21-½-point underdog. “I mean, yeah, it was a statement win for our guys. I told the seniors, ‘How many more opportunities are you going to have to play in front of your home crowd?’”
Said Hurts: “We’ve got to learn from this and appreciate this lesson.”
Hurts passed for 395 yards and a touchdown while running for 95 yards and three more. Despite Hurts’ effort, the Sooners were foiled because of two turnovers, costly penalties and the ejection of a top defender — cornerback Parnell Motley was ejected for kicking tight end Logan Long in the second quarter.