Deep ball hurts Kansas State’s upset bid-with Audio

Manhattan, Kan. (westernkansasnews.com)–Despite nearly having a two to one time advantage, the Kansas State Wildcats were unable to slow down Baylor’s high-powered offense enough, as the 15th ranked Bears escape Manhattan with a 35-25 victory Saturday.

Baylor scored on their opening drive, that was aided by a K-State penalty on third down. Quarterback Bryce Petty scored on fourth down from a yard out for their first points of the game, and Baylor led 7-0 after the first quarter. 

On the first play of the second quarter, Daniel Sams tied the game on a quarterback keeper from a yard out, and Jack Cantele’s extra point tied the game at 7. After a Wildcat punt that pinned Baylor deep in their own territory, the Bears use a 93-yard pass play from Petty to Tevin Reese to make it 14-7. Two offensive plays after Jack Cantele’s 24-yard field goal made it 14-10, another deep ball made it 21-10 with 1:51 left before haftime, as Petty connected with Antwan Goodley from 72 yards. 

Kansas State would come back and take the lead late in the third quarter, a quarter in which they owned. After Cantele’s 32-yard field goal pulled the Wildcats to with 21-13, a blocked punt by K-State set up Sams’s second touchdown run with 6:54 left in the third, and a failed two-point conversion made it 21-19 Baylor. Ryan Mueller would make an impressive play by stripping the ball out of the Bears’ Petty hand, and recovered it on the bounce at the Baylor 44 yard line. Ten plays later, the Wildcats led for the first time on another Sams two-yard run, and it would be 25-21 after three quarters.

Baylor would take the lead for good on their first play of the fourth quarter, as Petty hooked up with Reese for the second time, this one was from 54 yards away, and it was 28-25. Following a Baylor interception, the Bears ended the upset bid with Glasco Martin 21-yard run with only 1:16 remaining and it was 35-25 after the extra point. 

For K-State, who dropped to 0-3 in the Big 12 and 2-4 overall, Daniel Sams rushed for the second most yards by a quarterback in school history, with 30 rushes for 199 yards and three rushing touchdowns. As a team, the Wildcats had 327 rushing yards, and were outgained by Baylor overall 451-445. The Bears improved to 5-0 overall, 2-0 in Big 12 play.

Head Coach Bill Snyder Postgame 10-12

Sophomore QB Daniel Sams, Junior QB Jake Waters, Senior WR Torrell Miller, Junior WR Curry Sexton, Junior Center BJ Finney, Sophomore DT Travis Britz, Junior DE Ryan Mueller, Senior Safety Ty Zimmerman