Wildcats offense too much for Texas Tech

Manhattan, Kan. (westernkansasnews.com)–Jake Waters threw two touchdown passes, two each to Tyler Lockett and Curry Sexton, as the No. 22 Kansas State Wildcats rout the Texas Tech Red Raiders 45-13 Saturday night on Ft. Riley Day at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

The Wildcats did score on their opening drive of the game, following a Morgan Burns interception of Red Raider quarterback Davis Webb. Waters hit Curry Sexton on a 48-yard crossing pattern with 7:18 to go in the first quarter to give K-State a 7-0 lead, after the Matthew McCrane PAT.

Kansas State (4-1, 2-0 Big 12) tacked on three more scores in the second quarter to push the lead to 24-7 at the break. Waters rushed in from four yards out with 11:31 left before halftime, and that was followed up five minutes later by a McCrane 27-yard field goal. Texas Tech got on the board with 4:11 left before the break on a 22-yard pass play from Webb to Jakeem Grant. The Wildcats would score right before the break on Lockett’s 15-yard touchdown pass from Waters.

In the third period, K-State extended their lead to 31-7, when Waters fired a bullet to Lockett from 14 yards out with 4:14 to go in the quarter.

Texas Tech (2-3, 0-2) scored once more in the game. Ten seconds into the fourth quarter, a 19-yard pass by Webb to Grant cut the deficit to 31-13, after the failed two-point conversion. The Wildcats responded eight plays later. From the three yard line, Sexton made a spectacular one-handed catch with a Red Raider draped all over him, and the Cats would lead 38-13. DeMarcus Robinson closed out the scoring in the game with a two-yard run with 3:14 left, and K-State cruised to their fourth straight win over Texas Tech.

Jake Waters was 24-of-31 for 290 yards with four touchdowns, and he also led the team on the ground, amassing 105 yards on 17 carries with a score. Tyler Locket had 12 receptions for 125 yards with two scores, and Curry Sexton grabbed nine passes for 128 yards with two touchdowns. K-State finished with 535 yards of offense, 260 through the air and 245 on the ground.

For Texas Tech, Davis Webb was 22-for-43 for 247 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions. Jakeem Grant had seven receptions for 90 yards and two touchdowns, and DeAndre Washington had seven carries for 27 yards. The Red Raiders finished with 347 yards, 301 of them coming through the air.

Kansas State will have a bye week this week, before a road test at Oklahoma Saturday, October 18. Texas Tech hosts West Virginia Saturday at 11 am.

Head Coach Bill Snyder