UT, A&M get big wins
Texas finally beats nemesis Kansas State in Manhattan, Kan.; the Aggies top Arkansas in Arlington.
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Kansas State’s intimidation tactics were not going to faze Andrew Beck.
That became apparent when, after a brief pregame tiff with a few Wildcats — the scene featured light shoving, obscenities hurled at Beck, and a Texas staffer rushing over to mediate — the senior tight end’s mood shifted from enraged to enlivened.
As his opponents sauntered back to their designated portion of the field, Beck broke into a fit of defiant laughter. A few minutes later, he re-enacted nose tackle Chris Nelson’s now-infamous belly rub celebration.
That mood persisted in a boisterous locker room following 18th-ranked Texas’ 19-14 victory over Kansas State (2-3, 0-2) at Bill Snyder Family Field. It was the program’s first win in Manhattan, Kan., since Oct. 19, 2002.
It was a victory 16 years in the making, one nearly squandered over the game’s final 30 minutes. Not that the Wildcats’ resistance was unexpected — a familiar voice informed Texas coach Tom Herman how arduous this trip would be.
“Make sure you tell your team that the Kansas State team you see on video is not going to be the same team you see in Bill Snyder Family Stadium Saturday afternoon,” former Texas coach Mack Brown told Herman during their weekly Monday chat. “You’re going to get a more aggressive, a more cohesive, a more physical outfit.
Said Herman: “He was exactly right. We told our guys that and they were ready for that.”
It felt at first as if Beck’s conviction would carry over into an obliteration of the host. With junior Alex Delton starting at quarterback, KSU’s offense was not only predictable, it was ineffective. The performance reached peak ugliness when, at one point in the second quarter, Texas running back Tre Watson had nearly as many passing yards (21) as KState had total yards (22).
As KSU struggled, Texas (4-1, 2-0 Big 12) started stringing together points, dulling a crowd eager to forget last week’s 35-6 road loss to No. 12 West Virginia.
Texas freshman D’Shawn Jamison delivered the initial blow, scoring his first career touchdown in memorable fashion early in the first quarter.
Misreading a deep punt, the return man backpedaled to receive the kick, then swerved around one defender and cut upfield, aided by a blocking caravan composed of freshman Anthony Cook, sophomore Josh Thompson, and sophomore Chris Brown.
Jamison’s 90-yard touchdown return was the fourth longest in team history.
The offense struck next to put UT ahead 14-0. Spying 6-6 receiver Collin Johnson in single coverage, quarterback Sam Ehlinger lofted a back-shoulder ball to his mammoth target. Johnson plucked the pass from the air and kept control through a long fall.
Charles Omenihu then turned in his best series of the season, sacking Dalton twice on a drive that began at the KSU 9-yard line. The senior defensive end’s second sack, a safety, put Texas ahead 16-0. Freshman kicker Cameron Dicker then converted a 28-yard field goal on the ensuing drive.
When KSU fullback Adam Harter dropped a short touchdown pass in the end zone as time expired in the first half, it felt as if this score would only snowball into something much worse. But KSU’s offense showed a pulse with a 10-play, 82-yard scoring drive to begin the second half. Sophomore quarterback Skyler Thompson, picked at halftime to replace Delton, capped the long march by lunging for the right pylon on a 7-yard touchdown run.
Meanwhile, the Texas offense started to flatline, felled by a pair of fruitless drives and Dicker’s missed field goal from 47 yards out.
Thompson then led a 16-play, 70-yard drive encompassing over six minutes. Running back Alex Barnes leapt over a sea of linemen from 1 yard out to make it a one possession game with nine minutes, 55 seconds left.
Texas, as it has done consistently throughout this four-game streak, found a way to close. Defensive lineman Breckyn Hager batted down Thompson’s thirddown pass to force a punt with 6:20 remaining.
A dash of receiver Johnson and a healthy dose of running back Keaontay Ingram kept the ball in the Longhorns’ hands until the clock expired.
“This team knows that they can finish,” Herman said. “One, because they know how they’re trained and how they do train. But they also know now because they’ve validated it week after week after week. That’s a very good feeling to have, to know that if you play your best you’re going to be able to finish this game out and not have to worry about anything else. We have proven against some really good football teams that we are able to do that.”