Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
QB Ertz runs for 170 yards in victory
FORT WORTH, Texas — Jesse Ertz ran for a careerhigh 170 yards with a touchdown and threw an 83-yard scoring pass as Kansas State ended its regular season with a 30-6 win at TCU on a drizzly Saturday.
Coach Bill Snyder got his 201st victory in 25 seasons with the Wildcats (8-4, 6-3 Big 12), who next will play in their 20th bowl game — the 19th under Snyder. Kansas State appears headed to the Houston Bowl to play an SEC team.
“We just did what we do. I don’t think there was any secret or anything new we threw at them,” Ertz said. “I’m just looking to go 9-4 and finish out strong.”
TCU (6-6, 4-5) will play in its 14th bowl with Gary Patterson, even after finishing the regular season without a winning record for only the third time in the coach’s 16 full seasons and being held without a touchdown in a game for the first time since 2006.
“Really across the board we got thrown around by everybody,” Patterson said. “We’ve got to grow up on offense. Until they do that, we won’t win many games against good people.”
The Horned Frogs could play an SEC team in the Liberty Bowl.
The Wildcats, who won for the fifth time in six games, went ahead for good when Ertz broke free for a 32-yard TD run in the second quarter to make it 10-3.
Right after halftime, Ertz threw a quick slant to Byron Pringle, who caught the ball near Kansas State’s 30 and took off sprinting down the middle of the field on the 83-yard catch-and-run score. He escaped a defender diving at his ankles before going the final 20 yards.
Justin Silmon added 133 yards and had both of his TDs after halftime for the Wildcats, who had 336 yards rushing.
“I think maybe the second half might have as been as good a half as we have played,” Snyder said. “Defensively, we played well across the board throughout the ball game.”
The takeaway
Kansas St.: With Ertz effectively leading way, the Wildcats continue to pound teams with their running game. They have six consecutive 200-yard rushing games, a stretch when Ertz has three 100-yard games and 99 in another. Kansas State has 1,260 yards and 17 TDs rushing their last four games.
TCU: TCU hadn’t been held without a touchdown in a decade, since a 12-3 home win over Texas Tech in 2006. The Horned Frogs also had only six points in their previous home game — They had an extra point blocked after a touchdown in a 31-6 loss to Oklahoma State two weeks ago. Foster Sawyer was ineffective in his first start at quarterback this season for Kenny Hill, who played after halftime despite a banged-up left ankle.
Up next
Kansas State and TCU both wait to find out for sure where they will be going for their bowl games.