Wildcats run over No. 25 Red Raiders

KANSAS STATE 49, NO. 25 TEXAS TECH 26

LUBBOCK, Texas — Jake Waters had a big day to help Kansas State run over No. 25 Texas Tech.

Daniel Sams also helped, running for two touchdowns to lead Kansas State over the Red Raiders 49-26.

“As a team, it was one of our best games, especially [offensive] line running,” said Waters, who ran for two touchdowns and passed for another. “We got that going early with John [Hubert’s] touchdown run. We kind of set the tone of, ‘Hey, we can pound the rock against these guys.’ That helped us all day. ”

Sams’ touchdowns came on a 1-yard rush and a 5-yarder, and Waters scored from 1 yard and 13 yards.

Waters threw a 20-yard touchdown to Tramaine Thompson. Hubert, who scored on a 63-yard run early in the game, finished with 157 yards on 23 carries to lead the Wildcats.

Ty Zimmerman scored a 43-yard touchdown after intercepting a pass from Texas Tech backup quarterback Baker Mayfield early in the fourth quarter.

The victory was the third in a row for the Wildcats (54, 3-3 Big 12), while the Red Raiders (7-3, 4-3) dropped their third consecutive game.

Mayfield, who came in for starter Davis Webb late in the second quarter, was 34 for 44 for 276 yards and 2 interceptions.

“We got outcoached,” Texas Tech Coach Kliff Kingsbury said. “We got outplayed. It’s up to us what we’re going to do for the last two weeks.”

Wildcats Coach Bill Snyder said he’s content with the progress of his team.

“I think we’ve improved a good deal, not as much as I would like, but we are getting better week in and week out,” said Snyder, who got his 175th career victory. I think we’re better this week than we were a week ago. Probably played as well today, or better today, collectively. Offense, defense, kicking game — a lot of things we didn’t like but, collectively, I think we’ve probably played as well as we have.”

Waters was 6 of 9 for 65 yards and he rushed for 38 yards on eight carries. Sams finished with 81 yards on 11 carries.

The Wildcats put the game out of reach when Mayfield was intercepted for the first time at Texas Tech’s 43-yard line and Zimmerman returned it for a score less than a minute after a previous Kansas State touchdown.

Texas Tech slowed Kansas State’s rushing game early in the third quarter. The Red Raiders, who were shut out in the second quarter, came away with points on each of their first two possessions of the second half. Mayfield ran for a 4-yard touchdown and Ryan Bustin kicked a 31-yard field goal to pull within 35-19.

In another Big 12 game, Trevone Boykin scored on a 1-yard TD run with 38 seconds left and TCU rallied to beat Iowa

State 21-17 and snap a three-game losing streak. Boykin ran for three touchdowns for the Horned Frogs, who remain in contention for possible bowl eligibility with two games left.