SATURDAY’S GAME

Wildcats’ lengthy drives leave Longhorns little time to work. ‘If you know anything about K-State football, you know your possessions are going to be diminished in this football game.’ Texas offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert on Kansas State’s ball-con

No. 8 Baylor at Texas, 2:30 p.m., ABC, 104.9

— Sterlin Gilbert might be new around here, but he’s well versed i n what happens at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

“If you know anything about K-State football,” the Texas offensive coordinator said, “you know your possessions are going to be diminished in this football game.”

Texas offensive players had to cool their jets for long stretches in the first half as Kansas State simply ate the clock and chewed up yardage, dominating time of possession in the process.

The Wildcats’ first scoring drive lasted 5 minutes, 47 seconds. Texas finally got on the field with 9:13 remaining in the first quarter but ultimately had to punt.

K-State got the ball back with 5:55 left and didn’t hand it over again until Jesse Ertz’s 19-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. It was a 16-play, 80-yard drive that lasted 7:29.

“That is what we do,” Wildcats coach Bill Snyder said. “It is important to do that, but you have to put points on the board. It is not just exclusively possessing the clock.”

Texas went three-and-out on its next two drives, and K-State went to work again. Justin Silmon had gains of 4, 10, 2 and 2 yards. Ertz clicked off a 10-yard run, a 3-yard gain and later a 5-yard pickup. Dink and dunk, the Wildcats went down the field and ate up the clock.

Snyder’s bunch eventually sawed off almost the final four minutes with a nine-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Byron Pringle’s 8-yard touchdown catch.

The halftime numbers were lopsided in K-State’s favor. The Wildcats had the ball 23:18 to the Longhorns’ 6:42. Ertz was 15 of 19 passing in the first half, and K-State had 244 yards.

In the final calculations, Texas ran 62 plays and had the ball just 21:33, both season lows.

That translated into season lows i n points (21) and yardage (344).

“We have to execute right when we get on the field,” UT quarterback Shane Buechele said. “We just have to keep fighting.”