Wildcats within a win of championship game berth
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — One of No. 15 Kansas State’s longest road trips of the Big 12 season might as well have been a home game for quarterback Will Howard.
Howard threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score, Cincere Mason returned an interception for a TD and the Wildcats moved closer to a berth in the Big 12 championship game by beating West Virginia 48-31 on Saturday.
Playing at West Virginia was as close as Howard will get to his hometown of Downingtown, about 280 miles from Morgantown in eastern Pennsylvania. Howard said about 30 relatives and friends cheered him on.
Kansas State (8-3, 6-2 Big 12) can clinch a title game spot alongside No. 4 TCU on Dec. 3 with a win in its regular season finale at home Saturday against Kansas, or with a loss by Texas to Baylor on Friday.
West Virginia (4-7, 2-6) failed to become bowl eligible for the second time under fourth-year coach Neal Brown and for only the fourth time since 2000.
Both team’s quarterbacks played well in a battle among backups.
Howard, starting in place of the injured Adrian Martinez, completed 19 of 27 passes for 294 yards.
TEXAS TECH 14, IOWA ST. 10
Tyler Shough put together two long scoring drives and the Red Raiders held on for a win at Ames, Iowa.
Shough gave the Red Raiders (6-5, 4-4 Big 12 Conference) the lead on a 4-yard touchdown pass to Baylor Cupp with 6:10 remaining in the game, capping a 13-play, 77-yard drive.
Shough finished 15-of-21 passing for 141 yards.
At one point, Iowa State (4-7, 1-7) had gained more than twice as many yards as Tech (338 to 151), but the Cyclones failed to reach the end zone, thanks to a pair of third-quarter goalline stands by the Red Raiders defense.
The Cyclones ran five plays from the 2-yard line or closer without scoring a touchdown.
They finally broke through when Hunter Dekkers found Easton Dean open down the sideline for a 24-yard touchdown. Dean leaped over a defender on his way to giving Iowa State a 10-7 lead with 11:18 to play.
OKLAHOMA 28
NO. 22 OKLAHOMA ST. 13
Dillon Gabriel passed for two touchdowns and ran for another and the Sooners became bowl eligible with a win over the Cowboys at Norman, Okla.
Eric Gray rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown and Drake Stoops had a career-high six catches for 89 yards for the Sooners (6-5, 3-5 Big 12), who jumped out to a 28-0 firstquarter lead and held on.
Spencer Sanders passed for 381 yards and a touchdown for Oklahoma State, but he threw four interceptions. Brennan Presley had nine catches for 118 yards and Braydon Johnson had seven receptions for 109 yards for the Cowboys (7-4, 4-4) who now are eliminated from contention for a spot in the Big 12 title game.