K-STATES ITS CASE
BCS-worthy No. 4 Wildcats overwhelm Smith, Mountaineers
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The two teams edged toward each other in a menacing fashion.
Trash talk was unleashed in spews of venom. Fingers were pointed. Coaches and officials, trying to act as peacekeepers, were pushed and jostled — and this was before the game.
The nation has slowly grown to respect Kansas State, respect their blue collar approach and consistent execution. But it was what we learned from the scene before the Wildcats dismantled the Mountaineers, 5514, that should make the Alabama’s and Oregon’s of the world reconsider any notion that this is merely a quaint, overachieving program.
“We weren’t going to take some flak from anybody,’’ said center B.J. Finney, a twostar recruit whose only scholarship offer was from Ohio University.
The Wildcats, now 70 overall, 40 in the Big 12 and assured of at least holding onto their No. 3 national ranking, don’t take any flak, don’t make many mistakes and don’t care about public perception.
West Virginia (52, 22) coming off a humbling 4914 loss at Texas Tech last week, stormed soldout Milan Puskar Stadium. The Wildcats stoned them cold, taking a 100 first quarter lead by holding the ball for 9:33, racking up 138 yards in of fense to West Virginia’s 21, not committing a turnover and being called for just two penalties.
Geno Smith, considered one of the leaders in the Heisman Trophy race the past six weeks, struggled. The Mountaineers quarter back, who set the nation’s single season record by attempting 273 passes without an interception, was picked twice and threw for just 143 yards on 21of32 passing.
But nobody was going to stop toughminded Kansas State.
After quarterback Collin Klein — who set career-game records for passing yards (323) on 19of21 passing and touchdowns (seven, four rushing; three passing) — hit Tyler Lockett on a 10yard scoring pass, walkon Weston Heibert blasted Jordan Thompson on the West Virginia kickoff return.
“I wouldn’t call it nasty,’’ Heibert said when asked to describe the team’s attitude. “It’s a matter of every player being tough. I’d say we’re tough.’’
Klein is the toughest. The 6foot5, 226pound quarterback has a lot of Tim Tebow in him. He is deeply religious and physically brutal — willing to lower his shoulder or muscle in a throw. Though he played like a Heisman candidate, he doesn’t have a Heisman moment — that would be very antiKStatelike — but he is the most valuable player who takes tougher hits than a highway guard rail.
“He doesn’t do anything wrong,’’ said West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen.
The Wildcats dominated, holding a 479243 advantage in total offense and 33:22 in time of possession. They also had zero turnovers.
“They kicked our butts,’’ Smith said.
Yep, good old KState, that solid, valuebased program from the Midwest, whose coach Bill Snyder still uses a white handkerchief to blow his nose, are butt kickers.