K-state blows out Mizzou, 40-12, in first meeting since 2011
MANHATTAN, Kan. — The century-old rivalry between Kansas State and Missouri still means something in Big 12 country, more than a decade after the Tigers bolted the league for the SEC, and that was evident this week when Wildcats coach Chris Klieman asked players who grew up across the border to talk about it.
One that addressed the team was Phillip Brooks, who grew up near Kansas City and dreamed of wearing black and gold.
Brooks made the most of his chance against the Tigers, too. He returned a punt 76 yards for a score, helping the Wildcats lay a 40-12 beating through a driving rainstorm on their longtime rival in their first meeting since 2011.
Deuce Vaughn added 145 yards rushing and two touchdowns, Adrian Martinez threw for 101 yards and ran for a score, and the Kansas State defense picked off Missouri on four straight possessions in the second half to seal the win.
“The landscape of college football is changing. Kansas State wants to be part of the haves,” Klieman said. “Wins like this elevate you among the haves. We have a good football team, but we have a lot of guys with chips on their shoulder.”
That was especially evident on defense. The Wildcats (2-0) picked off Brady Cook twice in the second half, then did the same to backup Jack Abraham, before Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz put his starter back in for the fourth quarter. But by that point, the Wildcats had extended their lead to 33-6 and the only drama left was whether they would keep the Tigers (1-1) out of the end zone.
Texas Tech 33, Houston 30 (2 OT)
LUBBOCK, Texas — Donovan Smith ran 9 yards for a touchdown in the second overtime, lifting Texas Tech to an upset victory over No. 25 Houston.
A back-and-forth finish ended with the Red Raiders (2-0) beating a ranked nonconference opponent in the regular season for the first time since 1989, a span of 14 games.
It was the last meeting between the former Southwest Conference rivals before they become league goes again when the Cougars move from the American Athletic to the Big 12 next year.
After Houston’s Bubba Baxa opened the second OT with a 20-yard field goal, Smith broke into the open field and ran untouched to the end zone, sending Texas Tech students and fans streaming onto the field.
Baxa kicked a go-ahead 35-yard field goal with 37 seconds remaining in regulation after Gervarrius Owens returned Smith’s third interception to the Texas Tech 21 in the final two minutes.
Smith answered by leading the Red Raiders to a tying 47-yarder from Trey Wolff with three seconds to go, keyed by Smith’s 27-yard scramble. Wolff replaced Gino Garcia, who missed from 45 earlier in the fourth quarter.
The Cougars (1-1) erased a 17-3 halftime deficit, getting even early in the fourth quarter when Jayce Rogers stepped in front of a pass from Smith and returned it 54 yards for a TD. Still, Houston’s 12-game regular-season winning streak ended.
Iowa State 10, Iowa 7
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Xavier Hutchinson caught an 8-yard touchdown pass from Hunter Dekkers in the fourth quarter, completing a 99-yard drive to lead Iowa State past Iowa.
The 21-play possession that started in the third quarter took 11 minutes, 49 seconds off the clock, and helped the Cyclones (2-0) end a six-game losing streak to the Hawkeyes (1-1).
Iowa State survived three turnovers and two blocked punts to gain their first road win in the in-state rivalry since 2014, forcing three Iowa turnovers and holding the Hawkeyes to 150 yards of offense.
Still, the Hawkeyes had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds. Two penalties on Iowa State after what appeared to be a game-ending turnover by the Hawkeyes gave Iowa the ball at the Cyclones’ 39-yard line with nine seconds left. Quarterback Spencer Petras threw a 9-yard pass to tight end Sam Laporta to get Iowa into field-goal range, but Aaron Blom’s 48-yard field goal attempt was wide left as time expired.