MANHATTAN, Kansas — Kansas State looked nothing like a team that was missing some of its best players during a 48-0 victory over Oklahoma State on Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
The Wildcats took the field without starting quarterback Adrian Martinez and top linebacker Daniel Green, but you wouldn’t know it based on the way they dominated the Cowboys. They were the better team in every way possible.
Behind a sensational game from Will Howard, who completed 21 of 37 passes for 296 yards and four touchdowns, K-State raced to an early lead and never looked back in a game between ranked teams.
A few other telling stats: K-State gained 495 yards and held Oklahoma State to 217. Deuce Vaughn rushed for 158 yards and finished with two touchdowns. Kade Warner added five catches for 97 yards and two scores.
It was an important win for the No. 22 Wildcats (6-2, 4-1 Big 12). Not only did they achieve bowl eligibility, they also surged ahead of the No. 9 Cowboys (6-2, 3-2) in the conference championship race.
Here are some takeaways from the game:
Will Howard is playing like K-State’s QB of the future
Howard has done more than just admirably fill in for Martinez over the past two games. He has played at a high level and led the Wildcats to unexpected heights on offense.
At no other point this season has the K-State offense looked better than it did in the first half on Saturday. The Wildcats possessed the ball for seven drives in the first two quarters and scored 35 points on them. Bold prediction: They will win several more games if they continue to average five points per drive.
Howard threw a pair of touchdown passes to Kade Warner, plus another to Phillip Brooks and one more to Deuce Vaughn. The other K-State score came on a perfectly blocked 62-yard run from Vaughn.
He can’t run the ball as well as Martinez, but Howard is an upgrade as a passer.
Howard has clearly come a long way since he was unable to spark K-State to a victory against Texas in the season-finale last year.
His play over the past two seasons inspired so little confidence that the coaching staff brought in Martinez as one-year rental at quarterback. Some fans gave up on Howard when he struggled as an underclassman while filling in for Skylar Thompson. But he is throwing with much more confidence now and he is also making good decisions. Even when he got flushed out of the pocket, he made things happen against Oklahoma State.
The Wildcats are hoping to use Howard in fewer than five games this season, allowing him to retain his redshirt. If that happens, he will have three years of eligibility remaining in Manhattan. That’s a good thing, because he might be K-State’s quarterback of the future.
Heck, he might even be the K-State quarterback of the present. Martinez was close to playing on Saturday and even went all the way through warm-ups before opting to watch the game from the sideline. He could be back next week. But there is no need to rush him back the way Howard is playing.
Hats off to the K-State defense
No Daniel Green. No Khalid Duke (in the first half). No problem for K-State’s defense.
Many expected the Wildcats to struggle against Oklahoma State’s high-octane offense without Green and Duke in the lineup. Turns out, there was no need for concern.
K-State flexed its muscles against Spencer Sanders and one of the highest-scoring teams in the country.
Brendan Mott and Felix Anudike-Uzomah both recorded sacks, Julius Brents and Krew Jackson came up with interceptions and Nick Allen led the team in tackles.
The Cowboys simply couldn’t get anything going. K-State pressured them from start to finish and held them without a point for the first time in a game since 2009.
Kade Warner is suddenly a highlight machine
It’s hard to believe Warner failed to catch a touchdown during his first four seasons of college football.
He has been a highlight machine this year for the Wildcats. Howard found the senior receiver five times for 97 yards and two touchdowns on Saturday. The first catch came on a 31-yard throw that Warner grabbed in the end zone. Warner made the second one happen with his legs when he turned a screen pass into a 41-yard gain.
Warner was once a walk-on at Nebraska who was known as little more than a possession receiver. But he is making big-time plays at K-State right now. Warner entered the day with 16 catches for 173 yards and two touchdowns. He padded those stats even more against Oklahoma State.
His best play has come with Howard at quarterback.
Of course, just about every receiver looked good against the Cowboys. Malik Knowles had eight catches for 113 yards, Phillip Brooks had two catches for 41 yards and a score and Vaughn hauled in a touchdown pass on a diving catch right before halftime.
Good change at kicker
Ty Zentner took over for Chris Tennant as K-State’s kicker on Saturday, and he responded with a strong game on special teams.
The senior connected on both of his field goal attempts and made all five of his extra points.
Klieman made a change at kicker after Tennant missed five of his first 14 field goals this season. It seems like a good move. Zentner is a gifted player on special teams who can do it all. He also handles punts and kickoffs for the Wildcats.
Inside track to Big 12 championship game
It might have been hard for K-State to find a path to the Big 12 championship game without a win over Oklahoma State. But the Wildcats now have the inside track there over fellow contenders Baylor, Texas and Texas Tech.
By no means are they a lock to reach Arlington and potentially get a rematch against undefeated TCU, but K-State fans can dream a little bit after a performance like this.
The Wildcats can strengthen their position over the next two weeks. Up next is a home against Texas, followed by a road game against Baylor. K-State will almost certainly get there with wins in both of those contests. But a split would likely still keep their hopes alive.
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