AMES, Iowa — The Kansas State football team survived its trip to Jack Trice Stadium and found a way to defeat Iowa State, 10-9, on Saturday.
This was a defensive game that was defined by field goals and just one touchdown.
No one will call it pretty. But the Wildcats (5-1, 3-0 Big 12) will take the result. They stayed on top of the conference standings with the win and kept their Farmageddon rivals, the Iowa State Cyclones (3-3, 0-3), on a losing streak.
Here are some key takeaways from the action.
Good teams find ways to win ugly games
K-State fans may not spend much time watching the highlights of this one, but it was arguably the team’s most impressive victory of the season.
The Wildcats went on the road and won a rivalry game in a loud environment on a night when nothing came easily.
K-State didn’t run the ball for big yardage like it usually does. It didn’t avoid silly mistakes like it usually does. It also trailed midway through the fourth quarter.
But Chris Klieman’s team still found a way to win and stay on top of the Big 12 standings with an undefeated conference record. That is what the best teams do. Not every week is going to be pretty. The squads that find ways to win on their off-nights are the ones that usually contend for trophies.
K-State remains in the mix for a trip to the Big 12 title game with Oklahoma State and TCU, which both also have perfect league records.
Iowa State took away K-State’s rushing attack
Adrian Martinez and Deuce Vaughn made running the ball look effortless the past two weeks, but gaining yards on the ground was anything but easy against Iowa State.
The Cyclones and their stingy run defense refused to let either one of them break free for big plays.
Martinez rushed for 77 yards on 19 carries, while Vaughn had 23 yards on 10 carries. Neither one of them scored a touchdown.
That was a huge drop off from previous games. Martinez and Vaughn lit up Oklahoma for a combined 264 yards and four touchdowns. Then they bulldozed Texas Tech for a combined 341 yards and three scores.
Give the Cyclones credit for K-State’s lack of production Saturday. The Cyclones legitimately have the best run defense in the Big 12. And they were ready for most of the designed QB runs and scrambles that Martinez tried. But they were certainly aided by the fact that Vaughn was shaken up in the fourth quarter and unable to finish out the game.
The Wildcats had to find another way to move the ball against a strong defense on the road. That led to more passes than we have seen in recent weeks with Martinez throwing for 246 yards and a touchdown. Phillip Brooks was his favorite target, as he finished with 119 yards and a score. But Malik Knowles also topped 100 yards.
One of the weirdest plays you will ever see
Knowles caught a deep ball from Martinez and rumbled down field for a 68-yard gain that resulted in a ... touchback for Iowa State.
Wait. What?
Yes, the Wildcats provided the sellout crowd at Jack Trice Stadium with a bizarre play that is destined to be shared widely on social media as a blooper.
Here’s what happened. Martinez escaped pressure in the backfield and found Knowles wide open behind the ISU secondary for what should have been a touchdown. But as Knowles approached the end zone Iowa State defensive back Anthony Johnson came zooming in from his right and punched the ball free inside the 1-yard line.
That led to a fumble in the end zone and then a scramble for the loose ball. Iowa State recovered it. Just when it looked like K-State was going to cross the goal line and take a 14-6 lead, Iowa State was running offense at its own 20 with the score just 7-6.
Few things are more painful on the football field than a player losing a fumble at the 1-yard line. The Wildcats had to try and make up for the mistake the rest of the game. It almost cost them dearly.
K-State remained red hot on first drives
Say this much for K-State offensive coordinator Collin Klein: He knows how to lead the Wildcats to early points.
K-State scored for the fifth time this season on its opening drive when Martinez found Brooks for an 81-yard touchdown pass on the Wildcats’ third play from scrimmage.
It was an unusual play in the sense that Iowa State appeared to be in position to bring Martinez down for a sack on a delayed blitz. But the Nebraska transfer shed a tackle and then found Brooks open downfield. Brooks also broke a tackle and then jogged into the end zone.
Add that on to a 75-yard run by Knowles in the first play of the season and a pair of monstrous runs by Martinez that yielded 75 yards and a pair of touchdowns 40 seconds into last week’s game against Texas Tech.
Good time for a bye week
The Wildcats could use a week off.
Luckily, that is exactly what they get next weekend.
Khalid Duke and Vaughn were both unable to finish this game with injuries. Felix Anudike-Uzomah was also shaken up early and clearly not at full strength in the final minutes. They will get time to heal now.
