D
Derek Young
Guest
GREAT SKYLAR WAS BACK
Kansas State hasn’t lost a game this year where they have run the ball well. That was still the case today, as they kept Oklahoma’s offense off the field and tallied 213 yards on the ground, paving the way to a win over the Sooners.
While all of that is true, great quarterback Skylar Thompson returned to Manhattan on this particular day and in the brightest of lights and on the biggest of stages. There were a couple balls thrown to Dalton Schoen and caught that were absolutely elite.
Thompson was layering in his passes with regularity. He was converting on third and long with fantastic throws. He was accurate. He was efficient. My favorite was his ball to Samuel Wheeler in between three defenders at the three-yard line.
None of that even includes his four rushing touchdowns.
A DOMINANT THIRD QUARTER
K-State absolutely won the game in the third quarter and that isn’t for debate. They certainly received help along the way, such as Lincoln Riley’s timeout usage and his decision to kick field goals in the first half, and they were definitely boosted by a big play from someone in each quarter, but their best performance was coming out of the locker room at halftime and thoroughly dominating a top-5 team in Manhattan.
They were efficient on their drives. They scored on their first four drives of the second half, totaling 24 points. The fourth drive did leak into the fourth quarter. Before Oklahoma scored a touchdown in the second half, they were being outscored by the Wildcats 24-0 since the beginning of the third quarter.
Not only was the offense pristine, the defense was as well. They forced a three-and-out, something that is unheard of in Norman. They also prevented the Sooners from even recording a first down in the quarter. Lincoln Riley’s high-powered offense was slowed down to just seven yards on six plays in the third quarter.
BETTER TACKLING
It wasn’t perfect. It probably won’t be this year. Oklahoma’s late charge showed that there’s still some flaws to clean up and some kinks to work out. What really ignited the Sooners’ last gasp was a one-play drive where CeeDee Lamb housed it because of some poor tackling mechanics.
Aside from the couple plays here and there that really pushed the issues back to the surface, it was one of their better performances in a few weeks in that department. It was better than last week against TCU, another game that they won.
Remember, some of Oklahoma’s scores is because K-State, intelligently, went to a prevent defense to force Lincoln Riley and company to waste clock. Another score was off of a trick play. The Sooners didn’t seem succinct on offense much at all and they never established much of any rhythm, despite putting up 41 on the board. That also just goes to show how explosive and elite they are on that side of the ball, scoring 41 points and playing far from their best.
HOW GOOD DOES THIS FEEL
That was what head coach Chris Klieman had to say in the locker room after last week’s win over the Horned Frogs. If he asks that again, I bet it evokes a louder ovation and stronger reaction from his players.
In his first year at the program, he got the Wildcats over the hump by winning in an SEC environment and defeating Mississippi State in a marquee non-conference victory that had escaped them for a number of years.
He’s followed that up with a 5-2 start that now includes the program’s first win over Oklahoma in Manhattan since 1996. Klieman and company have done all of it in their first season and now are just a game away from bowl eligibility.
Remember when many didn’t want recruits inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium to witness the contest? I’d have to imagine the reward will be great.
Kansas State hasn’t lost a game this year where they have run the ball well. That was still the case today, as they kept Oklahoma’s offense off the field and tallied 213 yards on the ground, paving the way to a win over the Sooners.
While all of that is true, great quarterback Skylar Thompson returned to Manhattan on this particular day and in the brightest of lights and on the biggest of stages. There were a couple balls thrown to Dalton Schoen and caught that were absolutely elite.
Thompson was layering in his passes with regularity. He was converting on third and long with fantastic throws. He was accurate. He was efficient. My favorite was his ball to Samuel Wheeler in between three defenders at the three-yard line.
None of that even includes his four rushing touchdowns.
A DOMINANT THIRD QUARTER
K-State absolutely won the game in the third quarter and that isn’t for debate. They certainly received help along the way, such as Lincoln Riley’s timeout usage and his decision to kick field goals in the first half, and they were definitely boosted by a big play from someone in each quarter, but their best performance was coming out of the locker room at halftime and thoroughly dominating a top-5 team in Manhattan.
They were efficient on their drives. They scored on their first four drives of the second half, totaling 24 points. The fourth drive did leak into the fourth quarter. Before Oklahoma scored a touchdown in the second half, they were being outscored by the Wildcats 24-0 since the beginning of the third quarter.
Not only was the offense pristine, the defense was as well. They forced a three-and-out, something that is unheard of in Norman. They also prevented the Sooners from even recording a first down in the quarter. Lincoln Riley’s high-powered offense was slowed down to just seven yards on six plays in the third quarter.
BETTER TACKLING
It wasn’t perfect. It probably won’t be this year. Oklahoma’s late charge showed that there’s still some flaws to clean up and some kinks to work out. What really ignited the Sooners’ last gasp was a one-play drive where CeeDee Lamb housed it because of some poor tackling mechanics.
Aside from the couple plays here and there that really pushed the issues back to the surface, it was one of their better performances in a few weeks in that department. It was better than last week against TCU, another game that they won.
Remember, some of Oklahoma’s scores is because K-State, intelligently, went to a prevent defense to force Lincoln Riley and company to waste clock. Another score was off of a trick play. The Sooners didn’t seem succinct on offense much at all and they never established much of any rhythm, despite putting up 41 on the board. That also just goes to show how explosive and elite they are on that side of the ball, scoring 41 points and playing far from their best.
HOW GOOD DOES THIS FEEL
That was what head coach Chris Klieman had to say in the locker room after last week’s win over the Horned Frogs. If he asks that again, I bet it evokes a louder ovation and stronger reaction from his players.
In his first year at the program, he got the Wildcats over the hump by winning in an SEC environment and defeating Mississippi State in a marquee non-conference victory that had escaped them for a number of years.
He’s followed that up with a 5-2 start that now includes the program’s first win over Oklahoma in Manhattan since 1996. Klieman and company have done all of it in their first season and now are just a game away from bowl eligibility.
Remember when many didn’t want recruits inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium to witness the contest? I’d have to imagine the reward will be great.
