D
Derek Young
Guest
TOO MANY EMPTY POSSESSIONS
Kansas State scored touchdowns on their first two offensive possessions of the game. What followed that was a lot of silence from that side of the ball. The amount of empty offensive possessions in the second and third quarters came back to bite them.
It not only had them stuck on 14 on the scoreboard, it put the defense in tough spot after tough spot and they held on for dear life, but it wasn’t just enough at the end of the game. The middle two quarters and the lack of ball movement was one of the defining parts of this contest.
TWO GAME-CHANGERS
Two plays that will stick in their crawl about their outcome in Austin both occurred in the second half. I think the difference-makers for the Longhorns were the lengthy punt return that set them up for an eventual score and their third down conversion with just under four minutes remaining in the game.
Texas’ punt return was the first blemish by the special teams unit in quite a while and what gave Tom Herman and crew the ammunition to stretch their lead to 10 points. Honestly, I was concerned that the game was probably dead and over at that point. However, the grit of the team fled to the surface once again when K-State responded by tying it up.
Sam Ehlinger making the throw on third and long with just under four minutes was the last deciding play. Texas made the play when it mattered. Had they not converted, Kansas State is probably going to get the ball back and either wins by a field goal in regulation or at least have the potential to force overtime.
THE KICK RETURN
This game really tested the mettle of the Wildcats and they hung in there instead of fading down the stretch like the performances against Oklahoma State and Baylor. From that perspective, despite falling, this game did show growth if you look close enough and choose to view it from that type of lens.
After scoring the first 14 points of the game, Texas bounced back by rattling off the next 24. That stretch caused many, including myself, to think Kansas State was no longer in contention and would have no chance at re-entering the game.
Although in losing fashion, hats off to the Wildcats by answering it in lieu of the offensive struggles in the second and third quarter. They tied the game thanks to a kickoff score for a touchdown by true freshman Joshua Youngblood. It did make you remember how they battled and grinded out the victory over Mississippi State in Starkville. They were bolstered in that game by a special teams score from Malik Knowles.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough, but it does show the continued investment from the roster and the coaches, and it still signifies that the process is heading in the appropriate direction.
HAVE TO PUSH FORWARD
Although it will go down as a game that was completely winnable for Kansas State, it is important to push forward in the process and not let it define them. I heard a wise man once say that the key is to not let the same beat you twice, or in consecutive weeks. West Virginia comes to Manhattan next weekend after being walloped at home by Matt Wells and Texas Tech.
If not careful, the Mountaineers can still bite teams. They nearly shocked Baylor on Thursday night, nine days ago.
In the future, there will be less tolerance for letting games slip away in this manner. The bright side is that they continued to fight, even when they fell down 24-14. The keys and indicators of progress will be if they can respond better when faced with the same situation, again.
However, one can make an argument that they already have, not letting it get away from them like they did in Stillwater. Furthermore, they were playing against a healthy Texas team that was more impressive than Oklahoma State.
Kansas State scored touchdowns on their first two offensive possessions of the game. What followed that was a lot of silence from that side of the ball. The amount of empty offensive possessions in the second and third quarters came back to bite them.
It not only had them stuck on 14 on the scoreboard, it put the defense in tough spot after tough spot and they held on for dear life, but it wasn’t just enough at the end of the game. The middle two quarters and the lack of ball movement was one of the defining parts of this contest.
TWO GAME-CHANGERS
Two plays that will stick in their crawl about their outcome in Austin both occurred in the second half. I think the difference-makers for the Longhorns were the lengthy punt return that set them up for an eventual score and their third down conversion with just under four minutes remaining in the game.
Texas’ punt return was the first blemish by the special teams unit in quite a while and what gave Tom Herman and crew the ammunition to stretch their lead to 10 points. Honestly, I was concerned that the game was probably dead and over at that point. However, the grit of the team fled to the surface once again when K-State responded by tying it up.
Sam Ehlinger making the throw on third and long with just under four minutes was the last deciding play. Texas made the play when it mattered. Had they not converted, Kansas State is probably going to get the ball back and either wins by a field goal in regulation or at least have the potential to force overtime.
THE KICK RETURN
This game really tested the mettle of the Wildcats and they hung in there instead of fading down the stretch like the performances against Oklahoma State and Baylor. From that perspective, despite falling, this game did show growth if you look close enough and choose to view it from that type of lens.
After scoring the first 14 points of the game, Texas bounced back by rattling off the next 24. That stretch caused many, including myself, to think Kansas State was no longer in contention and would have no chance at re-entering the game.
Although in losing fashion, hats off to the Wildcats by answering it in lieu of the offensive struggles in the second and third quarter. They tied the game thanks to a kickoff score for a touchdown by true freshman Joshua Youngblood. It did make you remember how they battled and grinded out the victory over Mississippi State in Starkville. They were bolstered in that game by a special teams score from Malik Knowles.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough, but it does show the continued investment from the roster and the coaches, and it still signifies that the process is heading in the appropriate direction.
HAVE TO PUSH FORWARD
Although it will go down as a game that was completely winnable for Kansas State, it is important to push forward in the process and not let it define them. I heard a wise man once say that the key is to not let the same beat you twice, or in consecutive weeks. West Virginia comes to Manhattan next weekend after being walloped at home by Matt Wells and Texas Tech.
If not careful, the Mountaineers can still bite teams. They nearly shocked Baylor on Thursday night, nine days ago.
In the future, there will be less tolerance for letting games slip away in this manner. The bright side is that they continued to fight, even when they fell down 24-14. The keys and indicators of progress will be if they can respond better when faced with the same situation, again.
However, one can make an argument that they already have, not letting it get away from them like they did in Stillwater. Furthermore, they were playing against a healthy Texas team that was more impressive than Oklahoma State.
