Kansas State vs. West Virginia: Score and Twitter Reaction
With No. 12 Kansas State coming off of its biggest loss of the season and its national championship hopes in shambles, many wondered how the Wildcats would respond on their trip to Morgantown, West Virginia.
Quite well, it turns out.
Jake Waters threw for 400 yards, Tyler Lockett had a punt return for a touchdown, and the Wildcat defense held the West Virginia offense in check en route to a 26-20 victory on Thursday.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
The contest proved yet another banner performance from Lockett, who added 10 receptions and 196 yards to his 43-yard touchdown scamper in the second quarter. Lockett was consistently able to get open underneath for Waters, stretching the field barely beyond the first-down marker to extend drives.
"I think Lockett is one of the best players in the country," Mountaineers coach Dana Holgorsen told reporters before the game. "He hurt us last year, he's hurt a lot of people over the last couple of years."
Lockett became Kansas State's all-time leading receiver in the Wildcats' 41-20 loss to TCU two weeks ago. The senior wideout broke a record set by his father, Kevin Lockett, a longtime NFL wide receiver and punt returner who played for four teams.
As it has for much of the season, Lockett's ability to get open made the job a lot easier for Waters, who completed 22 of 34 passes. The senior dual threat made the most out of breakdowns in the West Virginia secondary, as for the third time in four games his running ability was thwarted. Waters has carried the ball 19 times for 15 yards in his last two games.
"You have heard me say this time and time again about Jake. The experience of two years of practice and playing some games just made him better," Wildcats coach Bill Snyder told reporters. "Through that, he has gained so much more confidence."
The same could have been said for Clint Trickett before the past few weeks. The West Virginia quarterback had been one of the nation's breakout players, but his increasing propensity for turnovers has done the Mountaineers no favors.
Trickett added two interceptions Thursday, each halting potential West Virginia scoring drives. He finished 12-of-25 passing for 112 yards and left in the third quarter with an injury. Skyler Howard replaced Trickett and was far more effective under center, throwing for 198 yards and making plays with his legs.
West Virginia's offense was rejuvenated when Howard entered the game. Their uptempo attack began wearing down Kansas State's front seven, opening up the middle of the field. Howard hit Kevin White from seven yards out to score the team's first touchdown and then hit a streaking Mario Alford over the middle for 53 yards to make the game 23-17 with seven minutes and 23 seconds remaining.
"Skyler Howard has now thrown as many TD passes against K-State as Geno Smith.
— D. Scott Fritchen (@DScottFritchen) November 21, 2014"
The Mountaineers' ability to extend drives on the ground proved a stark contrast to their opponents. West Virginia rushed for 123 yards against a paltry one for Kansas State. Rushel Shell had a game-high 60 yards, while Dreamius Smith added 35.
From a yardage and total plays standpoint, it would appear West Virginia had the upper hand for most of the game. And sometimes it felt like it did. But mental errors—not just ones from Trickett—helped the Wildcats come away with a victory.
West Virginia turned the ball over four times, compared to two for Kansas State, only one of which was meaningful. The disparity continued a trend that's existed all season. The Wildcats were tied for the nation's fourth-fewest turnovers coming into Thursday, with eight. The Mountaineers were No. 109 in the nation.
“They don’t do anything to hurt themselves,” Holgorsen said, per the school's official website. “They don’t have many negative plays. They’re just an efficient unit.”
Each of West Virginia's turnovers led directly to Wildcat points or likely points being wiped off the board for the Mountaineers. Wendell Smallwood's fumble wiped out a 1st-and-goal opportunity from the Kansas 2-yard line. Both Trickett interceptions were followed by Matthew McCrane field goals, as was Vernon Davis' muffed punt return in the third quarter.
McCrane proved a critical part of keeping Kansas State ahead. The freshman made four of five attempts with a long of 44 yards. Despite the fact that McCrane missed a gimme from 22 yards out early in the fourth quarter, Snyder put him on the field for a game-icing 32-yarder with just under three minutes remaining.
That decision led to some long looks from offensive players who wanted to attempt a 4th-and-inches conversion, but it wound up sending Kansas State home with a win.
The Wildcats play their last home game of 2014 next week against Kansas before closing out their regular season with a road trip to Baylor. While it'd be nearly impossible for Kansas State to get back into the playoff picture, Snyder and Co. can take solace in being a spoiler and potentially reaching one of the bowls formerly known as BCS contests.
West Virginia closes shop next week at Iowa State. The Mountaineers will look to end their fourth losing streak of three or more games in the past three seasons. Iowa State has yet to earn a Big 12 victory, so it's likely WVU ends 2014 on a high note. That's nonetheless little solace for a team that opened November inside the Top 20.
Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
