Kansas State vs. Texas: Game Grades, Analysis for Wildcats and Longhorns

The Texas Longhorns earned a hard-fought win on Saturday as they defeated the Kansas State Wildcats 23-9. The weather played a big role for both teams, but thanks to a strong running game and a defense that was able pressure Wildcats quarterback Joe Hubener, the Longhorns were able to win their third game of the year.

The Wildcats, on the other hand, played a lot better than what they showed last week against Oklahoma where they lost 55-0, but they have a lot of work to do in order to finish the season strong.

Here are my game grades for the Wildcats and the Longhorns.

Positional Unit	1st Half	Final Grade
Passing Offense	B	D-
Rushing Offense	C-	C
Passing Defense	B-	C-
Rushing Defense	D	F
Special Teams	D	D
Coaching	D	D-

Passing Offense

The Wildcats started off well as Joe Hubener was able to find Dominique Heath for a touchdown pass at the end of the first half. But as the weather got worse, Hubener had a hard time finding any rhythm. He finished the afternoon completing 10 of his 22 passes for one touchdown and one interception. Had the Wildcats ran the ball more and not thrown the ball 22 times, Hubener would have been more effective.

Rushing Offense

The ground attack for the Wildcats was solid as Charles Jones was able to run for 122 yards on 18 carries. However, he was the only one to find success on the ground as the Wildcats only rushed for 135 yards on 37 carries. Jones really should have gotten the ball more, especially in the first half. This was his best game of the season, but if he had 10 more carries, the Wildcats may have had a chance to win.

Passing Defense

The Longhorns only threw the ball 15 times, but quarterback Jerrod Heard was able to complete 10 of them. The Wildcats only got one sack from Elijah Lee, and they only got one pass breakup from Morgan Burns. Overall, it was not a good day for the Wildcats pass defense, but there is a reason for that.

Rushing Defense

The run defense for the Wildcats struggled all game long as they gave up 274 yards and three touchdowns. Heard, Jonathan Gray and Tyrone Swoopes all had big days on the ground as all three had at least 50 rushing yards. The Wildcats had a difficult time maintaining the Longhorns’ "18-Wheeler" offense where Swoopes runs downhill behind an army of blockers. That was the difference in the game.

Special Teams

For the most part, the special teams were solid, but there was one play that summed up the Wildcats' season. During the kickoff after the Longhorns' second touchdown in the second quarter, nobody for the Wildcats was able recover the kickoff which led to the Longhorns jumping on it, giving them the ball back deep in Kansas State territory. It did not lead to points, but that should never happen.

Coaching

Bill Snyder has been a great head coach for the Wildcats, but this was not the best performance for his coaching staff. It’s clear that Hubener can’t consistently carry the Wildcats with his arm, and with the way Jones was running the ball, the coaching staff should have relied on the run game more, especially in the rain. But the coaching staff did do a good job with the defense, especially in the second half because the Longhorns did not score their final touchdown until seconds were left in the game.

Positional Unit	1st Half	Final Grade
Passing Offense	B	A-
Rushing Offense	A	A+
Passing Defense	C	A-
Rushing Defense	B	B
Special Teams	C	B-
Coaching	A	A

Passing Offense

One would think 99 passing yards would not equal to an efficient day through the air. However, the rain played a huge factor for both teams, and Heard was able to complete some big passes. Most of the passes Heard threw were short, but his receivers were able to make plays after the catch, especially Daje Johnson, who caught six passes for 41 yards.

Rushing Offense

A combined 274 rushing yards and three touchdowns is considered a good day for any team, right? With Heard, Swoopes and Gray, the Longhorns ran over the Wildcats. Credit goes out to Swoopes, who lost his starting job at the start of the season but has really made a name for himself as the key element in the 18-Wheeler offense.

Passing Defense

The Longhorns probably did not think the Wildcats would throw the ball 22 times, but they were ready for it as they allowed only 107 yards through the air. The Longhorns were able to sack the quarterback five times, and Dylan Haines came up with a big interception late in the fourth quarter.

Rushing Defense

Jones was able to record 122 rushing yards for the Wildcats, but that was all the rushing they would get as the Longhorns limited the Wildcats to 135 yards and 3.6 yards per carry. Defensive lineman Bryce Cottrell had two tackles for a loss, and Peter Jinkens also had a tackle for a loss to go with his four tackles. Overall, the Longhorns defense was flying to the football all game long, which was a reason why they won on Saturday.

Special Teams

The Longhorns have had issues with special teams all season long. It was no different on Saturday as they botched an extra point snap, and the long snapper snapped the ball over punter Michael Dickson’s head. However, the Longhorns did recover a kickoff, and Dickson was able to get off a very good punt after the botched snap. So it was a mixed bag with the special teams, but the Longhorns were not hurt by the miscues.

Coaching

Head coach Charlie Strong did a good job with the game plan because the Longhorns stuck with the run game, which led to some plays in the passing game. Strong knew the weather was going to be an issue, so it was important the Longhorns establish the run and finish off drives. And Strong’s defense was outstanding all day long. They did give up a late first-half score, but the group made sure Hubener was uncomfortable all game long.