Losses always hurt and the reasons don’t matter why.
This one may leave a mark that Texas Tech can’t overcome, though.
In a game that was much more defensive struggle than offensive shootout, Kansas State’s defense came up with sacks on the Red Raiders’ final two offensive snaps to clinch a come-from-behind 25-24 victory Saturday at Jones AT&T Stadium.
Wildcats’ quarterback Skylar Thompson passed for 296 yards and the game-winning touchdown to help his team snap an eight-game Big 12 Conference losing streak dating back to last season. The Wildcats (4-3, 1-3 Big 12) needed that production because the Red Raiders (5-3, 2-3) allowed only 22 rushing yards.
But getting shut out in the second half after a promising opening act was too much for Texas Tech to overcome.
The Red Raiders were driving into possible field-goal range in the closing minutes, carving out a pair of first downs, and got as deep as K-State’s 46-yard-line with 3 minutes to go. But the Wildcats’ defense came up big when Felix Anudike-Uzomah sacked Texas Tech quarterback Henry Colombi for a 6-yard loss and Nate Matlack dropped him for a 1-yard loss to slam the door.
That was the final insult to a 317-yard day for the Red Raiders, who parlayed two 75-yard touchdown drives and a Wildcats’ fumble on a kickoff in between into a quick 14-0 lead and a 24-10 halftime cushion.
Running the ball was nearly as tough a chore for Tech as it was K-State, though. The Red Raiders finished with 169 yards on 37 carries, but two totes by Kaylon Geiger (30 yards) and Erik Ezukanma (45 for a TD) were the fuel for the first long drive. Colombi finished with -11 yards and Donovan Smith managed only 15 on five attempts.
Down by two touchdowns at halftime, K-State fought back to take the 25-24 lead with 6:09 left in the game with a drive aided hugely when Texas Tech’s Devin Drew was flagged for a hands-to-the-face penalty on a play that would have ended with the Wildcats facing fourth-and-16.
Instead, K-State got an automatic first down and Thompson picked apart the Red Raider defense with four consecutive completions, the last to Deuce Vaughn for a 22-yard go-ahead touchdown.
That was the biggest play of the game for the mercurial Vaughn, who ran for only 52 yards but snared a team-high 7 passes for 68 yards. Thompson distributed the ball to 11 receivers.
Kansas State had climbed back into the game in the third quarter with a safety and touchdown following the ensuing free kick.
Anudike-Uzomah stuffed Red Raider back SaRodorick Thompson for a 4-yard loss in the end zone to close the two-touchdown halftime deficit to 24-12. Malik Knowles’ 31-yard return on the free kick and the Wildcats drove 69 yards to pull within 24-19 on Vaughn’s 2-yard burst on fourth-and-1.
Tech Tech stunned the Wildcats early, scoring after just two offensive snaps – the running plays to Geiger and Ezukanma – and recovering a fumble on the ensuing kickoff.
Ezukanma put the Red Raiders up 7-0 when he took a jet sweep handoff and dashed 45 yards just 30 seconds into the contest. Tyrique Matthews smothered K-State return man Malik Knowles’ fumble on the kick and Texas Tech’s offense came right back out and took possession at the 23-yard-line.
Sticking mostly to the ground, the Red Raiders drove the short distance and nudged the lead to 14-0 when SaRodorick Thompson ducked into the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard-line.
Texas Tech generated one more solid drive, moving 75 yards after K-State closed the gap to 14-7. Colombi rifled a pretty 40-yard pass to Myles Price on a deep seam route to flip the field and six runs covered the final 22 yards, with Thompson plowing the final 4 yards on fourth down to extend the lead to 21-7.
The Red Raiders will try to pick up the pieces with a road game next week when they head east to take on 3rd-ranked Oklahoma, which had to dig deep to knock off Kansas 35-23 on Saturday.
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