By
Steve Habel/Associate Editor
MANHATTAN, Kansas – The topsy-turvy 2014 Texas football season took a decidedly downward spiral Saturday when the Longhorns were whitewashed by 11th-ranked Kansas State 23-0 to the utter delight of a raucous crowd of 52,879 at Snyder Family Stadium.
It’s the first time the Horns (3-5 overall and 2-3 in Big 12 play) have [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level1)]been shutout since losing to Oklahoma 12-0 in the Cotton Bowl in 2004. Texas only sniffed the red zone once in this game, with its deepest penetration to the Kansas State 14-yard line early in the fourth quarter on a drive that ended in a failed fourth-down and 1 conversion.
In all three of its four previous losses (against UCLA, Baylor and Oklahoma), Texas was competitive and had a chance to win if it could have made a few plays at crucial times. You never got that feeling against Kansas State, which played its smashmouth-brand of mostly conservative football, knocked the Horns down constantly and never let them off the ground.
For every step the Horns had moved forward in the past few weeks – in losses to Baylor and OU and a thrilling, last-second win against Iowa State – they took two in reverse versus Kansas State.
The saddest thing about the loss was the ease at which Kansas State (6-1 and, at 4-0, the only team undefeated in Big 12 play) handled the Longhorns.
The Wildcats played to their ranking and drew on their confidence to beat Texas based on previous wins over the Longhorns. They kept things close to the vest, doing just enough to ensure a dominating win while keeping injured quarterback Jake Waters mostly out of harm’s way.
After all, as the conference leader, Kansas State still has plenty to play for. Texas, with three Big 12 losses and no easy opponents in the five games it has remaining, is stuck with plenty of soul searching and a whole lotta “we’re rebuilding” and “wait until next year.”
Disciplined play once again played a major role in the Wildcats’ win as they surrendered no turnovers and committed only three penalties for 25 yards. On the other hand, Texas coughed up a fumble and racked up 66 yards on seven penalties. The Longhorns were out-possessed 39:14 to 20:46 and were also unable to convert their two red zone possessions to points, while allowing K-State to go 4-for-4 inside the 20.
“We were totally outplayed up front,” Texas offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said. “Kansas State didn’t even have to do anything outside the norm – they played their base defense throughout. I was very surprised that we didn’t play better, but we still have five games to right the ship.”
The Horns’ offense was almost invisible, gaining a season-low 196 yards, 92 yards fewer than they amassed in the first half Oct. 18 against Iowa State. The Texas defense, despite holding the Wildcats to field goals on three possessions, allowed Kansas State to convert nine of its 17 third downs, three of them for 13 yards or more.
“I’m very frustrated that we couldn’t get off the field on third down – that the money down and where the game is won and lost,” Texas defensive coordinator Vance Bedford said. “We played pretty well in the first half until we let Kansas State drive the field on us and score right before halftime.”
Kansas State moved the ball well on its opening drive, moving 67 yards in 11 plays before the Texas defense stiffened and forced a 19-yard field goal by Matthew McCrane that gave the Wildcats a 3-0 lead.
After a 12-yard punt granted Kansas State the ball at the UT-42, the Wildcats drove to another McCrane field goal, this one from 30 yards out. The Texas defense, on the field for most of the first quarter, acquitted itself well by keeping K-State out of the end zone and kept the offense in the game.
That changed in late in the second quarter as the Wildcats drove 85 yards in 12 plays to a 2-yard TD run by DeMarcus Robinson. K-State converted three third downs on the drive, two of them for 13 yards or more, the most damaging a 29-yard hookup from Waters to Tyler Lockett when the Wildcats needed 14 yards to move the chains.
“We could have gone to halftime down just 6-0 if we would have executed like we are supposed to,” Bedford said. “Lockett worked his way open and Waters had the time to get him the ball. That one really hurt us.”
Kansas State got another McCrane field goal – this one a career-long 38-yarder – at the 4:34 mark of the third quarter to expand its lead to 16-0.
After Texas failed to gain a yard on its early fourth-down conversion attempt, Kansas State put the final nail in the coffin with a 10-play, 86-yard drive that included two more third-down conversions and culminated in a 1-yard TD run from Charles Jones.
“We had our chances, but we didn’t execute our game plan and got in our own way too many times,” Texas coach Charlie Strong said. “I wouldn’t say we were flat – we just didn’t play the way we needed to against a very good team. We have to continue to play.”
The Horns return to action on the night after Halloween when they travel to Lubbock to face Texas Tech. A lot has to change between now and then to assure that Texas gets the treat, and not the trick, on the South Plains.
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