Trips to Manhattan Have Been Forgettable For Longhorns Football

Habe on the Horns

By Steve Habel/Associate Editor

I’m sure Manhattan, Kansas is a charming city, but it’s never been a very friendly place to be a Longhorn. I know the “Little Apple” has a great golf course – Colbert Hills, one of the top-ranked tracks in the state – and the Kansas State campus that is the city’s epicenter is nice and clean and modern in a Kansas-sort of way.

My only trips to Manhattan have [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)]been to cover the Texas football team’s games there – and those visits have almost always ended with a Longhorns’ defeat and, if such a thing is possible, the Horns’ tail firmly between their legs.

Texas has played Kansas State six times in Manhattan since 1998 and the Horns have won just one of those games, a 17-14 victory in 2002. The Wildcats lead the overall 14-game series between the two teams 8-6 and are the only Big 12 team with a winning series-record against Texas.

So history – as well as the conference’s top team – is staring the Longhorns straight in the face Saturday in a game that is crucial for Texas’ psyche and its chance of earning a spot in a bowl game this season.

“(Playing in Manhattan) is really not about a whole bunch on atmosphere – it’s the team,” Texas running back Malcolm Brown said. “They are a bunch of disciplined guys. Those guys out there have pride in playing at home, and that’s something that we need to go in and break.”

The Longhorns will have to buck the trends of past years against a team that’s always had the knack of beating them, even when Texas was much better than it is in 2014, to make real inroads and win this game.

“It’s one of those games that’s all about our focus and our emotion, but it’s all about our defense, too,” Texas coach Charlie Strong said. “If we’re going to go out there and get that game, we’ve got to play great defense – winning on the road it’s all about playing great defense.”

Kansas State’s offensive attack is triggered by quarterback Jake Waters, who accounted for 276 combined yards of offence – 225 passing and 51 rushing – and three touchdowns last week in the Wildcats’ 31-30 win at Oklahoma.

Waters’ first choice when going to the air is always wide receiver Tyler Lockett. The duo has connected 108 times for 1,680 yards and 14 touchdowns in their 19 games together. Fifteen of those passes were for 20 or more yards, including seven of 40 yards or more.

Strong said Kansas State is a program that’s to be admired and lauded the success of Wildcats’ coach Bill Snyder and his staff.

“They’re just tough, smart and dependable, and when I say dependable, I mean they’re a very disciplined football team,” Strong said. “Not many penalties, not many turnovers.

“Waters may not be the most talented guy, but what he has is a presence about him, and he directs the offense and makes the plays,” Strong added.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to go out and play a well-rounded team that’s going to give it their all each and every play,” Texas cornerback Quandre Diggs said. “We’ve just got to focus on us and continue to do what we do best and just go out and compete.”

Expect the Horns (at 3-4 on the season and 2-2 in Big 12 play) to move forward from their last-second, game-winning effort on Oct. 18 against Iowa State. But Texas will have to improve by leaps and bounds to be able to stay with Kansas State, especially in the House That Snyder Built.

Texas will need the Wildcats to make some mistakes and for its defense to force turnovers and create some short-field scoring opportunities to have a realistic chance to escape Manhattan with a victory.

Just sayin’, ya’ know?

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