MANHATTAN, Kan. | Unacceptable. Kansas State cannot continue to roll out this kind of effort, declared coach Bill Snyder, who was as disgusted as he’s been all season, twice pounding the podium in his postgame meeting with reporters.Kansas State got clipped at Louisiana-Lafayette and pounded at Texas Tech. To hear Snyder, this was worse. Much worse.“We did not play well,” Snyder said. “This is about getting better, and we did not. That’s why I’m upset.”Kansas State defeated Colorado 20-6 on Saturday, and after the Wildcats grabbed the lead in the second quarter, the game was never in doubt.The soaring penalty count in the second half especially soured Snyder. K-State committed eight of its nine accepted offenses after the break, and the flags took the Wildcats out of field-goal range on successive possessions.“Getting the right plays on the field, penalties, you name it, it all went wrong,” Snyder gruffed.Kansas State’s defense took care of business all day. Colorado crossed midfield only on its first and final possessions. The first resulted in a touchdown, and the Buffs doinked the extra point. The second ended in the end zone with Emmanuel Lamur’s second interception of the game.In between those drives, Colorado started 11 possessions and collected a grand total of 79 yards.“We would love to have run the ball more, but they’re a good team,” Buffaloes coach Dan Hawkins said.Snyder liked the resiliency of the defense.“I think our offense put them in some ridiculous situations,” Snyder said.Kansas State drained much of the game’s drama by dominating field position. Colorado’s average starting point was its 18. The Wildcats’ was their 46. Yes, that positive real estate should have produced more points. But by holding the ball for more than 34 minutes and having an 18-12 possession advantage in the second half, K-State stiff-armed Colorado as the Buffaloes tried to get back in the contest.Remember, this was a Colorado team that played its best ball in the previous two weeks, beating Kansas and leading Texas at halftime. Colorado was flustered enough Saturday to switch quarterbacks again, back to the demoted Cody Hawkins.Kansas State’s locker room was not a happy place.Snyder didn’t spare his offense, and the players carried that gloomy message to the media sessions.“Obviously, I didn’t throw the ball very well,” quarterback Grant Gregory said. “We just have to find ways to move the ball down the field. We have to be more consistent in the red zone, more consistent.”The Wildcats completed the first half of their Big 12 schedule with a 3-1 record, and Saturday’s triumph ensures Kansas State will make the turn leading the North. Since capturing the 2003 Big 12 championship, the Wildcats have won as many as four conference games only once. The 3-1 start is the best since 2000, and it’s been six years since Kansas State won its first four home games.With every other team in the North carrying two losses, with Nebraska in meltdown mode after the Iowa State loss, with Kansas wondering if it can compete with the big boys after getting run out of its stadium by Oklahoma, Kansas State seems as viable a division winner as any in this who-wants-it division.It’s happening because a coach who turned 70 last month responded to the call from the program he created then watched fade under Ron Prince.Colorado provides the classic sampling of the different regimes. A year ago, Prince mismanaged Kansas State into a 14-13 loss at Boulder.This season, with top playmaker Josh Freeman in the NFL (wouldn’t it have been fun to watch the offensive master tutor Freeman this season), with plenty of goodwill banked for a rebuilding season, Snyder has the rest of the North chasing him.We’ll get into the bowl eligibility talk later. Just know that because the Wildcats, 5-3, defeated Division I-AA teams they have to get to seven victories. It’s looking do-able.All of this from a program picked by the coaches to finish fifth.Amazing stuff.Asked what it means to be 3-1, Snyder snapped, “It means we didn’t play well.”

Posted on Sat, Oct. 24, 2009 10:15 PM

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL

K-State's Snyder makes the worst of a good thing

By BLAIR KERKHOFF

The Kanasas City Star

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Kansas State got clipped at Louisiana-Lafayette and pounded at Texas Tech. To hear Snyder, this was worse. Much worse.

“We did not play well,” Snyder said. “This is about getting better, and we did not. That’s why I’m upset.”

Kansas State defeated Colorado 20-6 on Saturday, and after the Wildcats grabbed the lead in the second quarter, the game was never in doubt.

The soaring penalty count in the second half especially soured Snyder. K-State committed eight of its nine accepted offenses after the break, and the flags took the Wildcats out of field-goal range on successive possessions.

“Getting the right plays on the field, penalties, you name it, it all went wrong,” Snyder gruffed.

Kansas State’s defense took care of business all day. Colorado crossed midfield only on its first and final possessions. The first resulted in a touchdown, and the Buffs doinked the extra point. The second ended in the end zone with Emmanuel Lamur’s second interception of the game.

In between those drives, Colorado started 11 possessions and collected a grand total of 79 yards.

“We would love to have run the ball more, but they’re a good team,” Buffaloes coach Dan Hawkins said.

Snyder liked the resiliency of the defense.

“I think our offense put them in some ridiculous situations,” Snyder said.

Kansas State drained much of the game’s drama by dominating field position. Colorado’s average starting point was its 18. The Wildcats’ was their 46.

Yes, that positive real estate should have produced more points. But by holding the ball for more than 34 minutes and having an 18-12 possession advantage in the second half, K-State stiff-armed Colorado as the Buffaloes tried to get back in the contest.

Remember, this was a Colorado team that played its best ball in the previous two weeks, beating Kansas and leading Texas at halftime. Colorado was flustered enough Saturday to switch quarterbacks again, back to the demoted Cody Hawkins.

Kansas State’s locker room was not a happy place.

Snyder didn’t spare his offense, and the players carried that gloomy message to the media sessions.

“Obviously, I didn’t throw the ball very well,” quarterback Grant Gregory said. “We just have to find ways to move the ball down the field. We have to be more consistent in the red zone, more consistent.”

The Wildcats completed the first half of their Big 12 schedule with a 3-1 record, and Saturday’s triumph ensures Kansas State will make the turn leading the North. Since capturing the 2003 Big 12 championship, the Wildcats have won as many as four conference games only once. The 3-1 start is the best since 2000, and it’s been six years since Kansas State won its first four home games.

With every other team in the North carrying two losses, with Nebraska in meltdown mode after the Iowa State loss, with Kansas wondering if it can compete with the big boys after getting run out of its stadium by Oklahoma, Kansas State seems as viable a division winner as any in this who-wants-it division.

It’s happening because a coach who turned 70 last month responded to the call from the program he created then watched fade under Ron Prince.

Colorado provides the classic sampling of the different regimes. A year ago, Prince mismanaged Kansas State into a 14-13 loss at Boulder.

This season, with top playmaker Josh Freeman in the NFL (wouldn’t it have been fun to watch the offensive master tutor Freeman this season), with plenty of goodwill banked for a rebuilding season, Snyder has the rest of the North chasing him.

We’ll get into the bowl eligibility talk later. Just know that because the Wildcats, 5-3, defeated Division I-AA teams they have to get to seven victories. It’s looking do-able.

All of this from a program picked by the coaches to finish fifth.

Amazing stuff.

Asked what it means to be 3-1, Snyder snapped, “It means we didn’t play well.”

Posted on Sat, Oct. 24, 2009 10:15 PM

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