Skylar Thompson’s perfectly balanced offense fuels Wildcats in victory over Oklahoma
Skylar Thompson didn’t want to leave the locker room.
After the junior Kansas State quarterback led the Wildcats to an improbable 48-41 victory over the No. 5 Oklahoma Sooners by amassing 242 all-purpose yards and scoring four touchdowns on Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, he celebrated in the simplest way possible. He found a chair, kicked back for a few quiet minutes and soaked in the moment.
“I don’t think it has really fully hit me,” Thompson said. “I am just at a loss of words. I was sitting down there at my locker thinking about what we just did and how we did it. It’s a special moment for me in my life. But I know, for Kansas State and the history here, this will go down as a game people will remember forever. Just the thought of me being a small part of it is something I am truly grateful for. I had so much fun today.”
That showed every time he led K-State to the end zone. It was also apparent in the final box score.
This was a picture-perfect day for the Wildcats on offense. Few saw that coming after they started Big 12 play with a pair of clunkers and followed them up with narrow victory over TCU in which they gained just 266 yards. But K-State showed new life on Saturday and erupted for 48 points and 426 yards against a previously undefeated team.
The most impressive thing about that: K-State gained 213 yards in the air and 213 yards on the ground.
You can’t get more balanced on offense.
“That was huge for us,” Thompson said. “We got the run game going and were able to throw off of it using play-action. It was a true balanced attack, which is what we strive to do. That was huge, and then when we got in the red zone we scored touchdowns. That was the difference in the game.”
K-State’s strong effort on offense was unexpected, but it didn’t come entirely out of left field. The Wildcats didn’t spring anything new on the Sooners, they just did a better job executing the plays called by offensive coordinator Courtney Messingham.
For the first time since Week 2, the Wildcats ran the ball successfully between the tackles. That was most evident watching James Gilbert rumble for 105 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.
K-State also used Thompson as a runner for the second straight game. The Wildcats asked Thompson to run near the goal line, and he was happy to do so. He found the end zone on an option run to his left, a draw and two standard keepers.
That’s something the Wildcats want to keep trying.
“It’s stuff we did at my previous school a lot with quarterbacks we had,” K-State coach Chris Klieman said. “For us in the red zone we have to have that 11th man, that quarterback that can make those plays.”
Thompson is certainly capable. He is suddenly a battering ram at the goal line, flashing the fast legs and power of a wildcat quarterback. He had four rushing touchdowns on a day when he also completed 18 of 28 passes for 213 yards.
“He just cares so much,” left tackle Scott Frantz said. “He isn’t afraid to throw his body around. He isn’t one of those quarterbacks who is shy of contact. I just can’t say enough about the guy. You see him out there diving in the end zone and taking big hits, because it is for the team. When you have an unselfish guy like Skylar you see those sort of plays.”
The healthy return of No. 2 running back Jordon Brown also played a huge factor in this game.
K-State was without him against Baylor and TCU, but the Wildcats got him heavily involved for 86 all-purpose yards against Oklahoma. Their favorite formation with Brown was a three-running back set that allowed K-State to gain leverage on outside runs. Lining up alongside Harry Trotter and Gilbert kept the Sooners’ defense off balance, and they teamed up for long gains.
Malik Knowles and Phillip Brooks were also active at receiver, which opened up the passing game. Dalton Schoen seemed to take advantage the most, running free from coverage to grab five catches for 68 yards.
This was the healthiest K-State has been on offense since it went on the road and beat Mississippi State more than a month ago, and it showed. The “hockey line changes” Klieman loves so much were in full effect. The Wildcats changed formations and personnel on just about every play, making it difficult for Oklahoma’s defense to respond.
“Just rhythm, getting into a rhythm offensively and being able to run the football with our power game inside,” Klieman said. “We were able to hit some perimeter runs. I think it was big to have Jordon Brown back. It gave us back that three-back set with some older guys. I thought Skylar was on point. He saw pressure and delivered the football. Against a really dominant defense, we didn’t turn the football over, and that’s a big thing.”
There wasn’t much to complain about from K-State’s offense after this one.
The Wildcats possessed the ball for 38 minutes, 27 seconds and only punted three times. This showed their potential.
It was the kind of effort Thompson will talk fondly about for years to come, even though he was at a loss for words at times on Saturday.
This story was originally published October 26, 2019 at 7:20 PM with the headline "Skylar Thompson’s perfectly balanced offense fuels Wildcats in victory over Oklahoma."