Five things we learned from Kansas State’s come-from-behind football win at Texas Tech
The Kansas State football team rallied from an early deficit to defeat Texas Tech 25-24 on Saturday at Jones AT&T Stadium.
The Red Raiders scored a pair of quick touchdowns and led 24-10 at halftime, but none of that fazed the Wildcats. They put together a brilliant second half and stormed back to win their first conference game of the season.
Deuce Vaughn scored three touchdowns to lead the charge, while Felix Anudike-Uzomah made several key tackles to help K-State shut out the Red Raiders (5-3, 2-3 Big 12) in the second half for a victory the Wildcats (4-3, 1-3) badly needed.
Here are a few key takeaways on the game:
Biggest win of the season for K-State
There’s no doubt about this one.
K-State needed a victory over Texas Tech (5-3, 2-3) in the worst possible way. It entered Saturday on a three-game losing streak and team morale was low. Early on, its hopes of leaving here with a win seemed bleak. But the Wildcats fought back and won a key Big 12 road game that sets them up nicely to reach bowl eligibility and build momentum down the stretch of the season.
Many were down on the Wildcats when coach Chris Klieman lost his eighth straight conference game last week. But it’s easier for fans to be optimistic today.
With upcoming games against mediocre opponents TCU, Kansas and West Virginia, the Wildcats now have an opportunity to reel off some wins.
Defense turns corner in second half
K-State’s defense improbably made major strides in the second half of this game.
After trailing 24-10 at halftime, the Wildcats pitched a shutout over the final two quarters and escaped Lubbock with a victory.
That was unexpected, to say the least. K-State struggled mightily on defense against Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Iowa State in their first three Big 12 games. The Wildcats didn’t force a single punt against the Sooners and never led against the Cowboys or Cyclones.
The first half of this game felt more like the same. But the Wildcats started getting pressure on Texas Tech quarterback Henry Colombi after halftime, and momentum shifted in their favor. Colombi finished with just 148 passing yards. The Red Raiders did gain 170 yards and score three touchdowns on the ground, but they were unable to move the chains when it mattered.
Felix Anudike-Uzomah may have been the biggest reason why. The defensive end had four tackles that included a safety early in the third quarter and then a sack on Texas Tech’s final drive of the game. He has been K-State’s defensive MVP all season, and he was once again excellent in this game.
Nate Matlack and Tyrone Taleni also came through with sacks.
Another bad start for the Wildcats
Klieman asked for media and fans to try and start viewing the Wildcats through a more positive lense earlier this week.
In that sense, K-State showed improvement when it fell behind 7-0 after just two plays. The Red Raiders drove 75 yards and scored on a 45-yard run from Erik Ezukanma. But it was better than last week when Iowa State scored on the opening play via a 75-yard run from Breece Hall.
But things got worse from there. Malik Knowles fumbled the ensuing kickoff, which gave Texas Tech excellent field position. The Red Raiders took advantage and scored another touchdown to pull ahead 14-0 before K-State could run a play on offense.
Murphy’s Law was in effect for the Wildcats.
K-State’s methodical, run-oriented offense is not built to play from behind. But the Wildcats found themselves doing exactly that for the fourth straight game.
It didn’t end up mattering, but that is a trend the Wildcats need to correct.
Add on an alarming number of penalties (12 for 93 yards) and this was far from a perfect effort. Klieman will have plenty to harp on his players about at the start of the next week, even following a victory.
Deuce Vaughn to the rescue
K-State was surprisingly unable to run the ball effectively against Texas Tech’s porous defensive front, so the Wildcats found ways to get the ball to star running back Deuce Vaughn that didn’t involve hand-offs.
They moved him out of the backfield and had him lineup as a slot receiver throughout the game, and quarterback Skylar Thompson found him seven times for 68 yards. His biggest play came on a 26-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter when he was matched up against a linebacker.
That is more or less an automatic touchdown for the Wildcats. Vaughn effortlessly slipped behind Texas Tech’s defense and put K-State ahaed 25-24 midway through the fourth quarter.
Vaughn also came through with a pair of rushing touchdowns near the goal line. He is the Wildcats’ best offensive weapon, and he played like it on Saturday.
Thompson also deserves credit for throwing the ball for 296 yards after K-State fell behind by 14 points in the opening moments. The plan was to run that ball early and often against Texas Tech. The Wildcats pivoted away from that strategy and still won.
Along the way, Thompson completed passes to 12 receivers and had one of his finest games in a K-State uniform.
Ty Zentner had a game-changing punt
It might get overlooked in the final box score, but K-State punter Ty Zentner shifted momentum with a 63-yard punt early in the third quarter. The long punt pinned Texas Tech at its own 4, and Felix Anudike-Uzomah came through with a safety on the following play when he tackled SaRodorick Thompson in the end zone for a four-yard loss.
K-State then mounted a touchdown drive on its next possession to pull within 24-19. Later, it won the game.
Does any of that happen without an excellent punt from Zentner?
This story was originally published October 23, 2021 at 2:19 PM with the headline "Five things we learned from Kansas State’s come-from-behind football win at Texas Tech."