Game report: K-State 39, Louisiana Tech 33, 3OTs
First quarter
Key play: Joe Hubener and Winston Dimel botched a handoff at the 5-yard line, costing K-State an opportunity to score.
Key stat: Star Louisiana Tech running back Kenneth Dixon rushed for 8 yards.
Second quarter
Key play: Louisiana Tech’s Jeff Driskel faked a handoff and ran untouched into the end zone for the game’s first touchdown.
Key stat: Hubener completed three of nine passes for 32 yards.
Third quarter
Key play: Hubener hit Kody Cook in the end zone for a game-tying touchdown.
Key stat: Justin Silmon ran for 58 yards in five carries during K-State’s game-tying drive.
Fourth quarter
Key play: Louisiana Tech’s Jonathan Barnes kicked a 45-yard field goal that sent the game to overtime.
Key stat: Silmon reached 100 rushing yards, becoming the first K-State running back to do so in two years.
Player of the game: This could go to Jack Cantele, Elijah Lee, Kody Cook or Justin Silmon, but Joe Hubener wins because he threw two difficult touchdown passes in overtime. That took guts, and he delivered when his team needed him most.
Reason to hope: K-State won all three of its nonconference games for the first time in three years. It is halfway to bowl eligibility.
Reason to mope: The Wildcats needed three overtimes to beat a Conference USA opponent at home. That does not exactly bode well for Big 12 play when the competition improves.
Looking ahead: K-State is off this week. Then it heads to Oklahoma State for a game that should be evenly matched. The Cowboys have not looked impressive, but the Wildcats tend to struggle in Stillwater.
| Kellis Robinett, krobinett@kcstar.com
Report card
B | Offense | Credit Joe Hubener, Kody Cook, Dominique Heath and Justin Silmon for their clutch plays, but the first half was a disaster. The running game was ineffective whenever Silmon wasn’t involved. |
C | Defense | The secondary gave up several big plays, and no one accounted for Jeff Driskel on keepers. This was the defense’s worst showing of the season. |
B | Special teams | Jack Cantele carried the special teams, making all four of his field goals. Heath had one terrible punt return and one strong one. |
C | Coaching | Co-offensive coordinator Dana Dimel called a poor game. Asking Charles Jones to repeatedly run straight ahead out of the wildcat formation with nine Louisiana Tech defenders in the box was unwise. His first-down calls were predictable throughout. |
This story was originally published September 19, 2015 at 10:17 PM with the headline "Game report: K-State 39, Louisiana Tech 33, 3OTs."