Game report: Kansas State 38, Iowa State 35
First quarter
Key play: Glenn Gronkowski threw a touchdown pass to fellow fullback Winston Dimel to tie the game at 7-7.
Key stat: K-State ran the ball 12 times and attempted five passes.
Second quarter
Key play: Joel Lanning found Allen Lazard for a 16-yard touchdown, giving Iowa State a 35-14 lead.
Key stat: Mike Warren rushed for 110 yards.
Third quarter
Key play: Charles Jones scored on an 8-yard run to make the score 35-21.
Key stat: Iowa State touched the ball a single time, turning the ball over on downs.
Fourth quarter
Key play: Jack Cantele kicked a 42-yard field goal to lift K-State to victory.
Key stat: Iowa State lost two fumbles in the final 90 seconds.
The grades
Offense
C
K-State scored enough points to win, but it squandered several opportunities and gained 385 yards compared to 448 by Iowa State.
Defense
C
The Wildcats were nails in the second half and forced four turnovers, but they also let the Cyclones walk all over them in the first half.
Special teams
A
Morgan Burns returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and Jack Cantele nailed a 42-yard field goal to win.
Coaching
B
Credit Snyder for keeping spirits high during K-State’s losing streak. The Wildcats could have quit many times on Saturday, but they fought the whole way and good things happened.
Takeaways
Player of the game: Will Geary. The defensive tackle forced Mike Warren to fumble on the game’s most pivotal play, giving K-State an opportunity to mount a comeback. He was also good against the run.
Reason to hope: Wild victories can sometimes give teams a boost that carries over into future games. With winless Kansas up next and West Virginia at home the following week, the Wildcats are confident they can still reach a bowl.
Reason to mope: Iowa State looked leaps and bounds better than K-State in the opening half. The Wildcats continue to struggle early in games.
Looking ahead: Next up is a trip to winless Kansas. The Wildcats haven’t lost to the Jayhawks since Bill Snyder came out of retirement in 2009, and they will once again be favored. But it won’t be an automatic victory. K-State needs to play well to win.
Kellis Robinett: @KellisRobinett
This story was originally published November 21, 2015 at 7:07 PM with the headline "Game report: Kansas State 38, Iowa State 35."