Alamo Bowl notes: Teams show different styles leading up to game

Kansas State and UCLA took vastly different approaches in how they carried themselves in the week leading up to Friday’s Alamo Bowl.

The Wildcats were somber and serious at several public appearances — suits and ties, clean-cut, not a lot of humor to go around. Interviews were polite, but everyone stuck to the company line.

The Bruins were the exact opposite.

Players and coaches showed up in Alamo Bowl-issued track suits — which UCLA running back Paul Perkins called “pretty fresh” — and joked with media and bowl personnel.

Linebacker Myles Jack, who had a first-half interception and return to set up a touchdown, was asked during a press conference if he was looking forward to eating some of San Antonio’s famed Mexican food and responded that “sounded good, but I’ve been eating at Hooters a lot lately. Last two days, actually.”

UCLA defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich laughed, then told Jack that maybe he shouldn’t have said that.

Jack looked out over a room full of reporters and smiled.

“Strike that, OK?”

Looks like the California-cool approach did the trick.

Dynamic duo

Curry Sexton and Tyler Lockett became Kansas State’s first wide receiver duo in which each topped 1,000 yards in the same season.

By catching 10 passes for 104 yards, Sexton finished his senior season with 1,059 yards. Lockett caught 13 passes for 164 yards and finished his final season with 1,515 yards.

Injured cat

Offensive lineman Boston Stiverson suffered a fracture to his lower leg in the fourth quarter, coach Bill Snyder said.

Stiverson was helped off the field in a cart but gave a thumbs-up sign to the crowd as he was being taken off.

Finney on the move

Three-time All-Big 12 center B.J. Finney was the solution to K-State’s struggles on the offensive line in the second half.

After the Wildcats gave up a fifth sack of quarterback Jake Waters, Finney moved to right tackle in place of Matt Kleinsorge and Drew Liddle stepped in at center.

Trailing 31-6, the Wildcats promptly reeled off 15 unanswered points to get back in the game. Finney gave up one sack in the second half to UCLA’s Deon Holllins.

In an interesting twist, Finney started the first half of the first game of his freshman year — on Sept. 3, 2011 — against Eastern Kentucky, at right guard and moved to center in the second half.

Two in a row

Two Kansas State fans disrupted the Alamo Bowl by running on the field with 6:35 left in the fourth quarter. The odd thing was that they weren’t together.

The first fan ran the length of the field, holding a K-State flag, went and picked up a penalty flag a referee had just thrown, threw it back at the referee and then laid on the ground and mimicked swimming before he was arrested.

As soon as that fan was taken off the field by police, another K-State fan came on, off the UCLA sideline, and led fans in the famed “K-S-U” chant, contorting his body to the letters before he was arrested.

UCLA linebacker and Butkus Award winner Eric Kendricks had to be held back by his coaches from going after the first fan.

This story was originally published January 3, 2015 at 12:08 AM with the headline "Alamo Bowl notes: Teams show different styles leading up to game."