While no one ever said Big 12 football was for the faint of heart, Saturday’s game between Kansas State and Tulane may have taken the cake for the most unpredictable finish in the Week 2 slate.
Kansas State started off slow, trailing 20-10, before mounting a massive comeback to steal the game 34-27 over the Green Wave.
BIG PLAY DEFENSE
Kansas State’s defense was largely out of place for most of the game, giving up some massive throwing lanes for Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah. The Wildcats gave up 342 passing yards in the game before clamping down and forcing some major turnovers to change the momentum.
The first game-changing play came on a strip sack score from sophomore linebacker Austin Romaine, who snatched the ball free from Mensah’s hands with the score tied 20-20. Freshman safety Jack Fabris recovered the football and ran it back 75 yards for a score to put the Wildcats up 27-20.
The second game-changing play came in the final seconds of regulation, with junior safety VJ Payne intercepting a pass from Mensah to put the Wildcats in the win column.
COSTLY PENALTY
One play from the game that is sure to be discussed heavily was an offensive pass interference call that negated a Tulane touchdown with less than one minute remaining. With the Green Wave knocking on the door of Kansas State’s end zone, Tulane converted a one-yard score that was called back due to an offensive pass interference. The play has generated mixed reviews from fans on both sides of the argument. Leading the Wildcats by 10 points at halftime, Tulane had many opportunities to eliminate Kansas State from the game but couldn’t keep Avery Johnson, and Kansas State’s offense boxed up.
WILDCAT TRIO
Despite another slow start for the Wildcats on the scoreboard, the team made short work of some long drives as the game continued. Led by junior running back DJ Giddens, Kansas State posted 24 second-half points. Giddens recorded 19 carries for 114 yards on the ground and snagged four catches for 63 yards and a touchdown through the air.
Giddens was joined by a pair of Kansas natives, quarterback Avery Johnson and sophomore running back Dylan Edwards, with solid stat lines of their own. Johnson willed his team to a win by going 15-23 for 181 yards and two scores, with eight carries for 40 yards on the ground. Edwards found the end zone for the third time in two games at Kansas State, posting four carries for 54 yards and a score.
Kansas State advances to 2-0 and will take on Arizona in Manhattan in Week 3.
