K-State Football Trailing Oklahoma State 17-14 At Halftime

Oct 5, 2013; Stillwater, OK, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy and Kansas State Wildcats head coach Bill Snyder talk before the game at Boone Pickens Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Rowe-USA TODAY Sports

Starting the second quarter of play tied 7-7, K-State was forced to punt to Oklahoma State and J.W. Walsh demonstrated that he’d finally developed some rhythm with three straight completions. Tacking on a facemask call on Blake Slaughter (yes, another penalty!), and Oklahoma State was on the 13-yard line. However, the Wildcat defense stepped up in a big way. The Cowboys are 14th nationally in red zone scoring defense, and the best at scoring touchdowns, yet inside the 20 the plays went incomplete pass, Walsh rush for no gain, and tipped pass by Ryan Mueller goes incomplete. Oklahoma State still came away with a field goal, and took the lead 10-7.

Afraid to kick at Tyler Lockett following a long return brought back by a holding penalty earlier, Oklahoma State kicked the ball out of bounds giving K-State the ball a the 35. This was the drive that nobody wanted. With Tramaine Thompson already out, Lockett went down holding his hamstring after Daniel Sams attempted to thread an ill-advised pass into double coverage – making Curry Sexton the #1 receiving option.

Seemingly looking to answer any question, the next pass went to Sexton for ten yards. However, another false start penalty pushed K-State back to 3rd-and-10, and Sams threw in coverage on a play in which Oklahoma State showed man coverage, but then dropped everyone back and only rushed three. That’s probably the best way to contain him, but you can only pull that trick so many times.

Tyler Lockett analysis: Lockett appeared to come up a little lame on the play before the pass, getting hurt being shoved out of bounds on an around-end. He was able to walk off the field on his own, and was on the sidelines riding a stationery bike to loosen up the leg. He was not seen again in the half.

On the ensuing Oklahoma State possession, K-State forced a stop but then had to burn a timeout when the Cowboys faced fourth-and-inches, but opted to punt. K-State brought its defensive personnel on the field and confusion forced the Wildcats to call a timeout when Mike Gundy opted to punt. And that’s when the hits just kept coming.

Defensive end Ryan Mueller ran into the punter on the same play Ty Zimmerman came in to take over punt return duties and fumbled the catch. Zimmerman recovered, but roughing the punter still stood and gave Oklahoma State another opportunity. That’s when the bad officiating came into play (and no, I’m not playing the officials for the eight penalties this team was undisciplined enough to accrue).

Mueller just about had a sack on Walsh. He hit the quarterback, didn’t have him wrapped up, but Walsh was knocked off-balance enough that he bounced backward and was going down. “Beautiful,” I tell myself, “That’s a nice sack. Exactly what he needed to bounce back from the penalty, and what the defense needed.” Walsh was able to release the ball at the last second, but it fell short of his own linemen. There were no available receivers in the area. He was clearly inside the box. Easily an intentional grounding call, and nothing happens.

Oklahoma State picks up the first down on the next play. And then another first down. I’m throwing things in anger about that missed call, and my dog is cowering in corner like I’m running 20 vacuums simultaneously (kidding). However, K-State was able to force a field goal and Travis Britz just plowed his way up the middle, blocking the kick. The ball found its way into the otherwise unsuspecting arms of Kip Daily, who returned the ball for a touchdown and help K-State to a 14-10 lead.

Unfortunately, Oklahoma State took what looks like a winded K-State defense down the field to take a 17-14 lead. Dante Barnett had an interception float through his hands. On the next play Barnett became extremely remiss that he dropped the ball, as Randall Evans committed pass interference and putting Walsh on the three yard line. He punched it in on the next play, and all the momentum K-State looked to take into halftime evaporated in the final seconds of the half.

A strange sequence of events occurred on the ensuing kick-off, as the short kick went to Laton Dowling, who attempted to hand the ball over to John Hubert. The exchange was fumbled, but the officials ruled it an illegal forward pass. Either way, K-State had the ball at the 20-yard-line with 50 seconds left, and rather than try to get a quick final score, Snyder opted to run out the clock, leaving us at 17-14 at halftime.

This tweet midway through the second quarter says everything you need to know about the discipline between last season and this season:

Quick Stats:

• Oklahoma State winning time of possession by about two minutes. However, Oklahoma State received the opening kick off, and K-State didn’t have an offensive possession on the blocked field goal returned for a touchdown.
• Bad throws both teams have combined for that should have been interceptions: about ten.
• Oklahoma State does not have a penalty. K-State has ten for 82 yards.
• Daniel Sams is 6/9 passing for 105 yards and a touchdown.
• No turnovers by either team.
• K-State has six first downs, Oklahoma State has 15. In order to win, that’s the statistic that must be reversed.
• The teams have combined for 100 yards rushing – 43 for K-State and 57 for Oklahoma State. I’m not surprised about the lack of ground game from the Cowboys, but that’s not great for the Wildcats. Of course, if the Pokes are off-balance on defense, that’s all I can ask for.