As always, the Texas-Kansas State matchup proved to be a good one. Bill Snyder, otherwise known as “The Purple Wizard” has beaten Texas 7 times as coach of the Wildcats, and was looking to make that 8 against the Longhorns as K-State
The game didn’t start out too well for freshman QB Sam Ehlinger, as the first pass he threw was intercepted. Thankfully enough the Wildcats didn’t capitalize, failing to score any points off the turnover.
The Wildcats struck first, scoring a field goal to make it 3-0 with 7:19 left in the first quarter.
Texas followed by turning the ball over on downs whilst in the redzone. Bill Snyder and Co. did not do the same, instead scoring a touchdown after a quick slant was hauled in by Dalton Schoen and taken 82 yards to the house, making it 10-0 in favor of the Wildcats. After being in the second quarter for only a minute, the mood in DKR became anxious and quiet – almost like Texas fans have seen this before.
Texas could not afford another scoreless drive. Sure enough the offense efficiently marched down the field, taking 4 minutes and 21 seconds to go on a 12-play, 71-yard dive that was eventually finished by Kyle Porter for a 1-yard touchdown, putting the Longhorns on the board. The lead was reduced to 3 as K-State now led 10-7.
Kansas State saw their momentum vanish so they stepped up and went on a 7-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Ertz’s second touchdown pass, again going to Dalton Schoen for 12 yards. Kansas State’s lead over Texas returned to 10 as the Wildcats led 17-7.
Ehlinger and the Longhorns didn’t back down, with the freshman QB hitting Chris Warren III wide open for a 33-yard touchdown to again shorten the Wildcats’ lead to 3, making the score 17-14 with 3 minutes and 25 seconds remaining until halftime.
Kansas State punted and gave Texas time to score, and that they did as the Longhorns went on a 7-play, 50-yard drive that gave Texas their first lead of the game. The score was 21-17 with only 16 seconds before the half.
Kansas State took a knee, and the Longhorns maintained their 4-point lead as Texas led 21-17 going into the locker room for halftime. And their momentum continued when the third quarter started, as the Longhorns forced a 3-and-out and scored a field goal on the ensuing possession, increasing Texas’s lead to 7, making it 24-17.
Kansas State and Texas traded punts following that. Kansas State would then score for the first time in almost an entire quarter, as Jesse Ertz would run it in from 4 yards out, tying the Longhorns at 24 with 6:44 left in the third quarter.
But the Texas offense began to struggle, forced to punt after a 3-and-out, and Kansas State would retake the lead, thanks to a 33-yard field goal made by Wildcat kicker Matthew McCrane with 12:19 left in the game.
Sam Ehlinger and the Texas offense tried to answer, going on a 13-play, 73-yard drive that ended with Longhorn kicker Joshua Rowland’s 27-yard field goal ending up wide-left. Kansas State still led 27-24.
Kansas State would punt, thanks to a three and out forced by the Longhorns defense, and the Texas offense tried to play for keeps, but ended up tying the game at 27 thanks to a 34-yard redemption kick by Joshua Rowland with 1:37 left in the game.
Jesse Ertz and the Wildcats would have a chance to kick a field goal and win the game for Kansas State, but the drive ended up with an Ertz pass being intercepted by DeShon Elliott, his fifth of the season. All Texas had to do was go for a slight drive and kick a field goal to win the game.
But the drive did not end too well for the Longhorns, as Joshua Rowland’s potential game-winning 45-yard field goal did not go through, so this game would be decided in overtime.
Texas received the ball to start out the extra period, and they scored on the second play, on a 25-yard pass from Sam Ehlinger to Jerrod Heard, making the lead 34 to 27 in favor of the Longhorns.
But Kansas State would answer to tie the game at 34 all. Double-overtime would decide the fate of this tense Big XII matchup under the lights.
Kansas State started with the ball, but costly penalties pushed the Wildcats further and further away from scoring, and a 53-yard field goal was missed by Wildcats kicker Matthew McCrane. And for the second time of the night, all the Longhorns had to do was score to win the game.
And that they did, as a mass of people helped carry Chris Warren III into the end zone from the two to give the Longhorns the win over Kansas State, 40-34.
Both teams are now 3-2 overall, but the Longhorns remain undefeated in Big XII play at 2-0 while Kansas State is now 1-1. The Longhorns travel to Dallas next weekend for their annual rivalry game with Oklahoma, and Kansas State returns home to host the top-10 ranked Horned Frogs.
