COLLEGE FOOTBALL RECAP

Kansas State dominates Texas Tech 45-13

The Sports Xchange

October 04, 2014 at 7:58 pm.

Jake Waters had another fantastic game for the Wildcats. (Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports)

MANHATTAN, Kan. — No. 23 Kansas State took advantage of Texas Tech mistakes to defeat the Red Raiders 45-13 in front of 52,726 on a clear, cool evening at Bill Snyder Family Stadium on Saturday.

Quarterback Jake Waters amassed 395 yards for the Wildcats (4-1, 2-0 Big 12). He completed 24 of 31 passes for 290 yards and four touchdowns. He ran for 105 yards and another score.

Texas Tech quarterback Davis Webb threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns, he also threw four interceptions as mistakes by the Red Raiders (2-3, 0-2) kept them from mounting much of a threat.

Kansas State took advantage of those mistakes to assume a commanding 24-7 halftime lead.

Texas Tech took the opening kickoff and marched down the field — after converting a fake punt in its own territory — but Webb threw an interception in the end zone. Kansas State answered with an 80-yard drive, capped by a 48-yard touchdown pass from Waters to wide receiver Curry Sexton, who tight-roped down the right sideline the last 30 yards.

After a flurry of punts, the Wildcats took possession at their 31 and Waters finished the six-play drive by running untouched for 4 yards for K-State’s second score.

That drive was helped when Texas Tech defensive lineman Rika Levi was called for a personal foul on second-and-goal from the 9-yard line. Waters took it in on the next play.

Texas Tech started the next drive on its 30, but Webb threw his second interception as defensive back Travis Green set up the Wildcats at the K-State 39.

The Wildcats stalled at the Texas Tech 10, and Matthew McCrane’s 27-yard field goal gave K-State a 17-0 lead.

When they were able to avoid mistakes, the Red Raiders marched 74 yards in five plays, capped by Webb’s 22-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jakeem Grant.

But after going three-and-out in the final two minutes of the half, Texas Tech allowed K-State to march 59 yards in seven plays over 1:36. That included converting a first-and-25 at the Red Raiders’ 34. The drive was capped by Waters’ 15-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tyler Lockett, and the Wildcats went to the locker room up 24-7.

Texas Tech had a chance to come back in the second half, especially after stopping Kansas State on a fourth-and-1 at the Red Raiders’ 21. But a first-down completion of more than 20 yards was called back because of offensive holding, and Texas Tech ended up going three-and-out.

After a punt, Kansas State marched 66 yards on eight plays. Tech defensive penalties accounted for 29 of those yards. Waters hit Lockett from 14 yards to put the Wildcats up 31-7.

Webb hit D.J. Polite-Bray for an apparent 34-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 31-13. But the play was reversed on review when it was ruled that Polite-Bray had bobbled the ball. On the next play, safety Travis Green recorded his second interception of the game.

The Red Raiders finally did score that touchdown — on the second scoring pass to Grant — but it didn’t occur until the fourth quarter, with K-State comfortably ahead.

Kansas State scored again on a spectacular one-handed catch by Sexton while he was being interfered with, and senior running back DeMarcus Robinson ran in from 2 yards to finish the scoring with about three minutes left.

NOTES: Saturday marked Fort Riley Day at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Fort Riley is located approximately 20 miles west of the Kansas State campus. Festivities included two howitzer cannons being fired when K-State took the field and each time the Wildcats scored. … The last time the Red Raiders won in Manhattan was six years ago to the day — Oct. 4, 2008. … This was the 17th consecutive sellout at Kansas State.

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