K-State's Tyler Lockett is tackled by Miami's Tyrone Cornelius on a 44-yard gain in the third quarter. (US Presswire)
Kansas State won: Last year's date between the Hurricanes and Wildcats in Miami came down to a late, dramatic goal line stand by the Wildcat defense to preserve an upset in the waning seconds. But there was never any doubt in Saturday's rematch, as K-State scored touchdowns on its first two possessions and proceeded to roll over a mistake-prone, lifeless-looking Miami outfit in lopsided fashion.
Why Kansas State won: The Wildcats could not have been more efficient on offense if they were playing in Bill Snyder's dreams. On their first possession, they methodically marched 65 yards for a touchdown in 11 plays, eight of them runs, converting three separate third-and-1 attempts in the process. On their second possession, following the first of three Miami fumbles, they went 58 yards for another score in only five plays. Drives three and four produced a field goal and another short-field touchdown. The first drive of the second half went 71 yards for another touchdown. After stopping Miami on fourth-and-goal later in the third quarter, the Wildcats drove 97 yards in 10 plays for another touchdown, followed by TD drives covering 15 yards (following another Hurricanes turnover) and 67 yards.
For the game, K-State outgained Miami by more than 200 yards, 499-264, converted 8 of 11 third downs and didn't punt until their final possession, long after quarterback Collin Klein and most of the other starters had been yanked. Klein's stat line included three touchdowns rushing (all from 6 yards or less) and 210 yards passing on only 11 attempts.
When Kansas State won: Already leading 17-3 in the second quarter, K-State forced Miami's offense into a three-and-out, followed by a quick-strike, 27-yard touchdown pass from Klein to Curry Sexton that extended the lead to 24-3. Three plays into Miami's next possession, the 'Canes fumbled the ball back to KSU at their 20-yard line. The only question from that point was how bad the score was going to get.
What Kansas State won: Skeptics pegged the Wildcats for a regression after last year's surprising run to 10-3, which included eight wins by a touchdown or less – the close call in Miami prominent among them. But there was nothing close about this game, a start-to-finish rout against a talented, major-conference opponent that came in feeling pretty good about itself after an opening week win over Boston College. Kansas State not only won, and won big, but did it exactly the way it wanted, according to the classic run-first/play-defense script that defined Snyder's best teams in the late 1990s and early aughts. Last week's skeptics will be voting for them in this week's top 25.
What Miami lost: The Hurricanes fended off some projections of doom in their first game, but looked primed and ready for the abyss on Saturday across the board: The offense didn't find the end zone until the final two minutes, with many of the starters long gone on both sides, after being set up inside the K-State 20-yard line by a long kickoff return from star freshman Duke Johnson. Otherwise, Johnson was a nonentity. He followed a breakout, 135-yard, two-touchdown show in his first college game with only 22 yards on seven carries. Miami leaves Manhattan with no positives to build on.
That was crazy: Already up 24-3 with the ball inside the Hurricanes' 5-yard line at the end of the second quarter, Kansas State got a little fancy for the first and last time on what appeared to be a variation of the "Statue of Liberty" play, gone horribly awry:
Chris Harper chased down the loose ball at the 20-yard line but will never outrun the laughter. Kicker Anthony Cantale missed a subsequent field goal that would have extended KSU's half-time lead.
