Kansas State Routs Kansas
Michael Bishop scored two touchdowns and amassed 320 yards of offense and Martin Gramatica kicked a school-record four field goals, leading No. 4 Kansas State to a rain-drenched 54-6 rout of Kansas.
The Wildcats (8-0, 5-0 Big 12), 8-0 for the first time in their history, totaled 556 yards despite the cold rain that fell throughout the game.
"They won the battle everywhere," Kansas coach Terry Allen said. "They won it at the line of scrimmage and they won it in the secondary."
Quarterback Zac Wegner, for the second week in a row, was knocked out of the game with a concussion on Kansas' secon8d possession.
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"I'll be surprised if he plays again this year," Allen said.
Former walk-on Jay Alexander, who rallied Kansas to a 33-17 victory over then-No. 17 Colorado last week, was overwhelmed along with the rest of the Jayhawks by a Kansas State unit ranked No. 1, 2 and 4 nationally in scoring, rush and total defense. The Jayhawks (3-6, 1-6) had only 44 yards on 48 plays.
"I was awful pleased with the way we played on defense with the exception of that one series and the penalties we had," Kansas State coach Bill Snyder said. "Outside of that, I thought we played very, very well."
Even the Kansas State offense was passing out compliments.
"We have the best defense, I feel, in the nation," wide receiver Darnell McDonald said.
David Winbush, who had 268 yards against Colorado, had just 19 yards on 14 carries.
"It looked like they had the entire sideline chasing me," Winbush said. "They really fly to the ball. You think you're going to be able to make a cut and all of a sudden everybody's flashing across."
Gramatica connected from 30, 45, 36 and 26 yards and brokthe record he'd shared with several others as the Wildcats beat their state rivals for the sixth consecutive year. Gramatica's 18 points also broke the Kansas State's record for a kicker.
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| Kansas State's Martin Gramatica (10) celebrates after one of his school-record four field goals Saturday. (AP) |
"I'm just glad I could help the team out. But I'm not going to be happy because I also missed two field goals," he said.
Bishop showed no ill effects from the leg injury that sidelined him early in the second half the week before, rushing for 95 yards and passing for 225. He ran 10 yards for the Wildcats' first TD and flipped a 1-yard scoring pass to Justin Swift for a 30-6 lead in the third.
Following Kansas' fourth turnover, he made it 47-6 with a 9-yard run with 12:48 left.
Kansas scored its only touchdown on what may have been the ugliest 70-yard drive of the year. All but 18 yards came on penalties, including pass interference calls that wiped out two Kansas State interceptions.
On second and goal from the 8, Alexander hit Michael Chandler in the end zone to make it 13-6 with 7:14 left in the half.
On a day of weird plays, Kansas State lost what would have been its first touchdown when Bishop dropped the ball on the 1-yard line and had it dribble through the end zone.
Late in the first half, Bishop's 26-yard run gave the Wildcats first-and-goal at the 1. But the Big 12's total offense leader fumbled the snap and kicked the ball backward 27 yards, leading to Gramatica's 36-yarder. He first missed from 41, but an offsides penalty gave him a second chance.
Bishop hit a wide-open Aaron Lockett for 47 yards late in the first half to set up Frank Murphy's 1-yard run for a 20-6 lead. With 6:01 left in the third period, Alexander fumbled on the 16 and Eric Hickson scored two plays later on a 9-yard run for a 37-6 lead.
The Wildcats closed out the scoring on Marlon Charles' 31-yard run with 7:08 remaining.
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