Kansas State blanks South Dakota 34-0 in opener
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Winston Dimel punched in two touchdowns Saturday and helped lead Kansas State to a 34-0 win over South Dakota in the season opener for both teams.
Kansas State overwhelmed its FCS opponent from the first play of the game, when Morgan Burns returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown.
But the Wildcats lost starting quarterback Jesse Ertz on their first offensive series of the game, when Ertz came up limping after only two snaps. He was replaced by Joe Hubener, who completed 9 of 18 attempts for 147 yards and a touchdown.
Dominique Heath led Kansas State receivers with three catches for 54 yards. The Wildcats used a committee approach in the run game, with Justin Silmon grinding out 51 yards and Charles Jones and Hubener adding 39 and 38, respectively. And they relied heavily on their fullbacks in the red zone, giving the ball eight times to Dimel, who finished with 29 yards and included touchdown runs from the 2 and the 1.
South Dakota's Ryan Saeger converted 18 of 30 passes for 205 yards, but the Coyotes struggled offensively all game.
Kansas State amassed a 24-0 advantage in the first half despite failing to capitalize on a pair of red zone opportunities early.
The first drive led by Hubener included a 35-yard pass and punishing runs by Glenn Gronkowski and Dimel, and the Wildcats made it to the brink of the end zone with about three minutes remaining in the first quarter. Hubener fumbled on the 1-yard line, however, and the Coyotes recovered.
South Dakota did nothing on the ensuing drive and punted from deep in its own territory. Heath reeled off a 31-yard return that set Kansas State up at the 25-yard line. The Wildcats worked their way to the 6-yard line before defensive tackle Sean Bredl tipped away a third-down pass to Kyle Klein, and Kansas State had to settle for a field goal.
The Coyotes had several missed scoring chances as well, as they failed to convert on two first-quarter field-goal attempts, one from 55 yards out and the other from the 42.
Kansas State scored its first offensive touchdown about six minutes into the second quarter. With 45 yards between them and the end zone, the Wildcats kept the ball on the ground, handing it to Silmon for three straight rushes of 18, 12 and eight yards and then turning to the fullbacks. Gronkowski bullied his way to the 2-yard line, and then Dimel battered in for the score that gave Kansas State a 17-0 lead.
The Wildcats scored again with about six minutes left in the first half. After recovering a fumbled punt return by South Dakota, Kansas State took over on the 24-yard line, and Hubener immediately threw a strike to Deante Burton, who fought off a defender before snagging the ball in the corner of the end zone.
Kansas State is now 22-2 in season openers under coach Bill Snyder.
