Kansas State holds on for 24-21 victory over Texas
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) -- Jesse Ertz ran for two touchdowns and threw for another score, Kansas State held Texas running back D'Onta Foreman in check and the Wildcats held on for a 24-21 victory on Saturday.
Kansas State (4-3, 2-2 Big 12) beat the Longhorns (3-4, 1-3) for the fifth straight time at home, and almost certainly turned up the heat on Texas coach Charlie Strong -- as if that was possible.
He dropped to 14-18 with the Longhorns, and has lost three of his last four games.
The way it happened was particularly damaging: Texas forced three turnovers without committing one, but was done in by nine penalties, two failed fourth-down conversions, and a badly missed 35-yard field-goal attempt with just over 4 minutes left that would have made it a 24-17 game.
The Longhorns eventually got the ball back, and Shane Buechele hit Dorian Leonard from 6 yards out with 46 seconds left. But the ensuing onside kick went out of bounds to seal the outcome.
Ertz threw for 171 yards while running for 78, one week after a shoulder injury prevented him from finishing a loss to Oklahoma. Ertz also teamed with running backs Charles Jones, Justin Silmon and Alex Barnes to pile up 240 yards on the ground.
Foreman, the nation's second-leading rusher, carried 24 times for 124 yards. But he was repeatedly stopped in key situations, a big reason why the Longhorns were just 3 of 11 on third down.
Buechele finished with 222 yards and two scores passing, but a big chunk came on an 80-yard pass to Devin Duvernay in the second quarter. He was also sacked twice and fumbled a snap.
THE TAKEAWAY
TEXAS: After eclipsing 500 yards total offense for the fourth time this season a week ago against Iowa State, the Longhorns struggled to move the ball. They had just 344 yards on Saturday.
KANSAS STATE: Not everything went smoothly for the Wildcats. Jones fumbled just as he was about to score in the third quarter, cornerback Duke Shelley was burned on the long TD pass and special teams were shaky much of the afternoon.
UP NEXT
TEXAS: Ninth-ranked Baylor visits Austin on Saturday.
KANSAS STATE: A trip to Iowa State awaits Saturday.
