When Kansas State quarterback Jake Waters ran through a big hole and into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown with a little over a minute left against the Iowa State Cyclones on Saturday, it raised the age-old question: did they leave too much time on the clock? In the end the answer was no, but there was no shortage of late drama as the no. 20 Wildcats squeaked out a 32-38 victory in this one.
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With no timeouts left, Iowa State got the chance to drive with no timeouts and needing a touchdown. Sam B. Richardson would have to make smart throws and lead an efficient drive, with the entire field in front of the Cyclones and the clock melting away. Richardson did just that to cross midfield after picking up a fourth down conversion.
Faced with another fourth down with 36 seconds left, Richardson could not find any more magic. The Wildcats sacked Richardson and ended the game, winning a key game on the road.
Both teams went on spurts in this game. Kansas State jumped out to a 13-0 lead, only to surrender 28 unanswered points and fall way behind going into halftime. From there it was a dramatic comeback in the second half, keyed in large part by the fact that the Wildcats’ defense pitched a shutout in the third and fourth quarters of this one.
Waters was the star of this game, keeping the Wildcats in it with his arm and with his legs. In total he threw for 239 yards and rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns. He was particularly effective running the ball, converting key first downs and ultimately the winning touchdown with his legs.
By blowing this lead late and falling to 0-2, the Cyclones find themselves off to a nightmare start. Between this missed opportunity and a loss to FCS powerhouse North Dakota State in the opening week, Iowa State finds itself off to a horrible start and needing to regroup for the remainder of their schedule. Their next game comes one week from now on the road against the Iowa Hawkeyes.
As for Bill Snyder and the Wildcats, they are now 2-0 and turn their attention to a big showdown with the Auburn Tigers on Thursday, September 18th.