Take a look at the highlights, final score and top players from Wednesday evening’s Texas Bowl between Texas A&M and Kansas State.
Texas A&M began the year looking like a team on a mission. The Aggies were unbeaten and looking to take down No. 1 Alabama at home, but that loss led to a few more and they were then out of the SEC and national title races. Trevor Knight’s injury really put a damper on the season, but he came back for the season finale.
Kansas State, on the other hand, was a sneaky good team out of the Big 12. All anyone talked about was Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and sometimes West Virginia, but the Wildcats were one of the more consistent teams, losing three of four games to ranked opponents. They posed a tougher matchup to Texas A&M than originally thought.
After starting the game with a quick score on a Keith Ford touchdown run, the Aggies looked to lose their mojo. Kansas State’s normally lethargic offense was gaining ground and the rest of the first half seemed to be all Wildcats. In fact, Kansas State took a 23-14 lead into the locker room.
Texas A&M pulled within two in the third quarter on a Trevor Knight touchdown pass and it was evident that this game was going to come down to the wire.
Kansas State scored to pull ahead 33-21, but a mid-fourth quarter score from Knight to Josh Reynolds made the game even tighter and the Aggies got the ball back again with about six minutes left in the game, down by five.
However, a turnover on downs deep inside Kansas State territory sealed the deal and the Wildcats pulled out the major victory.
Highlights
Three Stars
Kansas State quarterback Jesse Ertz was as clutch as can be and he finished the game with 195 passing yards and 67 rushing yards with three total touchdowns.
While it was tough to pick against Trevor Knight, Josh Reynolds was just that good. The Aggies’ wide out caught 12 passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns.
Byron Pringle had one of the plays of the game that helped seal the deal for the Wildcats, catching a 79-yard touchdown pass. He finished with three catches for 107 yards.
Next Season
Kansas State will open the 2017 season with a cupcake, facing off against FCS foe Central Arkansas to begin the season. Texas A&M will open the season with a tough game at the Rose Bowl against the UCLA Bruins.