Advertisement

Top 25: Kansas State Wildcats ride defense to easy win

By David Smale, The Sports Xchange
Kansas State Football Twitter
Kansas State Football Twitter

Advertisement

MANHATTAN, Kan. -- No. 19 Kansas State used two defensive scores by safety Kendall Adams to open up a 31-point halftime lead, then coasted through the second half to defeat Charlotte 55-7 on Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

Adams picked off Hasaan Klugh at the Charlotte 30 and raced untouched down the left sideline to give Kansas State a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. Midway through the second quarter, Klugh attempted a screen pass that was ruled a backwards pass. Adams picked it up and ran 46 yards up the right sideline, giving the Wildcats a 31-7 lead.

Kansas State has 109 non-offensive touchdowns since 1999, the most in the nation by an FBS team. Texas came into Saturday's action second with 93.

Kansas State did pretty much what it wanted against the 49ers, who are coached by former Kansas State defensive back Brad Lambert. The Wildcats finished with 493 yards of total offense (304 rushing, 189 passing), while giving up 168 yards (110 rushing, 58 passing).

Advertisement

Five Kansas State runners scored a rushing touchdown to go along with Adams' two defensive scores.

Wildcats quarterback Jesse Ertz was an efficient 16 of 21 for 178 yards, but no passing touchdowns. This performance came one week after he earned a school-record 319.8 passer rating with 333 passing yards and four touchdowns against Central Arkansas.

Running back Alex Barnes, who played only in the first half, had 99 yards rushing and a touchdown to lead the K-State offense.

Klugh was 8 of 19 for 33 yards and an interception. He scored Charlotte's only touchdown on an acrobatic scramble, when he leaped over the defender at the goal line.

Kansas State played conservatively in the second half, outscoring the 49ers 17-0. Running back Dalvin Warmack carried seven times for 43 yards and a score in the second half. Running back Mike McCoy put the cap on the scoring with a 15-yard run.

NOTES: S Kendall Adams became the first Wildcats player since 1999 (Dyshod Carter) to have an interception return and fumble return for a touchdown in the same game. ... Charlotte LB Karrington King had four tackles on Kansas State's opening drive. His third tackle gave him 218 in his career, establishing Charlotte's career record. ... Charlotte coach Brad Lambert played at K-State from 1983-86. He was an All-Big Eight defensive back in 1984. ... Charlotte defensive coordinator Matt Wallerstedt, a Manhattan, Kan., native, also played at Kansas State from 1984-87. ... Kansas State improved to 2-0 for the sixth time since Bill Snyder returned to the sideline in 2009. ... K-State is 52-3 in September home games under Snyder since 1992.

Advertisement

Latest Headlines