MANHATTAN, Kan. – The theme for Kansas State Homecoming week was “Wildcat Dreams.” K-State in dream-like fashion issued a statement across the college football world with one of the most lopsided victories in top-10 history.
Will Howard threw for 296 yards and four touchdowns, and the defense enjoyed its most dominant effort against a Big 12 Conference opponent this season, as No. 22 K-State throttled No. 9 Oklahoma State, 48-0, in a historic display that ended with students flooding the field and carrying the hero quarterback off on their shoulders at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
“I’ll cherish that for the rest of my life,” Howard said. “That was a pretty cool moment. I’m a humble guy and don’t like to have the spotlight on me or anything, but I didn’t really have a choice in that situation.
“They picked me up.”
And one week after K-State suffered a 38-28 loss at No. 8 TCU, Howard picked up the Wildcats during his first start of the season in place of injured senior Adrian Martinez. K-State claimed sole possession of second place in the Big 12 while posing the largest ever shutout victory by a lower-ranked team against an AP top-1o opponent.
“This is as good a win collectively as I’ve been a part of,” said Chris Klieman, who became the first K-State head coach to beat two top-10 opponents in a single season.
K-State, 6-2 overall and 4-1 in the Big 12, captured bowl eligibility for a second straight season and for the third time in four years, hobbling the Cowboys, 6-2 and 3-2, in bareknuckle fashion and shutting out Oklahoma State for the first time since a 10-0 win in 1992.
The Wildcats recorded the biggest shutout win ever of an AP Top-10 team by a lower-ranked team. It also marked Oklahoma State’s first shutout loss against a Big 12 opponent since a 27-0 defeat at Oklahoma on November 28, 2009.
“This was a lot of fun,” said K-State linebacker Nick Allen, who had a team-high eight tackles. “It was very dominant. We got through the third quarter and were like, ‘We’ve got to keep the zero on the board.’ We accomplished that goal.”
Oklahoma State averaged 45.7 points and 466.9 total yards, and they left with no points and 217 total yards to the delight of 51,133 that also saw Howard and his wide receivers make a statement as Deuce Vaughn raced up the all-time rushing charts.
Vaughn rushed 22 times for 158 yards and one touchdown and added four catches for 18 yards and a 1-yard touchdown reception with 7 seconds left in the second quarter to lift K-State to a 35-0 halftime lead.
In the process, Vaughn passed Ell Roberson at No. 4 and Daniel Thomas at No. 3 in all-time in rushing at K-State. Vaughn has 2,948 yards. He needs 46 more to pass John Hubert for No. 2 on the all-time rushing list.
RYAN LACKEY
Associate Athletics Director for Communications