A sell-out crowd at Bill Snyder Family Stadium on Saturday found bitter disappointment as No. 16 Kansas State football suffered a 24-14 defeat to Arizona State.
K-State head coach Chris Klieman, in an emotional post-game press conference, said the loss falls on his shoulders.
“I told the guys, we didn’t play well enough,” he said. “We didn’t coach well enough. We didn’t do a lot of things very well. I’m responsible for everything that happens in this building with regard to football. [The loss] is on me, and I’ve got to do a better job getting those kids ready to play.”
Klieman was visibly distraught during the press conference, referencing personal life issues that made the last two weeks a struggle off the field.
“I’m just hurting for those kids, It’s been a really, really hard two weeks for me,” he said, taking a moment before continuing. “… I feel awful for those older guys that had my back … I let them down.”
WATCH:
K-State HC Chris Klieman gets emotional in the postgame presser and had to take a moment before continuing
“I’m just hurting for those kids. It’s been a really, really hard two weeks for me…and I feel awful for those older guys that had my back…I let them down.” pic.twitter.com/2cs6tuyXbc
— Landon Reinhardt (@landonian87) November 17, 2024
Back-to-back conference losses have put K-State’s hopes for a Big 12 title and College Football Playoff berth largely out of reach, falling to 7-3 overall and 4-3 in conference. Arizona State at 8-2 and 5-2 jumps into the top three for the race to Arlington.
Sophomore quarterback Avery Johnson went 24-40 in the air for 258 yards, added one rushing touchdown and threw two interceptions. With more success in the second half, junior back DJ Giddens ran 14 times for 133 yards.
After a depressing defeat late against Houston and a bye week, K-State’s struggles continued to start the contest. The Sun Devils quickly drained the pregame energy from the crowd as the product on the field spiraled.
In the first half, K-State’s offense gave Arizona State the ball four times — one interception, one fumble and two turnovers on downs.
Defensively, the Wildcats couldn’t do much to stop the Sun Devils from taking advantage on offense. Three passing touchdowns in the half propelled Arizona State into the locker room with a 21-0 lead.
The Wildcats’ first turnover came off an opening-drive interception, essentially allowing the Sun Devils to have the first possession of each half. To open the third quarter, Arizona State marched down and extended its lead to 24-0.
After continued suffering on offense, K-State broke through for its first points on a Johnson rushing touchdown with two minutes left in the third quarter.
Redshirt freshman Joe Jackson scored in the early minutes of the fourth quarter, cutting K-State’s deficit to 24-14 with 10 minutes left. It was the first touchdown of his career.
With just over two minutes to play, K-State lined up to kick a field goal, hoping to trail 24-17 and get a quick defensive stop and a chance at a comeback.
That chance disappeared as a botched field goal snap led to a failed chance at three points for the second time in the game. One last miscue put the final blow in K-State’s hopes for a home win.
With its hopes for a Big 12 title on life support, K-State hosts Cincinnati next Saturday with another night kick at 7 p.m.