Kansas State football snapped its two-game skid with a rout of Cincinnati on senior night, downing the Bearcats 41-15. 

In the first matchup between the two as members of the Big 12, K-State sprinted out to an early advantage and never looked back. 

“An inspired win by our guys, proud of the whole team, proud of our seniors for responding to the adversity that we’ve had and coming out with great energy,” head coach Chris Klieman said. “…Proud of the guys, man, we found a way to get a W, especially on senior day for the seniors.”

Coming off two weeks of poor performances on offense, the Wildcats bounced back in a big way. Quarterback Avery Johnson found success on the ground early, opening up the offensive for success across the backfield. 

Running back DJ Giddens ran 15 times for 143 yards for an average of 9.5 per carry with two touchdowns. The junior, who could turn pro, added 39 receiving yards in his potential last game at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Giddens said his pro decision is to be determined, but he’s given it thought. 

“Avery and DJ rushing the football opened up a lot of things,” Klieman said. “Avery was healthy, as everybody could see, and so that really makes our offense a lot better.”

Johnson’s final line was 13-23 in the air for 147 yards with three total touchdowns. The sophomore added 72 yards on the ground. With running back Dylan Edwards out with an injury from last week, freshman Joe Jackson ran 10 times for 47 yards.  

Redshirt freshman Tre Spivey led the receiving room for the first time in his young career with five receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown — his first in college.  

“It excites me to know that we’ve got Joe Jackson for a while, and we’ve got Tre Spivey for a while,” Klieman said. “Those kids are impact guys.”

Senior showcase

K-State seniors showed out in their last home game, highlighted by sixth-year defensive end Brendan Mott. 

“Those six-year guys came in with us in in 2019 and weathered the storm when a lot of people maybe wouldn’t have, would have bailed after that 2020 season,” Klieman said. “They didn’t. They’ve been the foundation for our program. They mean the world to me. I’d do anything for them.”

Mott notched the first interception of his career, nearly returning it for a pick-six. The Big 12’s sack leader also collected a half-sack and four total tackles. 

“It was super special, two minute drive, and we knew that they were a screen team doing that,” Mott said. “I was awesome, a cool experience. And unfortunately, I couldn’t finish it off and get six points … What a special night to be able to go out there one last time in the Bill and get a W.”

Linebacker Austin Moore, another sixth-year senior who signed in Klieman’s first season, collected five total tackles, including 0.5 for a loss. 

Kicker Chris Tennant, after weeks of issues receiving snaps, was finally given the chance to present his prowess. Across two field goals and five point after attempts, Tennant was perfect. 

Tight end Will Swanson got the Wildcats’ position group of redzone warriors back in the endzone. It was the third touchdown of the year for Swanson and the 11th tight end touchdown for K-State. 

Senior offensive linemen Taylor Poitier, Hadley Panzer, Easton Kilty, and Carver Willis led the way for 281 rushing yards. Willis did not walk during the senior night ceremony. 

“When you’re going to have a player led program, the relationship between the head coach and those kids is so important,” Klieman said. “And those [seniors] have my back.”

Stayin’ Alive

Although the Wildcats’ chances of a Big 12 title game appearance took a massive blow recently with back-to-back losses, they are not eliminated yet.

Rival Kansas taking down No. 16 Colorado 37-21. BYU also lost to Arizona State in a 28-23, helping K-State. Still, there are a lot of moving pieces for next week. 

If K-State wins in Ames, it needs the Jayhawks to win another game at Baylor, Oklahoma State needs its first conference win when it heads to Colorado and Arizona State needs to lose at Arizona.

The Rundown

K-State snapped a skid of sputtered starts in the first quarter as a quick three-and-out was followed by 54 rushing yards by Johnson, ending in a 21-yard touchdown scramble on the Wildcats’ opening drive.

Recent problems with special teams snaps vanished early as well, allowing Tennant to give K-State a 13-0 lead early in the second quarter.  The defense stuffed the Bearcats for its fourth-straight stop, setting up Giddens to break free for a 32-yard score on the ensuing offensive drive. K-State tallied points on each of its first four possessions. 

Cincinnati broke the run of 20 unanswered points with a field goal but Mott’s interception set up K-State to extend its lead before the break. Spivey notched his first career touchdown, sending K-State to the break with a 27-3 advantage. 

Cincinnati found the endzone for the first time in the third quarter on a nine-yard touchdown grab, but Giddens’ second score from 17 yards out gave K-State a substantial lead back early in the fourth quarter. 

The Bearcats and Wildcats traded scores to cap off the scoring, including Swanson’s senior night score.

Up next for K-State is a trip to Ames for the regular season finale against Iowa State at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.