Aug 31, 2002
MANHATTAN, Kan. - In games between NCAA Division I-A and I-AA schools, little things make a big difference in the end result.
Kansas State took advantage of two key Western Kentucky University turnovers en route to 31 second-quarter points Saturday, going on to defeat the 18th-ranked Hilltoppers, 48-3, at KSU Stadium.
Trailing 10-0 midway through the quarter, WKU set up for a 42-yard field goal attempt by Peter Martinez. A low snap, however, left holder Brian Claybourn scrambling, and his pass attempt was intercepted by Bobby Walker, who ran back 73 yards to give the Wildcats a 17-0 advantage.
Then, after a Danny Morris scoring run pushed the K-State lead to 24-0 at 4:51, Jason Michael's pass with his back to the goal line was deflected into the hands of Terence Newman, setting up a 9-yard touchdown dash by Darren Sproles on the very next play as the Wildcats scored 14 points in just over a minute.
"The defense hung in there in the first quarter (giving up three points), which is tremendous against a team of this caliber," Hilltopper head coach Jack Harbaugh said. "But when you shoot yourself in the foot, these people will climb all over you and give themselves some separation."
Ell Roberson and Ayo Saba added touchdowns in the second half as the Wildcats (1-0) earned their 13th straight season-opening victory dating back to 1990. The Toppers -- who dropped consecutive season openers for the first time since 1991 and '92 -- fell to 0-1. KSU has won both meetings between the two schools.
Martinez kicked a 30-yard field goal with 7:18 remaining in the final quarter to help Western avoid the shutout, as the Hilltoppers have now scored in 65 consecutive contests. It also moved the senior alone into second place all-time on the Hill with 32 in his three-year career.
Sproles led all players with 135 yards on 19 carries, while Morris chipped in with 51 and Roberson 44 for the 'Cats. Maurice Bradley paced the Hilltoppers with 64 yards on the ground -- the sophomore only had eight yards on four attempts all of last season.
Michael finished with career highs in both completions and attempts, going 7-of-11 for 73 yards, completing passes to four different receivers. Jeremi Johnson and Casey Rooney both had two receptions in their Hilltopper debuts, while Shannon Hayes tied a career high with a pair of catches.
K-State quarterbacks combined to complete 9-of-14 pass attempts, collecting 172 yards through the air. Roberson was 4-of-8 for 108 yards and starter Marc Dunn hit 5-of-6 for 64. Derrick Evans and Taco Wallace each made a game-best three receptions, with the former leading all players with 74 yards.
The Wildcats outgained Western, 412-183, with the Hilltoppers gaining almost two-thirds of their yards in the second half.
"I was pleased with the way things went in the second half -- we really got things going," Harbaugh said. "They controlled the line of scrimmage the first few drives, and overall in the first half we did nothing."
Brian Lowder led all players with a career-high 12 stops (nine unassisted), including three tackles for loss with a sack. Antonio Veals added nine tackles in his defensive debut, with Charles Thompson collecting eight stops and Carl Birts seven -- both players were making their first collegiate start. And, all four of Patrick Reynolds tackles came behind the line of scrimmage, resulting in a loss of 14 yards.
The K-State defense was led by Josh Buhl, who posted 10 tackles, and Terry Pierce, who added eight.
The Wildcats got on the board on the opening drive of the game, marching 61 yards in 11 plays to set up Joe Rheem's 36-yard field goal at 10:26. The teams traded possessions until Saba scored on the first of two 2-yard runs, giving KSU a 10-0 advantage with 12:57 remaining in the opening half. Rheem also hit a 38-yard field goal as time expired in the half to make the score 34-0 at the break.
Claybourn averaged a career-high 49.6 yards on five punts, including hitting his first kick of the season 66 yards.
Jon Frazier had a team-high 108 all-purpose yards, with Jerome Reaves adding 95 before leaving with a knee injury.
The Hilltoppers return home to face Kentucky State at 5:30 p.m. (CDT) Saturday in the first of three consecutive games at L.T. Smith Stadium/Jimmy Feix Field.
-- WKU --
