Grades and analysis from Kansas State’s shocking loss against the Houston Cougars

It wasn’t all bad news for the Kansas State football team on Saturday.

Even though the Wildcats blew a late lead and suffered a 24-19 loss against the Houston Cougars at TDECU Stadium they remained near the top of the Big 12 championship race because Texas Tech pulled off a road upset against Iowa State.

K-State (7-2, 4-2 Big 12) dropped into a tie for fourth place in the conference standings along with Texas Tech, while Arizona State, Cincinnati, Texas Tech and West Virginia all have two losses in league play.

They are all chasing undefeated BYU and Colorado/Iowa State (one conference loss each) in the Big 12 standings.

K-State can make up ground in its final three games against Arizona State, Cincinnati and Iowa State. That will provide motivation for the Wildcats, but it won’t take the sting away from this defeat.

“When you look ahead you get yourself in trouble,” K-State wide receiver Keagan Johnson said. “We have got some good teams on the schedule. In this conference, anything can happen on any given Saturday. So when you look ahead you’re setting yourself up for failure. We have got to finish the job.

“I know this team and the guys in the locker room. They’re as angry as anyone right now, and they want to turn this around. We’re going to respond the right way. Everything is still out there for us, but we have got to get better.”

Few will disagree after the Wildcats let things slip away from them at Houston.

A day later, it is time to look back on the action and hand out a few awards and grades. We also look ahead to K-State’s next game against Arizona State.

Play of the game

Avery Johnson threw a costly interception early in the fourth quarter that turned out to be the beginning of the end for Kansas State.

When Houston defender Jeremiah Wilson jumped in front of Johnson’s errant pass for an interception and returned it within 9 yards of the end zone, momentum shifted toward the Cougars. K-State was leading 19-10 before the pick. But Houston went on to score the final 14 points of the game and win.

Player of the game

Houston quarterback Zeon Chriss completed all 11 of his passes for 103 yards and a touchdown to go along with 75 yards and a touchdown on the ground. The Cougars didn’t have much offense in this game, but they made the most of the yards they did gain thanks to Chriss.

Stat of the game & quote to note

K-State averaged 2.6 yards per rush, a woeful number for a team that prides itself on its running game.

As for the quote...

“We controlled most of the game. But when they needed to execute and make plays, they made plays.” — Keagan Johnson.

K-State football grades

Offense: F. There is no excuse for K-State to average 2.6 yards per rush with DJ Giddens, Dylan Edwards and Avery Johnson. The Wildcats need to find a way to get their running game going again. They looked lost without on Saturday, as Johnson threw a pair of interceptions with the game on the line.

Defense: A. The Wildcats only allowed 232 yards. No one can blame the defense for this loss.

Special Teams: F. Chris Tennant wasn’t even given an opportunity to kick the ball on an extra point and a field goal in this game because of poor snaps. The Wildcats also struggled on punt and kick returns. Maybe weather had something to do with that. Nevertheless, this was a game to forget for K-State on special teams.

Coaching: F. The Wildcats lose a game like this every season under Chris Klieman. K-State has lost seven games as a favorite of a touchdown or more since he took over as coach. That is a concerning trend. He could have avoided a loss in this game by going with a conservative approach in the fourth quarter, but the Wildcats threw the ball with a 19-10 lead and paid the price with interceptions.

Next up: Arizona State

The Wildcats will get a week off before they return to action on Nov. 16 against Arizona State.

K-State gets its second idle week of the season at a good time. This team needs to reset before it tries to close out the season with important games against Arizona State, Cincinnati and Iowa State.

The Sun Devils will challenge the Wildcats on the ground.

Running back Cam Skattebo is one of the best talents in the Big 12.