No. 18 Kansas State cruises to 41-6 win over UT Martin

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Avery Johnson threw two touchdown passes and Kansas State got contributions from all three phases of the game to lead the No. 18 Wildcats to a season-opening 41-6 win over UT Martin on Saturday night.

The Wildcats’ defense dominated early and often, allowing the Wildcats’ offense to find its footing in the first half. Kansas State limited the Skyhawks to 134 total yards (2.4 yards per play).

“Whenever it was a punt, kickoff or touchdown or whatever, they did their job," Johnson said. “And it just allows me to go out there to kind of relax and be able to settle in the game.”

K-State also befuddled UT Martin's passing attack by sacking Kinkead Dent three times. The Wildcats finished with four sacks, led by sophomore defensive end Tobi Osunsanmi’s 1 1/2.

“Defense, I thought, was really good all night,” K-State coach Chris Kleiman said. “Gave up one play that they probably want back. ... You're going to make a lot of mistakes in the first game and we've got to clean those things up because we've got to put this one behind us quickly. We got a tough road game next week.”

Meanwhile, the Wildcats’ offense had its moments behind Johnson, a sophomore who became K-State’s second-youngest quarterback to start a season opener.

He made his mark in the first quarter when he connected with tight end Brayden Loftin for a 23-yard touchdown to cap a seven-play, 80-yard drive that gave K-State an early 7-0 lead.

Johnson finished 14 of 21 for 153 yards and two TDs with an interception. He also ran for 37 yards on three carries.

But the offense's slow start, which saw the Wildcats hold a 17-3 first-half lead, didn't impress Kleiman.

“I was not particularly pleased with the first half, offensively," Kleiman said. "Just didn’t get into a rhythm. I didn’t think we had a lot of energy and juice. I challenged the guys at halftime because I thought we were better than that, and then we responded and played really well in the second half.”

Young agreed with his coach.

"I feel like our second half looked a lot better than our first half did," Young said. “Just offensively, I felt like we were more collective, more together and had a little bit more energy. ... I definitely feel like we found our groove in the second half.”

The running game helped settle down the Wildcats' offense.

DJ Giddens led the way in the second half, gouging UT Martin’s defense with a team-high 124 yards on 13 carries, averaging 9.5 yards per attempt. As a team, the Wildcats totaled 283 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries.

K-State’s special teams took center stage in the first half when the Skyhawks were forced to punt deep in their own territory. Ty Bowman burst through the right side of the line of scrimmage at the snap and blocked UT Martin’s Jaren Van Winkle’s punt. Colby McCalister scooped the loose ball at the 2-yard line and took it into the end zone to give the Wildcats a 14-0 lead.

“It was a big-time play,” Kleiman said. "And that was something that was critical for us because we were sputtering a little bit offensively."

Dent got the Skyhawks moving on their fifth possession. Facing a third-and-19 situation, Dent slipped a tackle attempt and rolled to his left before throwing across his body to an open Trevonte Rucker, who got behind the Wildcats defense for a 45-yard gain.

The Wildcats stiffened, however, and the Skyhawks settled for Van Winkle’s 34-yard field goal. Van Winkle added a 31-yarder in the third quarter.

But outside of the 45-yard gain, the Wildcats limited UT Martin’s big plays and kept the Skyhawks out of the end zone en route to the win.

THE TAKEAWAY

Young’s interception came on a play during which he stared down his intended receiver — Giddens — down the middle of the field. Young’s pass resulted in Chris Martin easily picking off the ball to end a Wildcats drive in Skyhawks territory.

Kleiman didn't appear concerned, however, and noted how his quarterback rebounded.

"This is his second start and he made a mistake," Kleiman said. “And rather than sulk about it and worry about it, he went on to the next play. I thought he made some big-time throws in the second half.”

UT Martin had no semblance of a run game. A total of nine Skyhawks rushers combined for 36 yards on 38 carries, averaging a paltry 0.9 yards per attempt.

SEASON-OPENER COOKING

With 41 points, the Wildcats have scored 144 in season openers since 2021. They've outscored their opponents 144-13 over that span.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

K-State’s season is off to a good start with a win against a team they should beat. The victory, however, isn’t likely to see the Wildcats make a move up the polls.

UP NEXT

K-State: On the road on Sept. 7 to play Tulane.

UT Martin: Travels to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, on Sept. 7 to take on Southeast Missouri State University.

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Herbie Teope, The Associated Press