Tennant kicks 51-yard lead, No. 16 K-State stops Kansas on fourth down to preserve 29-27 win

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Avery Johnson threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score, Chris Tennant kicked a 51-yard field goal with 1:42 left and No. 16 Kansas State stopped Kansas on fourth down to preserve a 29-27 victory Saturday night.

DJ Giddens added 102 rushing yards for the Wildcats (7-1, 4-1 Big 12), who kept their chances of playing for a conference title and in the College Football Playoff alive by beating their biggest rival for the 16th straight time.

“You know, we missed opportunities. I think they missed opportunities. It was a game of who could make another play,” said Kansas State coach Chris Klieman, who suffered some dizziness during the game that sent him to the locker room at one point.

“In the end I was proud that the offense, defense and special teams came through.”

Kansas (2-6, 1-4) had a chance to respond to Tennant’s field goal in the final minute. But after a quick first down, Jalon Daniels completed a short completion with a pair of incomplete passes. Then, on fourth down, they took him out of the pocket and located him near the Jayhawks’ sideline, giving Kansas State the ball back with a chance to run out the clock.

Daniels finished with 209 passing yards and two touchdowns and two turnovers. Devin Neal ran for 66 yards and a score, leaving him just six yards short of breaking June Henley’s career record at Kansas.

“This one hurts as much as any of them,” said Jayhawks coach Lance Leipold, whose team now must win to reach its third straight bowl game. “But I told them again that I was proud of the way we fought and competed for four quarters.”

However, the Jayhawks have not beaten Kansas State since November 1, 2008.

“They are a great team. It doesn’t matter what their record is,” said the Wildcats’ Marques Sigle, who intercepted a pass in his second consecutive Girasol Showdown. “They had nothing to lose and everything to gain.”

Kansas opened the game with a 75-yard touchdown, then looked like it would take control a few minutes later when Daniels saw Quentin Skinner running open down the middle of the field. But the senior wide receiver missed the potential 49-yard touchdown throw and the Jayhawks were ultimately forced to punt.

The Wildcats took advantage of the opportunity and then took advantage of another Kansas error.

After Johnson led a 95-yard drive to tie the game, Kansas freshman Jameel Croft Jr. inexplicably caught the kickoff at the 1-yard line and went out of bounds. Neal was replaced by a safety on the next play, and Kansas State followed with a 59-yard drive and its second touchdown in a matter of minutes.

“I don’t want to get into criticizing a player,” Leipold said. “A young man was trying to make a play and make a mistake.”

The Jayhawks rallied and Daniels threw a touchdown pass to Luke Grimm to pull within 16-14 at halftime. And after the teams traded touchdowns to start the second half, they finally regained the lead late in the third quarter when Daniels powered his way into the end zone, the second straight year he led the Wildcats in the second half.

Ultimately, the result would also be the same.

The Jayhawks still led 27-26 with 3:44 left when Daniels, trying to scramble near midfield, went airborne and the ball came loose. Brendan Mott was there to recover it for the Wildcats, giving Johnson and Co. one last chance with the ball.

They did enough to set up Tennant’s field goal in the final 2 minutes.

“The last month I saw Chris Tennant, I knew that was happening,” Klieman said. “I had no doubt. There was no one in our band who had any doubts. “It was exciting for him to be able to do that, being a senior from Kansas.”

takeaway

Kansas dominated the game for long periods but could not overcome. Daniels, who was plagued by turnovers to start the season, had two more, and the Jayhawks missed a PAT among his many special teams mistakes.

Kansas State had 479 yards of total offense, despite struggling on third downs. The Wildcats also had to kick a field goal early in the fourth quarter and that missed opportunity almost cost them the score.

Kansas: Play No. 10 Iowa State on Nov. 9 at Arrowhead Stadium.

Kansas State: In Houston next Saturday.