Kansas State's mistakes help Auburn escape with a win
Kansas State has only itself to blame.
Hosting the highest ranked nonconference opponent since 1969, the Wildcats had a golden opportunity to knock off Auburn, the national championship runner-up, and couldn’t get out of their own way.
The Wildcats left 10 points on the field in the first quarter by throwing an interception in the end zone and missing a field goal. It gifted Auburn a field goal by fumbling the ball at their own 21-yard line.
The Wildcats went on to throw an interception that Auburn turned into points, miss two other field goals, including one from 22 yards out in the third quarter, and Auburn ultimately escaped with a 20-14 win.
It shouldn’t have gone that way. The Kansas State defense played about as well as a defense could play to keep the high-power Auburn offense at bay and give the Wildcats the upset. But the defense could only do so much after the offense continued to come up empty.
By the time the Kansas State offense really got rolling, there were less than 4 minutes remaining in the game and by that point, it was too late. Auburn converted first downs, including a 39-yard pass from quarterback Nick Marshall to D’haquille Williams to seal the victory.
“We knew it was going to be tough, I’m glad it was tough,” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said after the game. “That will help us in the long run. We faced a lot of adversity and even though we faced a lot of adversity a year ago, we’re a new team this year.”
Last year Auburn was known for some of its miracle victories and one could say this falls into that category. Marshall was not great. He missed several open receivers during key moments in the first half, but when the offense needed him, he made the plays.
Defensively, the Auburn defense held Kansas State to just 40 yards rushing. It bottled up quarterback Jake Waters and, after the first half, put the clamps on star receiver Tyler Lockett.
It’s difficult to say if there’s anything future opponents of either one of these teams can glean from this contest. However, Auburn’s struggles in this game, especially offensively, should provide a bit of hope for the rest of the SEC.
As for Kansas State, this was its big moment, its was chance to sit among the big boys again. This is going to be a tough game to get over, but Kansas State still has the ability to be a player in the Big 12. However, it will need to be more consistent on offense if it wants to do so.
For more Kansas State news, visit GoPowerCat.com.
For more Auburn news, visit AuburnSports.com.
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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday
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