How a gutsy fourth-down call helped seal Kansas State football's Pop-Tarts Bowl victory

ORLANDO, Fla. — Kansas State football coach Chris Klieman could have played it safe and kicked a short field goal, forcing North Carolina State to score a touchdown to beat his Wildcats.

Instead, he put his money on running back DJ Giddens, a veteran offensive line and true freshman quarterback Avery Johnson to pick up a yard on fourth down at the Wolfpack 21-yard line.

Ka-ching.

Giddens, the 6-foot-2, 212-pound sophomore from Junction City, not only picked up the first down, but busted up the middle for eight yards with less than four minutes on the clock, and two plays later Johnson found fellow freshman Jayce Brown on a fade route in the right side of the end zone and the Wildcats all but sealed their 28-19 Pop-Tarts Bowl victory at Camping World Stadium.

With the win, the Wildcats finished the season at 9-4, same as North Carolina State.

As for the do-or-die fourth-down conversion — fair and the Wolfpack could have won it with a field goal — Giddens credited his offensive line.

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"It was great," said Giddens, who rushed for a game-high 152 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries, plus caught a 37-yard scoring pass from Johnson on the game's opening drive. "The o-line, they were blocking real good. They were creating open holes.

"All I had to do was just run, for real. That was all there really was to it."

That may have been so, but for the four seniors on the offensive line — three of them sixth-year super-seniors — playing their final college game together, the decision to go on fourth down meant much more.

"It was a crucial moment, and when coach gives you the green light, as an offensive lineman — especially on fourth and short — it gives you so much motivation that the coach has the trust in you.

"We went to one of four favorite plays, and it has been a go-to for us all season. We converted, and it was a huge play in the game, and it turned out in our favor."

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That interim offensive coordinator Conor Riley, the offensive line coach, called the play, made it all the more special for super-senior center Hayden Gillum.

"That was the statement for our offensive line and our careers here," said Gillum. "Those guys are amazing and such a blessing. Conor Riley, he called the game, our offensive line coach, and he has put so much into us, each and every one of us, each day.

"And to get to the end of the game with the ball in his hands, we're so proud of coach."

Actually, Brown's touchdown catch, which gave K-State an 11-point advantage, came with 2:48 left on the clock. But the Wildcats ran out the clock with the help of another fourth-down conversion thanks to a Jacob Parrish interception on N.C. State's subsequent possession that gave them the ball back with 2:33 on the clock.

The fact that Klieman trusted his offense to convert the fourth down and essentially put the game out of reach was not without precedent. The Wildcats' first touchdown, on the game's opening drive, came on a 37-yard Johnson-to-Giddens on fourth-and-5.

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In the second quarter, Klieman uncharacteristically called for a fake punt with Jack Blumer picking up 30 yards to set up the Wildcats' second score.

"We have been going for it on fourth down all year, and we were 4-for-4 tonight, and that was a huge deal," Klieman said.

Johnson, who was named the game's most valuable player in his first career start at quarterback, said after Parrish's interception that it was time for the offense to put a bow on the victory.

"Coach Klieman came out and grabbed me and the offensive line and said, 'We're finishing the game on offense,' and credit to coach Riley and credit to all those guys for believing in me and giving me the ball," said Johnson, who completed 14 of 31 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns, plus ran for 71 yards and another score. "But at the end of the game, the offensive line opened up the hole."

Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.

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This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State football uses big fourth down conversion to seal win