Kansas State 31, Michigan 14
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Junior wide receiver Tyler Lockett tied a Kansas State record with three touchdowns and the Wildcats broke a five-game bowl losing streak with a 31-14 victory over Michigan in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl on Saturday night.
Lockett, who set a school bowl record with 10 receptions, scored on 6-, 29- and 8-yard passes from quarterback Jake Waters in the first half of Kansas State's first bowl victory since a 34-27 win over Arizona State in the 2002 Holiday Bowl.
Waters completed 21-of-27 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns, setting a school bowl record for completion percentage at .778 in the first meeting between the schools, which have been playing football since 1896.
Michigan freshman Shane Morris completed 24-of-38 passes for 196 yards and an interception in his first career start, becoming the first quarterback in school history to make his first start in a bowl game.
Morris replaced quarterback Devin Gardner, who suffered a leg injury in the final regular-season game against Ohio State and watched the game from the sideline on crutches. Gardner accounted for 3,443 yards of total offense and 32 touchdowns this season.
Kansas State running back John Hubert scored on a 1-yard run with 2:25 remaining. He had 80 yards rushing to boost his season total to 1,048, the 10th player in school history to reach 1,000. Darren Sproles did it three times.
Michigan running back Fitzgerald Toussaint scored on a 3-yard run with 1:15 left, the Wolverines' first touchdown of the game, and they completed a two-point conversion pass.
Michigan (7-6) lost five of its final six games. Its only victory came in triple overtime against Northwestern.
The Wolverines had 65 yards rushing on 15 carries against Kansas State's defense, with 40 yards coming on Morris' scramble in the final two minutes.
The Wildcats (8-5) made their third appearance in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl.
Waters completed 6- and 29-yard passes to Lockett to give the Wildcats a 14-3 lead after the first quarter. Lockett was open in the left corner of the end zone both times, the second after Waters pump-faked a safety out of position on the play.
Kicker Matt Wile booted 22- and 26-yard field goals on the first two drives for Michigan, which moved to the Kansas State 5- and 8-yard lines before stalling behind Morris, who played in three regular-season games.
Waters' third touchdown pass to Lockett, an 8-yarder into the right corner of the end zone, made it 21-6 with 4:30 left in the first half.
The Wildcats scored on 75-, 60- and 59-yard drives on their first three possessions before running out the final 55 seconds of the first half.
NOTES: With his first-quarter reception, Michigan WR Jeremy Gallon set a school record with a catch in 39 straight games, breaking a tie with Braylon Edwards. ... Members of No. 5 Baylor, which will play Central Florida in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl 20 miles west in Glendale, Ariz., on Wednesday night, attended the game. Baylor beat Kansas State 35-25 on Oct. 12 to drop the Wildcats to 2-4. They became the fourth team in Big 12 history to recover from a 2-4 start to make a bowl game. Kansas State led Baylor 25-21 after three quarters. ... The Big 12 is now 6-3 against the Big Ten in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. ... Kansas State has played at all three venues used by the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl -- Tucson, Chase Field in downtown Phoenix and Sun Devil Stadium.
