Kansas State football recap: Wildcats roll to 59-25 win over Baylor

MANHATTAN — Kansas State kept its Big 12 championship hopes alive and once again avoided back-to-back losses by taking it to Baylor early on Saturday for a 59-25 blowout victory over Baylor at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

Will Howard became K-State's career leader in touchdown passes by throwing for three against the Bears. He now has 45, passing Josh Freeman's previous record of 44.

The Wildcats also got two defensive touchdowns on a Desmon Purnell scoop and score and Keenan Garber 45-yard interception return.

The Wildcats improved to 7-3 overall, 5-2 in the Big 12, while Baylor fell to 3-7, 2-5. K-State goes on the road next week to Kansas for the Sunflower Showdown.

Howard completed 19 of 29 passes for 235 yards. DJ Giddens had 115 rushing yards.

Related: Kansas State football vs. Baylor: Scouting report, prediction

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Kansas State game time, TV channel, betting odds vs. Baylor

KICKOFF: 2 p.m.

TV: ESPN+/Big 12 Now

BETTING ODDS: Kansas State by 21

FINAL SCORE: Kansas State 59, Baylor 25

Avery Johnson adds TD pass for K-State

After K-State forced a fourth Baylor turnover, Avery Johnson led the wildcats on a three-play, 38-yard drive with a 28-yard touchdown pass to make it 59-19 with 3:30 left.

END 3Q: Kansas State 52, Baylor 19

Kansas State in complete control, leads 52-19 after three quarters.

Keenan Garber with the pick-6 for K-State

Kansas State's defense comes up with its second touchdown when cornerback Keenan Garber jumps a route on Blake Shapen toward the left sideline and returns it 45 yards to put the Wildcats up 52-19 with 2:55 left in the third quarter.

The Wildcats break the 50-point barrier for the first time, and in less than three quarters.

Wildcats pad their lead to 45-19

Kansas State's offense didn't have to settle for a field goal on its second series of the second half, driving 73 yards in nine plays, capped by a 4-yard Treshaun Ward touchdown run to make it 45-19 with 4:48 left in the third quarter.

The Wildcats are now up to 387 yards total offense, including 152 on the ground. Ward has 44 yards on 10 carries to go with DJ Giddens' 110 on 16 attempts.

Baylor trick play burns K-State for touchdown

For the second time, Baylor resorted to a trick play on offense and this time it pays off. Blake Shapen pitches to Dominic Richardson, who throws back to Shapen. Shapen then finds tight end Drake Dabney down the right sideline for a 63-yard touchdown.

The Bears again don't make the two-point conversion and K-State leads 38-19.

K-State extends lead to 38-13 with field goal

After stopping Baylor to begin the second half, K-State drives 62 yards before stalling at the Bears 15-yard line, where Chris Tennant kicks a 33-yard field goals.

DJ Giddens now over 100 yards rushing and the Wildcats lead 38-13 with 9:31 left in the third quarter.

HALFTIME: Kansas State 35, Baylor 13

After scoring late in the first half, Baylor recovers an onside kick and tries a trick pass while lined up for a 51-yard field goal try. K-State leads at halftime, 35-13.

K-State's offense stalled in the second quarter, but the Wildcats still have 237 yards at the break to 108 for Baylor. Will Howards is 14 of 20 passing for 141 yards and three touchdowns. DJ Giddens has rushed for 80 yards on 11 attempts.

For Baylor, Blake Shapen is 9 of 17 passing for 73 yards and two touchdowns, both to running back Dawson Pendergrass.

Punt return sets up Baylor score before halftime

Baylor's Josh Cameron returns a punt 70 yards to set up a quick score for the Bears with 1:45 left in the half.

Blake Shapen finds running back Dawson Pendergrass with a second touchdown pass, this time from 2 yards, and K-State's lead is trimmed to 35-13.

Special teams join the party and Will Howard breaks a record

After Baylor muffs a low punt snap and Matthew Maschmeier forces and recovers the fumble at the Bear 2, Will Howard hits fullback Christian Moore for the 2-yard touchdown. K-State now leads 35-7 with 13:12 left in the half.

With that TD pass, his third of the game, Howard becomes K-State's career leader at 45. Josh Freeman previously held the record with 44. It also was Moore's first career touchdown catch.

K-State's offense remains perfect and it's 28-7

Will Howard's 1-yard quarterback sneak on the second play of the second quarter to put K-State up 28-7 with 14:35 left in the half.

The Wildcats now have scored on all three offensive possessions. The drive covered 78 yards in nine plays and took 3:46.

END 1Q: Kansas State 21, Baylor 7

Kansas State leads Baylor after one quarter, 21-7. The Wildcats have third down and goal at the Bears 1-yard line looking for more.

K-State had 199 yards total offense in the first quarter, plus a defensive touchdown.

K-State defense gets in on the act with scoop and score

Cody Stufflebean hits Baylor quarterback Blake Shapen, who fumbles, with Desmond Purnell recovering for a 15-yard scoop and score, and K-State leads 21-7 with 4:10 left in the first.

Kansas State 2-for-2 and regains the lead

Kansas State's second possession results in a second score with the Wildcats driving 56 yards in eight plays and scoring on a 14-yard pass from Will Howard to Ben Sinnott, who was all alone in the back center of the end zone for a 14-0 lead.

Howard now is tied for Kansas State career touchdown lead.

Baylor answers immediately to tie it at 7-7

Baylor's first possession was even more efficient than K-State's as the Bears marched 72 yards in just five plays, with Blake Shapen hitting Dawson Pendergrass for 13 yards out of the backfield for thge score.

We're tied at 7-7 with 8:02 left in the first quarter.

Kansas State opens with long drive to lead 7-0

Kansas State got the ball first and immediately went to work, driving 81 yards in 12 plays and taking 4:30 off the clock.

Will Howard hits DJ Giddens with an 18-yard screen pass for the score. Howard was 5 of 7 for 54 yards on the drive and Giddens had 27 rushing yards on five carries.

Baylor defers and K-State gets the ball

Baylor won the pregame coin toss and deferred. As usual, K-State gets the ball first.

Fall football weather in Manhattan

Weather conditions prior to kickoff were 51 degrees under cloudy skies with a 6 mph from the east-northeast.

Michael Bishop brings on the Cats

Former Kansas State All-America quarterback Michael Bishop, who has been elected to the College Football Hall of Fame, had the honor of opening the locker room gate for the Wildcats to take the field before the Baylor game. Bishop also is a member of the Wildcats' ring of honor.

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.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State football score updates vs. Baylor in Big 12 matchup