By the numbers: No. 7 Texas outlasts No. 23 Kansas State
In an overtime thriller, the No. 7 Texas Longhorns escaped the No. 23 Kansas State Wildcats, 33-30.
Texas was looking like themselves again, going up 27-7 at one point. Then, the old Longhorns appeared, from lousy quarterback play to questionable defensive adjustments.
One major piece that we learned is that there is no quarterback battle. Maalik Muprhy started the game on a tear, throwing for 175 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter.
He then looked like he didn’t know where he was, throwing two interceptions and it could have been a few more if it weren’t for dropped picks by K-state defenders.
Murphy also missed several wide open passes in what could have resulted in touchdowns and ended up finishing the day with 248 passing yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.
After Texas went up by 20 points, defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski dropped defenders in coverage to provide soft cushioning for the Wildcats’ receivers despite having an electric first half of holding Kansas State to 7 points.
Despite a horrendous post-first quarter, the Longhorns managed to escape with a win. Here’s a look at the final numbers in the important win.
Total yards
Texas: 478
Kansas State: 360
Passing yards
Texas: 248
Kansas State: 327
Rushing yards
Texas: 230
Kansas State: 33
Turnovers
Texas: 3
Kansas State: 2
3rd ad 4th down efficiency
Texas: 4-18
Kansas State: 3-16
First downs
Texas: 18
Kansas State: 19
Time of possesion
Texas: 32:07
Kansas State: 27:52
