The Sports Xchange
Dec 3, 2016
FORT WORTH, Texas -- Kansas State rushed for 336 yards on a cool, rainy Saturday at Amon G. Carter Stadium and defeated Texas Christian 30-6.
Jesse Ertz had runs of 29, 31 and 32 yards on his way to a career-high 170 rushing yards. He also was 9 of 21 for 159 yards passing. Byron Pringle caught Ertz's first six completions for 126 yards and a score. Justin Silmon also had a career-high 133 yards rushing for Kansas State (8-4, 6-3 Big 12).
TCU (6-6, 4-5) never got untracked offensively, Starting quarterback Kenny Hill, who was injured last week and didn't start, was inserted into the lineup early in the third quarter. But he was no more effective than Foster Sawyer. Hill was 5 of 11 for 52 yards while Sawyer was 12 of 25 for 86 yards.
The game was a matchup of the top two defenses in the Big 12 Conference. K-State, which led the Big 12 in total (391.5 ypg) and scoring (23.3 ppg) defense, held the Horned Frogs to 280 total yards and no touchdowns. TCU, which was second in total defense (419.5) and fourth in scoring defense (27.5), saw the Wildcats gain 495 total yards.
Following a close first half, Kansas State got on the board first in the second half on an 83-yard touchdown pass to Pringle. The Wildcats were facing third-and-10 at their own 17 when Ertz hit Pringle on a crossing pattern. Pringle outran the entire TCU defense.
Following a TCU punt, the the Wildcats marched 72 yards in six plays, capped by a 5-yard run, for a 23-6 lead midway through the third quarter.
Silmon's second touchdown with 2:32 left in the game capped the scoring.
K-State owned the advantage on the stat sheet in the first quarter, outgaining the Horned Frogs 101-57, but the quarter ended in a 3-3 tie.
The Wildcats were the first on the board in the second quarter on a 32-yard touchdown run by Ertz. The Cats appeared to be driving for another score when Winston Dimel fumbled in TCU territory. The Horned Frogs drove for a 40-yard field goal right before halftime.
K-State had 192 yards rushing in the first half, but just 30 through the air. Ertz was the leading rusher with 95 yards on 10 carries. TCU was more balanced, with 86 yards passing and 72 on the ground.