MANHATTAN, Kan. _ Kansas State's 34-19 victory against Kansas will go down as Bill Snyder's 200th coaching victory, but it won't be remembered as a thing of beauty.
The Wildcats (7-4, 5-3 Big 12) were far from sharp against the Jayhawks (2-10, 1-8).
On offense, they rotated between backup quarterbacks Joe Hubener and Alex Delton after starter Jesse Ertz asked out of the game early in the third quarter, and the results were predictable. K-State ran the ball at every opportunity, giving carries to nine rushers for a total of 342 yards and four touchdowns.
Freshman running back Alex Barnes led the way with 103 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. Winston Dimel had 36 yards and two touchdowns.
K-State attempted a mere 11 passes, completing six for 99 yards.
The Wildcats relied heavily on their defense to build a 27-3 lead, with senior defensive back Donnie Starks intercepting a pass and returning it 39 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter.
There were no style points to be found in the approach, but it was effective enough to give K-State its fourth victory in five games, setting up a game against TCU next week with sole possession of fourth-place in the Big 12 standings on the line.
At times, it appeared K-State was headed to another resounding Sunflower Showdown victory, but Kansas showed enough fight to keep the score respectable. A limited passing attack made it difficult for the Wildcats to pile up touchdowns on a KU defense heavily stacked against the run. And KU quarterback Carter Stanley found a groove in the second half, finishing with 302 yards and two touchdowns.
His best throw came on a bomb to LaQuvionte Gonzalez that the receiver turned into a 95-yard touchdown. He beat K-State safety Dante Barnett deep, and then juked past Kendall Adams for the score.
It wasn't enough for the Jayhawks to rally past the Wildcats, who have won eight straight in the series, but it did make for an interesting fourth quarter.
K-State was simply too strong early behind 99 rushing yards from Ertz. The game tightened up after he exited with what appeared to be leg cramps. He watched all but one play in the second half on the sidelines, interacting with his teammates and riding a stationary bike.
Hubener also briefly left the game with an injury, making way for Deltonto guide two series, but Hubener returned and finished out the game.
K-State fans stayed until the end to applaud Snyder's milestone victory. He waved to the crowd in appreciation, but he likely would have preferred an easier buildup to the postgame celebration.
