LUBBOCK, Texas _ Skylar Thompson led Kansas State to a come-from-behind victory over Texas Tech on Saturday at Jones AT&T Stadium.
The Wildcats won, 42-35, after trailing, 35-24, early in the fourth quarter.
Thompson led K-State on an 80-yard touchdown drive and then found Dalton Schoen on a two-point conversion to tie the game with 42 seconds remaining. Then he found Byron Pringle in the end zone quickly into overtime.
K-State stopped Texas Tech on its lone overtime possession. Texas Tech quarterback Nic Shimonek threw out of the end zone on the final play, with his receivers well covered.
Thompson's late heroics made it a memorable day for the Wildcats when it seemed destined to end as a frustrating afternoon of what ifs.
Penalties nullified three potential touchdowns for the Wildcats, while a questionable no-call and a missed tackle helped the Red Raiders twice reach the end zone.
For most of the game, it appeared those pivotal plays would lead to a Texas Tech victory, But K-State had other plans.
K-State (5-4, 3-3 Big 12) won arguably its biggest game of the season, while Texas Tech (4-5, 1-5) lost another heartbreaker.
Here are the plays that could have frustrated the Wildcats most when they went back to review the game:
_ Targeting and a hold erased a jaw-dropping punt return by D.J. Reed.
_ An illegal formation nullified a Winston Dimel touchdown catch, though K-State scored on the next play.
_ Isaiah Zuber stepped out of bounds moments before catching a pass from Thompson and taking off for the end zone.
_ Texas Tech receiver Keke Coutee placed his hand on K-State defensive back Cre Moore, causing him to fall to the ground, before catching a 34-yard touchdown pass from Shimonek. No penalty was called.
_ Shimonek escaped the grasp of K-State defensive end Reggie Walker and found Dylan Cantrell for a touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the 1.
Texas Tech went ahead, 28-24, late in the third quarter on that broken play and appeared to be on their way to victory.
Shimonek threw for 405 yards and four touchdowns, with Coutee serving as his favorite target. Coutee finished with 189 yards and two touchdowns.
K-State looked strong on offense in the first half behind quarterback Alex Delton, who completed 13 of 20 passes for 167 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 23 yards, but things changed in the second half when he was unable to continue following some hard hits.
Thompson finished out the second half the same way he did against Kansas, but he failed to lead the Wildcats on a touchdown drive until the final moments. But he made his throws count when they mattered most, leading K-State on a last-minute scoring drive and then hitting Schoen for a two-point conversion to force overtime.
Thompson finished with 96 yards passing and a touchdown.
K-State's only other touchdown of the second half came on an interception return from Duke Shelley.
The game started out promising enough for Kansas State.
The Wildcats took a 3-0 lead on their opening drive thanks to a 45-yard field goal from Matthew McCrane and forced the Red Raiders to punt on each of their first two drives. Then K-State pulled ahead, 10-0, on an impressive touchdown drive in which the offense got creative.
Starting at its own 2, K-State moved the ball with ease on the ground, getting a 42-yard run from Justin Silmon and a 15-yard score from Dalvin Warmack out of the wildcat formation.
For a moment, at least, the Wildcats' up-and-down offense appeared to be trending in the right direction.
But it's hard to keep Texas Tech's high-octane offense down for long, and the Red Raiders showed why on their next drive, marching 75 yards in eight plays to make the score 10-7.
Tre King scored the touchdown on a misdirection run of 25 yards.
K-State responded well on its next possession, marching 59 yards on four plays to pull ahead, 17-7. That drive belonged to Pringle. The junior receiver supplied excellent field position with a solid kickoff return. Then he caught a 19-yard pass from Alex Delton.
But just as K-State threatened to take control of things before halftime, Texas Tech fought back with a 75-yard touchdown pass to Coutee. The Wildcats faked a blitz on the play, but it didn't do anything to fool Shimonek. He quickly spotted Coutee in man coverage against defensive back Eli Walker and lofted a pass in his direction for an easy score.
The game went back and forth from there, with the Wildcats pulling it off in the end.
K-State will next play West Virginia on Saturday at Snyder Family Stadium.
