MANHATTAN, Kan. _ Kansas State is the talk of college football.
For one afternoon, the Wildcats stepped into the national spotlight and played their best while upsetting Oklahoma, 48-41, on Saturday at a jam-packed Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
Chris Klieman's team sent a message with this performance: doubt K-State at your own risk.
Very few gave the Wildcats (5-2, 2-2 Big 12) much of a chance against the heavily favored No. 5 Sooners (7-1, 4-1), and it looked like those experts might have been right when Oklahoma jumped out to a 10-0 lead. But K-State dominated from that point on, making pundits everywhere look silly by running circles around a previously undefeated OU team that appeared on track to make a playoff appearance.
Skylar Thompson had four rushing touchdowns and led K-State on eight straight scoring drives, while the Wildcats came up with several big plays on defense and special teams.
Add it all up, and K-State pulled off its first home victory over Oklahoma since 1996 and its first victory over a top-five team since 2006, when the Wildcats defeated Texas in this same stadium in Ron Prince's first year as coach.
K-State fans can get back to dreaming a bit about what may be possible the rest of the way. The Wildcats are one win away from bowl eligibility and should be favored next week against rival Kansas. The enthusiasm that faded with an 0-2 start to conference play is now back and more prevalent than when K-State defeated Mississippi State last month.
So is K-State's offense.
The Wildcats moved the ball more efficiently than they had in weeks, amassing 426 yards with 213 of them coming through the air and the other 213 on the ground. K-State clearly benefited with top receiver Malik Knowles and No. 2 running back Jordon Brown back in the lineup together.
After scoring a total of 49 points in their first three Big 12 games, the Wildcats erupted for 48 against the Sooners.
Thompson led the way by completing 18 of 28 passes for 213 yards on top of 39 yards and four scores on the ground. James Gilbert did lots of heavy lifting in the backfield, rushing for 105 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. Brown also came up big with 86 total yards, while nine different K-State players caught passes.
It was a masterpiece for offensive coordinator Courtney Messingham.
Defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton's unit also played one of its best games, as the Wildcats held the Sooners without a touchdown on six drives.
Oklahoma mounted a comeback attempt after Gilbert put K-State ahead, 48-23, with 5:34 remaining in the third quarter, and it was almost enough.
The Sooners pulled within 48-41 in the final two minutes and attempted an onside kick to recover the ball and try and force overtime. The onside kick nearly worked, as the officials originally awarded possession to the Sooners following a fight for a ball that squirted past K-State's initial line of returners. But the ball was given to K-State following a replay review that showed Oklahoma illegally touched the ball a yard early.
K-State fans everywhere could exhale.
Jalen Hurts led the Sooners with 491 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns.
The game began like most expected it would. Oklahoma received the opening kickoff and quickly moved into scoring range for a field. Then, following a three-and-out from K-State's offense, the Sooners marched 75 yards in five plays for a touchdown and a 10-0 lead.
It looked like the Wildcats were in for a long day.
But Klieman's team had other plans. K-State lifted itself off the turf and punched back the rest of the way. It even led 24-20 late in the second quarter and 24-23 at halftime.
How did the Wildcats get back in the game? Credit an offense that executed at its highest level since the end of nonconference play. Thompson led K-State to 204 yards and 24 points in the first half while winning time of possession 18:16 to 11:44.
Offensive coordinator couldn't have drawn things up much better after the Wildcats fell behind early. K-State kept Oklahoma off balance and moved the ball with ease, punting just once in the first half.
K-State scored its first three touchdowns on the ground. Thompson got the Wildcats on the scoreboard first with a four-yard keeper late in the first quarter, Joshua Youngblood scored on a four-yard end-around early in the second quarter and then Thompson put K-State on top 24-20 with a 14-yard keeper with 23 seconds remaining in the half.
Oklahoma kicker Gabe Brkic connected on a 50-yard field goal as the first half ended, but K-State gladly accepted that result.
The Sooners got a bit too creative on their preceding drive and A.J. Parker intercepted receiver Nick Basquine on a trick pass that bounced off the hands of intended target Charleston Rambo.
K-State got the opening kickoff of the third quarter and kept its foot on the gas. The result was one of its biggest victories in years.
