MEMPHIS, Tenn. _ There's a reason why some football coaches cringe at the thought of playing against Navy, and it was on full display during Kansas State's 20-17 loss to the Midshipmen on Tuesday at the Liberty Bowl.
Navy's triple-option offense made things difficult for K-State in every area other than special teams.
On defense, the Wildcats struggled to contain Navy quarterback Malcolm Perry and allowed 421 yards along with two long touchdown plays.
On offense, they sputtered from the start and were unable to find any kind of rhythm while only possessing the ball six times with a shot at sustaining a drive. The Wildcats gained a season-low 170 yards.
K-State tried to make up for those deficiencies with some outstanding plays on special teams, including a 66-yard punt return touchdown from Phillip Brooks, a 64-yard punt from Devin Anctil and a field goal from Blake Lynch. But it wasn't enough.
In a game where mistakes were magnified on both sides, the Wildcats committed too many errors and finished Chris Klieman's first season on a low note.
K-State (8-5) missed out on an opportunity to beat No. 21 Navy (11-2) and earn its first bowl win against a ranked opponent since 2001.
The Midshipmen clinched the game, shockingly, on a trick play that fooled just about everyone at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Facing a fourth down at midfield with less than 30 seconds remaining and the score tied, Navy dialed up a halfback pass that worked to perfection. Malcolm Perry pitched the ball to running back CJ Williams and he flipped the ball down field to receiver Chance Warren, who streaked down the right sideline for a 41-yard gain.
Navy won a few seconds later when Navy kicker Bijan Nichols connected on a 23-yard field goal.
It seemed like Navy was destined to win for most of the second half, but the Wildcats made things interesting with one key scoring drive midway through the fourth quarter.
It happened immediately after Nichols missed a 38-yard field goal with 8:26 left on the clock. Instead of icing the game at that point, K-State suddenly had new life. It took advantage with Skylar Thompson hitting Wykeen Gill for gains of 14 and 52 yards to set up a quarterback sneak and tie the score at 17-17 with 5:14 remaining.
Problem was: That was K-State's first, and only, offensive touchdown of the day.
That's how much Navy frustrated K-State on this day. It also outsmarted the Wildcats with not one, but two excellent trick plays.
Navy pulled ahead 17-10 on a beautifully designed touchdown run from Warren early in the third quarter. On the play, Navy sent the bulk of its offense to the left and then pitched the ball back to Warren as he sprinted to the right.
K-State was fooled by the misdirection and Warren ran 20 yards untouched into the end zone.
The Wildcats were unable to answer until the fourth quarter, as they had all kinds of problems in the third quarter, including one string of plays that featured an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty by Tyler Mitchell, a loss of 18 yards on a high snap and then Thompson getting sacked for a loss on third down.
The first half unfolded in predictable fashion.
The Wildcats were solid, but not spectacular, on defense against Navy and its triple-option offense. But they were inconsistent with the ball in their hands and unable to establish much of a rhythm while only getting a shot to sustain three drives.
K-State squandered two early opportunities to score the first points of the game, but walked off the field frustrated when Thompson was unable to connect with running back Jordon Brown on a wheel route or Phillip Brooks on a deep fourth-down throw.
Thompson underthrew the ball trying to find Brown, but Brooks dropped a well-thrown ball that would have resulted in a touchdown.
That allowed Navy to march into the red zone on a long Perry scramble and take a 3-0 lead with 4:26 remaining in the first quarter on a short field goal.
K-State answered two drives later with a 66-yard punt return touchdown from Brooks. The big play gave the Wildcats a 7-3 lead early in the second quarter and redeemed Brooks for his previous miscue. It was the second longest punt return in Liberty Bowl history. Darreyl Patterson set him up with loads of running room with a great block as soon as Brooks caught the ball.
Watching from afar, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes took notice and posted a message on social media asking teammate Byron Pringle and Seattle Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett to explain why the Wildcats are "always so good on special teams?"
Surprisingly, Navy only needed a few minutes to regain the lead. Perry found Keoni Makekau for a 27-yard touchdown pass at the 9:31 mark of the second quarter.
It wasn't a very good throw, and K-State defensive back Lance Robinson was in position to make an interception, but he was unable to close on the ball as it slipped past him.
K-State closed out the half with a 39-yard field goal from Blake Lynch to tie the score at 10-10.
The game went back and forth from there, but Navy made the biggest play of all when it mattered most.
