SB Nation • 15 min read

FINAL: Kansas State 41, TCU 28

Desmond Purnell had to interceptions, one a pick-six, Wesley Fair had a scoop-and-score, Joe Jackson got his first 100-yard game, and Garrett Oakley caught two touchdown passes to become K-State’s career

leader among tight ends as the Kansas State Wildcats exploded for a 41-21 win over the TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

K-State (3-4, 2-2 Big 12) got up by three scores and then just ran the ball down TCU’s throat, burning clock and getting a key 4-and-out late which effectively iced the game as Luis Rodriguez kicked two field goals to ensure a three-possession game heading into the final two minutes. After the second field goal, TCU (4-2, 1-2 Big 12) got a garbage touchdown. Ultimately, K-State’s 3-0 lead in turnovers generated 17 points, more than the margin of the game.

K-State lost the toss yet again, and had to receive to open the contest. The offense stalled across midfield and had to punt, but the defense forced a 3-and-out in response. The Cats took over at the TCU 48 after a shanked punt, but thanks to mistakes and penalties ended up punting from the 42.

The Wildcat run defense, worse than all but five other Power 4 run defenses to this point, promptly started giving up over five yards a carry, but a dropped pass on 4th down saved K-State, and left the game scoreless as the first quarter ended.

After getting to midfield, the Cats punted yet again, this time pinning TCU at their own 7. TCU carved up the defense, which stiffened inside the 30. But on 3rd-and-11 from the 27, the Cats blitzed way too early, resulting in a 27-yard completion from Josh Hoover to Ed Small. Two plays later, Jeremy Payne scored on a pitch to finally put a number on the scoreboard.

K-State responded. Jaron Tibbs saved Johnson by climbing the ladder on a deep ball and coming down with a 31-yard completion. Two plays later, Johnson found Garrett Oakley, who rambled for 17 yards after the catch to complete a 32-yard touchdown play, and the game was tied. It was Oakley’s tenth career touchdown, which tied the K-State record for touchdown catches by a tight end, shared with Henry Childs and Ben Sinnott.

Hoover then threw a lateral which bounced off the receiver’s hands, and Fair snatched it up and raced 15 yards to the end zone. Fair was then flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for heaving the ball into the stands. The play was then reviewed, which would have been disastrous had it been overturned because the penalty would still have been enforced — which would have given TCU a first down at the 37. It was not, and the touchdown stood.

TCU tried to get downfield with the two minutes they had left, but a 4th-down conversion by Hoover was wiped out by a holding call, and TCU punted with 41 seconds left, downing it at the 7. Because of that, despite the fact that TCU would receive the second-half kickoff, K-State chose to kneel the half out.

TCU came out swinging, but the defense forced a 4th-and-5 at the K-State 35 and Jordan Allen broke up a pass attempt to take over on downs. But Johnson ate a huge sack on 2nd down, and the Cats punted it back.

Then the Desmond Purnell show happened.

First, Purnell sacked Hoover. Then on the next play, he picked him off, racing 25 yards for a pick-six and a 21-7 Wildcat lead.

TCU started their next drive with two straight false starts. On 2nd-and-19, Hoover completed a 27-yard pass play to Kevorian Barnes, but he was past the line of scrimmage when he threw, causing 3rd-and-23. TCU picked up 13, and had to punt; finally something good happened for the Frogs as Ethan Craw blasted a 53-yard kick which Sterling Lockett was unable to return.

The Wildcat offense cooked, until bogging down near the end zone. But Johnson converted on 4th-and-inches, then hit Oakley from 17 for their second touchdown connection of the game, and giving Oakley sole possession of the school record.

K-State then went to sleep on defense, giving up pass plays of 27 and 41 yards to set up 1st-and-goal for TCU at the 6. The defense did force 4th-and-goal from the two, but Hoover found Chase Curtis for a touchdown to close the gap to 28-14.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, facing 3rd-and-1, Johnson picked up the first down but fumbled; he managed to recover it. K-State caught a break when TCU was called for pass interference on a pass Oakley had no chance of catching anyway, moving the Cats into the red zone. Three plays later, Jerand Bradley caught a 12-yard pass on a fade from Johnson, and it was a three-score game again.

The defense giveth, the defense taketh away: Hoover was hit, almost picked off, and TCU was guilty of holding. On the next play, Hoover connected with Eric McAlister for an 85-yard touchdown pass to make it 35-21.

The Cats went 3-and-out, but two plays later Purnell intercepted Hoover again, returning the ball to the 21. Johnson fumbled a snap and turned it into an 8-yard run. K-State kept running, until 4th-and-goal at the 1; Luis Rodriguez hit a 19-yarder to make it a three-score game with 4:34 to play.

Purnell almost got a third pick, and the Frogs were forced into 4th-and-10. Hoover threw incomplete again, and K-State took over with 4:15 to go at the TCU 25. K-State kept the ball on the ground, and settled for a 36-yarder from Rodriguez to extend the lead to 41-21. TCU started their last drive looking like they were surrendering, running the ball and wasting time, but then decided they wanted a consolation touchdown and got it in a 37-yard pass from Hoover to McAlister. But there were only 26 seconds left at that point, and that was that.

Johnson was 16-26 for 196 yards and three touchdowns, adding 29 yards on 13 carries — very low yards per carry, but a few key short-yardage conversions. Jackson helped move the chains and did the heavy work killing the clock late, finishing with 110 yards on 27 carries and caught a couple of short passes.

Oakley led the team in all three receiving categories, with 71 yards on four catches and two touchdowns. Jaron Tibbs had 51 yards on three catches, Jayce Brown went 3-27, and Bradley had 2-26 and a score.

TCU outgained the Cats 448-343, but the Cats prevailed 145-72 on the ground. Both teams were close to 50/50 on 3rd down, but K-State was 2-2 on fourth while TCU only converted once on four attempts. The Cats ran away with time of possession, holding the ball for over 36 minutes.

WHAT WE LEARNED

1) Someone else learned something.

As the fourth quarter began, K-State just ran the ball down TCU’s throat (for the most part). On the next drive, they did not throw (although they went 3-and-out). Johnson threw the ball exactly twice in the fourth quarter.

I’d say the lesson from last week got learned.

2) The offensive line has improved.

Jackson had holes all day. He’s not mentioned in the actual game recap, but that’s because he was just doing work and moving chains. Johnson wasn’t really pressed most of the game. Applause for the line today.

3 The run defense has improved.

K-State held TCU to 3.4 yards a carry. That’s still not superb, but in the second half TCU ran for ONE HALF YARD PER CARRY.

4 Desmond Purnell, man.

Just… what a game. Seriously. Des has always been good, and today is not even close to his first player of the game award for K-State, but… wow.

5 Football can, in fact, be fun.

This requires no explanation, but it should be noted that K-State has now surpassed Florida State’s 2024 win total, thus proving K-State is more able to shrug off the Curse of Ireland than the Seminoles.