Purple-clad teams had some success this weekend!
That winning feeling. Not only does it get you through an entire weekend, but it can set you up for success in the new week too. Kansas State found success this weekend on the gridiron, the soccer field, the running lanes, and the volleyball court. That should set the athletic department up for the rest of the fall season.
Football
Kansas State beat Oklahoma State 42-20 making an emphatic statement in the process. The Wildcats racked up 559 yards of total offense in the process, with 259 yards passing and 300 on the ground, including 187 yards for DJ Giddens all by himself.
It was a banner day for QB Avery Johnson. He had five touchdowns, three through the air and a pair on the ground for his best game as a starter by far. It wasn’t just a good game statistically though. Johnson seems to have grown as a person in the process, learning to trust himself and to lean into his natural confidence. For his efforts, Johnson earned Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors and was also named a Manning Award Star of the Week and made it to the Davey O’Brien Great 8 list for the week.
But for all that, this win almost wasn’t. For a brief period in the first half, the game seemed uncomfortably similar to the one at BYU and the Wildcats were on the brink of another shocking collapse. But not this time. This time, the team rallied from behind to put its stamp on the game, stifling Oklahoma State’s offense and running all over the Pokes’ defense.
It was not perfect, of course. If you’re so inclined, there are certainly nits to pick, some of which Jon Morse highlighted in his recap. But ultimately all you need from a team is to get the job done, and our Cats more than met that goal.
This Saturday, Kansas State gets a much-needed bye week to fix any lingering problems and adjust expectations.
Cross Country
At the Gans Creek Invitational in Columbia, Missouri, the Kansas State men’s and women’s team were part of a packed field featuring some of the best teams in the country. While the Wildcats did not manage any podium finishes, the women’s team finished 21st and the men were at 28th, respectable spots in an extremely competitive meet. In the men’s 8K, four Wildcats recorded personal best marks for the season, as did two Kansas State women in the 6K event.
The teams will be back in action on October 18th.
Soccer
Guess what? Kansas State didn’t lose the last match! It is maybe a sign of how this season is going that a 1-1 draw against UCF feels almost like a win for this struggling team. The result ended an eight-match conference losing streak This is especially true because this draw came on the back of yet another frustrating loss to a ranked team, a 2-1 decision to #25 Texas Tech.
Hopefully, the SoccerCats get to build on this tiny sliver of hope when they travel to Ames to play Iowa State next Sunday.
Track
One of the best sports stories of this summer was about Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall, a couple who both won gold medals, Tara in the women’s long jump at the Olympics and Hunter in the 400m at the Paralympics.
Of course, this is also a K-State story, thanks to Davis-Woodhall being an assistant track and field coach in Manhattan. She and Hunter are excellent ambassadors for their sport and for Kansas State, and this past weekend, they got to kick off the races at the Kansas Speedway.
This run of publicity is great for the Kansas State track teams, especially as new head coach Travis Geopfert attempts to travel the state and build good will for the program.
Volleyball
The VolleyCats lost their Big 12 opener against Houston in straight sets on Wednesday, but followed it up with a 3-0 victory over UCF on Saturday. Senior Liz Gregorski led the team with 14 kills while Meg Brown added 12. Izzy Szulczewski and Ava LeGrand both had double-doubles on the night, with Szulczewski tallying 10 digs to go with 20 assists and LeGrand 10 digs with 13 assists, her first career double-double.
Kansas State will continue Big 12 play on the road next, visiting Texas Tech in Lubbock on October 3.