4 November 2023
AUSTIN (KSNT) – It came down to the very end.
A late comeback attempt wasn’t enough, as the Wildcats fell to the Longhorns 33-30 in overtime.
The game started off on the wrong foot for the Wildcats. After punts from both teams, Texas connected on a 37-yard touchdown, a field goal and 54-yard touchdown to take a 17-0 lead early in the second quarter.
With time running down in the half, K-State finally got on the board with a Will Howard touchdown pass to Phillip Brooks to cut into the deficit. Still, the Wildcats trailed 17-7 at the break.
Texas started the second half much like the first. Howard was intercepted on the second play of the third quarter, and the next possession, he was strip-sacked at the K-State five yard-line. That set up a Longhorn touchdown, followed by a field goal, to give Texas a 27-7 lead.
The Wildcats started to claw back from there. Howard connected with Brooks for another touchdown to cut the lead down to 27-14.
At the start of the fourth quarter, K-State intercepted Texas quarterback Maalik Murphy, returned to the Longhorn 12 yard-line. Two plays later, Howard connected with Keagan Johnson for a touchdown to make it a 27-21 game.
Texas again turned the ball over, this time on a fumble on its next play. That set up a 32-yard Howard pass to Jayce Brown for a touchdown. A failed two-point conversion tied the game at 27-27 with 12 minutes to play.
The Longhorns responded with a six-minute drive ending in a field goal to go up 30-27.
K-State took the ball back down the field, failing to convert on third-and-one, settling for a field goal. Kicker Chris Tennant missed it wide right, giving the ball back to Texas with under two minutes to play.
The Wildcat defense stood strong, forcing a punt. Howard drove the offense down field, and Tennant redeemed himself with a 45-yard field goal to tie the game with one second left, leading to overtime.
Texas got the ball first and settled for a field goal, taking a 33-30 lead.
K-State fired right away, with a 19-yard pass from Howard to Ben Sinnott to set the Wildcats up with first-and-goal.
On fourth-and-goal from the six-yard-line, the Wildcats decided to go for it. The pass rush got to Howard, sacking the K-State quarterback, giving Texas a 33-30 overtime victory.
Howard finished 26 of 42 passing for 327 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. The team finished with just 33 rushing yards.
The loss moves K-State to 6-3 on the season. The Wildcats return home on Saturday to play Baylor.