Slate: Weekly honors for Wildcats

Late Slate today. Let’s not waste any time trying to be cute.

Football

Saturday’s upset of the then-No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners has K-State fans wondering what might be possible in this strange COVID-altered Big 12 landscape. Fans at other Big 12 schools are similarly intrigued. No. 18 Iowa State hosts the OU on Saturday with a chance to put the Sooners on the express route to a disappointing season.

The Oklahoman’s Berry Tramel notes that by raising his record against Oklahoma to 2-0, Chris Klieman joined an exclusive club of just two coaches to win their first two games against the Sooners in the Bob Stoops/Lincoln Riley era. The others two? Mack Brown (1998-99) and Les Miles (OSU, 2001-02).

Pull an upset, and some of your guys are likely to win honors. The Big 12 bestowed player-of-the week distinctions on a trio of Wildcats: Skylar Thompson, Jahron McPherson and Deuce Vaughn. Thompson and McPherson had to share (trophies for all, after all). But we know who the real winners are, and they wear purple. Thompson was also honored nationally, as he was named to the Davey O’Brien Great 8 list and as a Manning Star of the Week.

Over at the KC Star, Kellis Robinett revists the strange, rewarding experience that was K-State’s first road trip of the COVID era.

Next up for the Wildcats: a visit from the high-flying Texas Tech Red Raiders. The athletic department published its usual Tuesday preview of that game, which will kick off at 2:30 and air on FS1. Tech squandered a 15-point lead in the last three-plus minutes of regulation and ultimately fell to No. 8 Texas Saturday by a 63-56 count, in overtime.

Next week’s contest at Texas Christian will be broadcast on Fox, commencing at 3:00.

This week’s Wildcats in the NFL again highlights the exploits of Tyler Lockett, who snagged nine catches for 100 yards and three touchdowns in the Seahawks’ 38-31 win over the Cowboys. Also of note: Dante Burton was elevated to the Cowboys’ active roster and, like all good former Wildcats, contributed on special teams.

Golf

K-State senior Reid Isaac posted the second-best 54-hole total in school history (205, -5) to share championship honors with Baylor’s Gurleen Kaur at the Schooner Classic in Norman. The Wildcat team finished 8th, after sliding three spots on a windy final day.

K-State sophomore Tim Tillmanns was in a tie for ninth place at 2-under par after the first round of the Colonial Collegiate in Fort Worth, Texas. The ‘Cats were tied with Texas Tech for fourth in the field in the team competition.

Volleyball

In Sports Extra, Austin Siegel spotlights the play of K-State’s freshmen in the Wildcats’ win Saturday of Iowa State, especially Mackenzie Morris, a 5-7 libero from Dallas, Texas, who coach Suzi Fritz describes as “fearless.”

Go Cats!