Aftermath and Fallout

Football

Kansas State beat TCU 31-12 in a game that was not even as close as the lopsided score suggests. For nearly the entire game, the Wildcats defense kept TCU out of the endzone while the offense chugged along with a consistency that would have pleased even Bill Snyder.

The story of the game was Felix Anudike-Uzomah’s record-setting day on the field. He earned four sacks on the day, matching a school record (Chris Johnson in 2000 against Missouri). The number should probably be six sacks, but the NCAA ruled that two of those six didn’t count because Kansas State recovered the ball on fumbles beyond the line of scrimmage. In other words, Anudike-Uzomah had two sacks erased because he did too much? Whatever. His feat was still impressive enough to warrant recognition as the Walter Camp Defensive Player of the Week, and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week. He’s now the FBS leader for sacks so far this season. All-conference and All-America honors are definitely on the table, as well as possible awards recognition.

That’s big news enough, but the real news happened a day after the game, and came from TCU. The school has decided to part ways with head coach Gary Patterson, a move that sent shock waves through the college football landscape. Paeans to Patterson have been fast and furious, but the program has been in relative disarray this year, and the writing was probably on the wall, especially as Patterson and the school administration had fallen out. Jerry Kill, formerly of Minnesota and Kansas State, will take over on an interim basis in Fort Worth.

Spare a thought for our purple cousins over at Frogs O War. Who knows better than Kansas State fans the ambiguity and uncertainty that accompanies a legendary coach’s departure from the sidelines?

And now, it’s time to turn our attention to the Flaw on the Kaw. Bowl eligibility is well within Kansas State’s grasp, especially with the Sunflower Showdown game this weekend. Although the Wildcats are unlikely to get another head coach fired this week, we should still try to pound the dang stone right out of Lawrence. That is all.

Basketball

The women’s basketball team was back in action this weekend and opened its exhibition schedule with a 68-39 win over Washburn. Playing stifling defense, Kansas State held Washburn to just two field goals in the entire second quarter and then poured on the points for the rest of the contest. Ayoka Lee led the team with 17 points, and all 10 Wildcats saw action.

Up next, the team will wrap up its exhibition slate with a game against Pitt State on Friday.

Golf

At the Steelwood Collegiate in Loxley, Alabama, the Kansas State men’s team put together a solid effort and managed a fifth-place finish. Tom Tillmanns and will Hopkins both finished in the top ten of the leaderboard as well.

The team will return to action in February.

Rowing

The seniors on the 2020 Kansas State rowing squad finally got their moment this past week. Delayed by the pandemic and their cancelled spring season that year, the rowing seniors were honored 18 months after the fact. The seniors in particular were deprived of a season that had begun with such promise. Hopefully this long overdue celebration will at least help bring closure to their student-athlete journeys.