Bring On The Cats - The Upset.A Kansas State Wildcats Blog -- Carrying the Banner Highhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47995/bringoncats_fave.png2013-11-22T08:00:12-06:00http://www.bringonthecats.com/rss/stream/48936092013-11-22T08:00:12-06:002013-11-22T08:00:12-06:00Ambushed
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<p>The Night the Greatest Turnaround Trumped the Greatest Team</p> <div><div class="main-wrap" id="aWfqSB"> <p class="intro">Ten years ago, Ted Sims intercepted a pass and ran it back for a touchdown. When he crossed the goal line, he didn't stop running. He ran across the back of the end zone. He ran to the other side of the field. Then - with teammate Josh Buhl running alongside - he ran past the opposing team's bench.</p> <p dir="ltr">He didn't know it was so obvious on TV.</p> <p dir="ltr">Sims had just put a dagger into the heart of a team considered one of the greatest in the history of college football. He won't say he was trying to twist it, but it doesn't take away from the magic of the moment.</p> <p dir="ltr">"That was one of those things that you'll never forget," he says. "The stars were aligned that night, that's for sure."</p> <p style="text-align: left; color: #54447f">★ ★ ★</p> <p dir="ltr">"Ad astra per aspera." The state motto of Kansas, "To the stars through difficulties," directly applies to what Bill Snyder did in Manhattan from 1989 through 2000 as he steadily overcame obstacles in building a program that came within a few minutes of playing for a national title in 1998 and churned out some of the largest yearly NFL draft classes in college history.</p> <div class="pullquote">The state motto of Kansas, "To the stars through difficulties," directly applies to what Bill Snyder did in Manhattan from 1989 to 2000</div> <p dir="ltr">In 2001, however, the stars fell. After eight straight seasons with at least nine wins, the Wildcats finished 6-6 and lost to Syracuse in the Insight Bowl. Many thought Snyder - the architect of perhaps the greatest turnaround in college football history - had lost a step.</p> <p dir="ltr">The next year, Snyder proved them wrong. He led the Wildcats to their fifth 11-win season in six years. Their only two losses were by a combined seven points to Big 12 championship-game participants Colorado and Texas. They outscored their remaining opponents 537-102.</p> <p dir="ltr">Going in to 2003, the media picked the Wildcats to win the Big 12 North division and finish second in the Big 12. They had done it twice before, with heartbreaking losses in the championship game. Experts expected no difference this year. Picked to win the Big 12 South - and the conference - were the Oklahoma Sooners.</p> <p style="text-align: left; color: #54447f">★ ★ ★</p> <p dir="ltr">Bob Stoops followed Bill Snyder from the University of Iowa to Manhattan, Kan., in 1989. While there, Stoops helped build what became one of the most aggressive and intimidating defensive units in college football. Calling themselves the "Lynch Mob," the Stoops-led Kansas State defense ranked first in the nation in yards allowed per game and second in scoring in 1995. In 1996, Stoops left to join Steve Spurrier's staff at the University of Florida.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mike Stoops - who joined his brother, Bob, as an assistant at K-State in 1991 - remained on Snyder's staff until 1999. When Bob was called upon to replace John Blake at Oklahoma, he convinced his brother - along with Snyder assistants Brent Venables and Mark Mangino - to join him. More than a third of the staff that led the Wildcats to within a game of a national championship appearance in 1998 was now headed to Norman, Okla.</p> <p dir="ltr">Two years later, in 2000, Stoops and the Sooners defeated Snyder's Wildcats twice on the way to Oklahoma's first national championship in 15 years. In 2002, they won their second Big 12 title in three years and defeated the Washington State Cougars in the Rose Bowl.</p> <p dir="ltr">A historical powerhouse, Oklahoma football had trended steadily downward since the departure of Barry Switzer in 1988. Though the turnaround wasn't as dramatic as what Snyder had accomplished in Manhattan, Bob Stoops had returned the Sooners to glory.</p> <p style="text-align: left; color: #54447f">★ ★ ★</p> <p dir="ltr">Glory is measured in many ways. In college football's national consciousness, glory is measured in championships. Though he had done a masterful job of turning what was once the worst program in college football history into a national power, a championship of any kind had eluded Bill Snyder in his 14 years at K-State.</p> <p dir="ltr">With 12 returning starters in 2003, including quarterback Ell Roberson and running back Darren Sproles, along with three offensive linemen on their way to long NFL careers, the Wildcats looked capable of changing that. With eight of their 13 games scheduled in Manhattan and only one opponent - Texas - ranked ahead of them in the preseason AP poll, things were set up nicely.</p> </div></div>
<div class="main-wrap" id="fcWSY7"> <p dir="ltr">The season opened at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City with the Black Coaches Association Classic against the California Golden Bears. The Wildcat defense struggled a bit as coordinators Bret Bielema and Bob Elliot continued the rebuilding project they'd begun the year before. The Wildcat offense more than made up for the defensive rust, as Roberson and Sproles combined for 525 yards and K-State came out on top, 42-28.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 'Cats didn't slow down in their home opener the following week, crushing the Troy Trojans, 41-5. McNeese State came to Manhattan next, and the early season blowouts continued. The Wildcats coasted to a 55-14 victory, but Roberson left in the second quarter with an injury to his hand.</p> <p dir="ltr">Without Roberson, Snyder called on backup quarterback Jeff Schwinn to lead the offense. Schwinn threw for 228 yards and two interceptions against Massachusetts in game four, but Sproles carried the weight, rushing for 152 yards and three scores on the way to a 38-7 victory.</p> <p dir="ltr">Averaging almost 120 yards a game through the first four contests, Snyder was counting on Sproles when he made the decision to start Schwinn against Marshall, in place of the still-ailing Roberson. The Thundering Herd were ready. Marshall held Sproles to only 77 yards on 14 carries and the Wildcats turned the ball over four times, including an 89-yard touchdown by Marshall defensive end Jonathan Goddard after grabbing a pitch from Schwinn.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Herd scored with less than four minutes left to take a 27-20 lead. They had a chance to seal it with a minute and a half left, but kicker Nick Kelly missed a 45-yard field goal to give K-State the ball at its own 28-yard line. Schwinn led the offense 69 yards to the Marshall three-yard line, but that's as far as it went. After Sproles was stuffed for no gain, a false start penalty pushed the offense back to the eight.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We got penalized right at the very end which, in all reality, cost us the ball game," Snyder says about the loss. "We were a reasonably well-disciplined football team so that was a bit of a surprise."</p> <p dir="ltr">Schwinn's last effort, a pass over the middle to Davin Dennis, fell incomplete on fourth down. It was Marshall's first ever win over a ranked opponent.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Going into that season, we'd all aspired to play for a national championship," says former linebacker Josh Buhl. "Had we not had some injuries, we could have done that."</p> <p dir="ltr">The Marshall loss was the first of three in a row, as the Wildcats opened conference play on the road at Texas and Oklahoma State.</p> <p dir="ltr">"What was amazing when you go back and look at those games, it's not like we got blown out," former defensive end Andrew Shull says. "You take the Texas game. If they would have had instant replay, we would've won because Vince Young didn't stick the ball out, and the Oklahoma State game we lost by four points. So, they were close. It was definitely a surprise."</p> <p dir="ltr">K-State lost the three games by a combined 15 points. To some, close losses hurt more than blowouts. Snyder isn't sure that's the case.</p> <p dir="ltr">"If it's not close at all, you probably look at it as though there was nothing we could have done," Snyder says. "I have a hard time investing in that philosophy, but that's the way some people view it. If it's closer, you're looking with a fine tooth comb at [a number of plays] that could have turned the game."</p> <div class="pullquote">"It was almost like our character was being challenged. That's how I felt. I felt like my character was being challenged and who I was as person, as a football player, as a man."</div> <p dir="ltr">Seven games into a season K-State entered with a No. 6 national ranking, the Wildcats were 4-3. It was gut-check time in Manhattan.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We could go two ways," Shull says. "We could either keep losing and have it end up like that 2001 season, where we lost a ton of games, or we're a better football team than this."</p> <p dir="ltr">"It was almost like our character was being challenged. That's how I felt. I felt like my character was being challenged and who I was as person, as a football player, as a man."</p> <p dir="ltr">"Those next couple weeks, it was a dogfight."</p> <p style="text-align: left; color: #54447f">★ ★ ★</p> <p dir="ltr">Simply looking at recruiting numbers, one might consider Kansas State one of the smaller "dogs" among BCS conference programs. But throughout Bill Snyder's tenure, the fight inside the players has far exceeded expectations.</p> <p dir="ltr">In the weeks following the Oklahoma State loss, the 'Cats proved there was still plenty of fight left. They rattled off six straight wins, all by double digit margins. A 38-9 victory over Nebraska - K-State's first victory in Lincoln since 1968 - was especially satisfying.</p> <p dir="ltr">"My sophomore year, I remember telling Terry Pierce and Josh Buhl and [Thomas] Houchin and Bryan Hickman, 'When we're up here our senior year, I guarantee we'll win.'" says Shull. "We kind of got into a fight in the coin toss before the game because we were just fired up. We wanted to take them down from the moment we stepped onto the field."</p> <p dir="ltr">"I think that game was a pivotal moment in K-State history and in our college careers for sure," says Buhl of the victory. "I think that was for us to show that we had a chance to go ahead and win the Big 12 Championship."</p> <p dir="ltr">After a victory over Missouri the following week, the Wildcats indeed had that chance. They were slated to face the top-ranked Sooners in the Big 12 Championship game.</p> <p dir="ltr">And the media was ready.</p> <p style="text-align: left; color: #54447f">★ ★ ★</p> <p dir="ltr">By late November, the 2003 Oklahoma Sooners had already assumed almost legendary status in the college football world. On November 30, Berry Tramel published a column in the <em>Daily Oklahoman</em> arguing where this team would fit in the pantheon of great Oklahoma teams. The headline read as follows:</p> <p dir="ltr">"Win out, and the 2003 Sooners rank as OU's best ever; the only debate is over who they would supplant as No. 1."</p> <p dir="ltr">Headlines all over the country followed suit.</p> <div class="chorus-snippet floated-snippet-left"><h3>"No one gave us a shot to win that game. I remember talking to my family before the game, and I said we were going to win. They all looked at me like I was crazy."</h3></div> <p dir="ltr">In Florida, the <em>Lakeland Ledger</em> offered up that the "Sooners could be best ever." The <em>Dallas Morning News</em> topped its coverage with "Some say this OU team ranks with any in college history." In that article, legendary Sooner coach Barry Switzer said, "Win the rest of them, and they're the best team I've ever seen at Oklahoma."</p> <p dir="ltr">It was impossible to get away from the hype.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It was us against the world," says Shull. "No one gave us a shot to win that game. I remember talking to my family before the game, and I said we were going to win. They all looked at me like I was crazy."</p> <p dir="ltr">But how did the ever-focused Bill Snyder approach the media circus?</p> <p dir="ltr">"It's a motivational thing quite obviously, so you don't totally abstain from it," he says. "To be consistent, we've always addressed that it doesn't really matter who you're playing. It's how we prepare and how we play, and that should define the outcome of this or any other ballgame. But, by the same token, we didn't hide the media exposure to Oklahoma and what a talented team they were."</p> <p dir="ltr">It was all over television the week leading up to the game. On ESPN's <em>Around the Horn</em>, Woody Paige was asked if K-State had any shot.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Oklahoma has the best defense in the country! They're not going to lose here and now! There's absolutely no shot!" he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">On <em>College Gameday</em>, before the game, ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit even went as far as to physically hold his arms out wide when asked for a prediction.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Sooners," he said. "Big."</p> <p dir="ltr">Earlier he had been asked how the Wildcats could stop Oklahoma.</p> <p dir="ltr">"You gotta say pray."</p> <p dir="ltr">In the eyes of most of the media, the game was already decided. Actually playing it was just a formality. The Kansas State players disagreed.</p> <p dir="ltr">When asked how confident they were going into the game, Josh Buhl doesn't hesitate.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We knew we were a better team," Buhl says "We didn't win by intimidating people with our name. We won by intimidating with our game."</p> <p dir="ltr">The Wildcats believed. Now all they had to do was prove it.</p> <p style="text-align: left; color: #54447f">★ ★ ★</p> <p dir="ltr">K-State took the opening kickoff and quickly went three and out. Two carries by Darren Sproles accounted for only two yards. A rushed throw by Roberson on third down was off target, forcing the 'Cats to punt.</p> <p dir="ltr">Four Sooner plays later, they were getting the ball back, but not the way they wanted.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It was just a broken coverage," says Sims. "One player missed an assignment, the running back cut the corner and was gone."</p> <p dir="ltr">Oklahoma's Kejuan Jones ran 42 yards up the left sideline for the first score of the game. Less than three minutes into the game, the Wildcats trailed the best college football team ever, 7-0.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I know once people saw that, there was probably a lot of doubt," Sims continues. "But we just stuck with the game plan."</p> <p dir="ltr">K-State stalled again on its next drive after a seven-yard run by Sproles on second down was erased by a false-start penalty. Jared Brite came on to punt, but netted only 25 yards and Oklahoma took over at midfield.</p> <p dir="ltr">The defense came out stronger on the next drive, forcing the Sooners to a three and out, but the Wildcat offense again couldn't establish the run, and faced a fourth down from their own five after an illegal substitution penalty forced them back. Despite the early struggles, the players never worried.</p> <div class="chorus-snippet floated-snippet-right"><p><img src="http://cdn1.sbnation.com/assets/3603851/2789790.jpg"><em class="caption"> (Getty Images)</em></p></div> <p dir="ltr">"I just felt like we needed to settle down," James Terry says. "We were trying so hard to go out there and do too much."</p> <p dir="ltr">Brite was punting from his own end line, inches from a safety. Oklahoma punt returner Antonio Perkins was standing in Kansas State territory waiting for the return. The situation seemed dismal.</p> <p dir="ltr">Brent Musberger highlighted the 'Cat's misfortune from the broadcast booth. "Even if Perkins just fair catches, you've gained five yards in field position."</p> <p dir="ltr">Brite's booming punt left the Sooners at their own 37. The teams traded punts before Oklahoma was forced to settle for a 44-yard field goal attempt by the usually automatic Trey DiCarlo. It sailed wide, and the score remained 7-0.</p> <p dir="ltr">On the first play of the ensuing drive, Sproles took a pitch from Roberson off the left side. Sooners All-Big 12 defensive back Derrick Strait read the play perfectly, but Sproles spun and threw Strait to the ground in the backfield, then dashed up the sideline for 55 yards.</p> <p dir="ltr">The offensive patience had paid off. Two plays later, on third down with 11 yards to go, K-State lined up with two tight ends, a single running back and Roberson under center.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I knew I would be wide open when they came out with the defense exactly as we practiced it during the week," former tight end Brian Casey says. "Antoine Polite came in motion to run a flag pattern and get the safety to bite to him, and I split the middle where no one was.</p> <p dir="ltr">"When I caught the pass, I thought there would be someone behind me going to hit me. That's the reason I fell down after the catch. I was getting ready for a big hit and never got one."</p> <p dir="ltr">K-State kept the momentum rolling. After an Oklahoma three-and-out, K-State got the ball back on its own 37-yard line. On the first play, K-State lined up in the I-formation with two tight ends. Roberson took the snap and faked a play action with Sproles. He set his feet, pump-faked once and unloaded a bomb down the far sideline to Terry. Antonio Perkins had Terry covered step for step, but the pass was underthrown. Terry slowed and made a great adjustment to the ball. Perkins tried to follow suit but lost his balance and Terry was gone.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Sooners had only trailed on the scoreboard for six minutes of game time the entire season. The Kansas State Wildcats had just scored twice in less than three minutes to take a 14-7 lead.</p> <p dir="ltr">After the two teams again traded three and outs, Oklahoma finally put together its first sustained drive of the game. Jason White drove the Sooner offense 78 yards to K-State's 12-yard line, never seeing a third down. A roughing the passer penalty on second down set up Oklahoma with first and goal from the six. It appeared as though White - who came into the game completing more than 65 percent of his passes for more than 3,400 yards and 40 touchdowns while throwing only six interceptions - was finally imposing his will on the K-State defense.</p> <p style="text-align: left; color: #54447f">★ ★ ★</p> <p dir="ltr">The defensive game plan dreamed up by coordinators Bret Bielema and Bob Elliot really came down to one mission: hit the quarterback. Normally, this would involve a lot of blitzing, but the Wildcats couldn't afford to leave the shallow part of the field open against a team known for its ability to attack with underneath routes. Thus, the primary pass rush responsibility fell on the shoulders of defensive ends Thomas Houchin and Andrew Shull. Backed up to their own goal line against the best quarterback in the nation, it was now or never.</p> <p dir="ltr">On first down, White dropped back, found no one open, and attempted to scramble as the pocket collapsed around him. White was recruited as somewhat of a dual threat, but major knee injuries in each of the previous two seasons had all but ruined his mobility. After gaining only one yard, he was met by both Sims and Buhl as he dove to the ground. White came up slowly and labored back to the huddle.</p> <p dir="ltr">Oklahoma came out with four wide on the next play. Houchin and Shull again couldn't get past the Sooner tackles, and White fired the ball toward a wide open Will Peoples in the back of the end zone, but the ball fluttered to the turf thanks to the outstretched hand of Ted Sims.</p> <p dir="ltr">On third down, good K-State coverage gave Shull time to penetrate and flush White to the far side of the field, where Houchin was waiting. White lofted a desperation throw into the end zone a split second before Houchin delivered a hit, driving his helmet into White's upper arm and slamming the soon-to-be Heisman winner to the turf. The ball sailed into the waiting arms of K-State safety James McGill.</p> <p dir="ltr">Interception.</p> <div class="pullquote">"In a sense, that's what we were going for. Not to injure [White], but to hit everyone and everything."</div> <p dir="ltr">The Kansas State Wildcats had a touchdown lead over the undisputed No. 1 team in the land and had just dealt the most crushing blow the Sooners had received all season. In one play, they had turned the momentum of the game completely in their favor and sent the most statistically prolific offensive weapon in the country to the sidelines with his throwing arm dangling like a windsock.</p> <p dir="ltr">"In a sense," Josh Buhl says, "that's what we were going for. Not to injure [White], but to hit everyone and everything."</p> <p dir="ltr">It was still early, but the narrative of the entire matchup - and possibly the entire season - had shifted ever so slightly. But not even the best of storytellers could have dreamed what would happen from there.</p> <p style="text-align: left; color: #54447f">★ ★ ★</p> <p dir="ltr">In the history of Kansas State football, there has been no more electrifying, elusive and effective offensive weapon than Darren Sproles. In the 2003 regular season, Sproles led the nation in all-purpose yards with 2,305. He gained more than 1,700 of those yards on the ground, averaging 6.3 yards per carry and twice set the school record for rushing yards in a game.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though Oklahoma was able to keep Sproles bottled up for most of the first half, he had busted the 55-yard run at the start of the second quarter that set up the first Wildcat score and started the offense rolling. Now, with Oklahoma vulnerable after the turnover, it was time to turn Sproles loose again.</p> <p dir="ltr">After four plays, K-State faced a second and four from its 40-yard line. Roberson took the snap under center and the line blocked just long enough for him to see the two linebackers split wide to opposite sides of the field. Sproles slipped through the middle just as the guards let the defensive line crash on Roberson and ran upfield to set a wall. Roberson dumped a short pass to Sproles who made one cut and sprinted 60 yards up the right side of the wide-open Arrowhead Stadium field to put K-State up 21-7.</p> <p dir="ltr">It wasn't quite halftime but the Wildcat offense that had struggled to gain positive yardage in the first quarter had now gained more than 250 yards and put up 21 points.</p> <p dir="ltr">On the ensuing drive, White came out strong with three consecutive completions for first downs. A holding penalty on the next play stalled the effort as White's third down completion to Will Peoples came up short of the marker. The Sooners faced a fourth and one from K-State's 35-yard line.</p> <p dir="ltr">Oklahoma came into the game with one of the most productive and consistent offenses many had ever seen. Now, there wasn't a lot of time left in the half and they were set to get the ball to open the third quarter. Head coach Bob Stoops decided to roll the dice. White ran a play fake and elected to float the pass over the top in the direction of tight end Lance Donley. It sailed over Donley's head.</p> <p dir="ltr">Less than 90 seconds of game time later, the two teams would head to the locker room with the Wildcats still leading 21-7. The challenger had the champ dazed and confused. All it needed now was the knockout blow.</p> <p style="text-align: left; color: #54447f">★ ★ ★</p> <p dir="ltr">In 1998, Kansas State faced off with the Texas A&M Aggies in the Big 12 Championship game. Miami had defeated second-ranked UCLA earlier that day, giving K-State an avenue to its first national championship appearance if it could secure victory. In that game, Aggie quarterback Branndon Stewart threw three touchdowns - a Big 12 Championship game record - on the way to a 36-33 double overtime upset of the Wildcats. K-State's defensive coordinator in that game was Mike Stoops. Now with Oklahoma, Stoops' defense had allowed Roberson to tie Stewart's record in just one half.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Wildcats took over for their first possession of the second half after DiCarlo missed his second field goal of the game. Roberson and Sproles combined for 70 yards on the ground, carrying the team all the way down to the Sooners 10-yard line. On the next play, Roberson took the snap under center and ran a play fake to Sproles, which froze the Oklahoma linebackers. Roberson rolled right on a bootleg and found Antoine Polite open in the end zone to give the Wildcats a 28-7 lead. It was Polite's first touchdown of the season, and it gave Roberson the Big 12 championship game record with four touchdown passes.</p> <p dir="ltr">Twice, in half a decade, a Mike Stoops-led defense had given up the Big 12 Championship record for touchdown passes.</p> <p style="text-align: left; color: #54447f">★ ★ ★</p> <div class="chorus-snippet single_column_big_photo right_photo"> <div class="big_photo"> <img src="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/3603887/MvRW0BQ.jpg"><em class="caption"> (Getty Images)</em> </div> <div class="float"> <p dir="ltr">Before Dec. 6, the Oklahoma Sooners offense had scored at least 20 points in every game and at least 34 in every conference game during the 2003 season. After another stalled drive to end the third quarter, the Sooners entered the final fifteen minutes with only seven points. Time was running out on the greatest team ever.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Oklahoma defense held strong against Roberson and company, forcing Brite to punt on K-State's first drive of the fourth quarter. Jason White trotted out onto the field with just under eleven minutes remaining, essentially needing a touchdown on every possession to have a chance at victory.</p> <p dir="ltr">After the first two plays of the drive amounted to a mere three yards, the Sooners faced a third down from their own 23-yard line. White came out in shotgun with four wide receivers and Renaldo Works lined up to his right. White took the snap and quickly dropped back as K-State defensive end Kevin Huntley came off the edge and blew through the right tackle. With Huntley bearing down, White fired a quick pass to the left intended for Mark Clayton. Standing in the way of Clayton was Ted Sims, who leaped, grabbed the ball and ran untouched 27 yards to the end zone. He didn't stop running.</p> <p dir="ltr">"After Ted intercepted that ball, I was by Oklahoma's sideline," says Josh Buhl. "I ran by, and I pointed at them, and I was saying ‘We finally got you!'"</p> </div> </div> <p dir="ltr">There were still more than ten minutes remaining, but everyone in Arrowhead Stadium knew the game was over. Kansas State had done the impossible. This wasn't just a win. It was a rout. And it was arguably the biggest win in school history.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I think it is the biggest win," says James Terry. "Oklahoma was a great team, and for us to go out there and beat them like that just shows what could've happened if we would have stayed focused the whole year."</p> <p dir="ltr">Buhl agrees.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I know that a lot of games are special in different people's hearts, but I think because it was the first championship and - not taking anything away from [2012's] championship - but because it was actually a championship game, that was special."</p> <p dir="ltr">"I would say it has to rank up there with the biggest wins," says Brian Casey. "The first football conference championship in school history has to mean something. It is an honor to say that I was part of that team."</p> <p dir="ltr">"I wear the Big XII championship ring every time I go back to Manhattan and feel very proud of it. I can't say enough about the fans. They were always great and were behind us no matter what."</p> <p dir="ltr">Coach Snyder is never one for hyperbole, and he sees it as just one shining moment.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Everybody has their favorite," he says. "And, certainly, that was a premiere performance for our players, but there have been other significant games that have made a difference in a season or in the program."</p> <p dir="ltr">"All of them have significance but some certainly more than others."</p> <p dir="ltr">Andrew Shull shares Snyder's view.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I think that championship game was just a piece in the puzzle," Shull says. "You look at every game, and I don't think there's any game that's necessarily greater than the other."</p> <p dir="ltr">"I think K-State's best days are yet to come."</p> <p style="text-align: left; color: #54447f">★ ★ ★</p> </div>
<div class="main-wrap" id="IQpAfl"> <p dir="ltr">Each of the players from the 2003 team has moved on with their lives in one way or another. Offensive linemen Jeromey Clary and Ryan Lilja are still active in the NFL. Darren Sproles, of course, has gone onto a fantastic, record-setting NFL career despite doubts about his size. Lineman Nick Leckey also spent a few years in the league.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ell Roberson played in the CFL for a few years before becoming a health and safety engineer at an oil company near Houston. But as always, a college football team - even a successful one -- is made up of far more than the guys who suit up to play on Sundays.</p> <p dir="ltr">James Terry lives in Sioux Falls, S.D. where he works with DakotAbilities, a non-profit organization providing services to persons with disabilities. He's also still playing football for the Sioux Falls Storm of the Indoor Football League. He has two children and plans to get into college coaching in the coming years.</p> <p dir="ltr">Andrew Shull married Shay Lowe, sister of former Wildcat linebacker Sean Lowe. They will celebrate their tenth anniversary in March 2014. They have two children and plan to adopt a third. Shull works as a State Farm agent in Texas.</p> <p dir="ltr">Brian Casey is an accountant at the University of Kansas Physicians in Kansas City. He has two children who are very active in sports and hopes that one day his son will follow in his footsteps as a K-State football player.</p> <div class="pullquote">"Not many people can say that they've been able to do something like that."</div> <p dir="ltr">Ted Sims is the owner of Sims Global Solutions, a multi-mode freight transportation company based out of Dallas. He is very close with his extended family, including his nieces and nephews who are all big Wildcat fans.</p> <p dir="ltr">Josh Buhl played football for four years after college, spending time in the NFL, NFL Europe and CFL. He now lives in Austin working as an operations manager for Frito-Lay.</p> <p dir="ltr">And then there's the third linebacker, Bryan Hickman, who died in January 2012. Bryan is survived by his wife, Angela, and by the fond memories of his teammates who played alongside him through that tumultuous 2003 season. No teammate was closer to Hickman than Josh Buhl.</p> <p dir="ltr">"He was my best friend," says Buhl. "It's still hard to talk about him. He was a great guy, had a lovable personality, loved by everyone and would give you the shirt off his back. He was my best friend since high school and I loved him to death."</p> <p dir="ltr">"I think about him all the time, and I wish he was here, but it was great being able to spend high school and college with him, and then even have the opportunity to go to the [Cleveland] Browns together and spend training camp together. Not many people can say that they've been able to do something like that."</p> <p dir="ltr">"He was a great addition to that defense. He held his own. He was a great part of us winning that championship as well."</p> <p style="text-align: left; color: #54447f">★ ★ ★</p> <p><br>Ten years have passed since Kansas State football reached its peak on Dec. 6, 2003. But for the players who played, the images of that night will always remain. Though it seemed that the whole world doubted them, they never doubted themselves. Because when your mind is full of doubt, there's no room for memories.</p> </div>
<div class="credit" id="KH4BHX"> <strong>Producer:</strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/lukezim" target="new">Luke Zimmermann</a> | <strong>Editor:</strong> <a href="http://twitter.com/Tye_KC" target="new">Tye Burger</a> | <strong>Copy Editors:</strong> <a href="http://twitter.com/jonfmorse" target="new">Jon Morse</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/curtiskitchen" target="new">Curtis Kitchen</a> | <strong>Photos</strong>: Getty Images</div>
<div class="chorus-snippet previously-on-horizontal" id="ArQ9R9"> <h5><a class="top" href="http://www.bringonthecats.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/uploads/blog/sbnu_logo_lockup/127/bringonthecats.com.lockup.png" class="logo"><br>anniversary coverage</a></h5> <a class="item" href="http://www.bringonthecats.com/2013/11/21/5128612/charting-the-waters-k-state-vs-oklahoma-2003"><img src="http://cdn1.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/23648171/154843191.0_standard_709.0.jpg"><h6>Charting the Upset</h6></a> <a class="item" href="http://www.bringonthecats.com/2013/11/21/5125930/round-table-the-2003-big-12-championship"><img src="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/23681273/20131102_jla_bv1_469.0_standard_730.0.jpg"><h6>2003 Championship Roundtable</h6></a> <a class="item" href="http://www.bringonthecats.com/2013/11/21/5129568/the-upset"><img src="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/23656615/640px-aerial_view_of_arrowhead_stadium_08-31-2013.0_cinema_1050.0.jpg"><h6>The Upset.</h6></a><div class="left-reset"></div> </div>
https://www.bringonthecats.com/35to7/2013/11/22/5126026/ambushed-the-night-the-greatest-turnaround-trumped-the-greatest-teamDerek Moeller-Smith2013-11-21T10:45:58-06:002013-11-21T10:45:58-06:00Round Table: '03 Championship; Share your stories!
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<figcaption>Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It has been a great week of looking back and remembering the 2003 Big 12 Championship, which, if you hadn't heard, Kansas State won in "if trucking is wrong, Josh Buhl doesn't want to be right" fashion. We cap it all on Friday with Derek's phenomenal piece. (hint, hint...)</p>
<p>For now, we'll use the Round Table to revisit some of our own memories — ranging from being kids in college, to sharing a special family moment, to Morse being lampooned somewhere not even remotely close to Manhattan during that entire season.</p>
<p>Share your experiences below!</p>
<p><i>Let's start big and work our way to specifics ... In semi-short fashion, how do you remember that season as it played out?</i></p>
<p><b>Jon</b>: Man. I was distraught. It didn't help that I was 1600 miles away, and even just ten short years ago coverage was still pretty sketchy. I mean, understand here: the second game I actually got to <i>see</i> all year -- the Cal game being the first -- was Nebraska. I didn't get to see the losses; I just had to agonize over box scores. So it wasn't until Nebraska that I even had a feeling the season would be anything but a disaster.</p>
<p><b>Derek</b>:<b> </b>I was a freshman in college, living in the dorms in Great Bend. All I remember from the regular season is jumping up and down in front of the TV in my dorm when James Terry caught that long TD pass at Nebraska. I remember thinking "Thank God Ell is back."</p>
<p><b>TB:</b> That was my sophomore year in Manhattan, so I lived that one close up. Before the year, I was convinced K-State would play for a national title. Of course, at that stage in my life, I thought playing for a national title was easier than it actually is. So you can imagine the nut-punch the Marshall game was, followed by the gut-punch and haymaker of the Texas and Oklahoma State games.</p>
<p><b>Kitchen: </b>That was a crazy time in my life. Just out of school and months into my first "career" job as a PR Manager for SCCA in Topeka. I bring that up because it meant it was the first season I couldn't stay glued to a football calendar. So, when the Cats dropped three in a row, I wrote it off for the most part. But, having a job also meant I could afford to buy Big 12 Championship tickets. I bought two in the early fall when they first came out because my brother and I wanted to watch one in person, not knowing who was going to play in that game ...</p>
<p><i>We know what the team thought about the game going in, but what did you think? Did K-State realistically have a shot to win?</i></p>
<p><b>Jon</b>: I had... a feeling. It wasn't a strong feeling, but I knew that while Stoops appeared to have Snyder's number, the games were always still close. The three losses has all been close. I didn't think they'd <i>win</i>, but I thought the media pretending that K-State was just a speed bump was ridiculous.</p>
<p><b>Derek</b>: I still had a really bad taste in my mouth from the 2000 season and I was getting really sick of hearing about just how great the Sooners were. I wanted to believe, but I didn't think the secondary could hold up. I was pretty doubtful.</p>
<p><b>TB:</b> I knew K-State was a lot better than most people thought, because over the last month of the season they played like they had been expected to before the year. But I didn't know if that was enough.</p>
<p><b>Kitchen</b>: Not really. I mean, I wanted to believe KSU was riding high and playing its best football at the right time, but when EVERYBODY says one team is going to win (*cough* Alabama now, *cough), you tend to believe it. Preseason expectations told us the Wildcats were talented, even if three losses in the middle of the year had separated potential from reality a bit like oil and water in my mind. I <i>knew</i> they were good. I didn't know if they were <i>that</i> good.</p>
<p><i>When the Wildcats fell behind immediately like they did, admit it: You thought it was going to play out just like Kirk Herbstreit predicted, didn't you?</i></p>
<p><b>Jon</b>: I honestly never get worried over the first touchdown. Teams score on the first drive all the time. It's why when some tool on Twitter starts laughing because Lower Pennsytucky State has a 7-0 lead on Alabama with 9:23 to go in the first quarter, I roll my eyes.</p>
<p><b>Derek</b>: I remember I was sitting in my parent's living room with a friend and everyone else was in the kitchen. When Jones broke the long run I remember my Dad yelling "Is it over?" (He's a big fan but has a tendency to be pessimistic.) I don't remember if I said anything back out loud but I remember thinking "Hell no, Sproles is gonna do that like four times."</p>
<p><b>TB:</b> I wasn't quite throwing in the towel, but it was a little less than encouraging.</p>
<p><b>Kitchen</b>: Remember that brother I mentioned earlier? Yeah, he's a gigantic Oklahoma fan (has been since pre-John Blake days, so he paid his dues). Little bro was a bit late getting to the game, so he comes swagger-sauntering in, decked out in OU gear, with the score 7-0. I was worried because K-State got gashed on that drive, and OU made it look easy. When you're the massive underdog in that spot, you can't feel good. But, little did we know — and we laugh about it now — that little brother would not get to watch his team score a single point with him in attendance. That warms my heart.</p>
<p><i>When it ended, where were you? At home? Down near the field where a lot of KSU fans stayed after to celebrate? In a bar (yes, Morse, we know you were certainly old enough ...)</i></p>
<p><b>Jon</b>: Har, har, har. I had watched the game in my living room on my ginormous 47" big-screen -- you know, those old-fashioned ones that literally weigh 1000 pounds -- with some buddies from work and a lot of alcohol. One of them was a Sooner fan. It was sweet.</p>
<p><b>Derek</b>: Like I said, I was at my parent's house. And I was 19, so no, I didn't drink. I remember my friend and I jumping up and down and screaming when Sims ran the interception back at the end. I was the sports editor of the Barton Community College newspaper at the time and I remember thinking, "Man, I wish I'd gone to K-State so I could write a story about this."</p>
<p>Things worked out.</p>
<p><b>TB:</b> I hope people aren't getting tired of my story. I drove to the game with my roommate, Dave. We were next to an old man who'd seen decades of putrid K-State football teams. After the game, we (metaphorically) licked the tears of sadness off Sooner fans in the Arrowhead parking lot, Scott-Tenorman-Must-Die Style. And then we drove back to Manhattan.</p>
<p><b>Kitchen</b>: We sat upperdeck in the corner, which gave me a perfect All-22 view of Sproles' screen pass TD as he ran to the other end of the stadium. When that play developed and the red waters split, my only words were "Oh, s***!" because you could see from line of scrimmage to end zone from my seat. That's how open it was in the middle.</p>
<p>There were a ton of KSU fans sitting around us, with some OU sprinkled in. As the game wore on, the red wore out, leaving my brother in the middle of a big purple group. With each score, we all "patted" him on the back, repeatedly, with tender care. To his credit, he stuck it out through the end ... even as the OU band was reduced to playing "Boomer Sooner" after positive plays instead of points.</p>
<p><i>We know that not everyone sees that win as the biggest in school history. Where does it rank for you?</i></p>
<p><b>Jon:</b> It really all depends on what one means by "biggest". I think in a lot of respects the Fiesta Bowl win over Syracuse is the "biggest" because it marks (so far) the apex of K-State's football achievement: a (not technically, but for all intents and purposes) BCS bowl win. That said, it is absolutely the best moment I've had at the end of a game as a fan of the program. Only spending a week seeing "(1) KSU" twice comes close.</p>
<p><b>Derek</b>: I was at the 1998 Nebraska game and that was pretty incredible, but I was really confident we'd win that game. I was also at the 2006 Texas game and that was also incredible considering I had the exact opposite attitude going in. But the 2003 Championship game is by far my favorite, and it's not even close. I'm really glad we're celebrating it.</p>
<p><b>TB:</b> Biggest single night, without a doubt. For me, only last year's game against Texas comes close.</p>
<p><b>Kitchen:</b> Personal me says yes, biggest game ever because I got to see it in person. Analytical me could point to several other games that might rank ahead: First bowl win, finally topping both Colorado and Nebraska, first major bowl win, etc. All of those are "biggest" but for different reasons, I think.</p>
https://www.bringonthecats.com/2013/11/21/5125930/round-table-the-2003-big-12-championshipCurtis Kitchen2013-11-21T08:00:11-06:002013-11-21T08:00:11-06:00Charting the Waters: K-State vs. Oklahoma (2003)
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<figcaption>Jamie Squire</figcaption>
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<p>After two unsuccessful visits to the Big 12 championship game, K-State got another shot against the Oklahoma Sooners. The Wildcats made the most of the opportunity.</p> <p>A few months ago, BOTC's Derek Smith emailed me about writing a post celebrating the 10th anniversary of K-State's 2003 Big 12 championship. He ran with it, and you'll see the outstanding result of that idea tomorrow.</p>
<p>Earlier this week, Derek suggested that I apply the Charting concept to the 2003 game. So I did. On Tuesday night, I sat down to watch and chart the first half of the game I had attended in person nearly 10 years ago. In doing so, a realization hit me.</p>
<p>I have never watched the replay of this game.</p>
<p>This game was the biggest sporting highlight of my four years at K-State. I stood between my roommate, Dave, and a 65-year-old school superintendent from a small town north of Manhattan and watched K-State destroy the undefeated <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/oklahoma-sooners" class="sbn-auto-link">Oklahoma Sooners</a>. At the time, I was a 20-year-old kid who understood the basics of football and little more. Now, I'm going to take what I've learned from reading and writing about football extensively over the last five years to see if there's anything interesting to learn about the 2003 game.</p>
<p><b>As you might have guessed, the game has changed.</b> Earlier this year, we argued at length over whether <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/202641/jake-waters" class="sbn-auto-link">Jake Waters</a> or <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/134219/daniel-sams" class="sbn-auto-link">Daniel Sams</a> should play quarterback. Those supporting Waters pointed to Chad May and Bill Snyder's prior success with a passing quarterback. The opponents pointed out that the game has changed too much since the early 1990s to make a valid comparison.</p>
<p>Oklahoma showed some flashes of the modern offense that is commonplace today. The Sooners lined up with five wide receivers eight times, and with four wide receivers another 28 times. Of course, a good part of that was because the Sooners trailed by at least two touchdowns for almost two-thirds of the game. And late in the game, when <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/116154/paul-thompson" class="sbn-auto-link">Paul Thompson</a> replaced <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/76586/jason-white" class="sbn-auto-link">Jason White</a>, Oklahoma ran a couple zone reads.</p>
<p>For its part, K-State lined up with Ell Roberson under center three-fourths of the time. The Wildcats also ran a play I'd almost forgotten about, which was basically a quarterback trap with Roberson taking the snap under center and then running a sweep around end.</p>
<p>Imagine a zone read play with Roberson and Darren Sproles, running behind that K-State offensive line. That would be just about unstoppable</p>
<p><b>The pace was surprisingly similar to what we see today.</b> K-State ran 61 plays in the game. Oklahoma ran 83. But both teams huddled before every snap.</p>
<p><b>Speaking of similarities...</b>K-State's 2003 defense has a lot more in common with the 2011-13 K-State defenses, at least philosophically, than it does with the late-1990s K-State defenses. In 2003, K-State had a lot of solid athletes that fit perfectly well into its defensive system, but were not future NFL stars like Mark Simoneau or Terence Newman or Darren Howard.</p>
<p>Consequently, K-State ran probably the most aggressive bend-but-don't-break defense ever seen. Linebackers like Ted Sims and Bryan Hickman could take the beating dealt out by teams like Nebraska and Colorado and their punishing rushing attacks, while Josh Buhl had the speed to cover the field against spread teams like Texas Tech. That's not to say that Buhl wasn't one tough hombre. He could play the run, too.</p>
<p>But more on point. Re-watch the game sometime (it's available on YouTube if you don't have a DVD). There are plenty of examples, but we'll just stick with one. In the second quarter, Oklahoma drives to K-State's five-yard line. Jason White has Will Peoples open in the back of the end zone and floats a pass toward him. But K-State linebacker Ted Sims gets a hand on it, deflecting it incomplete. That was huge, because on the next play, James McGill intercepted White in the end zone.</p>
<p>This is what we mean when we talk about windows. It's not just whether there's a defender running stride-for-stride with the receiver. It's about the defenders between the quarterback and the receiver, over whom the quarterback has to throw. It's about the defenders behind the receiver, in front of whom the quarterback must place the throw. And it's about the defenders to the receiver's sides, who can slide in and defend the pass.</p>
<p>By making those windows as small as possible with seven defenders, you force a quarterback to throw very accurate passes repeatedly. Most quarterbacks can't do it, and it leads to drive-killing incompletions and the occasional interception. K-State defensed 11 passes against Oklahoma, and intercepted White twice.</p>
<p><b>To quantify the bend-but-don't-break principle </b>... Oklahoma had two sustained drives in the game. In the second quarter, an 11-play drive covered 85 yards and almost four minutes on the clock. And 21 of those yards were on K-State penalties. That drive ended with McGill's interception.</p>
<p>In the third quarter, it got even worse for Oklahoma. The Sooners started with the ball on their own 10-yard line. The drive covered 14 plays. So it ended in a touchdown, right? Wrong. Those 14 plays covered only 79 yards, and Trey DiCarlo missed a 28-yard field goal attempt. Even worse, with the Sooners already trailing, 21-7, the drive ate up almost exactly seven minutes. While Sims' interception was the metaphorical dagger, this drive and K-State ensuing touchdown drive -- nine plays, 80 yards, almost five minutes, and a touchdown -- sealed the Sooners' fate.</p>
<p>By not giving up big plays and forcing Oklahoma to patiently drive the length of the field, K-State maximized its chance of beating the Sooners.</p>
<p><b>Of course, that defense was flat-out stout against the run.</b> Excluding sack yardage, K-State held Oklahoma to 64 yards on 20 carries. Take out Kejuan Jones' 42-yard touchdown run on the first drive of the game, and that's 22 yards on 19 carries.</p>
<p><b>K-State was almost shockingly inefficient on the night.</b> The Wildcats' Success Rate against Oklahoma was only 27.9 percent. To put it mildly, that's not very good. And yet, K-State won by four touchdowns. How? Big plays and a defensive score. Sproles had four plays go for 55 or more yards, Roberson threw a 63-yard touchdown pass to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/51502/james-terry" class="sbn-auto-link">James Terry</a>, and Ted Sims intercepted a pass and took it to the house. That will make up for a lot of inefficiency.</p>
<p>The Wildcats were also very conservative. Gary Danielson mentioned on the broadcast how Snyder was not going to take chances on Roberson making a mistake deep in K-State territory. It showed. K-State attempted only 17 passes in the game, with only five thrown when the Wildcats were inside their own 30-yard line. Four of those five passes were thrown within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. The only exception was Roberson's 33-yard strike to Antoine Polite, and that was in the fourth quarter with K-State already ahead 28-7.</p>
<p><b>A stat I had completely forgotten about.</b> Ell Roberson's passing line on the night: 10-17-0, 239 yards, four touchdowns. That's 14.1 yards per attempt. And four of those completions were for less than 10 yards.</p>
<p><b>This isn't (necessarily) statistically based, but</b> ... the next person who compares any incoming K-State recruit to Darren Sproles, even with the "poor-man's" modifier, will be banned immediately. There is nothing like Darren Sproles on this earth. His feet, vision, balance, and burst are not traits you'll find in anyone else. Even if you're a poor-man's version of that, you're not <i>that.</i></p>
<p><b>Take some time in the next few weeks to enjoy that cold December night.</b> Maybe you were lucky enough to be there, like I was. Maybe you were in Aggieville, or at someone's house in Manhattan. Maybe you were with friends in Kansas City, or Wichita, or Smith Center. Or Texas or Florida or California. Whatever the moment was to you, it was the greatest single night in K-State sports history. Watch the game replay. Watch the highlights. Watch any one of the great video tributes to Bill Snyder and K-State's football renaissance under his guidance.</p>
<p>This is one of those moments that will always be special to K-State fans. I got to experience it that night with one of my best friends and an old man who had watched countless K-State losses, and who, for decades, couldn't have dreamed of K-State even playing for a Big 12 championship at Arrowhead Stadium, much less destroying a team like Oklahoma.</p>
<p>For whatever reason, I have never gone back and relived that moment. This being before cell phone cameras and widespread digital cameras, I don't even have a picture from the stadium that night. Yet it's one of the few things in my life that I will always remember with the clarity of something that just happened yesterday. Maybe I just didn't feel the need to relive something like that.</p>
<p>But I can tell you that when I did relive it, I loved it. I got chills all over again. I laughed at what Bill Snyder said in his postgame interview. So whether you've seen it one time or more than 100, go see it again.</p>
https://www.bringonthecats.com/2013/11/21/5128612/charting-the-waters-k-state-vs-oklahoma-2003TB