No. 20 Oklahoma State heads to No. 23 K-State with Big 12 title game hopes already on the line

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Oklahoma State and Kansas State have long considered themselves similar Big 12 programs. They are both land-grant schools, and their football teams have been built upon well-earned reputations for blue-collar toughness and physical play.

Turns out their teams this season are strikingly similar, too.

The No. 20 Cowboys and No. 23 Wildcats each ran off three straight wins to start the season, including tough nailbiters along the way. But both head into Saturday's matchup off disappointing losses in which their quarterbacks played poorly, leaving them in what amounts to a must-win situation if they want the opportunity to play for a Big 12 championship.

“We practice and prepare the same way,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said. “The worst thing you can do in most anything you do in life is getting ... into a time of desperation and not function and think and try to react and do things the right way. I'm sure they feel the same way.”

The Cowboys (3-1, 0-1 Big 12) had a chance to beat No. 12 Utah, the preseason pick to win the Big 12. They scored the touchdown and two-point conversion they needed to get within a field goal in the closing minutes, but were unable to force a quick punt and get the ball back in the eventual 22-19 loss in Stillwater.

Alan Bowman struggled mightily in the game, throwing for 206 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

“The one plus of playing seven years is that I’ve been through a lot,” Bowman said. “So to say with the situation that we were in (last week), I’ve been there before? I really have multiple times. It’s nothing that’s going to change my perspective.”

Kansas State (3-1, 0-1) led BYU late in the first half before turnovers led to two touchdowns for the Cougars, sending them on a scoring rampage in an eventual 38-9 rout. Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson, whom some pegged as a darkhorse Heisman Trophy candidate, was 15 of 28 for 130 yards with no TD passes and two interceptions.

“I though he responded really well from Week 1 to Week 2, Week 2 to Week 3,” Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said. “I'm confident he will respond this week, but it can't just be Avery. We've got to be better around him collectively.”

Indeed, the loss wasn't entirely on Johnson's shoulders. The Wildcats gave up a quick touchdown to start the second half, then a 90-yard punt return for a touchdown a few minutes later, and they were suddenly in a hole too deep to escape.

“We talked before we even went on the trip, the margin of error was very small,” Klieman said. “Now it’s our job as coaches, we got to get them to respond. I’m confident in the leadership of the football team that they will respond.”

Run to win

Cowboys running back Ollie Gordon II, who finished seventh in Heisman voting last season, managed just 42 yards on 11 carries against the Utes. He's been held to 50 yards or less rushing each of the past three games.

Run to win, part II

Kansas State running back D.J. Giddens ran for 93 yards against BYU, but he also had a fumble returned for a score. And while the Wildcats have promised to get electrifying Colorado transfer Dylan Edwards more involved in the offense, he still only got six carries against the Cougars, though he turned them into 41 yards.

Throw to win, too

While the Cowboys have been good on the ground the past couple of year, Brennan Presley has still managed to etch his name in the record books. He has 252 catches, and two more will move him past Justin Blackmon for second in school history.

Red zone woes

The Wildcats might have fared better against BYU had they turned their opening two drives into touchdowns. Instead, after they got to the BYU 12 on the first and the 8-yard line on the second, they had to kick chip-shot field goals. And what could have been a 14-0 lead that took the home crowd out of the game was merely a 6-0 advantage.

Turnover troubles

Along with red-zone woes, Kansas State committed three turnovers without forcing one against BYU. The Cougars turned those into 21 points. To put that into perspective, the Wildcats allowed 27 points off 12 turnovers all of last season.