Oklahoma State’s Big 12 championship hopes were put on life support with No. 12 TCU’s 27-3 win at Texas Tech earlier today. But the No. 13 Cowboys are on the verge of eliminating themselves, trailing Kansas State 28-13 at the half in Stillwater.
Kansas State opened the game by moving 71 yards in 10 plays -- every one of them runs, most of them by second-time starting quarterback Skylar Thompson, who traversed the final 40 yards himself, including a 5-yard score.
After a pair of punts, Oklahoma State tied the game on a 2-play, 70-yard drive: a 32-yard run by Justice Hill and a 38-yard strike from Mason Rudolph to James Washington.
Matt Ammendola gave Oklahoma State the lead with a 32-yard field goal, but Thompson shoved Kansas State right back in front with a 47-yard play-action bomb to Byron Pringle, putting Kansas State up 14-10 with 13:32 left in the first half. Oklahoma State threatened to re-claim the lead, but the Cowboys could not convert a 1st-and-goal at the K-State 7-yard line, forcing a 27-yard Ammendola field goal.
Kansas State immediately capitalized on the opportunity to seize control of the game when Pringle struck again, this time taking the ensuing kickoff 89 yards back for a touchdown.
A bad sequence for Oklahoma State became even worse when Rudolph’s deep pass to Washington was overthrown and intercepted by Duke Shelley at the K-State 18. The Cowboys defense forced a three-and-out, but the next Oklahoma State drive ended in another Rudolph overthrow and another interception, which Kendall Adams grabbed at the K-State 19 and returned 19 yards to the 38.
Kansas State capitalized on the mistake, moving 62 yards in five plays, the last 39 on an Alex Barnes run down the right sideline to put the Wildcats up 15 with 1:30 left in the first half.
Thompson finished the half hitting 5-of-7 passes for 75 yards and a touchdown while also leading all runners with 12 carries for 88 yards and a touchdown. Barnes added 42 yards on eight carries, and as a team the Wildcats rushed for 127 yards on 22 carries.
Rudolph hit 10-of-19 passes for 138 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, and was sacked three times. Hill rushed 15 times for 76 yards.
Oklahoma State will receive to open the second half.