There's one fewer playoff contender in the Big 12, as the Oklahoma Sooners dropped a close game at home to the Kansas State Wildcats. Kicking woes and strange play calls ultimately led to a 31-30 final score in favor of the visitors.
Kansas State vs. Oklahoma final score: 3 things we learned from the Wildcats’ 31-30 win
The Sooners’ playoff hopes have been all but put to rest.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
The game began ominously for the Sooners. On their first drive, quarterback Trevor Knight was sidelined with an injury to his left arm. He eventually returned a drive later, sporting a brace over the affected shoulder. Whether because of the injury or not, Knight played hot and cold throughout the game. With Oklahoma backed up against its own goal line, he badly underthrew an out route resulting in a pick six.
Still, Oklahoma kept it close in the first half. For every explosive play by Wildcats wideouts Tyler Lockett or Glenn Gronkowski, the Sooners produced several of their own. Sterling Shepard's 47-yard touchdown snag tied the game at 14. After another Kansas State score, Shepard again set up Oklahoma for a score, catching three balls on the following drive leading to a field goal.
The game remained close in the second half. Converted Sooners quarterback Blake Bell hauled in his first touchdown pass in over a month to tie it up at 24. The Wildcats responded with a five-play drive ending with quarterback Jake Waters walking into the end zone. If not for an ill-advised pass by wide receiver Durron Neal that was intercepted at the goal line, Oklahoma would have tied it up again before the close of the third quarter.
Instead, the Wildcats slowly chewed away at the clock and escaped with a one-point victory. The win marks Kansas State’s second consecutive win in Norman, while the loss for the Sooners marks the end of their playoff hopes.
Three things we learned
1. Tyler Lockett is one of the nation’s most dangerous receivers when healthy
The hamstring injury that hindered Tyler Lockett earlier in the year no longer appears to be an issue. The Kansas State receiver exploded against Oklahoma for six catches, 86 yards, and a touchdown, including a ladder-climbing 38-yard catch in traffic that set up Kansas State’s third score. Lockett regularly blew past Oklahoma defenders, who seemed bewildered by the wideout’s speed.
With his quick-twitch athleticism returned, Lockett makes a compelling argument to be placed among the best receivers in the country. He may not have the size of Kevin White, the downfield-playmaking ability of Amari Cooper, or the strength of Vince Mayle, but Lockett is near uncoverable when healthy.
2. Kicking sinks Oklahoma
While multiple things went wrong for the Sooners on Saturday, the loss will be remembered for the poor kicking of Michael Hunnicutt. One of the best place kickers in the country, Hunnicutt entered the week having converted eight of his nine field goal attempts. For his four-year Oklahoma career, he made 86.5 percent of his kicks.
Hunnicutt wasn’t himself against Kansas State, however. Near the end of the first half, Trevor Knight and the offense marched down the field to set up a 32-yard field goal. Hunnicutt shanked it wide left. In a very similar drive late in fourth quarter, he missed even worse, again wide left.
With a loss already on their record, Oklahoma’s playoff hopes are effectively dashed. That’s painful for any program, but it’s made even worse by the unlikely choking of one of the nation’s most reliable kickers.
3. Wildcats boost Big 12 title hopes, Sooners sink further
In terms of the Big 12 title race, this game could have far-reaching implications. As viewed through the lens of our own Bill Connelly’s projections, Oklahoma and Kansas State entered the week in very different places. The Sooners came in with an 83.6 percent chance of going 7-2 or better. Meanwhile, the Wildcats’ odds of doing the same sat at a mere 13 percent.
With the win, Kansas State trims that gap significantly. The Wildcats now possess 36.7 percent odds of getting to seven or more wins, while the Sooners drop to 49.8 percent. Though that still favors Oklahoma, Saturday’s game reduces the difference from 70.6 to 13.1, marking a seismic shift in the conference’s balance of power.
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