• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Klein leads Kansas State to win over North Texas

Sep 16, 2012 - 6:52 AM Manhattan, KS (Sports Network) - Collin Klein threw for 230 yards with two touchdowns and an interception and added 85 yards and a score on the ground as No. 15 Kansas State downed North Texas, 35-21, on Saturday.

Klein completed 15-of-20 passes, five of which went to Tramaine Thompson for 102 yards and two scores, for the Wildcats (3-0), who were coming off a 52-13 drubbing of Miami-Florida last Saturday.

"We just did not come out and execute and maybe we were not as sharp as we needed to be," said Klein. "It is just another step and we just have to get it corrected. We had four practices before. We have got to strap it up again. We will get it."

Chris Harper added five receptions for 78 yards in the win.

Derek Thompson was an efficient 25-of-28 for 208 yards and a score for North Texas (1-2), which defeated Texas Southern last Saturday.

"A lot of good effort by the players on our football team, but it was not enough to win the game," said North Texas head coach Dan McCarney. "Our football team came in believing they could win, not hoping they could win. I did not sense any hope that we could win a game, but instead more sense in belief. We were not good enough to do it tonight."

Antoinne Jimmerson carried the ball eight times for 68 yards and a touchdown, while Brandin Byrd tallied 61 yards on 19 rushes in the loss.

Trailing 14-7, North Texas took its opening drive of the second half 88 yards in 14 plays. Jimmerson concluded the march with a 1-yard TD plunge, but Zach Olen missed the extra point, which kept the Wildcats in front, 14-13.

K-State, though, began to pull away shortly thereafter as it scored touchdowns on each of its next three touches.

Klein found Harper for gains of 11 and 13 yards, and hit Braden Wilson for a 23-yard gain before tossing a 21-yard score to Thompson for a 21-13 Wildcats lead late in the third quarter.

John Hubert capped a 6-play, 75-yard trek with a 6-yard score and Klein punched it in from the 1-yard line on K-State's ensuing possession, which made it 35-13 midway through the fourth.

Thompson flipped a 19-yard TD pass to Brelan Chancellor with 2:31 left and then hit Byrd for the two-point conversion to cap the scoring.

The Mean Green struck first on their second possession of the game with an 11- play, 55-yard touchdown drive. Byrd rushed for five yards to move the chains on a 4th-and-1 from the Kansas State 32-yard line before Chancellor capped the trek when he ran it in from six yards out.

The Wildcats, though, got the score right back when Tyler Lockett took the ensuing kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown.

Marcus Trice recovered a Hubert fumble for the Mean Green early in the second quarter at their own 6-yard line and Jimmerson broke off a 45-yard run on the first play after the miscue. But Olen had a 45-yard field goal blocked to give the ball back to the Wildcats.

Klein then capped a 6-play, 72-yard drive with a 38-yard TD pass to Thompson, which gave K-State a 14-7 edge late in the second.

Game Notes

Ivan Delgado had nine receptions for 86 yards for North Texas ... K-State outgained North Texas, 373-353 ... North Texas committed three penalties for 35 yards.