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Klein, K-State steamroll Texas Tech

Oct 28, 2012 - 4:39 AM Manhattan, KS (Sports Network) - Collin Klein has been the band-aid that's held everything together for No. 4 Kansas State.

The dual-threat quarterback ran for a pair of touchdowns and threw two more in the Wildcats' 55-24 blowout victory over 15th-ranked Texas Tech.

Klein tallied 83 rushing yards on 12 carries and threw for 233 yards on 19- of-26 efficiency for Kansas State (8-0, 5-0 Big 12), which improved to 8-0 for the first time since 1999.

The much-improved Texas Tech defense hadn't allowed more than 72 yards rushing to any individual player this season.

Kansas State outscored the Red Raiders 42-14 in the second half to turn the game into a rout.

"We were playing well defensively. Offensively we hadn't figured it out yet," Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder said of the first half. "Sometimes you have to spar a little bit to get going."

Earlier in the week, Kansas State sent out a web mailer that promoted Klein as being "College Football's Most Valuable Player."

The cover of the endorsement has a closeup of the 6-foot-5, 225-pounder's upper body with bloodied, scarred and bruised arms with bandages on them. The entire foldout is held together with an oversized band-aid.

After becoming one of four quarterbacks from a BCS conference that has ever rushed for 20 touchdowns and thrown for 10 in a season in 2011 -- Cam Newton, Eric Crouch and Tim Tebow --, Klein has improved his passing dramatically in 2012.

The blue-collared signal-caller, who completed just 57.3 percent of his passes in 2011, is hitting on 71.3 percent of his throws this season.

Coming into the contest, Klein has accounted for 77 percent of his team's touchdowns since 2011.

"It was just a great team effort, hanging in there when things weren't going well early in the game," Klein said.

John Hubert ran for 64 yards and two scores, Chris Harper caught five balls for 99 yards and Tyler Lockett added 62 yards on seven receptions in the win.

Seth Doege came into the game with 13 touchdown passes over his last two games, was 35-of-50 for 331 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for the Red Raiders (6-2, 3-2), who had their brief two-game winning streak snapped.

"We moved the ball, made a lot of yardage, but you can't turn it over," Texas Tech head coach Tommy Tuberville said. "I think we gave up 17, 20 points on offense and our kicking game today."

Eric Ward hauled in 11 passes for 161 yards and two scores in the setback.

Kansas State held a 13-10 halftime advantage, but tallied two quick scores within the first five minutes of the third.

Klein found Tramaine Thompson for a 21-yard touchdown to conclude the Wildcats' opening 7-play, 75-yard drive of the half.

Randall Evans recovered a Ward fumble on the first snap of Texas Tech's ensuing possession and Klein scampered in untouched up the middle from 16 yards out two plays later for a 27-10 Wildcats lead.

SaDale Foster had the answer for the Red Raiders as he ran in from eight yards out on the Red Raiders' next trek, but once again, Klein waltzed in for a 22- yard score and a 34-17 advantage late in the third.

Following a Texas Tech punt, Hubert concluded an 11-play, 70-yard march with a 15-yard score and Arthur Brown intercepted Doege on the third play of Texas Tech's ensuing series and ran it back for the touchdown and a 48-17 edge.

Klein flipped a 7-yard TD pass to Angelo Pease and Ward hauled in a 4-yard score to cap the scoring.

Earlier, Doege connected with Ward for a 32-yard score on the Red Raiders' opening possession of the game.

Texas Tech matriculated to the Kansas State 23-yard line two possessions later, but Meshak Williams sacked Seth Doege, who fumbled the ball. Jarell Childs picked up the ball and returned it 41 yards.

The turnover set up a 34-yard Anthony Cantele field goal.

Texas Tech countered with a Ryan Bustin 37-yard field goal before Hubert plunged in from four yards out to knot the game at 10-10 midway through the second quarter.

Cantele added a 19-yard field goal with 1:35 to go until the half to give Kansas State its three-point bulge.

Game Notes

Texas Tech outgained Kansas State 442-426 ... The Red Raiders still lead the all-time series between the teams, 8-5 ... The 1999 Wildcats opened up 9-0 before finishing at 11-1.