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Kansas State runs over Texas Tech

Nov 10, 2013 - 12:45 AM Lubbock, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Kansas State used its potent rushing attack to get the better of Texas Tech in a meeting between two teams trending in opposite directions.

The Wildcats ran for 291 yards as they beat the 25th-ranked Red Raiders, 49-26, to win their third straight game and hand Texas Tech its third straight loss on the heels of the fourth 7-0 start in program history.

John Hubert carried 23 times for 157 yards and a touchdown for Kansas State (5-4, 3-3 Big 12), while quarterbacks Jake Waters and Daniel Sams picked up two rushing scores apiece. Waters also passed for 65 yards with a touchdown on 6-of-9 efficiency.

"I think offensive line, blocking, that's what does it all the time," said Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder. "I think they did a nice job staying on blocks, finishing blocks. Our backs, our quarterbacks ran the ball fine."

With the victory, Snyder became the 11th coach in FBS history to reach 175 wins with the same program.

"I haven't been very good," joked Snyder. "It's been 25 years to do it. I haven't been very good at it."

Davis Webb, who became the first freshman in Texas Tech (7-3, 4-3) history to record multiple 400-yard passing games in a season, went 13-for-20 for 78 yards and a touchdown before giving way to fellow freshman Baker Mayfield in the second quarter. Mayfield threw for 276 yards and ran for a touchdown, but was picked off twice and lost a fumble.

"We got outcoached. We got outplayed. It's up to us what we're going to do for the last two weeks," said Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury. "I was disappointed for the seniors. I let them know I appreciate what they've done, and it's not the way we wanted to send them out in their last game, but there's a lot of football still left to play."

After Texas Tech's opening drive stalled at the Kansas State six and Ryan Bustin kicked a short field goal, KSU responded with a touchdown on its second play from scrimmage. Hubert busted through a hole on the left side and sprinted down the sideline for a 63-yard score.

Tech responded with a 15-play, 75-yard march that culminated with Webb tossing a 2-yard fade to Eric Ward in the back of the end zone. The key play on the drive came on 4th-and-1 from the KSU 36, when Kenny Williams took a handoff and absorbed contact before his second effort pushed him past the first down marker.

The Wildcats regained the lead late in the period after running nine times with no passes on the ensuing drive. Three KSU rushers combined for 65 yards, and Waters punched it in from a yard out after Hubert did most of the heavy lifting.

Waters threw his first pass on KSU's next series -- a 13-yard completion to Tyler Lockett on a sequence which ended with a 5-yard Daniel Sams touchdown run with 10:22 left in the second quarter.

A Red Raiders' three-and-out led to another touchdown run for Waters. Sams started the drive with a pass to Curry Sexton over the middle for 11 yards, then ran for 19 more down the right sideline into TTU territory. Waters later found Lockett for a 10-yard pickup on second down and after Hubert's 7-yard scurry, Waters faked a handoff and ran up the middle for a 13-yard score and a 28-10 lead.

Mayfield then came in under center for Texas Tech to try and jump-start the offense. Two quick completions to Ward had a first down, but Mayfield got sacked by Travis Britz on the next play and fumbled at the end of a 13-yard keeper on 2nd-and-18. DeAndre Roberts recovered the loose ball for the Wildcats.

Waters threw a 20-yard touchdown pass on the fifth play of the series to Tremaine Thompson, who corralled the pass in traffic with 1:10 left in the half.

After Texas Tech's defense forced a three-and-out on the opening series of the second half, Mayfield manipulated his best drive of the game. The young signal-caller converted three third downs to three different receivers before scoring on 2nd-and-goal from the four on a quarterback keeper to cut the Wildcats' lead to 35-16 after the extra-point try was blocked.

Bustin's 31-yard field goal was pure with 3:01 to go in the third to make it a 35-19 contest. Texas Tech then tried to surprise KSU with an onsides kick, but Weston Hiebert dove on the loose ball to set the Wildcats up at the Texas Tech 46.

Sams carried four straight times on the series, including a 27-yard burst down to the Texas Tech three on 3rd-and-5. He scored from a yard out on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Kansas State's Ty Zimmerman, playing through various injuries, put the game out of reach when he intercepted Mayfield and ran 43 yards untouched to the end zone for a 49-19 margin less than a minute into the fourth quarter.

The Red Raiders' SaDale Foster's 5-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth rounded out the scoring.

Game Notes

Texas Tech tight end Jace Amaro failed to go over 100 yards for the first time in five games. He finished with nine catches for 67 yards ... The Red Raiders still lead the all-time series, 8-6, though KSU has won three in a row over Texas Tech ... Ward had 11 catches for 107 yards.