NFL News NFL News, Reports and Updates
As much as the game has changed since Chris Klieman took over as Kansas State’s football coach six years ago, his main objectives come bowl season never have and likely never will.
The fact that both of them — sending the seniors out on a high note and launching the rest of the team into next season — required that the Wildcats come out on top was what made their historic 44-41 comeback victory over Rutgers in Thursday’s Rate Bowl at Chase Field in Phoenix all the more special.
“We needed to send this group out with a win and needed to catapult the 2025 team,” Klieman said in a postgame radio interview after the Wildcats rallied from a 34-17 third-quarter deficit for K-State’s biggest comeback victory in its 26-game bowl history. “We’ve got a lot of really good players coming back, and it was really important to have momentum.”
The Wildcats certainly built momentum in the second behind a blitzing defense and a breakout performance by sophomore running back Dylan Edwards. After Rutgers put together a 64-yard scoring drive on its first possession of the third quarter to build on a 27-17 halftime advantage, the Wildcats allowed just 18 total yards the rest of the way.
Related: Future looks bright for Kansas State football after Edwards’ breakout game in Rate Bowl comeback
Related: Kansas State football coaches and players fully invested in Rate Bowl matchup with Rutgers
Kansas State linebacker Austin Moore, left, and running back Dylan Edwards celebrate with the Rate Bowl trophy after the Wildcats’ 44-41 come-from-behind victory over Rutgers on Thursday night at Chase Field in Phoenix.
Edwards, who took on an added role when rushing leader DJ Giddens opted out to enter the NFL Draft, started the comeback with a 65-yard touchdown run at the 5:45 mark of the third quarter. He then capped it off with 4:15 left on a…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/mission-accomplished-kansas-state-football-090206369.html
Author : The Topeka Capital-Journal
Publish date : 2024-12-28 09:02:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
