Sunday, December 3
K-State again fails to win Big 12, Sooners



KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas State cornerback Dyshod Carter didn't want to think about it. Jarrod Cooper didn't want to talk about it. They were not the only Wildcats avoiding the uncomfortable moments.

For a team that has been close to a Bowl Championship series bid three years in a row, Kansas State's 27-24 loss to Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship game Saturday night couldn't have come at a worse time.

"It's going to be very tough," Carter said. "I don't won't to dwell on it. I just want to sleep on it. It was just too close."

Kansas State failed in its second chance to win a conference championship and its second chance to beat Oklahoma.

The Wildcats' defense did everything possible to stop Heisman Trophy favorite Josh Heupel, but the offense couldn't capitalize and special teams play put the game and Kansas State's hopes for revenge out of reach.

"It's disappointing," Chris Johnson said. "Very disappointing. We came to play on defense and we played a great game. But we didn't have it working on all cylinders.

"It seems like the only thing that kept us in was the defense. But that's just the way the cookie crumbles."

The Wildcats intercepted Heupel three times and held him to 220 yards. With the Sooners up by 3 points in the first quarter, Dyshod Carter stole a Heupel pass from Woolfork.

Kansas State's offense couldn't execute, but Devane Robinson intercepted Heupel's pass on Oklahoma's next touchdown to set up Kansas State's first score.

"Josh is a good player obviously," defensive coordinator Phil Bennett said. "If you hold them to around 300 yards, you should have a chance to win. But there our other variables. I thought our kids played good enough to beat any team in the country. And we can."

Twice more the defense stopped the Sooners, giving the Kansas State offense a chance to capitalize. Heupel was intercepted by Jerametrius Butler deep in Kansas State territory with 12:25 to go.

Each time, quarterback Jonathan Beasley and Kansas State's offense couldn't prevail. After Tim Duncan kicked a 48-yard field goal to put Oklahoma up by 10, Beasley connected with Quincy Morgan on a 16-yard touchdown pass with 6 seconds to go. But, it was too late.

"I thought we played very well on defense," head coach Bill Snyder said. "The offense had far too many opportunities. And those 3-and-outs kept the defense off the field."

With a victory, Kansas State would have secured a bid to the Fiesta Bowl. But for the third straight year, the Wildcats will be going to a bowl they didn't expect.

In 1998, they were one game away from the national title game, but were upset by Texas A&M 36-33 in St. Louis and ended up with a less flattering Alamo Bowl bid.

"We didn't take care of our opportunities," Johnson said. "We have no excuses. Our destiny was in our hands."

Now the Wildcats could snag a Jan. 1 appearance in the Cotton Bowl. But Cooper wasn't warming up to the chance of playing in Dallas.

"I'm not sure how the bowl thing is going to go," he said. "I guess that we'll be OK. Whatever."




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Sooners win Big 12 title, will play for national championship

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