K-Stated

Kansas State entered its road game against Oklahoma as a heavy favorite. Even though both teams were ranked, most expected the Sooners to make short work of the Wildcats. Oklahoma hadn’t lost to a ranked team at home since the Renaissance (not really, but it had quite a streak going) and it humiliated K-State a year earlier in Manhattan.

But all that went out the window when Justin Tuggle hit OU quarterback Landry Jones from behind, causing a fumble that resulted in a K-State touchdown.

As soon as Jarell Childs scooped up the loose ball and fell into the end zone to give the Wildcats a 7-3 lead in the second quarter, it was obvious they had a chance. They went on to win the game, the Big 12 and the conference’s automatic berth in the Fiesta Bowl.

How important was that play? Well, you could say it sparked K-State’s run up the national polls. The Wildcats weren’t in many close games this year, but that was one of them. It was also the most important, because it gave them a tie-breaker over the Sooners in the conference championship hunt. In my mind, that made it an obvious choice for K-State’s Play of the Year.

I asked Tuggle about that play for a story that ran in today’s paper, and though he didn’t think it alone sparked K-State’s winning streak he was glad he was able to make it.

“There are a lot of things that ignited this run. I’m glad people can look back and see that as maybe one of the reasons,” Tuggle said. “But there was a lot that went on this year. We had a lot of guys step up and make big plays. It’s big to be on a defense like that. We all swarm to the ball and go out there to make big plays. It’s really fun.”
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