For the second time in three years Saturday, Kansas State coach Bill Snyder left Norman with a win over his former pupil, Oklahoma's Bob Stoops.
Kansas State took advantage of a number of miscues by Oklahoma and pulled off a 31-30 upset against the Sooners to shake up the Big 12 title race even more. The Wildcats might have even inserted themselves into the fringe of College Football Playoff contention with the win.
Quarterback Jake Waters was a calm presence in the pocket for Snyder's squad and bounced back quite nicely after going to the locker room in the second half with a shoulder injury. He didn't miss much time on the field and finished 15-of-23 with 225 yards passing and two touchdowns. He also rushed for a score and averaged 5.1 yards per carry against a normally tough Oklahoma defense.
Water's favorite target was, not surprisingly, Tyler Lockett, a potential early round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. He caught six balls for 86 yards and had one nifty touchdown in the second quarter in the back of the end zone. Considering he was going against one of the Big 12's best cornerbacks, Zack Sanchez, and frequently was double-covered, it was an impressive outing for Lockett.
It might not have been as impressive as Wildcats fullback Glenn Gronkowski's touchdown catch and run, but it was nevertheless a game that will draw the attention of NFL scouts.
The story of the day, though, were the mistakes made by the Sooners in a game where they outgained their opponent by 148 yards.
Kicker Michael Hunnicutt came into the game as one of the best in the country but missed two of his three field goal attempts, including one from point-blank range (19 yards) that would have given Oklahoma the lead late in the fourth quarter. Add in a missed extra point that ultimately proved to be the difference, and it was a rough outing for the man nicknamed "Moneycut."
Sooners quarterback Trevor Knight had a productive day (three touchdowns, 318 yards) but threw an interception and was severely limited in the running game after suffering an arm injury early in the game. Running back Samaje Perine was limited to just 3.7 yards a carry against a defense that clearly had a good plan to slow him down.
One bright spot for Stoops -- who served as an assistant for Snyder at Kansas State from 1989-95 -- and the Sooners was the play of receiver Sterling Shepard. He tied a school record with 15 catches, including a touchdown grab. He racked up 197 yards in the game.
It was all for not, though, as the playoff hopes for the Sooners appear to have all but come to an end after suffering a second loss to a conference opponent. At the same time, the Wildcats, despite a narrow home loss to Auburn, might just be starting to take off.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
