MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Oklahoma State was missing so many offensive players to inju- ries this week that coach Mike Gundy joked he took most of the reps at running back, even though he’s a 53-year-old ex-quarterback who was hardly known for his wheels.
Good thing the Cow- boys’ defense showed up against Kansas State.
Jason Taylor II returned a fumble 85 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, and Okla- homa State stopped the Wildcats’ 2-point try that would have tied the game with 2:08 to go, allowing the No. 14 Cowboys to escape with a 20-18 victory Saturday night that kept their Big 12 title hopes alive.
Spencer Sanders was held to just 108 yards pass- ing without dynamic wide receiver Tylan Wallace and with running back Chuba Hubbard slowed by an injury. LD Brown helped to pick up the load, running for 110 yards, as Oklahoma State (5-1, 4-1) leaned on a defense that was trampled by Texas a week ago.
The Wildcats (4-3, 4-2) were forced to try for the tying 2-point conversion after Will Howard’s short TD run because of their odd decision to attempt a 2-point try to stretch a 12-0 lead in the first half. How- ard was incomplete on that one, and he never got a pass off on the second — he fumbled the ball as the pocket collapsed around him.
Oklahoma State guided the ensuing onside kick out of bounds and ran some time off the clock before punting back to the Wildcats, but Howard immediately threw an interception with 1:47 to go to seal their fate.
The Wildcats dominated the line of scrimmage in the first half, forcing Sand- ers to continually throw away the ball when they weren’t putting him on his back, and the hobbled Hubbard had a mere three carries for 11 yards at the break.
Kansas State wasn’t ex- actly lighting it up, either. Blake Lynch kicked a pair of field goals, and it took Howard’s 69-yard run late in the first half to set up a touchdown with 37 seconds left — the score followed by their ill-fated 2-point conversion.
That wound up being a big point.
After six first-half punts, Oklahoma State finally got on the board with a field goal. Then the Cowboys forced a three-and-out, and Brown ripped off a 50-yard run to set up Brennan Pres- ley’s easy touchdown jaunt on a jet sweep. And when Alex Hale added another field goal, the Cowboys had a 13-12 lead, their first of the game.
Kansas State was march- ing for the go-ahead score when Howard had the ball punched out by Israel Antwine and right into Taylor’s waiting hands. The safety, who entered the game because of yet anoth- er injury injury to safety Tre Sterling, took off up the Kansas State sideline and was never touched on his decisive TD return.