MANHATTAN — As Kansas State’s mismatch with Massachusetts materialized on Saturday night, Jake Waters’ moments were few and far between during his sub-par performance against the Minutemen.
Daniel Sams, the Wildcats’ backup striving to be the starter, had some moments during a ho-hum 37-7 manhandling of UMass at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. He rushed for 79 yards in 11 carries and scored on a 1-yard TD plunge to give KSU a 13-7 lead with 9:14 left in the second quarter.
Waters passed for a modest 115 yards, completing 5 of 10 passes, as Sams complemented running back John Hubert’s first 100-yard rushing game of the season.
Hubert, who led the defending Big 12-champion Wildcats in rushing last season with 947 yards in 189 carries, ran for a team-best 118.

• Big-play Sams
Sams’ best runs came early in the second quarter on back-to-back gains of 15 and 37 yards. ... Waters also showed that he has the propensity to make a big running play, gaining 19 yards on a keeper. ... Sams still hasn’t shown what type of arm he has, finishing 2-for-2 for just 12 yards.

• Another Gronkowski
Kansas State redshirt freshman fullback Glenn Gronkowski scored his first career touchdown on a 50-yard catch-and-run with 9:27 left in the third quarter to expand its lead to 34-7.
Gronkowski’s main claim to fame is having three older brothers currently on National Football League rosters — the most famous being the outspoken and outlandish tight end Rob Gronkowski, who is currently on the injured list for the New England Patriots.
Dan Gronkowski is a fullback of the Cleveland Browns, and Chris Gronkowski is a fullback for the San Diego Chargers.

• Another Loomis
Macksville High School product Evan Loomis is listed as No. 9 on Kansas State’s roster. The 6-foot-2, 216-pound senior special-teams player/wide receiver, who transferred to K-State after playing at Dodge City Community College, is the younger brother of special teams player Jared Loomis, who used up his eligibility last season.

• Messing with Texas
With Kansas State finishing non-conference play at 2-1, it now sets its sights on the Big 12 opener next Saturday at Texas. Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder has owned Mack Brown as of late, winning the last five meetings between the two schools — 42-24 in 2012, 17-13 in 2011, 39-14 in 2010, 41-21 in 2007 and 45-42 in 2006 in a scenario where they don’t play each other every year.
The Longhorns last beat Kansas State in 2003, the year the Wildcats upset Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.