MANHATTAN — Either way you look at it, Kansas State wide receiver Chris Harper said the Wildcats came up short — be it a 42-42 tie or an actual 77-7 conquest for the Purple over the White on Saturday afternoon in the spring football game.
“It was 42-42,” said Harper, drawing laughter from reporters interviewing him at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. “We couldn’t pull it out at the end of the game.”
Like he’s done the previous two spring games, Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder put a spin on the scoreboard at halftime. With the Purple team leading the White 35-0 at halftime, the score was reversed at the outset of the third quarter.
The Purple, the first-team offense and defense on the spring depth chart, inherited the second-team White’s 35-0 deficit. And quarterback Collin Klein, who led the Wildcats to a surprising 10-3 season in 2011, rallied the Purple in the second half, throwing for four of his six touchdown passes.
After tying the game at 42 on wide receiver Tremaine Thompson’s 6-yard scoring reception from Klein with 2:24 remaining, the Purple got another opportunity to come all the way back.
Having to go 45 yards in the final 57 seconds after the White was forced to punt, Klein had the Purple on the cusp, driving to the White 15-yard line. But Klein had his first-down pass intercepted by Weston Hiebert at the goal line, and the game ended in a tie.
“That was my mistake,” Snyder said. “We could have centered the ball up and kicked a field goal and let the Purple win it, but I got greedy.”
Nice numbers
Calling all of his plays, Klein finished 47 for 56 for 480 yards and his one critical interception. He completed passes to nine different receivers.
“I think I played pretty good,” Klein said. “I think my decision-making was pretty good. There are a couple throws I’d like to have back, but I’m trying to be the very, very best that I can possibly be.
“It’s just another step in that journey. We had some high points. Some receivers made some very good catches across the board in some very contested spots and that’s what you like to see, people making plays.”
Thompson caught a team-high nine balls for 147 yards, Abilene product Sexton caught eight passes for a team-most 153 yards and Wichita native Harper finished with 13 catches for 67. Harper had 7- and 4-yard scoring catches, and Sexton caught 4- and 24-yard TD passes.
Klein, who completed his first 11 passes, only rushed five times for 49 yards.
Angelo Pease and Robert Rose are battling for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart at running back behind incumbent John Hubert. Pease had 89 yards in 12 carries, Rose had 84 yards in 10 carries and the limited Hubert had six carries for 34 yards before making an early exit.
Moreover, Smith Center native and fullback Braden Wilson had two 1-yard scoring runs and also caught a 10-yard scoring pass from Klein.
“I’ve always felt strongly about Braden and I think we’ve probably underused him as much as anything,” Snyder said. “The thing you like about Braden is he goes 180 miles an hour from the time he goes out on the field until we lay him down in here.”
Kickoff for TD
DeMarcus Robinson, a product of Wichita Northwest, returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. Getting a couple blocks, Robinson burst down the right sideline and outran everyone to the end zone.
It was the only points the White team scored in the game.
Sophomore kick-return stalwart Tyler Lockett, who had been active in spring drills, sat out Saturday’s game. He watched from the sidelines in purple sweats.
Last season, Lockett set a Kansas State record by returning kickoffs for touchdowns in consecutive games — against Texas Tech and Kansas.
Lockett’s season was cut short by a lacerated kidney.
Defensive chart
Sophomore linebacker Tre’ Walker had a team-high 10 tackles for the Purple, including six solo stops. Defensive tackle Vai Lutui had seven tackles and three sacks totaling minus-27 yards, and defensive end Mesha Williams had three sacks for minus-26 yards.
For the White, linebacker Jonathan Truman had 11 tackles, including 10 solo, and defensive back Jarad Milo had 10 tackles, including eight unassisted.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Kansas State Spring Game
At Manhattan
Bill Snyder Family Stadium
Saturday
Purple 77, White 7
Purple 14 21 6 36 — 77
White 0 0 0 7 — 7
Scoring summary
First quarter
Purple — John Hubert 2 run (Anthony Cantele), 9:38
Purple — Braden Wilson 1 run (Cantele kick), 3:15
Second quarter
Purple — Wilson 10 pass from Collin Klein (Cantele kick), 13:48
Purple — Curry Sexton 4 pass from Klein (Cantele kick), 8:01
Purple — Robert Rose 1 run (Cantele kick, 0:21
Third quarter
Purple — Chris Harper 7 pass from Klein (D. Wilson kick failed), 4:14
Fourth quarter
Purple — Sexton 24 pass from Klein (Brandon Klimek kick), 14:22
White — DeMarcus Robinson 95 KO return (Dillon Wilson kick), 14:09
Purple — Harper 4 pass from Klein (Jack Cantele), 13:00
Purple — Wilson 1 run (Klimek kick), 10:56
Purple — Angelo Pease 32 run (A. Cantele), 7:57
Purple — Tremaine Thompson 6 pass from Klein (Rose pass to Klein), 2:24
PUR WH
First downs 38 3
Rushes-yards 36-258 29-(-10)
Passing yards 480 64
Comp-Att-Int 47-56-1 7-15-0
KO returns 1-28 7-175
Punts-avg 2-31.5 12-38.8
Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Purple, Pease 12-89; Rose10-84; Klein 5-49; Hubert 6-34; Wilson 3-2; White , Robinson 7-13, Eddie 2-8, Gronkowski 3-6, Rose 2-5, Hubener 1-1, Lewis 1-(minus-2), Bender 2-(minus-3), Johnson 4-(minus-11), Sams 7-(minus 27).
PASSING — Purple, Klein 47-56-1 480; White, Johnson 3-7-0 31; Sams 1-1-0 13; Bender 2-4-0 8, Lewis 1-2-0 12; Hubener 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING — Purple, Harper 13-72, Thompson 9-147, Sexton 8-153, Tannahill 5-42, Rose 5-19, Wilson 2-23; Trujillo 2-15, McFall 1-6, Pease 1-2, C. Klein 1-1. White, Kyle Klein 2-22, Trujillo 2-22, Call 1-12, McDonald 1-6, Miller 1-2.
