2015 Kansas State Wildcats football team

The 2015 Kansas State Wildcats football team represented Kansas State University in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Wildcats played their home games at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium, in Manhattan, Kansas as they have done since 1968. The Wildcats were led by head coach Bill Snyder in his 24th overall and seventh straight season since taking over for his second tenure in 2009. 2015 was the 120th season in school history. K-State was a member of the Big 12 Conference. They finished the season 6–7, 3–6 in Big 12 play to finish in eighth place. They were invited to the Liberty Bowl where they lost to Arkansas.

2015 Kansas State Wildcats football
Liberty Bowl, L 23–45 vs. Arkansas
ConferenceBig 12 conference
Record6–7 (3–6 Big 12)
Head coach
Co-offensive coordinatorDana Dimel (9th season)
Co-offensive coordinatorDel Miller (16th season)
Offensive schemeMultiple
Defensive coordinatorTom Hayes (4th season)
Base defense4–3
Home stadiumBill Snyder Family Football Stadium
Seasons
← 2014
2016 →
2015 Big 12 Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 5 Oklahoma $^ 81  112 
No. 20 Oklahoma State 72  103 
No. 7 TCU 72  112 
No. 13 Baylor 63  103 
West Virginia 45  85 
Texas Tech 45  76 
Texas 45  57 
Kansas State 36  67 
Iowa State 27  39 
Kansas 09  012 
  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

Previous season

The 2014 Kansas State Wildcats football team finished the regular season 9-3, with losses to Auburn of the SEC, Baylor and TCU. The Wildcats had been ranked in all polls with the highest ranked in the new College Football Playoff rankings at number 7. Kansas State became bowl eligible after winning its sixth game against Texas on October 25 and was invited to play in the 2015 Alamo Bowl against UCLA. Kansas State fell short to the Bruins in San Antonio, Texas with a loss of 35–40.

Schedule

Kansas State announced their 2015 football schedule on November 19, 2014. The 2015 schedule consists of seven home games and five away games in the regular season. The Wildcats will host Big 12 foes Baylor, Iowa State, Oklahoma, TCU, and West Virginia and will travel to Kansas, Oklahoma State, Texas, and Texas Tech.[1]

The Wildcats hosted two non conference games against South Dakota and Louisiana Tech and traveled to its other non conference foe UTSA in San Antonio, TX.

On December 6, 2015, Kansas State accepted an invitation to play in the 2016 AutoZone Liberty Bowl on January 2 in Memphis, Tennessee.[2]

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
September 56:00 p.m.South Dakota*K-StateHD.TVW 34–053,297
September 1211:00 a.m.at UTSA*FS1W 30–329,424
September 192:00 p.m.Louisiana Tech*
  • Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium
  • Manhattan, KS
FSNW 39–33 3OT53,540
October 33:00 p.m.at No. 20 Oklahoma StateFS1L 34–3657,618
October 106:30 p.m.No. 2 TCU
  • Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium
  • Manhattan, KS
FOXL 45–5253,671
October 172:30 p.m.No. 19 Oklahoma
  • Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium
  • Manhattan, KS
ABCL 0–5552,867
October 2411:00 a.m.at TexasFS1L 9–2388,283
November 56:30 p.m.No. 2 Baylor
  • Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium
  • Manhattan, KS
FS1L 24–3152,108
November 142:30 p.m.at Texas TechFS1L 44–5953,833
November 2111:00 a.m.Iowa State
  • Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium
  • Manhattan, KS (rivalry)
FS1W 38–3553,297
November 283:00 p.m.at KansasFS1W 45–1423,842
December 53:30 p.m.West Virginia
  • Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium
  • Manhattan, KS
FS1W 24–2352,918
January 2, 20162:20 p.m.vs. Arkansas*ESPNL 23–4561,136
  • *Non-conference game
  • Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Central time

[3]

Game summaries

At UTSA

1234Total
Wildcats0761730
Roadrunners30003

Louisiana Tech

1234OTTotal
Bulldogs0103101033
Wildcats337101639

At Oklahoma State

1234Total
Wildcats14140634
Cowboys71361036

Kansas State traveled to Stillwater, Oklahoma to take on the 25th-ranked Cowboys on October 3, 2015. Late in the second quarter, an officiating error gave Oklahoma State a first down when the offense was four yards short of the line to gain after the third down play. The series ended with a touchdown for Oklahoma State.[4]

The error brought into question Big 12 Conference officiating, especially in light that the game was on the 25th anniversary of the Fifth Down Game between the Colorado Buffaloes and Missouri Tigers.[5] SB Nation published "K-State lost to Oklahoma State, 36-34. Inept Big 12 officials gifted Oklahoma State a touchdown."[6] The Big 12 Conference later acknowledged the error[7] and that disciplinary actions will be addressed with both the field officials and chain crew.[8]

Oklahoma State won the game on a last-minute field goal.[9]

TCU

All-time recordBig 12 recordLast meetingResult
5–42–22014TCU, 41–20
TCU Horned Frogs at Kansas State Wildcats – Game Summary
Period1234Total
#2 Horned Frogs143142152
Wildcats72801045

at Bill Snyder Family Football StadiumManhattan, KS

  • Date: October 10, 2015
  • Game time: 6:30 p.m. CT (actual: 6:35 p.m. – 10:12 p.m.)
  • Game weather: Clear, 76 °F (24 °C), wind S 14 mph (23 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 53,671
  • Referee: Reggie Smith, Umpire: Joel Bellinger, Linesman: Mike Moeller, Line judge: Mark Stewart, Back judge: Lyndon Nixon, Field judge: Matt Mills, Side judge: Tim Murray, Center judge: Dan Scanlan
  • TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (color), Molly McGrath (sideline)
  • Sources: TCU Game Notes,[10] GoFrogs.com[11]
Game information

As the winner of the 2015 TCU–Kansas State football game, TCU took the lead in the all-time series against the Wildcats, with an overall record of 5–4. The Horned Frogs' come-from-behind win marked Gary Patterson's first win as a head coach against his alma mater in Manhattan. Jaden Oberkrom tied the all-time TCU career field goal record with a 50-yd field goal in the first half. The win marked the Frogs' 14th in a row, tying the all-time TCU record for consecutive wins. TCU's 52 points notched a school-record 5-game-50+ point streak. With the win, the Horned Frogs are now 25–1 when ranked in the top 5 and 36–3 when ranked in the top 10 under coach Patterson.

Oklahoma

#19 Oklahoma Sooners at Kansas State Wildcats – Game summary[12]
Period1234Total
#19 Oklahoma142113755
Kansas State00000

at Bill Snyder Family Football StadiumManhattan, KS

  • Date: October 17, 2015
  • Game time: 2:41 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Temperature: 60 °F (16 °C) • Wind SE 13 mph (21 km/h) • Weather: Cloudy
  • Game attendance: 52,867
  • Referee: Referee: Dan Romeo • Umpire: Scott Teifer • Linesman: Andy Warner • Line judge: Marc Bovos • Back judge: Chris Alston • Field judge: Ed Vinzant • Side judge: Craig Faulkner • Scorer: Ken Ray
  • TV announcers (ABC): Dave LaMont (Play-by-play),[13] Ray Bentley (Color)[13] & Dawn Davenport (Sideline)[13]
Game information

At Texas

1234Total
Wildcats06309
Longhorns3130723

Baylor

1234Total
Bears1477331
Wildcats7031424

At Texas Tech

Week Eleven: Kansas State Wildcats at Texas Tech Red Raiders – Game summary
Period1234Total
Wildcats71471644
Red Raiders287101459

at Jones AT&T Stadium Lubbock, TX

  • Date: November 14
  • Game time: 2:30 CT
  • Game attendance: 53,833
  • TV: FS1
Game information

With the win, the Red Raiders broke a two-game losing streak against the Wildcats and became bowl eligible for the first time since the 2013 season. In the third quarter, kicker Clayton Hatfield made a season long 48 yard field goal.

Iowa State

Game Eleven: Iowa State Cyclones – Game summary[14]
Period1234Total
Cyclones7280035
Wildcats7771738

at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium, Manhattan, KS

  • Date: November 21
  • Game time: 11:05 a.m. CST
  • Game weather: Temperature: 36 °F (2 °C) • Wind N 11–15 mph (18–24 km/h) • Weather: Mostly sunny
  • Game attendance: 53,297
  • Referee: Referee: Brad Van Vark • Umpire: Michael Cooper • Linesman: George Gusman • Line judge: Jerod Phillips • Back judge: Brian Ernest • Field judge: Jason Ledet • Side judge: Gene Semko • Center judge: Brian Alos
  • TV announcers (FS1): Justin Kutcher (Play-by-play)[13] & Steve Hutchinson (Color)[13]
Game information

At Kansas

1234Total
Wildcats2873745
Jayhawks700714

West Virginia

1234Total
Mountaineers3107323
Wildcats0314724

Vs. Arkansas

After finishing their season 6–6, the Wildcats accepted their invitation to play in the game.[15]

This was the Wildcats' first Liberty Bowl. They would later play Navy in the 2019 Liberty Bowl were they would again suffer defeat.

Scoring summary
QuarterTimeDriveTeamScoring informationScore
PlaysYardsTOPK-STARK
111:384271:52K-STWinston Dimel 10-yard touchdown run, Matthew McCrane kick good70
18:156723:23ARKAlex Collins 22-yard touchdown run, Cole Hedlund kick good77
13:508464:18K-ST36-yard field goal by Matthew McCrane107
12:223241:17ARKJared Cornelius 13-yard touchdown run, Cole Hedlund kick good1014
213:058643:04ARKAlex Collins 13-yard touchdown run, Cole Hedlund kick good1021
22:089554:59ARK26-yard field goal by Cole Hedlund1024
20:218491:41K-ST21-yard field goal by Matthew McCrane1324
312:444742:10K-STWinston Dimel 48-yard touchdown reception from Kody Cook, Matthew McCrane kick good2024
37:549824:42ARKJeremy Sprinkel 6-yard touchdown reception from Brandon Allen, Cole Hedlund kick good2031
31:4611476:02K-ST32-yard field goal by Matthew McCrane2331
412:048784:34ARKAlex Collins 14-yard touchdown run, Cole Hedlund kick good2338
44:469805:38ARKKody Walker 10-yard touchdown run, Cole Hedlund kick good2345
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.2345

Source:[16]

Statistics[16]K-STARK
First Downs1330
Total offense, plays - yards47–24268–569
Rushes-yards (net)22–7942–254
Passing yards (net)163315
Passes, Comp-Att-Int12–25–120–26–1
Time of Possession22:3037:30

Arkansas running back Alex Collins was named the game's MVP, after gaining 185 yards and 3 touchdowns on 23 carries.

References