Kansas vs. Kansas State 2012: Second half explosion leads Wildcats to huge win over Jayhawks

The No. 7 Kansas State Wildcats routed in-state rival Kansas 56-16 on Saturday at Bill Snyder Stadium in Manhattan, Kans. The Jayhawks actually held a 14-7 lead early in the game, and trailed by just seven points at halftime, but the Wildcats poured it on in the second half, outscoring Kansas 35-2 in the game's final two quarters.

Kansas State struggled in the first half mainly because they chose to throw more than run, a tactical error that when changed led to the bludgeoning of the Jayhawks defense. Poor timeout management and play-calling prevented an even bigger Wildcats halftime margin, but aside from those first half flaws the folks at SB Nation's Kansas State blog Bring On The Cats found plenty of positives in the win:

OK, we've covered all the bad. Let's move on to the good.

In the third quarter, K-State outscored KU 28-2. Turnovers and fumbles and the running of John Hubert and Klein buried the school down the river.

Overall, this was a bizarre football game. KU dominated the time of possession with almost a 14-minute edge, and ran 30 more plays than K-State. But the Wildcats gained 87 more yards and had five fewer turnovers. Despite the first-half mistakes, Klein threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more, and Hubert added four touchdowns and 101 yards of his own.

Undefeated Kansas State (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) next faces Iowa State on the road at Jack Trice Stadium next Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT.