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The Kansas State Wildcats overcame a three-point third-quarter deficit to grind out a 42-24 victory over the Texas Longhorns Saturday, wrapping up the program's first Big 12 title since 2003. Texas took a 10-7 halftime lead on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Case McCoy to Jordan Shipley, and held a 17-14 lead with 7:25 left in the third quarter on a Malcolm Brown touchdown run.
Collin Klein and John Hubert took over from there, as Kansas State scored four unanswered touchdowns to open a 42-17 lead. Hubert finished the day with 66 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries. Klein completed only 8 passes on 14 attempts, but ran 23 times for 103 yards and two scores. Case McCoy managed 314 yards through the air for Texas.
SB Nation Kansas State site Bring on the Cats admits that it got a bit nervous:
At halftime, we were disconsolate. The game plan appeared to be just as non-sensical and pointless as the one which cost us a shot at the national title two weeks ago, and we were about to hang people in effigy.
But then someone finally remembered what got K-State to #1 in the first place. And Collin Klein finally started managing a running attack which opened the pass, rather than trying to pass to open the run. And the points, they suddenly started pouring in. The Wildcats outscored Texas 35-14 in the second half, and it would have been worse if not for a garbage-time score after the 'Cats were already up 42-17.
Kansas State now waits to see who it will face in the Fiesta Bowl. SB Nation's latest projections have the Wildcats taking on Oregon.