Recap: Kansas State football beats West Virginia, 48-31, moves to 8-3 overall
Will Howard passed for 294 yards and two touchdowns and Kansas State's offense rolled up 437 yards total offense on Saturday to knock off West Virginia, 48-31, at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown.
The Wildcats led 41-25 at halftime and limited West Virginia to one second-half score while improving to 8-3 overall and 6-2 in the Big 12. A victory next Saturday at home against Kansas puts them in the Big 12 championship game.
K-State also got 78 yards and one touchdown rushing from DJ Giddens and 67 yards and another score from Deuce Vaughn. Malik Knowles had six catches for 111 yards and a touchdown, while tight end Ben Sinnott caught three for 85 yards and a score.
West Virginia scores on Garrett Greene run
Garrett Greene's 13-yard run gets West Virginia on the board in the second half, but K-State linebacker Nick Allen sacks him on the two-point conversion attempt and the Wildcats still lead 48-31 with 9:30 left.
Julius Brents interception sets up K-State score
An interception by Julius Brents gives K-State the ball at the West Virginia 40, and three plays later, the Wildcats cash in on a 43-yard pass play from Will Howard to Malik Knowles.
K-State leads 48-25 with 12:24 left.
Defenses take over in scoreless third quarter
After Kansas State and West Virginia combined for 66 points in the first half, neither team scores in the third quarter and the Wildcats take a 41-26 lead to the fourth.
K-State driving to start the fourth with second down at the West Virginia 20.
Both teams come up empty to start second half
West Virginia takes the second-half kickoff and drives 49 yards in 16 plays and takes 8:33 off the clock, only to get nothing when Casey Legg's 44-yard field goal try is short.
K-State's first possession ends in its first punt of the game after one first down. West Virginia starts at its 20 with 3:50 left in the third quarter and the Wildcats still leading 41-25.
K-State leads 41-25 on Ty Zentner field goal
Ty Zentner remains perfect on the season with another career-long field goal, a 53-yarder with 1 second left in the half to give Kansas State a 41-25 lead at intermission.
The Wildcats racked up 312 yards in the half with Will Howard completing 14 of 18 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown. They also had 97 yards on the ground, with DJ Giddens rushing three times for 52 yards, including a 49-yard score, and Deuce Vaughn carrying 11 times for 45 yards and a touchdown.
Ben Sinnott has three catches for 85 yards and a touchdown to lead the K-State receiving corps.
For West Virginia, quarterback Garrett Greene is 8 of 11 passing for 134 yards. Three went to Sam James for 102 yards, all of them touchdowns. The Mountaineers have 241 yards total offense at the break.
Ty Zentner field goal extends K-State lead
Ty Zentner, whose previous long field goal was 31 yards, drills one from 46 with 1:46 left in the half to stretch Kansas State's lead to 38-25.
Sam James killing K-State with three TDs
Sam James strikes again for West Virginia with a 5-yard touchdown catch from Garret Greene. The play capped an 11-play, 87-yard drive.
James now has three catches for 102 yards and three touchdowns. West Virginia, chasing two missed extra point kicks, goes for two and Garret Greene is stopped short. K-State leads 35-25.
Ben Sinnott gets in on the act for K-State
Will Howard rolls to his right and threads the needed to Ben Sinnott for a 15-yard touchdown.
The score, with 13:28 left in the half, stretches the Wildcats' lead to 35-19, capping a six-play, 60-yard drive. Malik Knowles created the field position with a 39-yard kickoff return
K-State driving again as first quarter ends
A long pass play to Ben Sinnott has K-State at the West Virginia 11-yard line as the first quarter ends. The wildcats lead 28-19 in a shootout.
West Virginia answers again
Garrett Greene hits Sam James for 71 yards and West Virginia is back on the board. But Casey Legg misses the kick and it's 28-19 with 1:22 left in the first quarter.
Kansas State scores again for 28-13 lead
Kansas State scores again on a 1-yard Will Howard quarterback sneak with 2:17 left in the first quarter.
It was set up by a 26-yard completion to Malik Knowles, who was stopped a half yard short of the goal line.
Kansas State got the ball at the West Virginia 34-yard line when Daniel Green made a fourth-down stop on Garrett Greene.
K-State's turn with DJ Giddens touchdown
Kansas State goes up 21-13 on DJ Gidden's 49-yard touchdown run with 5:12 left in the first.
The play caps a quick three-play, 68-yard drive that took just 1:22.
West Virginia strikes again
West Virginia mirrors K-State's scoring as Malachi Ruffin intrecepts Will Howard and brings it back 43 yards for a touchdown. But after a 5-yard penalty, Casey Legg's PAT is no good and the Wildcats lead 14-13 with 6:41 left in the first.
West Virginia answers with 75-yard drive
West Virginia comes right back after the turnover, driving 75 yards in eight plays to score on a 26-yards pass from Garrett Greene to Sam James down the left sideline.
Kansas State still leads 14-7 with 8:26 left in the first quarter.
Pick-six for Cincere Mason and K-State is up 14-0
Kansas State needs just three plays to match the offense with a score as Cincere Mason intercepts Garrett Greene and returns it 37 yards for a touchdown. Ty Zentner with the PAT and the Wildcats lead 14-0 with 11:51 left in the first quarter.
Kansas State grabs early lead
It takes Kansas State just five plays to move 69 yards to start the game, with Deuce Vaughn scoring on a 15-yard run.
The bit play on the drive was a 33-yard completion from Will Howard to Sammy Wheeler down the left sideline.
Kansas State to get the ball first
Kansas State wins the coin toss and chooses to take the ball first.
Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Recap: K-State football defeats West Virginia in high-scoring game
