Grades and analysis of Kansas State's shocking loss to the Houston Cougars

It wasn't all bad news for the Kansas State football team on Saturday.

Even though the Wildcats blew a late lead and suffered a 24-19 loss to the Houston Cougars at TDECU Stadium, they remained near the top of the Big 12 Championship race as Texas Tech beat Iowa State on the road for caused excitement.

K-State (7-2, 4-2 Big 12) tied with Texas Tech for fourth place in the conference standings, while Arizona State, Cincinnati, Texas Tech and West Virginia all suffered two losses in league play.

They are all chasing undefeated BYU and Colorado/Iowa State (one conference loss each) in the Big 12 standings.

K-State is making up ground in its last three games against Arizona State, Cincinnati and Iowa State. That will give the Wildcats motivation, but it won't take away from the loss.

“If you look ahead, you’re going to be in trouble,” K-State wide receiver Keagan Johnson said. “We have some good teams on the schedule. Anything can happen at this conference on any Saturday. So when you look forward, you face failure. We have to finish the job.

“I know this team and the guys in the locker room. They're just as angry as everyone else right now and want to turn things around. We will react correctly. Anything is still possible for us, but we have to get better.”

Few will disagree after the Wildcats let things slip in Houston.

A day later, it's time to look back on what happened and give out a few awards and grades. We also look forward to K-State's next game against Arizona State.

Game play

Avery Johnson threw a costly interception early in the fourth quarter that marked the beginning of the end for Kansas State.

When Houston defensive back Jeremiah Wilson jumped in front of Johnson's errant pass to intercept it and returned it within 9 yards of the end zone, the momentum shifted to the Cougars. K-State led 19-10 before the pick. But Houston scored the final 14 points of the game and won.

Player of the game

Houston quarterback Zeon Chriss completed all 11 of his passes for 103 yards and a touchdown, plus 75 yards and a touchdown on the ground. The Cougars didn't have much offense in this game, but they made the most of the yards they gained thanks to Chriss.

Statistics of the game and quote to remember

K-State averaged 2.6 yards per rush, a pathetic number for a team that prides itself on its running game.

As for the quote…

“We controlled most of the game. But when they had to make executions and plays, they made plays.” – Keagan Johnson.

K-State football grades

Attack: Q. There is no excuse for K-State to average 2.6 yards per rush with DJ Giddens, Dylan Edwards and Avery Johnson. The Wildcats need to find a way to get their running game going again. They looked lost without them on Saturday as Johnson threw two interceptions with the game on the line.

Defense: A. The Wildcats allowed just 232 yards. No one can blame the defense for this loss.

Special teams: F. Chris Tennant didn't even have a chance to kick the ball on an extra point and a field goal in this game due to poor snaps. The Wildcats also had issues with punt and kick returns. Maybe the weather had something to do with it. Still, this was a game to forget for K-State on special teams.

Coaching: Q. The Wildcats lose a game like this every season under Chris Klieman. K-State has lost seven games as a touchdown favorite or more since he took over as coach. This is a worrying trend. A conservative approach in the fourth quarter could have avoided a loss in this game, but the Wildcats threw the ball with a 19-10 lead and paid the price with interceptions.

Next up: Arizona State

The Wildcats will receive a week off before returning to action on November 16th against Arizona State.

K-State is getting its second idle week of the season at a good time. This team needs to restart before attempting to close out the season with important games against Arizona State, Cincinnati and Iowa State.

The Sun Devils will challenge the Wildcats on the ground.

Running back Cam Skattebo is one of the Big 12's best talents.