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Historic Nebraska rivalry ends with crushing loss for Wildcats

gameday editor

Published: Thursday, October 7, 2010

Updated: Friday, October 8, 2010 07:10

10-8-10

Matt Binter

Coach Bill Snyder walks pensively toward the Vanier Football Complex after K-State’s loss to Nebraska Thursday evening. The Wildcats lost 48-13.

This wasn't exactly the ending K-State fans had in mind.

For possibly the last time ever, the Wildcats played host to Nebraska at Bill Snyder Family Stadium on Thursday night. Huge runs by Husker quarterback Taylor Martinez set the tone from the get-go, and K-State ended a nearly century-long series with a 48-13 loss to the Big Red.

Out for revenge after last year's season-ending loss in Lincoln, the Wildcats received the opening kickoff and marched down the field looking to grab a quick lead. But a decision by head coach Bill Snyder to run the ball on fourth down killed the drive when senior quarterback Carson Coffman was stopped short of the first-down marker. Eight plays later, Martinez ran 14 yards untouched to put the Huskers up 7-0.

Sophomore kicker Josh Cherry pulled the Wildcats to within four with a 46-yard field goal on the ensuing drive, but Martinez quickly took back the momentum to the red-and-white sideline. He answered K-State's drive with a 35-yard scoring burst, and the onslaught began. The Huskers forced a three-and-out and added a 39-yard field goal from senior Alex Henery en route to a 17-3 halftime lead.

Things didn't get any better after intermission, as Nebraska scored touchdowns on their first two drives to silence any thoughts of a comeback.

"I knew we'd have trouble with (Martinez)," Snyder said. "How much, I didn't know. He made it look awfully easy. He's a tremendous athlete and obviously has excellent speed. He's quick and he's fast, and we're not very fast. That's not a good matchup."

"Not a good matchup" might be an understatement. Just like Central Florida signal caller Jeffrey Godfrey did to K-State on Sept. 25, Martinez — also a redshirt freshman — picked up chunks of yards at will. He finished the game with 241 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, both career highs. He reeled off countless bursts without being touched, as he also scored on runs of 80 and 41 yards.

"He made some mistakes, but he did a lot of good things for us," Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said of his quarterback. "He ran for a lot of yards. He is an explosive player. He creates some problems for defenses."

Martinez wasn't the only one creating problems, as senior running back Roy Helu Jr. carried eight times for 110 yards and a score. When it was all said and done, the Husker backfield combined for 451 yards on the ground. The effort marked the first time a K-State defense has allowed over 400 rushing yards since a loss to Colorado in 1989 — Snyder's first season in Manhattan.

"It's always frustrating when a team is gashing you," senior defensive end Antonio Felder said. "You've just got to go to the sideline and try to fix it and keep fighting. We've got to put (this game) behind us, but we've also got to also fix the things that we had trouble with."

Offensively, the Wildcats were left looking for answers all night. Senior running back Daniel Thomas turned in his second straight subpar performance, rushing 22 times for just 63 yards. Coffman was once again ineffective and was replaced by sophomore Collin Klein early in the third quarter. Junior Sammuel Lamur also saw some second-half action, which reopened questions about the starting quarterback situation.

"I need to sit down and reflect on it and watch video tape," Snyder said when asked about his quarterbacks. "We have a lot of things to reassess. We can't continue the way we were tonight."

The Wildcats return to action Oct. 14 when they make a trip to Lawrence for a Sunflower Showdown matchup against in-state rival Kansas. The game, which will be televised on Fox Sports Network, marks K-State's second straight Thursday night contest in as many weeks.

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9 comments Log in to Comment

Anonymous
Mon Oct 11 2010 10:11
Glad I will never wear red in the KSU stadium again. I'm a season ticket holder at KSU, have been for over 15 years, and enjoy attending the games since I've moved south and my daughters attend K-State, but consider this:
The reason you are likely to see so many rude Husker fans is because there are MORE here. I hear the same mantra when KU comes to town. More people, more likely you will see idiots. I certainly encountered many K-State idiots over the years.
Personally, I'm glad I will never donn any NU colors again at "The Bill." It just is too exhausting to watch my back.
Anonymous
Sat Oct 9 2010 16:38
Now, that is a total crock, sir. Nebraska fans have never been angles, and neither have we.

Several times throughout the week, Nebraska fans would join K-State facebook groups and other websites and do nothing but talk trash. Yes...you are ranked number 7...we are unranked. We're pretty sure we're going to lose...how classy of you to repeatedly tell us how much we suck as a university and how we'll never amount to anything. Maybe the fact that your fanbase has been using this wonderful thing called the internet to spread their hate and abuse is why no on at K-State, or the rest of the big XII for that matter, likes you people. Just maybe your idiots make our idiots retaliate.

Nebraska fans in person...when they are winning and are being ranked high...they're the nicest people around. But as soon as they lose or they get to talk trash on line, they become the worst fans ever. No, scratch that. There were some pretty horrible Nebraska fans in the student section who were being jerks even when they were beating us severely.

Nebraska has never stood for class, stop pretending it has.

Kansas Husker – Go Big Red!
Fri Oct 8 2010 21:08
To K-State Fans from a Kansas Husker

I have been reading many posts from Wildcat fans recently about their dislike or “hatred” of Nebraska football. In sports, this is natural based on rivalries over the years but recent posts keep referring to the Huskers being traitors for leaving the Big 12. First, some history and background so you know where I am coming from.

I was born and raised in Wichita, KS and my parents grew up in Nebraska. Naturally, as many of us develop our minds, my dad always watched and talked Husker football and I remember watching the Husker championship teams in 70’ and 71’ (I am 47). I became a huge Husker football fanatic and it wasn’t hard in Big 8 country because it was usually NU and OU. When basketball season came around, I was a huge Wildcat fan and had a profound dislike of KU basketball and didn’t know much about Huskers basketball. I attended Wichita State in the early/mid 80’s and attended the K-State vs. Shocker football game in Manhattan in which your Wildcats killed my Shockers. All this time, I experienced great Husker football and loved the Big 8!

I have to admit that I feel like many of the Wildcat fans (and other Big 12 school’s fans) are misplacing their anger about the Huskers leaving the Big 12. I don’t think you are being honest with yourselves. First, in my mind, and many other Big 8 fans minds, the Big 8 did the former Southwest conference schools a favor when agreeing to merge and form a new league called the Big 12. Now, if you and the other Big 8 schools would have done the smart thing, you would have sided with NU and kept a united Big 8 front when voting on issues affecting the conference. The votes would have been 8 to 4! Instead, on all kinds of issues, the former Big 8 schools sided with the Texas schools against NU. Now, from my perspective, the only reason I can think of that the former Big 8 schools would have done this was some intention to reduce the power that the Huskers wielded in the Big 8. Was that jealousy or malice on the part of the former Big 8 schools? I think it was. The recent vote that I and many Husker fans were furious about was the vote to extend the Big 12 championship game in the new Dallas Jerry Jones stadium. Every one of the Big 12 schools voted to do that except NU. Now, why on earth would the north schools vote to have a championship game always in the south? That is not fair to any of the north schools. It is not fair to the fans of any of the north schools. The bottom line, your school administrators made a decision a long time ago to align with the Texas schools and turned your backs on Nebraska on a lot of issues so why would you expect the Huskers to bend over backwards to help you?

Now, why would Nebraska commit to a conference when all of the schools aren’t expected or required to commit? Nebraska gave the Big 12 the final chance when they said they would commit if Texas would commit. Texas refused. Texas was more interested in maintaining control than maintaining a strong conference and because the former Big 8 schools hitched their wagons to Texas, you are stuck with a damaged football product. To me, it smacks of jealousy that NU and CU had viable options and weren’t willing to stay subservient to Texas. The sales pitch the Big 12 commish gave about more TV dollars sounds very farfetched to me. I don’t see how any TV network thinks 10 schools without a championship game, without a strong program like Nebraska, is worth more money than the Big 12 with NU and CU and a championship game.

I am sad that the old rivalries between the old Big 8 schools can’t be maintained. Do you think Husker fans would rather travel farther distances to Big 10 schools in the fall and winter months than to stay in Big 12 country? I can guarantee you that most Husker fans don’t like that about joining the Big 10. Nebraska was a target in the Big 12 north and all the other north schools aimed to knock NU off the football thrown. That provided energy and a chance against the south schools but with the loss of NU, the north schools are going to find the Big 12 going much more difficult. I hope your program succeeds in the future, I would love to see the north schools start kicking the south schools but I think that will be very difficult.

Kansas Husker – Go Big Red!

Not all Neb are nice.
Fri Oct 8 2010 18:23
Anonymous #5. I was treated the same way when I went to the Nebraska game last year in Lincoln. Not just outside, but at my seat. At least you security was nice enough to remove the belligerent person. Don't try and sell it like Nebraska is a nice.
Anonymous
Fri Oct 8 2010 14:20
Before going down to this years game I thought I would miss the end of the nu-ksu series. After walking near campus and hearing all the insults yelled at us just for wearing a Nebraska shirt my opinion changed. I lost alot of respect for KSU fans. It's too bad that'll be my last impression of the campus. I realize that's not how all the fans act, but I would be ashamed if Nebraska students were acting the same way.
Anonymous
Fri Oct 8 2010 14:18
Anonymous-really? Your blaming this on your coach?? Just like a true cat fan, you say one day Snyder is a God and in all the articles he will "out scheme" us and then the next day it's all his fault b/c he has always sucked when there is a long week? How about when you beat Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship, did he suck during that long break? Typical of you and your fan base, you sing happy birthday to the man and then stab him in the back the next day. THANK GOD I'm not a Kstate fan I would be ashamed b/c of other fans like YOU!!! Suck it up buttercup and don't worry, the huskers are gone next year so it's one less loss you'll have to make excuses for!!!! BOOM ROASTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HUSKERS!!!!
Fri Oct 8 2010 14:14
Good post Big 8 Fan! I agree completely!!!! I have seen schools like KState and Mizzou become more rude and classless than our Mountain Friends Colorado.....at least Colorado knows they aren't good and doesn't try to talk themselves up....meanwhile every year it's Kstate and Mizzou talking crap all week and waiting to "punch up in the mouth" when we come to their stadium b/c we haven't played anyone else good all year....I hope that someday Mizzou and Kstate fans can get a taste of what it's like to cheer on a team for a lifetime, not one or two games a year but through thick and thin you stand by them.....when you have that kind of loyalty and class and live in a place where tradition is rooted deep it's a good feeling-i'm so proud to be a husker fan!!! I miss the Big 8, I'm going to miss the Big 12, but take note Kstate-we are not a team that is going to bow to Bevo and take commands....our AD has seen where that could take us and we didn't like it, so I don't care if you hate us for leaving....like all the articles today say, you should be glad b/c it's one less guaranteed loss on your schedule each year. By the way, do you have to call Texas Daddy??? If you don't yet you will soon. Peace out cat-backers, wish you would have talked smack and we could have ended this one sided "rivalry" a little better......
Anonymous
Fri Oct 8 2010 14:08
Big 8 fan, boo hoo, whatever. The Nebraska faithful turned rotten once you guys started losing so who cares about a couple signs.

As for the game, this loss goes to Snyder. Every time he had a long week or bye week prior to a big game KSU has always come out flat. This was no different. The play calling on offense started off well until Snyder stalled the drive with that useless Wildcat formation. Once his play calling killed the first two drives he went to Thomas left and Thomas right and Thomas out for a pass. This was all poor coaching and preparation. I give it to Snyder that his type of prep have put the Cats on the map but other than the B12 Championship game is always has failed in the big games. I was encouraged by the first drive then he went away from it. What gives. I hope KU doesn't have a career day next week. The Cats can be 9-3 or 4 and 8. It is up to the coaches. Wake up BILL!

big 8 fan
Fri Oct 8 2010 13:13
It's too bad this 'rivalry' had to get so ugly: the 'traitor' signs and 'I hate N' signs were pretty low class. As a Husker fan, I used to enjoy coming to Manhattan into the early and mid 90's, but much like when Colorado designated NU as its main rival, KSU doing the same thing led to nothing but ugliness (by the way, that tactic didn't work out for CU very well, either). For the record, most Husker fans don't consider leaving the Big XII a traitorous act, it's way more about not being able to stomach Texas getting a bigger piece of the pie than everyone else. If you want an enemy KSU fans-and a much more selfish one at that- look to the South, not the North.

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