Kansas State football report card: Grading the Wildcats comeback win vs Rutgers in Rate Bowl

Posted by author December 27, 2024 Football

Spread the love

Kansas State football came back from a 17-point deficit with a dominating second-half effort to rally for a 44-41 Rate Bowl victory over Rutgers at Chase Field in Phoenix on Thursday.

The Wildcats (9-4) trailed 27-17 at halftime, and Rutgers scored early in the second to grab its biggest lead. But K-State chipped away and went in front with 4:15 left on Dylan Edwards’ 36-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion pass from Avery Johnson to Garrett Oakley.

The Wildcat defense then stopped Rutgers on downs and ran out the clock. Here is how the Wildcats graded out against Rutgers in their final game of the season:

Offense: Dylan Edwards has a day to remember

When leading rusher DJ Giddens opted out of the game to enter the NFL Draft, the Wildcats turned to Dylan Edwards and Joe Jackson, and they did not disappoint. The duo combined with quarterback Avery Johnson for 348 yards on the ground. Except for one interception, Johnson was solid as well, guiding a K-State offense that finished with 543 yards.

Grade: A

Defense: A turnaround for the ages

K-State’s defense looked clueless in the first half, giving up 319 yards, but flipped the switch and held Rutgers to 82 yards after the break with a heavy dose of blitzing. Rutgers had just one sustained drive to start the second half and little else the rest of the way.

Grade: B+

Special teams: Nothing much to see here

Unfortunately, the punt coverage team gave up a big return to set up Rutgers’ final touchdown, but other than that, there was not much to see. Chris Tennant did not miss a kick, and Simon McClannan was good on punts and kickoffs.

Grade: C

Coaching: Talk about changing your grade

The way the first half went, especially on defense, was a sure indictment of the coaching staff. But if that’s the case, you have to give them credit for rallying the troops and making the necessary adjustments in an epic comeback.

Grade: B

Overall grade: B+

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 X (formerly Twitter) at @arnegreen.