We’re counting down the 10 best games of the year in the Big 12. Below is game No. 7, the most shocking result of the Big 12’s nonconference schedule.
No. 7: Aug. 30 – North Dakota State 24, Kansas State 21
Make no mistake, the Bison took it to the Wildcats. On K-State’s home field.
What happened: We kept waiting. And waiting. And waiting.
But the Wildcats never turned it on and pulled away from the eventual FCS champions. A 49-yard punt return from Christian Dudzik set up NDSU’s first touchdown and sent the early message that the Bison weren’t going to back down to the returning Big 12 champions.
Even when KSU took a 21-7 third-quarter lead after a Daniel Sams touchdown gallop, the Bison came right back on their next possession with a touchdown of their own to get right back in striking distance.
Then, with the game on the line, NDSU drove the ball down the Wildcats' throats with an 18-play, 80-yard touchdown drive, which included three third-down conversions. NDSU quarterback Brock Jensen’s 1-yard run with 28 seconds left made the Bison the talk of college football after the opening weekend.
Player of the game: Jensen didn’t finish the game with great numbers (21-of-30, 165 yards, 2 TDs, INT). But the NDSU quarterback was outstanding on third down, finishing 8-of-9 for 69 yards and one touchdown. He made clutch plays when his team needed them.
Stat of the game: 174. The Bison rushed for 174 more yards than the Wildcats in their upset victory. NDSU’s 215 rushing yards was the third-most K-State allowed in 2013, behind Oklahoma (301) and Texas (227). The Wildcats managed just 41 rushing yards in the loss.
Quotable: "I would like to see a whole bunch of mad guys, in all honesty. I did not see any. That is concerning, that is for sure.” -- KSU coach Bill Snyder about the postgame locker room.
The rest of the list:
