K-State Loses Qb, But Wins Easily
Holiday Bowl
No. 10 Kansas State took control with two quick touchdowns after quarterback Matt Miller was knocked out of the Holiday Bowl with a neck injury and routed Colorado State 54-21 Friday.
Miller was knocked cold after a helmet-to-helmet collision with linebacker Nate Kvamme and lay on the field 7-1/2 minutes before being taken off on a stretcher. His father, Les, a former front-office official with the NFL’s San Diego Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs, was there as he was wheeled off.
Miller was motionless until raising his left index finger toward the crowd as he was wheeled into a tunnel. X-rays taken at the stadium were negative and he was taken to a hospital. Team officials weren’t specific about the nature of Miller’s injury, but said he had full movement.
Backup Brian Kavanagh came on and completed his first seven passes, finishing 18 of 24 for 242 yards and throwing touchdowns to four different receivers. He tied Jim McMahon’s Holiday Bowl record of four TD passes set in BYU’s wild 46-45 win over Southern Methodist in 1980.
Mike Lawrence added two 5-yard TD runs.
The Wildcats (10-2) completed the second 10-win season in school history. The other came in 1910 when they were 10-1. K-State, the first program to lose 500 games, made its third straight bowl appearance under coach Bruce Snyder.
Colorado State (8-4), representing the Western Athletic Conference, lost its second straight Holiday Bowl. The Rams lost 24-14 to Michigan last year. Facing the nation’s top overall defense, CSU quarterback Moses Moreno had a horrible night, going 5 of 24 for 91 yards and two interceptions.
The Rams had the best total defense in the WAC this year, but the 54 points were the most given up in Sonny Lubick’s three years as coach.
With the score tied 7-7 early in the second quarter, Miller was flushed out of the pocket on a third-and-13 from the K-State 49. He was trying to shake free from end Brady Smith when Kvamme came in and leveled him.
Three plays into the ensuing CSU drive, free safety Mario Smith intercepted Moses Moreno. Two plays later, Lawrence scored for a 13-7 lead.
Kansas St. 54, Colorado St. 21
Colorado St. 7 0 14 0 - 21
Kansas St. 7 19 21 7 - 54
KSUHickson 4 run (Gramatica kick) CSUBlake 2 run (McDougal kick) KSULawrence 5 run (kick failed) KSUKelley 18 run (pass failed) KSULojka 12 pass from Kanvanaugh (Gramatica kick) KSUSchwieger 18 pass from Kavanaugh (Gramatica kick) CSUWatson 3 run (McDougal kick) KSULawrence 5 run (Gramatica kick) CSUWashington 12 run (McDougal kick) KSULockett 4 pass from Kavanaugh (Gramatica kick) KSURunning 33 pass from Kavanaugh (Gramatica kick)
A-51,051
CSU KSU First downs 14 30 Rushes-yards 30-169 48-212 Passing 132 324 Return Yards 0 21 Comp-Att-Int 6-30-3 24-32-1 Punts 8-28 3-45 Fumbles-Lost 2-1 0-0 Penalties-Yards 11-95 12-192 Time of Possession 23:43 36:17
Individual statistics RUSHINGColorado St., Washington 10-101, Blake 11-41, Watson 7-23, Moreno 2-4. Kansas St., Hickson 20-103, Lawrence 7-33, Dean 2-25, Charles 7-25, Kelley 1-18, Kavanaugh 2-5, Goolsby 1-2, Miller 6-2, Vidricksen 2-(minus 1).
PASSINGColorado St., Moreno 5-24-2-91, Wilkinson 1-5-1-41, Loos 0-1-0-0. Kansas St., Miller 6-8-0-82, Kavanaugh 18-24-1-242.
RECEIVINGColorado St., Antoine 1-41, Turner 1-35, Calhoun 1-27, Ballard 1-14, Porter 1-13, Washington 1-2. Kansas St., Running 6-126, Hickson 6-55, Schwieger 4-47, Lockett 4-41, Lojka 2-26, Latiolais 1-18, Grosdidier 1-11.