By Dennis Dodd
CBS SportsLine Senior Writer
Sept. 19, 1998
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- They came to see Kansas State play a real, live, breathing Division I-A opponent.
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They got Texas.
If this is legit competition for the world's softest-scheduling team, then bring on Northeast Louisiana. That's the next conquest (Oct. 3) for the No. 4 Wildcats (3-0), who proved little in a 48-7 victory over the shortened 'Horns (1-2).
The college football world certainly didn't learn much about a Kansas State team that has opened more gaping holes than eyes in beating nobodies Indiana State and Northern Illinois in the opening two weeks.
Yes, K-State has a great defense, that we knew. Texas' Ricky Williams was held to 43 yards on 25 carries, the fourth worst total of his career. The nation's No. 1 defense has now allowed only 10 points in three games. Now, can we get on with the season? As expected, the Wildcats beat the Longhorns like the red-headed stepchild of Texas mascot Bevo.
"WE COULDN'T TELL (how good they were from the film) because who they were playing," Williams said after accepting his punishment like a man.
Now they know. On his first 15 attempts, Williams was held to zero or negative yardage seven times. K-State linebacker Jeff Kelly forced two fumbles and returned an interception 17 yards for a touchdown.
"I saw a lot of him," Williams said. "He was everywhere."
But Texas was not, repeat not, a burnt orange barometer for the Wildcats. Sure, this was Texas, the school of rootin', tootin', Royal and Ricky. But the 'Horns these days are like polyester bell bottoms and fins on Caddies. They're out of style, at least for now. Expect Texas to return to prominence sometime early next century. Saturday, progress was relative.
"It sounds stupid," Texas coach Mack Brown said. "I was coming off the field thinking, 'We really did some better things. We looked better on defense. We covered some people.' That first half at UCLA we couldn't figure out who was supposed to cover them because we didn't have anybody close enough. At least today we could tell who was wrong."
The Burma Road has only begun for the Texans. Counting UCLA's 35-3 halftime score last week, Texas has been outscored 70-3 in its last two first halves. The 'Horns still have to play at Nebraska and Texas Tech, both 3-0. If somehow Brown can squeeze six victories out of his first rebuilding season at Texas, he should be hailed as a genius.
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Kansas State wide receiver Darnell McDonald pulls
in a touchdown pass from quarterback Michael Bishop during the first
quarter Saturday.
(AP)
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A disclaimer was in order Saturday because Brown was missing his starting quarterback -- Richard Walton, out with a broken finger -- and the 15 recruits who already have committed to the 'Horns for next year. Right now, it's hard to blame Brown for essentially playing with John Mackovic's defense. Twelve of his 19 true freshmen have seen the field, and that's definitely not a positive.
THREE SOPHOMORES POPULATE THE secondary. Only one of the four starters is taller than 6 feet. K-State especially liked picking on 5-foot-9 cornerback Tony Holmes, who has more spunk than height. The combination wasn't good with 6-3, 200-pound receiver Darnell McDonald towering over the competition for 11 catches for 159 yards and two touchdowns.
Nice, but not as impressive as McDonald's 206-yard receiving day against Syracuse in the Fiesta Bowl which, by the way, is the last real test the Wildcats got. The opponents have been so thin K-State sophomore David Allen has a punt return for a touchdown in each of the first three games. The NCAA record for a season is four.
Allen's latest effort was a 93-yard return in the second quarter that put the Wildcats up 21-0.
Let's use the comparative score method. New Mexico State scored 36 points on the Longhorns. UCLA dropped 49 on Texas, 35 by halftime. The Manhattan townsfolk were probably realistic in their storefront predictions of a 55-14 blowout.
Half a hundred would have been a possibility had not K-State been stopped on a fourth-and-goal play from the 1 in the third quarter. K-State coach Bill Snyder was in such a snit about a sack of his Heisman candidate, quarterback Michael Bishop, that he hurled his headset to the ground.
"We got some new headsets," Snyder quipped. "We had to see how durable they were."
It's all about tuning up, right now. But K-State isn't going to say that out of respect. The same can't be said for Northern Illinois, which had to endure a Snyder timeout last week while kicker Martin Gramatica prepared himself to kick a 65-yard field goal. The score, as time ran out in the first half: K- State 59, Northern Illinois 7.
Snyder used the fact it was Texas to justify playing Bishop deep into the fourth quarter. The senior's Heisman candidacy was slipping away before it started. In the first two games Bishop had barely played four quarters. Against Texas, he completed 14 of 20 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns.
"PEOPLE QUESTION WHY WE'RE playing them," K-State linebacker Travis Ochs said of the comfy schedule. "We play whoever we line up against. When you get to playing the Texases (it's important). Then we've got another nonconference game coming up and then we've got Colorado. We've got some big games on the way."
Saturday was not one of those big games. Don't get all huffy, K-State fans. Major Applewhite, the Longhorns' fuzzy-cheeked freshman, lit up your vaunted secondary for 239 yards. That was with defensive coordinator Mike Stoops' press defense sending at least seven guys on almost every play.
We'll check back with you Oct. 10 when your Wildcats have to play at Colorado. That's where this dream of a national championship might die a quick death. The Buffs, 3-0, are building their resume slowly and might be in top shape by that date. Meanwhile, go beat Northeast Louisiana next week and enjoy the bye week. It might be your toughest competition yet.
Last we heard, bye is getting 17 points in the latest line.
Dennis Dodd is a senior writer in CBS SportsLine's Kansas City bureau.