TEMPE, Ariz. - Kansas State followed up last year’s BCS bowl run with a thud, opening the season with a loss to FCS member North Dakota State at home.
It didn’t get much better after that, with three more losses over the next five games, leaving the Wildcats not only out of the BCS bowl picture but in danger of missing the postseason altogether.
Then something clicked.
Kicking its offense into another, high-scoring gear, Kansas State (7-5) reeled off five victories in its final six games to earn a spot in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl against Michigan tonight.
“They learned a little bit about how to practice, how to prepare,” Kansas State Coach Bill Snyder said. “It’s something that they probably took for granted at the outside of the season. I think they finally said, ‘Hey, let’s do it the right way.’ ”
Michigan (7-5) finished with the same record as the Wildcats but headed in the wrong direction as the season progressed.
The Wolverines opened with five consecutive victories, including a victory over Notre Dame in their second game, but Michigan stumbled to the finish, losing five of its final seven.
Other than a 29-6 loss to Michigan State, the Wolverines were in every game but just couldn’t finish things off.
“This football team is 11 points away from being 11-1,” Michigan Coach Brady Hoke said. “We haven’t finished games and executed the way we needed to at the end of the games.”
The Wolverines were hit with a huge blow when quarterback Devin Gardner hurt his toe in their regular-season finale against Ohio State. Gardner, who has thrown for more than 4,000 yards and 32 touchdowns the past two seasons, aggravated the injury last week and is out for the bowl game, leaving Michigan in the hands of freshman Shane Morris.
Morris attempted nine passes in three games this season and played just four games as a high school senior because of mononucleosis.
“Coming up to last week the chance of me playing became a lot more prominent,” Morris said. “I prepared for 12 weeks like I would be the starter. They always say you’re one play away, well, it’s true.”
It will be a bit of a change for the Wolverines. Morris is more of a pocket quarterback than Gardner and is left-handed. That means right tackle Michael Schofield will protect the blind side, not Taylor Lewan, and the receivers will have to adjust to a different spin on the ball.
Still, the Wolverines are showing plenty of confidence in Morris, who is bound to be nervous.
“It’s our job as a team, as seniors, to calm him down, to let him know that we got his back,” said receiver Jeremy Gallon, who has 80 receptions for 1,284 yards and 9 touchdowns this season. “I know everything is going to be all right. It’s a football game. He’s been doing it since he was young. It’s nothing new. Faster tempo.”
Michigan will want to keep Kansas State from knocking Morris around, which starts with slowing down Kansas State defensive end Ryan Mueller. The 6-2, 245-pound junior was a walk-on in 2010 but has developed into one of the nation’s most disruptive defensive linemen with 11 sacks and 18 ½ tackles for loss this season.
Sports, Pages 26 on 12/28/2013