UCA can't slow down Kansas St.

TOP 25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL

NO. 20 KANSAS STATE 55, UCA 19

No. 20 Kansas State scored 24 consecutive points to break away from the University of Central Arkansas in a 55-19 victory Saturday night at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kan.

The Wildcats were leading 17-16 midway through the second quarter before scoring three touchdowns to close the half and adding a field goal to begin the third to take a 41-16 advantage.

Big plays from Kansas State junior D.J. Reed helped give the Wildcats a 38-16 halftime lead.

A second-team All-Big 12 selection last year, Reed returned the opening kickoff 96 yards to the UCA 4 before Alex Barnes scored from the 1 two plays later to give the Wildcats a 7-0 lead.

Reed later returned a Matt Cummins punt 62 yards for a touchdown to give the Wildcats a 31-16 lead with 3:39 left in the second quarter.

Reed wasn't finished either. With the Bears facing a third and 19 at the Kansas State 44, he intercepted a Hayden Hilderbrand pass with 1:10 left before the half, leading to Jesse Ertz's 70-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Schoen that gave the Wildcats their halftime advantage.

After Kansas State's first score, UCA converted two first downs, but the drive stalled resulting in Cummins' 47-yard field goal to make it 7-3. The Bears trailed 10-3 before Brandon Cox tied the score at 10-10 when he went in motion and took a pitch from Hilderbrand for a 37-yard touchdown with 1:27 left in the first quarter.

Kansas State went ahead 17-10 when Ertz found Isaiah Zuber for an 8-yard touchdown pass with 13:34 left in the second quarter.

Hildebrand found Roman Gordon for a 7-yard TD pass with 8:53 left in the second quarter to cap a 12-play, 75-yard drive, but Cummins missed the extra point.

Ertz found Byron Pringle on a 55-yard touchdown with 5:38 remaining before the half to give the Wildcats a 24-16 advantage.

The Wildcats found the end zone on 5 of 7 first-half possessions, with McCrane's 53-yard field goal and his 50-yard miss the only non-touchdowns.

McCrane's 28-yard field goal gave the Wildcats a 41-16 lead early in the third quarter. Cummins broke the Bears' scoring drought when he answered with a 39-yard field goal with 3:03 left in the quarter.

The Wildcats answered quickly when Ertz found Isaiah Harris for a 69-yard score one play after the kickoff for a 48-19 advantage.

The Wildcats kept pouring it on. After recovering a UCA fumble at the Kansas State 48, the Wildcats drove 52 yards in 6 plays with Dalvin Warmack scoring from the 18 to give the hosts its final advantage with 12:35 left in the fourth.

The Bears had a 37:13-22:47 edge in time of possession, but the Wildcats had 519 yards of total offense to UCA's 425.

Ertz completed 10 of 16 passes for 333 yards and touchdowns to 4 separate receivers, including Pringle and Isaiah Harris who combined for 6 receptions and 239 yards.

Hildebrand was 27 of 35 through the air for 198 yards and a score.

UCA's Carlos Blackman led all rushers with 114 yards on 24 carries.

Sports on 09/03/2017

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