TCU quarterback Josh Hoover talked about the nightmares in his first career matchup against Kansas State, where he was dominated in 41-3 defeat.

Fast forward two years, and he experienced the same feat Saturday evening as Kansas State put up arguably its best performance of the season.

Here are the takeaways from Kansas State's 41-28 victory over the Horned Frogs:

1. K-State defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman should be proud

Kansas State's season was tainted by self-inflicted wounds, whether it be turnovers or sloppy plays.

Guess who was the culprit of this on Saturday? Yep, it was TCU. The Wildcats' defense feasted on TCU all day long, scoring two defensive touchdowns to alleviate pressure off Kansas State's offense. The Wildcats capitalized on TCU's mistakes, as the three turnovers led to 17 points for the Wildcats.

In the first game without defensive standout Tobi Osunsanmi, the defense not only didn't regress but stood strong for its best performance of the season. Senior linebacker Desmond Purnell gets the game ball, recording two tackles for loss, a sack, two pass deflections, and two interceptions (one for a score).

2. The big plays have to stop

One thing Kansas State has proven this season is that no lead is safe. While the Wildcats escaped with a relatively dominant victory, it could've been much bigger. Josh Hoover's stat sheet could've been even worse if the Wildcats had bogged down on the chunk plays.

All four of TCU's touchdown drives consisted purely of big plays, where the offense drove down the field almost effortlessly. It was the team's downfall against Baylor, and it nearly did them in against UCF as well. The Wildcats have to just let a dominant victory be a dominant victory and stop allowing their opponents to stay in it for too long. There were a few plays away from the result disastrously swaying in TCU's direction.

3. Joe Jackson and Garrett Oakley were the offensive heroes today

K-State offensive coordinator Matt Wells lauded running back Joe Jackson in his pregame press conference, saying that he appreciated Jackson's mentality and physical toughness.

That showed on the field Saturday. In the midst of another Dylan Edwards absence, Jackson had his best season performance, rushing 27 times for 110 yards. He not only provided volume to balance the offensive game plan, but was a legitimate weapon for a reeling Kansas State rushing group.

Meanwhile, Garrett Oakley continues to be one of Avery Johnson's favorite targets, as he added four receptions for 71 yards and two touchdowns to his season total. He and Jaron Tibbs are providing much-needed balance to the receiving game, which initially appeared to be dominated by Jayce Brown for a second consecutive season. If five-star tight end Linkon Cure can get integrated into the offense as well, the Wildcats may be able to really turn the tide of the season.