Kansas State was on the brink of shocking the college football world and ending Utah's postseason chances. But alas, a chorus of late mistakes resulted in the Wildcats' defeat. Here are the takeaways from the Saturday afternoon matchup: 1. The offensive line gets the game ball today. Kansas State's offensive line was perhaps the most scrutinized aspect of the whole team. Against Utah, they did their part, creating holes for the running backs and keeping quarterback Avery Johnson off the ground. The Wildcats grounded over 472 rushing yards, a school record for a single game. Joe Jackson, who has struggled at times this season, had 293 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Jackson set a school record for most rushing yards in a single game. Avery Johnson and Antonio Martin Jr. got involved in the ground game as well, aiding a rushing attack that needed it. Against a stiff Utah front line, this was a valiant effort that no one could see coming for the Wildcats. 2. There were some very questionable calls made in this game. Ticky tacky calls are a part of the game, but you can't help but feel like they really hampered Kansas State in the long run. The illegal substitution call on the fourth down stop, the flag picked up on the two-point conversion, and a few pass interference no-calls early in the matchup. A call here and there is understandable, but many of these felt like blatant miscues that ultimately impacted the eventual outcome. With that said though... 3. Kansas State's mistakes caught up to them in the end. Even for as well as they played, the Wildcats needed to be essentially flawless to win this one. And they were not. There were several head-scratching plays made early on that extended drives for Utah or ended their own down the field. Even late in the game, letting a two-point conversion go the other way completely shifted the momentum and made it that much easier for the Utes to capitalize. And even with the game on the line, needing just one fourth-down stop, the Wildcats give up a 56-yard run to Devon Dampier and sell any chances to pull off the upset. You could start to feel the energy sway after the lead was cut to 10, and it just snowballed from there. The Wildcats had a statement victory in the palm of their hands, but it slipped away due to their inability to close out. And now, instead of clinching bowl eligibility, they will have to beat Colorado to have any chance of playing past November.
