Kansas emphatically claims overtime thriller over Texas, 24-21
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LAWRENCE, Kan. – Bending, but not breaking against the run all day, Kansas football’s defense came up with an extraordinarily clutch stop against the Big 12 Conference’s leading rusher on fourth-and-5 with 58 seconds left allowing redshirt freshman Carter Stanley a chance to orchestrate a game-tying drive against Texas Saturday afternoon inside Memorial Stadium.
Stanley answered the call with a 52-yard drive to get into field goal range for senior kicker Matthew Wyman to tie the contest at 21-21, from 36 yards away. Perhaps the unsung hero of the contest was wide receiver Steven Sims Jr., who wrestled away an interception in the end zone after an errant pass would have sealed the game for Texas. On the second play of overtime freshman safety Mike Lee snatched KU’s sixth takeaway of the game, setting up a Wyman 25-yard field goal to knock off the Longhorns and claim KU’s first Big 12 Conference victory in 2016, 24-21.
The valiant defensive effort allowed the Jayhawks (2-9, 1-7 Big 12), who were down by 11 points in the fourth quarter to Texas (5-6, 3-5 Big 12), an opportunity to send the game to an extra period and eventually win the contest. The defense scored the team’s first touchdown and secured four of its six total turnovers on four-straight possessions in the second quarter as five Jayhawk defenders recorded 11 or more tackles.
Sophomore linebacker Keith Loneker Jr., imprinted his blue helmet all over the white jerseys of Texas with a game-high 16 tackles. Following Loneker’s lead, seniors Fish Smithson (12 tackles) and Tevin Shaw (11 stops) left it all on the field in their final home game. Lee and sophomore defensive end Dorance Armstrong Jr., came away with 11 tackles a piece, while Armstrong also tallied 2.0 sacks and 3.0 tackles-for-loss.
The Jayhawks raided Texas for three interceptions and three lost fumbles, one pick by Smithson, Lee’s interception in overtime and a pick six by senior cornerback Brandon Stewart to give KU its first points of the afternoon.
KU’s offense struggled to move the ball for the majority of the afternoon outside of the last two minutes of regulation and overtime. Stanley threw for 220 yards and an interception on 21 completions out of 42 attempts. Senior running back Ke’aun Kinner carried the ball 20 times for 69 yards, while freshman Khalil Herbert scored KU’s lone offensive touchdown after totaling 26 yards on 10 carries. Wide receiver Steven Sims Jr., and Kinner tied for the team lead in receptions with seven. The two notched 79 and 68 yards, respectively.
The Big 12 Conference’s leading rusher, D’Onta Foreman, led Texas’ offensive output, running the ball 51 times for 250 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Shane Buechele threw three interceptions and 165 yards at a 17-of-26 clip.
Aside from one play – the first of the game – Kansas’ defense valiantly held Texas in check. The only first-half damage came 11 seconds into the game when Buechele threw a quick curl route to JaCorey Warrick, who turned up field and broke one tackle before bursting 75 yards to the end zone.
The recipe to Kansas’ defensive success was bottling up Foreman for as long as possible. His 13 carries and net of 61 yards, with a long gain of 12, in the first half proved successful. Conversely, KU’s offense fell victim to the defensive stalwart as the Jayhawks were forced to punt on 7-of-11 first-half possessions.
Shaw collided with Buechele – who afterward left the game for three drives – on a third down run proceeding Texas’ fifth punt in a row. Senior quarterback Tyrone Swoopes took over behind center and KU’s defense wreaked havoc in the way of four-straight turnovers with the new signal caller in the game.
On the first possession with Swoopes in the game Armstrong worked his way into the backfield for his second sack, while also clubbing the ball away for Denzel Feaster to recover at Texas’ 32-yard line.
In its first position to score of the afternoon Kansas turned the ball over on downs.
The Jayhawk defense didn’t have to stay on the field long before stealing its second possession in as many drives. This time, Smithson snatched his fourth interception of the year at the KU 40-yard line. A taunting penalty pushed the ball back to KU’s 25, where the offense once again struggled to move forward and was forced to punt with 5:46 to play in the opening half.
Since the offense couldn’t put points on the board, the defense came through for a score to tie the game up. On Swoopes’ first pass after the interception on the previous drive, Stewart jumped a curl route and took the ball 55 yards to the end zone, 7-7, with 5:04 left in the second quarter.
The bounces extraordinarily continued to go Kansas’ way for a fourth-straight time as Texas coughed up another possession when Foreman was stripped by Cameron Rosser and Armstrong recovered it for seven yards to the Texas 43-yard line.
Stanley connected with Sims on an out-and-up on the drive’s first play for 33 yards down to the Kansas 10-yard line. A sack pushed the ball back to KU’s 19-yard line, but senior kicker Matthew Wyman gave the Jayhawks a 10-7 lead on a 36-yard field goal heading into halftime.
On the second half’s opening drive Stanley was intercepted off of a tipped pass on third down. Texas took over at KU’s 38-yard line and immediately called Foreman’s number on 7-of-8 plays gaining 28 yards – after an initial 10-yard pass – to get into the end zone, 14-10, with 11:27 to play in the third quarter.
Kansas stonewalled the Longhorns after a drive deep into KU territory and UT ended up missing a 31-yard field goal. A Kansas fumble negated any chance to put up points trailing 14-10.
Texas took the short field at the 46 and handed the ball to Foreman again to get on the board for what would prove to be the final time, 21-10. Foreman toted on 7-of-9 plays on his way to his second touchdown of the game with 13:34 remaining.
Needing to gain some traction and put points on the board after Texas tacked on 14-straight points, Kansas found its spark. A 20-yard Stanley scamper on second-and-10 from the Kansas 20 provided the opportunity for the tempo to roll in Kansas’ favor. The Jayhawks almost effortlessly drove the field for a touchdown, 21-17, as Herbert plunged in from a yard away with 7:48 to play. Sims proceeded to take an end around over right tackle to pull within three points, 21-18, after the two-minute and 48 second drive.
After neither team could close out the game the Longhorns reclaimed possession on downs at KU’s 37-yard line and ran Foreman three more times. KU answered the call and stuffed him to put the game on the line with a fourth-and-5 with 1:03 left. Loneker ended up giving Stanley and the offense a shot to tie the game as Foreman’s run up the middle came up a yard short.
Stanley found Kinner on the drive’s first two plays, one for eight yards and the second for 26, to get down to the 37-yard line. A targeting call moved the ball up to the 19-yard line and after a near interception in the end zone, Beaty elected to bring Wyman out for the 36-yard field goal try.
With ice in his veins Wyman put the ball through the uprights with seven seconds left after the 52-yard drive. Texas took a knee to go to overtime.
Kansas won the toss and elected to put its defense on the field. On the second play Lee intercepted Buechele and gave the Jayhawks a chance to win the game from the 25-yard line.
Five runs by Kinner set up the Jayhawks at the three-yard line before a false start moved Wyman’s try back to 25 yards. The senior came through for his team and Kansas celebrated the 24-21 win on the field with its faithful fans for the final time in 2016.
Kansas head coach David Beaty: I feel better being in here right now than a few of the other showings.
First of all, wanted to say thank you to our fans. What a great fan base we have.
Want to congratulate Ray Bechard on a Big-12 championship today. What a great deal by him. I saw him after the game and it was a great to see him.
But then I want to just take my hat off to our kids. What resilient dudes those guys are. They have continued to work through some really, really difficult situations. And I’ve said it before, I feel like we got the right type of kids in our program. They kept fighting, they got us a chance to win the game, and they were able to steal it there at the end.
So many great things in that game that stick out to me as you come out as a winner.
Matthew Wyman being able to come back from that TCU game and without him, we don’t win this game. And I think that speaks to the locker room in there and how they handled him after that game.
Huge win for us, obviously, in the Big-12. Getting our first one since we have been here. Our staff did a tremendous job. Clint Bowen, I mean wow, what a great job he did. I went in there all week, and he was grinding like the mad scientist in there trying to figure out how to stop this running back and how to slow these guys down. So, he did a really, really nice job and you know what? They settled down after the first play. After the first play.
And our guys, they kept playing and they understood that there was a lot of game left to play. So, it was good to see.
Carter (Stanley), I thought, was really good in the end of that game. I thought he did a lot of really nice things for us. Made a couple of really big plays. There was a couple of fumbles there, or excuse me, penalties that really changed the game there at the end. Put us in position to kick that field goal.
The turnovers late. Our guys kept playing on defense, they kept getting him down. There was one guy left, and he got him down and he’s a big dude now. I mean, that dude is huge. Mike Lee’s trying to tackle him and he got him down. That’s the whole deal is make them snap it again and let’s see what happens. And I just can’t say enough about our defense and how they gave us a chance to win.
And then we really didn’t do a whole lot offensively until we needed to there late. We would like to get started a lot earlier than that, but we didn’t. And Carter, he’s got a feel for the dramatic, I guess, and he did a tremendous job there late. Steven Sims, our running backs, Ke’aun Kinner, Khalil Herbert, Taylor (Martin).
And then our offensive line, they played really, really well all day and they continued to get better. Our tight ends played a really good game. You don’t see him very much, but he did a lot of great things for us.
And in the kicking game, I thought we did some really great things, and they’re really good in the kicking game. They’re really good. So there was some things that helped us win that game. We were a little bit more complete which is how I think we had a chance to win it.
Q. Take us through Sims’s two-point conversion, what were his options?
DAVID BEATY: We have been working that play since we got here. Believe it or not, I stole it from Southlake Carroll High School when they played Tulsa Union in overtime. I was on the sideline, and I was down there recruiting Kenny Hill, believe it or not. And they ran it in the third overtime against Tulsa Union, and I was, like man, I’m stealing that. And we stole that play. It’s a reverse with the pass option. We snap it directly to the running back. And I thought he did a terrific job, because the pass option went away, Carter got covered and he made the Haines kid miss, and he got to the end zone. That was a huge play for us, allowed us to only have to kick the field goal to tie it.
Q. How critical was Sims that pass breakup in the end zone?
DAVID BEATY: Well, difference in the win and the loss. What a great, great effort by him because he knew he had to do it. We talked about it before we went out there that we’re not, we can’t leave it short, Carter, and we left it a little short. And we wanted to make sure we took a chance at the end zone.
They were smart. They showed single high and they rolled to double high, there was two dudes over there, and Carter launched it and Sims did exactly what we told him to do. You have to become a defender, if things get hairy over there. Even if we get a penalty, you have to become a defender and get the ball out. And he kept fighting, the guy didn’t drop it until the very end, but he kept fighting. And that’s why you got to continue to play through every play and he did that and it made a big difference in the game.
Q. The last pass when you were watching it, could you tell that Mike Lee was making the break for it? Could you tell he was going to make that catch?
DAVID BEATY: I could tell only because I was lined up just directly behind it and I saw it fell on him and I saw Mike’s eyes get, they were about that big (Indicating) and he looked like a guy that had seen his first pass that had been thrown right to him and he caught it. And we had just talked about all of our overtime stuff that we go, we go through our protocol and we had just talked about how we’re starting on defense first, if you get it you need to score. And, man, I thought he did a really nice job of trying to get out. He got really close to getting out. And then I thought our offense did a really good job from that point going in and driving the ball down the middle of the field and getting in position to give Wyman a decent angle to kick the ball.
Q. Six turnovers in the game, how does it feel to be on the other end of that?
DAVID BEATY: It feels great. It feels really good to cause them, because when that happens, typically it’s being caused. And our guys caused a bunch of them because I thought they hit (Shane) Buechele a bunch tonight. That was the plan. If we could kind of stop the bleeding a little bit with (D’Onta) Foreman, then we had to hit Buechele. We had to hit him. He’s a young guy, so we had to get some pressure on him and get him uncomfortable early. And if we did, we felt like maybe we could get him to make a mistake or two. But he hasn’t done that really in previous games. Defensively, I think Clint does a terrific job. And we got some good players over there. We really do. We got some really good players and I thought they played — we challenged our D-line. Coming off that game last week, that last couple of drives, they ran it right down our throat. And we talked Monday about this game was going to be about what those guys did. Daniel Wise, Isi (Holani), Deelsaac Davis, those guys playing in the A gaps, we challenged them. And they give up yards, they gave up a lot, they bent, but they didn’t break. He didn’t get beat for a long one, they had to keep snapping it. And that was what we continue to talk about. Make them snap it again and let’s see what happens. Make them snap it again. It’s hard to score on an error in college football, believe it or not, so just make them snap it again. And I thought the kids did great job of that.
Q. For these seniors, there were tough times, there were dark days. Talk about the character that they have shown believing in this program and being rewarded today on their last home game.
DAVID BEATY: I don’t know if I can say it any better than the way you just said it. I am just so happy for those guys. And you know who else I’m happy for is our senior class from last year. I look up in the stands and right behind our bench it’s been great. Those guys knew that they were looking straight into the fire last year. And I told them, if you’ll just, if you’ll help us, if you’ll continue to be the great kids that you are, I’ll never let you be forgotten. And we’re talking about them in that locker room down there. Those that laid a great foundation and these seniors that haven’t experienced a whole lot of success, man, I’m so happy for those guys and, really, I take my hat off to the rest of the team, because they dedicated the whole week to them. They really did a great job of focusing on those seniors. And I could tell they had a different look in their eye today. I could tell. They believed. And not that they don’t always believe, they just had a very confident look to them. And I know our team is very happy for themselves, but they’re really happy for the fans.
Q. The offense really hadn’t done a lot. You guys were down 21-10, I think Ke’aun had like a 20-yard run and you saw something open up and made something happen, did that really get the offense going there?
DAVID BEATY: Absolutely it sparked us. The thing about it is, when we can get him going in tempo, it helps. But you got to string first downs together to do that. I want to say there were, I know of at least four drives that started inside our own 10-yard line and we’re trying to get that thing out, wanting to just get one or two and let’s see if we can get favorable position to punt the ball and changed field position with our defense playing like that. And our defense kept stopping them, but we kept getting the ball on the 5 or 10 and, man, good teams, they get it out. And we weren’t able to get it out down there. But he kept playing and he found a spark there and we were back in our own end and he’s had that knack to do that over the last couple of weeks. Man, I’m so proud of that kid. He just continues working and he comes from a great family and you know why he’s the type of kid he is. I’m fired up for him.
Q. You had to recruit to an 0-12 team before and you understand the difficulties. Do you have a grasp of what this win can do for the whole program moving forward?
DAVID BEATY: Well, for us it’s our first Big-12 victory and it’s only one win that we have had in this season in that Big-12 schedule. So, we’re going to keep it in perspective. But from a recruiting perspective, I think you hit it on the head. That’s a good football team over there and they have a bunch of really, really talented guys. And being able to go toe-to-toe with those guys and come away with a victory, I think it says a lot about the direction that our program is headed. The coaches that we have around here, these coaches are terrific. Our administration, all the support we get from these people, even when you don’t think they are, man, our administration, they support us like you would not believe. Our kids, they are treated like gold. If you’re a recruit, and you don’t want to come here, you’re crazy. Because, man, we take care of our guys like nobody, nobody else. Because it’s a terrific place. They love their kids. When you get here, you become a Jayhawk and that’s the coolest thing about you. When you become a Jayhawk, it changes everything about you.
Q. Can you describe the emotion of being at midfield and having all the students rush the field celebrating with you and your players and your program and just taking it all in. What did that feel like?
DAVID BEATY: Man, it was awesome. It was so cool to see them smiling and to see them having fun and enjoying themselves. They kept coming. They kept coming. Every week there was a ton of students up in that student section. And as a coach you keep thinking, you know, man, are these kids going to continue to do that? And they did. They did. They kept coming. This is not just for our guys, it’s for them. Our guys truly want to win to make their fans, the students here, their fan base, their stakeholders, they want them to be happy. They have gone through a lot. To see those fans down there, I saw so many great supporters of our university that were out there that, I mean, it felt good to give them a hug and thank them with a win.
Q. Would you agree that the drive in the fourth quarter, I believe it was around eight or nine minutes, was one of the best drives of the season?
DAVID BEATY: I definitely think it would be. We had three drives last week of 10 plays or more that took off quite a few minutes off the clock. We’re starting to get a little bit better. And that helps us. We’re starting to finish drives a little bit better. That’s a good defense now. They got some dudes. I know, because I recruited every single one of them. They are — those dudes are big men. We had to alter some of the things we were doing because their bodies are so long the passing windows aren’t the same. It’s crazy how big those dudes are. But that drive I think really helped us.
Q. So many of your kids from Texas have been in big games, you know, Sims, on and on you could go. Does it mean a little something extra for those Texas kids when they see it’s the Longhorns out there?
DAVID BEATY: I would probably think it does, but in that moment out there, you almost don’t really know who you played. It was just about other people that hung with you. I truly think that’s how they feel. I had to remind them in there, you need to enjoy this. You need to be excited as well. You need to understand, we got to learn how to win. And we got to understand that’s part of the process. That it’s hard to win a football game in college football. So you have to enjoy it. And then we’ll go back to work for K-State tomorrow.
Q. This isn’t the exclamation point, but what type of shot in the arm does this give this team going forward to the season finale next week?
DAVID BEATY: Well, I think it certainly, it’s kind of, it sparks us heading into this next week. What a great game, a great history that these two teams have together. This great state. Certainly you know what I think about Coach Snyder and what he’s done. I have so much respect for him and I truly believe they’re one of the best teams in the Big-12. They really, they could easily be a 10, 11 win team right now. They are very talented. We got a huge, huge mountain we got to climb to get ready to play these guys. But it’s going to be a lot easier and a lot funner preparing tomorrow with the result that we got today. Thanks a lot, I appreciate you guys hanging with us, covering all the stories that you had to cover over the last couple, three years. And I know it can be a lot funner for you on these type of situations at times if you let it. So thanks a lot. Appreciate it.
Beaty’s FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
Kansas sophomore LB Keith Loneker Jr.
On Steven Sims Jr.’s cornerback skills:
“I’m going to give Steven not just an A+, but an A++ there. That’s a great play by him knowing the situation. I don’t doubt that Steven could make that play, he’s a smart kid.”
On Sims’ great game:
“We see him every day in practice, it’s nothing new to us. That kid can play. I’m excited to see what he does not just in college, but after too.”
On Texas’ last play:
“Mike (Lee) was in the perfect position, the play got a little jumbled up and the quarterback was scrambling a little bit. Mike kept his composure and ran his route. When you play that sound, that young, good things happen to you.”
On the winning moment:
“After the game that’s the best feeling and moment for sure as a KU player, probably the best moment as a player ever, in my whole career. That was pretty sweet.”
On the rush on the field after the game:
“I don’t remember it, but just a lot of friends coming in and congratulations.”
On the takeaways giving the defense confidence:
“It’s a little momentum boost, but that’s something we know we can do and we expect of our team. Our guys are really composed and mature when that happens, but it motivates the defense and the offense. We play off of each other.”
On Texas’ size:
“Texas has a great line, they’re well coached and (D’Onta) Foreman is a great player. That guy is the whole package; size and strength. What we had to do was stop him before he got to the line of scrimmage. That was our game plan and I think we did pretty well with it, but he definitely made some plays and that’s great for him.”
On what this win means to Coach Beaty:
“He’s a great guy. He’s always so happy for you, but we’re all happy for him. This is his first Big 12 win. He works countless hours; hard, late nights. He’s a guy we like to play for.”
On Beaty’s message after the game:
“He told us how happy he was for us. We were like, ‘No, coach, we’re happy for you. This is big for you.’ We’re playing for him. He’s our boss so we’re really excited for him.”
On a moment dreamed of as a transfer:
“There wasn’t one set moment I was dreaming of but getting to play with these guys and starting to get some wins. I hope this spurs in to what we all see as a vision.”
On the intensity of the game:
“This is probably the best feeling I’ve ever had. The anticipation going up; we’re starting to become a really mature team. Our defense is real mature. They trust each other and we all expected that we were going to come out with that win.”
On the defense’s preparation:
“Coach (Todd) Bradford and Coach (Clint) Bowen did countless hours of trying to figure out what we were going to do and figure out a great game plan and we had to buy in. I believe we bought in. They told us in practice to turn the intensity up. Even though it’s late in the season, you can’t be walking through practice. Coach Bradford does a great job of (being) high level, high intensity during practice so we’re able to get clean looks in practice and it turns over in the games.”
On the in-state rivalry vs. K-State as a Kansas native:
“It’s awesome. I personally haven’t been able to play against K-State, but I grew up in Lawrence my whole life and there’s always been a little bad blood there. It would be pretty fun to play against them.
Kansas senior S Fish Smithson
On Sims’ big play:
“He made a good play. He knew the situation. He knew the situation with 12 or 19 seconds left on the clock. He knew to take a shot at the end zone. The coaches prepped him for that situation.”
On the difficulty of Sims’ play:
“It is hard. That’s what our receiving coaches teach our receivers. When a ball is thrown like that and they can’t make a catch on it, try and rip it out.”
On the gratifying win:
“It’s big. It’s big for all of our seniors but it’s also big for our younger guys. They see how all their hard work in the summer pans out.”
On the celebratory moment after the game:
“It’s a bunch of positive energy. After the game a bunch of people came up to me congratulating me on staying positive throughout the whole process. It’s easy for me because of the locker room I’m in and the coaching staff that we have. We truly mean that we have coaches who support us and we’re all in it together. Sometimes people from the outside might look at it as just wins and losses, but it’s not always about wins and losses.”
On the defense’ six turnovers:
“I didn’t know we had six but we were very hungry. Coach Beaty kind of put it on us this week. They talked about how Texas has a great offensive line. He put it on our shoulders to go out there and get stops.”
On Texas challenging the defense:
“Yes they did. We liked it though. They (the coaches) told us every day throughout the week how good of an offensive line they had and they know how to play big. I think our defensive line was up for the challenge.”
On the value of today’s win:
“Earlier in the week we talked about building that foundation. Building for this weekend, the offseason and the guys coming up, building this for them.”
On the win mattering more to seniors or coaches than underclassmen:
“That’s tough, because the seniors have been through a whole lot without seeing too much success. I just went to present the game ball to Coach Beaty for his first Big 12 victory. I think our coaching staff would try to say it’s for us, but our senior class would say it’s for them.”
On Coach Beaty’s reaction to the game ball:
“He just kind of ducked his head and was about to get to emotional. He was really proud of us and how hard we’ve worked and how resilient we are.”
On his feelings during Sims’ play:
“I was probably more excited about that play than any other play, even my good plays. He’s like my little brother out there and you see him make a big time play like that, I’m proud of him.”
Kansas senior K Matthew Wyman
On getting to overtime:
“Absolutely, Coach (Beaty) told us at halftime that this game was going to come down to me. I just kept focused the whole game. I was just really focusing on keeping my head down and staying in the zone and it worked out.”
On this game winner compared to his previous one:
“It was great to give Coach Beaty his first Big 12 win and to send out the seniors that way. It’s something that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
On his teammates’ support:
“My teammates are great. They’re just a bunch of guys who support me if I’m not having the best day and always try to get me up and going. They’re not the guys who are going to drag me down. I give them the credit. They’ve been super supportive and that’s awesome.”
On what was going through his head prior to the kick:
“I was just visualizing. This week I focused on keeping my head down and I was visualizing the ball going through (the goalposts) and keeping my head down. Nothing more than that.”
On the aftermath of the win:
“It was absolutely crazy. I couldn’t ask for a better Senior Day. I had about 30 people here so it was awesome. My grandparents actually came to the (Texas) Tech game winner as well as this game, so it was great having them here.”
Kansas senior CB Brandon Stewert
On his defense:
“We just watched film on them all week and we knew they were going to try and run the ball. They had a pretty good pass offense and we came up with a good game plan and were able to execute it tonight.”
On his 55-yard run:
“I could tell by the split what he was going to run and before they kept running it, but they never threw it and this time he threw it and it just worked out where it came to me. It felt good to go for 55 yards.”
On Texas’ passing game:
“I think we’re pretty confident in our defense and when another guy makes a play we just feed off of each other, kind of like a domino effect.”
On getting Coach Beaty his first Big 12 win:
“We were hungry for it. For it to come versus Texas, a Big 12 team like them, and for it to come on Senior Day (made it even more special). Everything just played out perfectly for us tonight and we couldn’t be any happier as a team.”
On the defense’s tiredness:
“You would think we were tired, but that’s what we do. We like to go out there and have fun with each other. At the end of the day, it’s just all fun. We were out there a lot, but it was a lot of fun.”
On how the stops bring the energy:
“They got us energized. I feel like the offense fed off of it and they made plays when they needed it and we got the win. I’m just so happy.”
On the four-turnover 2nd quarter and the pick in overtime:
“I was wondering how many we had. I thought we had like five maybe 10, but it was awesome to go out there and execute like that. That’s fun.”
On playing at K-State next week:
“I think we shouldn’t change anything we do. We practice hard Monday through Friday. If we just go out and do that next week we should (be able to) go out there and take care of business against K-State.”
Kansas sophomore DE Dorance Armstrong Jr.
On how fun this game was to be a part of:
“It was fun. We just went out there and executed everything that Coach Bowen put in for our defense. We cheered the offense on when they went out there and played and they did the same for us. The momentum we had throughout the whole game just pushed us through and led us to a victory.”
On the success the defense had with Bowen’s plan:
“We just executed what he put in and it worked. It was the most perfect game plan that he could have ever come up with. Things went wrong, but we were able to bounce back from them, keep executing and get the victory.”
On what he told the offensive huddle:
“I just told them to go out there and get in the end zone and that’s what they did.”
On what it takes to keep going stop after stop:
“You just have to keep playing your hardest and keep positive things going. Communicate and make sure we’re on the same page for both defense and offense.”
On his fumble return:
“It was just a reaction. It’s all I knew how to do. In little league, I did play a little bit of running back so I guess I’ve still got it in me.”
On playing at K-State next week:
“We’ve got a lot of momentum on our side. I feel like if we just execute our game plan for both sides of the ball like we did this week, then we can get the win.”
Kansas sophomore WR Steven Sims Jr.
On the two-point conversion play:
“It was crazy. We practice that play all the time. We finally called it and I felt like they (the defense) knew what we were about to do. Their safety kind of cheated over, so I kind of knew that I was going to have to run from the beginning. I saw that Carter (Stanley, QB) was covered up and I just ran it in.”
On his ball break up:
“I really wanted to make the play to score the touchdown for us and win the game. I knew that I just had to fight for my teammates and that I had to pull the ball out in some type of way and I did that.”
On this being a team win:
“This was a massive team win. Everybody was making plays on defense. Everybody was making plays today. (It is) A great team victory.”
On what changed offensively at the end of the game:
“I think it was when D Wise (Daniel Wise) came from off of the field. I think they got a stop and he was screaming at us, ‘Dig deep. Fight! Fight!’ After that we went and made two drives. It just got everybody going. We fought and won the game.”
On when he knew Kansas was going to win:
“I knew the game was over once Mike (Lee) picked it off, to be honest.”
On senior kicker Matthew Wyman coming through tonight:
“It was great. We were cheering his name when we got to the locker room. We’ve always got his back. We trust him. I knew that the TCU field goal (attempt) was still probably haunting him today and so for him to win a game for us, it was great.”
On going into the rivalry matchup with K-State next week:
“It (today) was a great momentum booster for us. We’re going to go back to work Monday and it’s going to be a fun game.”
Texas head coach Charlie Strong
On if a win at TCU will be enough:
“You know, I just see the progress.”
On the feeling after the game:
“You look at the game and we were up 21 to 10 in the fourth quarter and we were playing well on defense. I told the defense I would rather have them out there making stops so that we can get the ball back and continue to make plays.”
Texas offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert
On the overtime interception by freshman quarterback Shane Buechele:
“I think he just shot it high. It was a progression read that took him across the field and he got out of the pocket and it just sailed high.”
On how to handle the loss for the players:
“You go hug them and look them in the eye and tell them to keep battling. It’s a feeling you don’t want to have again so you go out and have a great practice and have a good week.”
On giving up a fourth quarter lead:
“We just have to take care of the football. You’re in that position so that’s when you have to finish it off. We put ourselves in a situation that would have put us up 14 (points and we weren’t able to do that.”
Texas freshman QB Shane Buechele
On being knocked around:
“I was all there. It was just a precautionary take me in. I felt fine the rest of the game.”
On what’s going through his mind:
“You just have to get everyone to rally back. We’re a family in there and to have that family atmosphere and to learn from your mistakes this game.”
On head coach Charlie Strong’s future:
“You know, that’s not my thing to worry about. We’re going to fight for him this next game.”
On recovering from this loss:
“It’s just as important for our team to recover from it. You just put in the past and you know you never want to feel this feeling again. It’s important for our team to just have confidence in each other and try to go out and do everything we can to get a win next week.”
Texas sophomore OL Connor Williams
On freshman quarterback Shane Buechele being knocked down:
“He took a few hits, but the coaches felt confident in him to be able to go back in and execute.”
On what wasn’t clicking and turnovers:
“Errors and execution. We didn’t come out to play. Ball security is job security. To get turnovers like that, it put us behind, but we can’t change it.”
On head coach Charlie Strong’s future:
“I don’t think we’re thinking about that right now.”
UP NEXT: Kansas closes out the regular season when the Jayhawks travel to in-state rival Kansas State, Saturday, November 26. Kickoff against the Wildcats is slated for 11 a.m., with the broadcast designated to Fox Sports 1.
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