MANHATTAN, KS (KELO.com) — Kansas State scored 20 first quarter points on its way to a 34-0 season-opening, college football win over South Dakota in front of a sellout crowd of 50,469 Saturday evening at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
The Wildcats rushed for 297 yards in the contest while their defense limited the Coyotes to 270 total yards from scrimmage.
Kansas State scored on the game’s first offensive snap as receiver Malik Knowles took a direct handoff 75 yards around the left end to paydirt.
The teams traded punts before the Wildcats capitalized on special teams with a blocked punt that was scooped and returned 17 yards for a touchdown by Desmond Purnell.
KSU all-American running back Deuce Vaughn, who carried 18 times for 126 yards in the game, added a third Wildcat touchdown in the first quarter with a 39-yard run.
South Dakota’s defense got stronger as the game went on, limiting Kansas State to only 14 points over the final three quarters.
Michael Scott, a senior linebacker and transfer from Akron, had two sacks and a tackle-for-loss amongst his seven solo stops while junior Brock Mogensen led the way with nine solo stops as part of his 10 tackles in the game.
The Coyotes posted nine tackles-for-lsos in the contest, including four sacks, as Myles Harden and Micah Roane also had sacks.
South Dakota offensively saw sophomore quarterback Carson Camp complete 18 of 34 attempts for 132 yards. Shomari Lawrence carried the ball 14 times for 84 yards and Travis Theis tacked on 56 yards on 11 attempts.
The Coyotes hit the road again in week two, traveling to Missoula, Montana, to face the third-ranked Grizzlies in a 2:30 p.m. kickoff next Saturday.
