Manhattan, Kan —
If the Big 12 ever wants to expand to 12 members again, the league’s powerbrokers might want to take a look at poaching a couple of schools from the Missouri Valley Conference.
Of course, Kansas and Kansas State might quickly object.
Both of them had to work against schools from the Football Championship Subdivision in their season openers Saturday.
They weren’t alone, either: Wisconsin had to make a late defensive stand to beat Northern Iowa, Indiana State took Indiana to the brink, and Pittsburgh was embarrassed by Youngstown State in Paul Chryst’s debut as Panthers coach.
Yes, it was a banner day for the Missouri Valley, a league better known for its hoops but one that now has 11 football wins against members of BCS conferences since 2000.
“They might not be big-name schools, but you can’t sleep on them,” Kansas State defensive back Nigel Malone said shortly after the No. 22 Wildcats rattled off 35 fourth-quarter points to beat Missouri State 51-9 on Saturday night.
The final score may have been lopsided, but the game certainly wasn’t.
The Bears, winners of two games a year ago and picked to finish last in the 10-team Missouri Valley, had a healthy advantage in total offense late in the third quarter, when Austin Witmer’s third field goal pulled Missouri State into a 9-all tie.
Suddenly, a festive sellout crowd was starting to fret, no doubt remembering the Wildcats’ last-gasp victory over Eastern Kentucky in their season opener a year ago.
Kansas State eventually blitzed the Bears down the stretch — a 95-yard touchdown run by John Hubert, an 89-yard punt return by Tramaine Thompson, a couple of touchdown passes by Collin Klein and Braden Wilson’s TD run put the game out of reach. But the fact that Missouri State was still in the game by that point was a big surprise.
“I thought our guys played their tail ends off for three quarters,” said Missouri State coach Terry Allen, who led Northern Iowa for several years before a failed try coaching Kansas.
“They competed hard, and I was really proud of them,” Allen said, “and I’m disappointed by the final score and how it all unraveled at the end. I told them that we can be a good football team. I believe that, and we just can’t let the fourth-quarter snowball have a reaction on us.”
Things started to snowball for South Dakota State down the stretch, too.
The Jackrabbits scored on a 99-yard touchdown run to take an early lead against the Jayhawks, and Justin Syrovatka’s field goal midway through the fourth quarter made it a one-touchdown game.
Kansas managed to tack on a late score for a 31-17 victory in coach Charlie Weis’ debut.
While the Big 12 schools managed to get off to winning starts, albeit in somewhat sluggish fashion, Pittsburgh wasn’t nearly as fortunate against Youngstown State.
In their first game under Chryst, the Panthers yielded more than 200 yards rushing and were outgained on offense, while the Penguins converted 11 of 16 third downs.
“One of our fundamentals for success, we have 16 of them, is expect to win. After being here two-and-a-half years, I think we’re finally in a position to win football games,” said coach Eric Wolford, who is trying to restore the Penguins to the level they reached under Jim Tressel.
“This place is about championships and one game is not going to define us,” Wolford said. “We have a 24-hour rule: Enjoy it tomorrow or whatever the case may be, and then we’ve got to move on. We’ve got bigger fish to fry. That’s what we’re measured by.”
Northern Iowa nearly pulled off an even bigger upset after trailing Wisconsin 19-0 early in the third quarter. The Panthers scored three touchdowns in about 8 minutes to claw back into the game.
“When you play a team like Wisconsin, you can draw all the Xs and Os you want, but until you can line up and beat them at the line of scrimmage you have no chance,” Northern Iowa coach Mark Farley said. “I’m very pleased with our team, their effort, staying with the game, not looking at the scoreboard and looking at the next play.”
That’s something that most of the Missouri Valley did just fine on Saturday.
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Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis Longest: Terre Haute South's Tyler Seibert took just one jump, at 20 feet, 7 and three quarters of an inch, to qualify for the finals of the event in the boys track sectional Thursday evening.
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Big group of Wabash Valley boys head to Evansville looking for state berths
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West Vigo comes up short against 19-9 Brown County softball
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The Eagles bested the Vikings 7-5 and will meet South Vermillion, a 12-7 winner over Owen Valley, for the sectional championship on Thursday starting at 6 p.m.
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Valley baseball teams have been keeping busy heading into sectionals
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Northview powers way past Terre Haute South in sectional semifinal
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The Knights hit three home runs in an eight-run third inning to reach the championship game. -
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Terre Haute North dominates field at regional
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Manaea's shoulder causing him latest pain
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PREP ROUNDUP: South tennis cruises into regional final
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Terry enjoys strong year with Wildcats, and still enjoying suiting up to play
South Vermillion’s Tim Terry is the longest tenured coach in Wabash Valley high school baseball as his Wildcats are set to begin sectional play Thursday against Owen Valley.
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Big group of Wabash Valley boys head to Evansville looking for state berths
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Coach: Tim Terry is the South Vermillion baseball coach and plays in the senior league on Sunday afternoons.
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Terry enjoys strong year with Wildcats, and still enjoying suiting up to play
South Vermillion’s Tim Terry is the longest tenured coach in Wabash Valley high school baseball as his Wildcats are set to begin sectional play Thursday against Owen Valley.
But on the Yankees, a 35-and-over team in the Terre Haute Men’s Senior Baseball League, Terry is “just a youngster” if you ask Larry Roesch, his 68-year-old teammate on the Volkers Group Yankees. -
Softball sectionals up for grabs
All three Vigo County high schools and Northview appear to have a realistic chance of winning sectional championships in softball this week.
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Indiana State baseball series canceled
Heavy rain from Thursday through Saturday has forced Indiana State and Tennessee Martin to cancel their three-game weekend baseball series in northwest Tennessee.
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METRO ROUNDUP: Rose-Hulman baseball to play DePauw on Thursday after Tuesday's rain
The Rose-Hulman baseball team has rescheduled its non-conference game with DePauw to Thursday night.
The start time remains 7 p.m. for the single nine-inning game that was originally scheduled for today. Tuesday’s scheduled Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference game at Anderson was moved to Sunday because of rain. -
Vigo County Youth Soccer Association to host Indiana Soccer Cup Games
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Terry enjoys strong year with Wildcats, and still enjoying suiting up to play
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Big group of Wabash Valley boys head to Evansville looking for state berths
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- College
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Manaea's shoulder causing him latest pain
Indiana State pitcher Sean Manaea has battled through so many aches and pains during the 2013 season that it can be hard to discern the serious pain from the pain he pitches through.
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ISU's Negele answers call in big way in wake of Manaea injury
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ISU baseball hoping Manaea can get its MVC Tournament moving in right direction
Indiana State’s baseball team has been waiting all season for its stars to align.
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ISU track sending record 22 to postseason
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ISU's athletic treasure trove
Think of every championship that Indiana State has won in each of its sports, past and present. Think of every tournament — postseason or regular season — which the Sycamores have claimed as their own.
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Manaea's shoulder causing him latest pain
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TRACKSIDE: Local drivers, owners looking to have strong night at Tony Hulman Classic
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TRACKSIDE: Local drivers, owners looking to have strong night at Tony Hulman Classic
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Colts hoping for more high marks on draft picks
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Colts hoping for more high marks on draft picks
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Consultation: Rex manager Brian Dorsett talks with his pitcher and players during a time-out Sunday, July 15, at Sycamore Field. (Tribune-Star file/Bob Poynter)
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2012 an up, down season for Rex
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2012 an up, down season for Rex
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Colts' coordinators enjoying getting rookies acclimated
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Colts' coordinators enjoying getting rookies acclimated
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From its early beginnings starting in 1971, the U.S. Auto Club-sanctioned event has been the annual centerpiece of the racing calendar at the Terre Haute Action Track as well as a key stop on the USAC sprint schedule and one of the most sought after wins in big league sprint-car racing. - Carpenter arrives as Indy 500 threat
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TRACKSIDE: Local drivers, owners looking to have strong night at Tony Hulman Classic
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