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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -- A close call against Missouri sapped most
of the joy out of Kansas State's second trip to the Big 12
championship game in three years.
"I'm pleased that's where we are," Wildcats coach Bill Snyder
said after a 28-24 victory Saturday. "I'm not very happy about how
we got there."
|  | | QB Jonathan Beasley went 9-of-20 for 158 yards and rushed for 45 yards on 22 carries for Kansas State. |
Josh Scobey scored twice in a 25-point second quarter as No. 9
Kansas State overcame an early two-touchdown deficit. Kansas State
(10-2, 6-2) will play either Oklahoma or Texas for the conference
title Dec. 2 in Kansas City.
Kansas State made it to the title game despite mid-season losses
to Oklahoma and Texas A&M.
"We feel like this is the best opportunity that could ever come
by a team this late in the season," Scobey said. "We're
undefeated in November and we look to stay undefeated on Dec. 2."
The Wildcats have beaten Missouri eight straight times, but
struggled to put this one away with Tigers players inspired to
finish on a strong note and perhaps save coach Larry Smith's job.
"It motivated us a lot," defensive end Justin Smith. "We
played our hearts out for him."
Kansas State beat Missouri 66-0 in the regular-season finale
last season, Smith's worst beating in 24 seasons, and was a
21½-point favorite Saturday. But the Wildcats only beat Missouri by
six points in the 1998 finale, the last time they made it to the
conference championship game.
"I don't think I'll take any time at all to celebrate
anything," Snyder said. "I really want to find all the problems
that existed today."
Missouri (3-8, 2-6) lost to all five ranked opponents this
season and is 1-27 under Smith. He's 33-46-1 in seven seasons at
the school and Missouri finished the season losing five of six.
Smith said he'll meet with athletic director Mike Alden soon and
expects to be back.
"I'm not a quitter and I'm not resigning," Smith said.
Alden declined to comment.
Quarterback Darius Outlaw scored on runs of 14 and 3 yards for
Missouri, which is 7-15 the last two seasons after consecutive bowl
trips.
Scobey, who has 16 touchdowns, scored on runs of 4 and 1 yards
in the second quarter as Kansas State took a 25-21 lead at the
break. Rod Cartright had a 13-yard run, Jamie Rheem hit a 31-yard
field goal, and Outlaw was sacked in the end zone for a safety in
the quarter.
The last three scores, Scobey's 4-yard run, the safety and
Scobey's 1-yard run, came in the final 3:57 of the first half.
"We moved the football and sometimes moved the ball at will,"
Snyder said.
After that, things quieted down quite a bit. Missouri opened the
second half with a 26-yard field goal by Mike Caldrone to cut the
gap to 25-24 and Kansas State answered with a 34-yard field goal by
Rheem with 12:38 to go after an Outlaw fumble.
"It wasn't pretty," Scobey said. "But we got it done."
Turnovers helped Missouri take a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.
The Tigers scored first for the eighth time in 11 games as
Steven Colbert's blocked punt after Kansas State went three plays
and out on its first possession led to Outlaw's 14-yard run for the
game's first score. An interception by Cedric Harden at the Kansas
State 44 put the Tigers in position for a 15-yard touchdown pass
from Outlaw to Eric Spencer with 4:09 to go in the quarter.
Outlaw also scored on a 3-yard run in the second quarter for a
21-10 lead.
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ALSO SEE
College Football Scoreboard
Kansas State Clubhouse
Missouri Clubhouse
Missouri's Smith fired after 3-8 season, big defeats
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