MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Avery Johnson threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Joe Jackson with 42 seconds left and No. 17 Kansas State escaped with a 38-35 victory over FCS opponent North Dakota on Saturday night.
Kansas State avoided becoming the first ranked team to lose two games in August in the history of the poll, and also dodged its first 0-2 start since coaching great Bill Snyder’s first season in 1989. The Wildcats opened last week with a 24-21 loss to Iowa State in Dublin.
“If we’re going to play like this every week, we’re not going to be the team that we want to be,” Johnson said. “There are little things we can take from from this week. But ultimately, I don’t think we should be satisfied with how we play tonight.”
North Dakota — playing its its first game under coach Eric Schmidt — missed a chance to become the seventh FCS (formerly I-AA) team to knock off a school in the AP Top 25. Montana was the last to accomplish the feat, beating then-No. 20 Washington 13-7 in 2021.
“When they really needed something at the end of the game, they put together a drive to be able to win the football game,” Schmidt said. “So congrats to them. As we tell our guys now, ‘How are you going to respond to this, some adversity now in your life, and get ready for Portland State?’”
K-State blew a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, with North Dakota taking a 35-31 lead on Sawyer Seidl’s 20-yard run with 4:19 left.
Johnson then drove the Wildcats 81 yards on 10 plays for the winning score.
“He was calm and made play after play after play,” Wildcats coach Chris Klieman said. “Even when we had a drop, he came back, made a play, and then we ultimately get a score.”
Johnson was 28 of 43 for 318 yards and three touchdowns.
North Dakota led 21-17 at the half, and Kansas State took a 31-21 lead into the fourth. North Dakota started the rally with Jerry Kaminski’s 22-yard touchdown pass to Korey Tai.
North Dakota’s Jerry Kaminski was 23 of 38 for 231 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for two touchdowns.
The Fighting Hawks were looking for their first victory over an FBS opponent since edging Wyoming in 2015.
The takeaway
North Dakota: The Fighting Hawks were not intimidated playing a Power 4 opponent on the road, matching the Wildcats until the final seconds.
Kansas State: Could drop out of the poll after the shaky start.
Up next
North Dakota: Hosts Portland State on Saturday.
Kansas State: Hosts Army on Saturday.
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