Prior to the season, Oklahoma kicker Michael Hunnicutt shared a photo of his team iPad, which had just one instruction — kick the ball through the uprights.
Apparently Hunnicutt, who is considered one of the best kickers in the nation, misplaced that playbook prior to Saturday’s game against Kansas State because he missed two field goals, including a chip shot he pushed left, and had an extra point blocked to help Kansas State to a 31-30 win.
The victory keeps the Wildcats undefeated in conference play while it puts the Sooners on the outside looking in with two conference losses.
Kansas State is now in the hunt for a Big 12 title and possibly a spot in the College Fotball Playoff, which seems a little surreal considering even going into this game the Wildcats were not being talked about as contenders. Most of the Big 12 talk centered on Baylor, TCU and Oklahoma while the Wildcats lurked in the shadows, discounted because of their nonconference loss to Auburn.
But this is a good Kansas State team that has a strong offense, led by quarterback Jake Waters, who had 276 total yards and three scores in the win, and a defense that did enough to quiet an Oklahoma offense that has struggled with consistency in the past few weeks.
But what has been consistent for the Sooners has been its kicking game. Hunnicutt even tied the record for most field goals in Big 12 history after making his first kick. But it was all downhill from there. And on the last missed field goal, a kick that would have given the Sooners the lead late, Hunnicutt’s mechanics looked amiss, which could be a sign of bigger issues for the Sooners' kicking game down the road.
Right now, Oklahoma has gone from a team many saw competing in the playoff to an also-ran in a tough conference.
As for Kansas State, it still has its toughest conference football ahead of it. It hosts a feisty Texas defense next week, and still has to face Oklahoma State, TCU, West Virginia and Baylor. So, its place at the top of the Big 12 standings might be short-lived.
Still, if the Wildcats play like they have so far in Big 12 play, they could be the conference’s unexpected representation in the playoff when everything shakes out.
For more Kansas State news, visit GoPowerCat.com.
For more Oklahoma news, visit SoonerScoop.com.
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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday
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From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - Oklahoma's unexpected kicking woes help Kansas State to a big win
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