DJ Giddens powers Kansas State to a 44-31 Victory over UCF

Nick Friesen CFD

On what ended up being a perfect night for football Kansas State was able to pull away from UCF on the back of running back DJ Giddens. Giddens had 207 yards rushing with 4 touchdowns on the ground. He had also added 86 yards receiving on 8 catches. In the post-game press conference, DJ (an avid fisherman and shy quiet kid) was asked to compare this performance to fishing to which he replied, "It is like catching a 20-pound catfish and enjoying the night."

Turning Point in this Matchup?

At the 13:40 mark in the third quarter, UCF took a 24-21 lead on a 46-yard pass to Kobe Hudson from Timmy McClain. That touchdown for UCF capped off a rough couple of drives for Kansas State that ended with a turnover on downs and a missed field goal seeming that UCF had captured all momentum. K-State then went to rattle off 23 unanswered points to take control of this game with a pair of Will Howard touchdown runs and DJ Giddens' fourth of the game.

Nick Friesen CFD

What is next for UCF?

UCF came into this game in Manhattan Kansas with a high-powered offense averaging 617 yards a game and 41 points. They were held on the road without their starting quarterback to 31 points and 407 yards in this game. UCF will have to figure out the rush defense going forward after being gashed for 281 yards and 6 total touchdowns on the ground. Going forward they will not be facing teams with the experience Kansas State has on the offensive line and at quarterback. When John Rhys Plumlee comes back from injury the Knights should be able to get back to scoring a lot of points.

Next Game: Baylor comes to UCF on Saturday, September 30th.

What is Next for K-State?

The loss last week to Missouri on a 61-yard field goal stung. Head coach Chris Klieman stated, "they were not going to let Missouri beat them twice." It looks like that was a message that reached home to the team. Gaining 536 yards of total offense and scoring 44 points Kansas State got back on track in front of an energized K-State fanbase. "Homefield advantage is really special here" according to Will Howard. This game was what the Wildcats needed going into the bye week and now they can heal up and get ready for a long stretch of 8 straight games.

Next Game: Kansas State travels to Oklahoma State on Friday, October 6th.