The Wildcats finished the regular season undefeated (11–0) and were ranked second in the nation ahead of their match-up with tenth-ranked Texas A&M in the 1998 Big 12 Championship Game. Kansas State lost in overtime, losing their chance at a national championship.[1]
After the Big 12 Championship Game, Kansas State did not receive a spot in the inaugural Bowl Championship Series despite being ranked in its top four as well as the highest ranked non-champion from any conference. They also were not invited to the Cotton Bowl Classic in Dallas, as the conference runner-up typically would be, or the Holiday Bowl in San Diego, which at the time was contracted to invite the third place team in the conference; those bowls chose Texas and Nebraska instead. Instead, Kansas State was invited to the Alamo Bowl,[2] where it lost to the unranked Purdue Boilermakers, who drove 80 yards for a touchdown in the final minute to defeat Kansas State 37–34.[3]
Following the end of the season, a new rule was created. Nicknamed the "Kansas State Rule", the #3 ranked team would always have an automatic bid to a BCS bowl game.
The Wildcats finished the season as the top scoring team in NCAA Division I-A (at 48 points per game), and set a school record for points scored with 610.[4]
First Quarter
KSU- Bishop 1-yard run (Gramatica kick) 7:13
KSU - DeAndrea Robinson 6-yard blocked punt (Gramatica kick) 5:46
KSU - Eric Hickson 7-yard run (Gramatica kick) 3:22
Second Quarter
KSU - Bishop 8-yard run (Gramatica kick) 7:26
KSU - Allen 63-yard punt return (Gramatica kick) 5:17
KSU- Gramatica 55-yard field goal 0:09
Third Quarter
KSU - Gavin Peries 58-yard pass from Bishop (Gramatica kick) 12:12
KSU - Brian Goolsby 7-yard run (Gramatica kick) 6:51
Fourth Quarter
KSU - David Conley 3-yard run (Gramatica kick) 14:54
KSU - Marlon Charles 39-yard run (Gramatica kick) 11:43
First Quarter
KSU - Allen 1-yard run (Gramatica kick) 8:18
KSU - Allen 69-yard punt return (Shad Meier pass from Jeremy Milne) 7:10
NIU - Bill Andrews 1-yard run (Clark kick) 2:43
KSU - Gramatica 46-yard field goal 1:33
KSU - Cooper 15-yard interception return (Gramatica kick) 1:12
Second Quarter
KSU - Bishop 2-yard run (Gramatica kick) 14:05
KSU - Bishop 2-yard run (Gramatica kick) 9:46
KSU - Hickson 36 pass from Bishop (Gramatica kick) 8:01
KSU - Gramatica 37-yard field goal 4:10
KSU - Marlon Charles 4-yard run (Gramatica kick) 2:35
KSU - Gramatica 65-yard field goal 0:02
Third Quarter
KSU - McDonald 27 pass from Bishop (Gramatica kick) 10:20
Fourth Quarter
KSU - Helm 5-yard run (Goodnow kick) 13:03
Kansas State welcomed Texas for their first Big 12 Conference matchup, and first meeting since 1942, and Texas' first trip to Manhattan since 1926. 1998 Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams was held to just 43 yards on 25 carries for an average of just 1.7 yards per carry. He did not score in the game. Williams averaged 202 rushing yards per game in 1998 and was held to a season low 43 yards, his next lowest yardage output was 90 yards against Oklahoma State. K-State racked up 223 yards on the ground on 51 carries and the Wildcats won handily, 48–7.
First Quarter
KSU - Eric Hickson 44 run (Gramatica kick)
Second Quarter
KSU - McDonald 7 pass from Bishop (Gramatica kick)
KSU - Allen 93-yard punt return (Gramatica kick)
KSU - Kelly 17 interception return (Gramatica kick)
KSU - Bishop 1-yard run (Gramatica kick)
Fourth Quarter
UT - McGarity 13 pass from Applewhite (Stockton kick)
KSU - McDonald 7 pass from Bishop (kick blocked)
KSU - Charles 2 run (Gramatica kick)
Kansas State beat Colorado for the second consecutive year (only their second win against the Buffaloes since 1984) and won their first game in Boulder since 1973. K-State came to Boulder with a 2-24 all-time record in games played in Boulder. K-State came to Colorado beating the opposition by an average of 57 points a game, and had a defense which had allowed a total of 21 points in its first 4 games. Colorado was a 17-point underdog and had only lost once in the last 13 seasons to the Wildcats. Colorado held K-State, which was averaging 470 yards and 62 points coming into the game, to 332 yards and just 16 points. Colorado had just 225 yards of total offense, including 37 yards rushing on 31 attempts.
First Quarter
KSU - Bishop 10-yard run (Gramatica kick)
Second Quarter
KSU - Gramatica 30-yard field goal
KSU - Gramatica 45-yard field goal
KU - Chandler 8 pass from Alexander (kick failed)
KSU - Murphy 1 run (Gramatica kick)
KSU - Gramatica 36-yard field goal
Third Quarter
KSU - Swift 1 pass from Bishop (Gramatica kick)
KSU - Hickson 9-yard run (Gramatica kick)
KSU - Gramatica 26-yard field goal
Fourth Quarter
KSU - Bishop 9-yard run (Gramatica kick)
KSU - Charles 31-yard run (Gramatica kick)
Michael Bishop threw for 306 yards and 2 touchdowns, and ran for 140 yards and two more scores as the Wildcats finally broke through against the Huskers.[14] Kansas State beat Nebraska for the first time since 1968 (for a total of 10,962 days) and the first time in Manhattan since 1959.[15] With the win and Missouri's loss to Texas A&M the same day, Kansas State clinched the Big 12 North Division and a bid in the Big 12 Championship game.[15]
First Quarter
NU - Jackson 7 pass from Crouch 11:29 (Brown kick)
KSU - Bishop 2-yard run 3:32 (Gramatica kick)
Second Quarter
NU - Cheatham 45 pass from Crouch 11:00 (Brown kick)
NU - Brown 18 FG 4:55
KSU - Bishop 1-yard run 0:49 (Gramatica kick)
Third Quarter
KSU - McDonald 17 pass from Bishop (Gramatica kick) 8:20
KSU - Gramatica 26-yard field goal 5:03
NU - Brown 74 yard fumble return (Brown kick) 1:05
Fourth Quarter
KSU - Gramatica 21-yard field goal 10:57
NU - Jackson 9 pass from Crouch 8:22 (kick failed)
KSU - McDonald 11 pass from Bishop (Gramatica kick) 5:25
KSU - Kelly 23 fumble return (two point conversion failed) 0:03
Kansas State visited Columbia with their national title hopes very much alive and were able to squeak out a 31–25 victory. School rushing career record Eric Hickson missed the game with a high ankle sprain and was replaced by Marlon Charles, David Allen, and Frank Murphy in the backfield. Kansas State's running back depth was further affected when Marlon Charles suffered a broken hip in the third quarter.[17] Second team All-American kicker Martin Gramatica uncharacteristically missed two field goals. Punt returner David Allen nearly returned his seventh career punt return for a touchdown, setting up a nine yard Frank Murphy touchdown run for Kansas State to go up 24-13 in the third quarter. Kansas State's Keith Black downed a late punt at the two foot line to cause Missouri to have to try to drive 99 yards to win or tie on their final drive, and Frank Murphy fell on his own fumble in the end zone for a touchdown to help to preserve a Kansas State win.[18] The Wildcats won their sixth consecutive game over the Tigers (they would eventually extend the streak to 13 games).
First Quarter
KSU - Peries 10 pass from Bishop (Gramatica kick)
Second Quarter
KSU - Gramatica 48-yard field goal
MU - Jones 5 yard run (Long kick)
MU - Wise 20 pass from Jones (kick failed)
Third Quarter
KSU - Bishop 1-yard run 0:49 (Gramatica kick)
KSU - Murphy 9 run (Gramatica kick)
MU - Long 21 FG
Fourth Quarter
MU - Dausman 20 pass from Jones (pass failed)
KSU - Murphy fumble recovery in end zone (Gramatica kick)
MU - Long 29 FG
Kansas State had 125 yards in penalties, 7 turnovers, and allowed the Boilermakers to drive 80 yards in only 54 seconds for the game-winning touchdown.[20]
^Barr, Josh (December 7, 1998). "Vols, Seminoles Head to Fiesta Bowl, Wildcats to Frustration". The Washington Post. p. D01. ProQuest408429398.
^King, David (December 29, 1998). "K-State Out to Prove It Belongs -- Elsewhere: A National Title May Be Out of Reach, But Not Out of Mind at the Alamo Bowl". The Washington Post. p. D07. ProQuest408408043.
^King, David (December 30, 1998). "Alamo Bowl: Wildcats Are Upset By Purdue: Purdue 37, Kansas State 34". The Washington Post. p. C08. ProQuest408407357.
