Houston scores twice in 4th quarter, Cougars beat No. 17 Kansas State 24-19

HOUSTON -- Zeon Chriss threw for 103 yards and a touchdown without an incompletion arsenic Houston rallied successful 4th fourth to hit No. 17 Kansas State 24-19 connected Saturday.

Trailing 19-10 to commencement nan 4th quarter, Chriss threw a 1-yard touchdown to Maliq Carr pinch 11 minutes left. After forcing a punt, Chriss rushed for a 41-yard touchdown pinch 2:31 to go.

Chriss, who vanished 11 of 11, besides rushed for 75 yards and caught a walk for 8 yards.

“We’ve knowledgeable a batch (of adversity) this season,” Chriss said. “We were trying to beryllium affirmative astir it, and spot successful nan defense. The defense told america ‘We sewage y’all,’ and we sewage them.”

Linebacker Michael Batton intercepted Kansas State backmost Avery Johnson connected nan adjacent drive.

After Houston (4-5, 3-3 Big 12) was forced to punt pinch 40 seconds left, nan Wildcats drove to nan Cougars’ 39 pinch 4 seconds left, but Johnson’s heave was knocked retired of nan extremity zone.

“We didn’t play a cleanable game, but we played good capable to win, and that’s what matters,” Houston coach Willie Fritz said.

The triumph was Houston’s first triumph complete a classed squad since beating No. 19 SMU 44-37 connected Oct. 30, 2021.

“They’re going to commencement believing,” Fritz said astir Houston’s 2nd consecutive one-possession win. “We sewage to support going.”

The nonaccomplishment snapped Kansas State’s four-game winning streak.

Wildcats coach Chris Klieman said his squad didn’t play “with bully capable fundamentals and techniques" and pointed to Kansas State’s inability to tally nan ball, arsenic they vanished pinch 89 yards rushing.

“We weren’t moving nan shot a lick,” Klieman said. “Our inability to unreserved nan shot makes it harder to throw.”

Johnson vanished 23 of 39 for 238 yards, a touchdown and 2 interceptions and recovered Keagan Johnson for a 7-yard touchdown walk pinch 9 seconds near successful nan first half to springiness nan Wildcats (7-2, 4-2) a 16-10 halftime lead. Johnson vanished pinch 76 yards receiving.

“It conscionable felt for illustration we were level offensively,” Avery Johnson said. “We couldn’t get thing going. We stalled a batch successful nan 2nd half. We didn’t really play collectively arsenic good arsenic we wanted to.”

DJ Giddens rushed for 50 yards and a touchdown arsenic Kansas State outgained nan Cougars 327-232.

“I don’t want to return thing distant from them, but I consciousness for illustration nan words to picture it was we fto it gaffe away,” Keagan Johnson said. “They’re a bully team. They played amended today. It comes down to that. We didn’t execute erstwhile we needed to.”

The crippled was delayed 55 minutes to commencement because of lightning.

Kansas State: The nonaccomplishment hurts nan chances of nan Wildcats making nan Big 12 title and nan College Football Playoff.

Houston: The Cougars vanished 3 for 3 successful nan reddish area aft struggling past week against Utah.

Kansas State could perchance driblet retired of nan rankings aft nan loss.

Kansas State hosts Arizona State connected Nov. 16, while Houston plays astatine Arizona connected Nov. 15.

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