PHOENIX, AZ –– Dylan Edwards rushed for 196 yards and three total touchdowns to lead the Kansas State Wildcats (9-4) to a 44-41 Rate Bowl victory over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (7-6) Thursday night before 21,659 at Chase Field.
After opting out of the bowl game to prepare for the NFL draft, Edwards replaced DJ Giddens, one of the premiere running backs in the Big 12.
“I’m just so proud of the guys and their resolve and continuing to fight,” said K-State head coach Chris Klieman, whose team finished with a 9-4 record. “We’re so thrilled with finding a way to get stops on defense and then capitalizing with some big-time plays offensively.”
Kansas State used a 27-point second half to rally past Rutgers.
At the half, Rutgers led 27-17.
Rutgers pushed their lead to 34-17 on their opening drive of the second half when Ja’shon Benjamin caught a 7-yard touchdown from Athan Kaliakmanis.
Edwards rushed for a 65-yard touchdown on the Wildcats third possession, sparking the comeback.
On the ensuing possession, Kaliakmanis was picked off by Daniel Cobbs, setting up a four-play, 42-yard touchdown drive, capped off by a 13-yard Johnson touchdown pass to Garrett Oakley.
The Wildcats attempted two-point conversions after their third-quarter touchdowns but were unsuccessful.
Rutgers scored their final points in the early fourth quarter on an Antwan Raymond 1-yard touchdown run.
Kansas State drove 85 yards on the ensuing possession in 14 plays, capped by a 9-yard Johnson pass to Joe Jackson.
Rutgers tried to reclaim the momentum but went three-and-out for -5 yards.
Three plays and 60 yards later, the Wildcats celebrated a 36-yard Edwards touchdown run and a converted two-point Johnson pass to Garrett Oakley in the endzone.
After amassing 319 yards in the first half, Rutgers had 82 yards in the second.
Rutgers over their final six possessions went: punt, interception, punt, touchdown, punt, downs.
“As they say in life, things get rocky,” said Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano, whose team finished with a 7-6 record. “They played better. We had some issues. I tip my hat to Kansas State. They did a heck of a job and controlled the game in the second half on offense and defense.”
Kaliakmanis was 14 of 32 for 237 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Raymond carried 18 times for 113 yards and three touchdowns. Benjamin had seven carries for 33 yards and one touchdown and caught one pass for seven yards with a touchdown.
Johnson was 15 of 30 for 195 yards, with three touchdowns with an interception, and rushed 11 times for 57 yards and a touchdown.
