K-STATE VS. LSU
Tuesday | January 4, 2022 | 8 PM CST | ESPN
NRG Stadium (70,000) | Houston, Texas
LSU Tigers Notes
NEXT UP
• LSU (6-6, 3-5 SEC) rounds out the 2021 season on Tuesday, Jan. 4 at 8 p.m. when the Tigers face Kansas State (7-5, 4-5 Big 12) in the TaxAct Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium.
• The game will be televised on ESPN with Tom Hart (pxp), Tim Hasselbeck (analyst) and Kelsey Riggs (sideline reporter) on the call.
• The Tigers will be coached by interim head coach Brad Davis, who is in his first season at LSU as the offensive line coach. Davis has been retained by new head coach Brian Kelly and will remain LSU’’s offensive line coach in 2022. The TaxAct Texas Bowl will serve as the head coaching debut for Davis.
•The Tigers earned a bowl berth after winning their final two games of the regular season – def. Louisiana-Monroe, 27-14 followed by a 27-24 win over No. 14 Texas A&M.
• LSU is playing in a bowl game for the 21st time in 22 years, the only exception came in 2020.
• Since 2000, LSU has won three national titles (2003, 2007, 2019), five SEC Championships (2001, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2019 and claimed 14 bowl victories, which includes 2 wins in the 2019 CFP.
• Of LSU’s 12 regular-season opponents, 10 advanced to bowl games.
• LSU is 1-0 all-time against Kansas State, beating the Wildcats, 21-0, on Sept. 13, 1980 in Tiger Stadium.
• LSU will be making its third appearance in NRG Stadium. The Tigers are 2-0 at NRG Stadium, beating Wisconsin 28-24 to open the 2014 season followed by a 56-27 win over Texas Tech in the 2015 Texas Bowl.
• Overall, LSU has won 10 straight games in domed stadiums, a streak that dates back to a 37-27 win over TCU in the 2013 season-opener played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
• LSU’s is averaging 27.1 points and 373.5 total yards per game (109.3 rushing, 264.2 passing).
• Defensively, the Tigers are allowing 25.3 points and 372.2 total yards per game (137.3 rushing, 234.9 passing).
• Offensively, the Tigers go into the game with only one quarterback who has attempted a collegiate pass – true freshman Garrett Nussmeier. Nussmeier’s status for the game is still undetermined. He’s played in 4 games this year, completing 29-of-57 passes for 329 yards, 2 TDs and a pair of interceptions.
• LSU’s top running back is junior Ty Davis-Price, who has rushed for 1,003 yards and 6 scores. He’s backed up by true freshman Corey Kiner (271 yards, 2 TDs) and sophomore Josh Williams (75 yards).
• LSU’s top receivers are a trio of true freshmen (Bech, Nabers, and Thomas Jr.) along with junior Jaray Jenkins. Hybrid TE Jack Bech (43 rec., 489 yards, 3 TDs) leads the Tigers. He’s followed by Jenkins (33-479-5, Malik Nabers (26-400-3) and Brian Thomas Jr. (26-344-2).
• For just the second time this year, LSU will start the offensive line that was expected to be the starting unit for 2021. LSU’s offensive line against Kansas State will feature Cam Wire (LT), Ed Ingram (LG), Liam Shanahan (C), Chasen Hines (RG), and Austin Deculus (RT). The only game this group has started together this season is the near-win at Alabama.
• Defensively, the Tigers will be without All-America and Butkus Award finalist Damone Clark (135 tackles).
• Top players on defensive for LSU in the Texas Bowl will be S Jay Ward (62 tackles, 2 ints.), DE BJ Ojulari (49 tackles, 10.5 TFL, 6 sacks), and LB Mike Jones Jr. (31 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1 sack).
• PK Cade York, a second team All-America in 2020, has made 15-of-18 field goals this year and dating back to last year, has made 23 of his last 26. York holds the LSU record for most 50-yard field goals in a career (14), in a season (6 in 2020) and longest field goal (57 at Florida, 2020).
• York is 54-of-66 on field goals in his career.
• York’s current streak of 118 straight PATs is the LSU record, breaking previous mark of 109 held by David Browndyke.
NOTEBOOK
LSU To Face Kansas State in TaxAct Texas Bowl
LSU returns to postseason play after a years absence when the Tigers face Kansas State at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 4 in the TaxAct Texas Bowl. LSU, winners of two straight, brings a 6-6 mark into the contest, while Kansas State is 7-5. The Texas Bowl marks only the second-ever meeting between LSU and Kansas State with the Tigers holding a 1-0 advantage in the series. LSU beat K-State, 21-0, on Sept. 13, 1980 in Tiger Stadium.
Brad Davis Makes Debut as Head Coach
Baton Rouge native Brad Davis makes his head coaching debut in the Texas Bowl. Davis, who just completed his first season on the LSU staff, spent the 2021 regular season coaching the offensive line. He was elevated to interim head coach following LSU’s win over Texas A&M in the regular season finale. New LSU head coach Brian Kelly announced in early December that Davis would remain as LSU’s offensive line coach in 2022. Here’s The LSU Coaching Staff For Texas Bowl
Brian Kelly Named LSU’s New Head Coach
Brian Kelly, the winningest coach in Notre Dame history, was tabbed as LSU’s new head coach on Nov. 30. The most accomplished hire in program history, Kelly joins LSU – which has won national championships under each of its last three head coaches – with more than 280 career victories in his collegiate head coaching career, the most among active FBS coaches. He is one of only five active FBS coaches who have guided their programs to multiple undefeated regular seasons since 2009, and he has led his teams to the College Football Playoffs in two of the last three seasons. In 31 years as a head coach, Kelly has amassed a record of 284-97-2, which ranks him first among all active FBS coaches in career victories, ahead of Alabama’s Nick Saban (274 wins) and North Carolina’s Mack Brown (265 wins). Kelly has only had two teams finish below .500 during his 31-year collegiate career. For the past 12 years, he has served as the head coach at Notre Dame. He leaves South Bend as the Irish’s all-time winningest coach with 113 victories, moving ahead of legendary Knute Rockne for the top spot in 2021. His 12-year mark at Notre Dame stands at 113-40, which includes a 54-9 mark over the past five seasons. During his Notre Dame career, Kelly led the Irish to the 2012 BCS national title game as well as College Football Playoff appearances in 2018 and 2020. He was named National Coach of the Year by numerous outlets in 2012 and 2018. He’s the only coach to win the Home Depot Coach of the Year Award more than once, and he’s done it three times (2009, 2012, and 2018). In 12 seasons at Notre Dame, Kelly’s teams won at least 10 games seven times, including this year, as the Irish are 11-1 and ranked No. 6 in the nation. Notre Dame’s current streak of five straight seasons with double-digit wins includes a 10-3 record in 2017, followed by a 12-1 mark in 2018, 11-2 in 2019 and 10-2 in 2020.
LSU’s Bowl History
LSU will make its 53rd appearance in a bowl game when the Tigers face Kansas State in the Texas Bowl. LSU is 28-23-1 all-time in bowl games, which includes a 2-0 mark in the College Football Playoffs in 2019. LSU appeared in a bowl game every year from 2000-2019 before the streak was snapped in 2020.
LSU in the TaxAct Texas Bowl
LSU will make its second appearance in the Texas Bowl when the Tigers face Kansas State. LSU’s other appearance was record-setting as numerous LSU bowl records were set in the 56-27 win over Texas Tech in the 2015 Texas Bowl. LSU RB Leonard Fournette led an offensive rushing explosion with 212 yards and a LSU bowl-record tying 4 rushing TDs. He also accounted for 30 points in the game, another LSU bowl record. The following is a look at the bowl records LSU set in the 2015 Texas Bowl
LSU vs. the Big 12
LSU has won six straight against current Big 12 members. The Tigers are 32-15-2 all-time against current Big 12 teams. LSU’s last loss against a Big 12 came in the 2003 Cotton Bowl when Texas posted a 35-20 win over the Tigers. Since then, LSU has reeled off wins over West Virginia (2010 and 2011), TCU (2013), Texas Tech (2015), Texas (2019) and Oklahoma (2019).
LSU’s 2-0 in NRG Stadium
LSU brings a 2-0 mark in games played in NRG Stadium into the Kansas State contest. The Tigers beat Wisconsin, 28–24, to open the 2014 season at NRG Stadium followed by a 56-27 victory over Texas Tech in the 2015 Texas Bowl. LSU was scheduled to play BYU in the 2017 season-opener at NRG Stadium, however, severe flooding to Houston forced the game to be moved to the Superdome in New Orleans. LSU won that game against BYU, 27-0.
LSU In Domed Venues
LSU will make its first appearance in a domed stadium since its 42-25 win over Clemson in the 2019 CFP National Championship Game in the Superdome in New Orleans. LSU, which has won 10 straight in domed venues, is 34-8 all-time in games played in a domed stadium. LSU’s last loss in a domed stadium came in the 2012 Chick-fil-A bowl when Clemson posted a 25-24 victory over the Tigers in the Georgia Dome.
LSU’s Opt Outs
The following LSU players have decided against playing in the Texas Bowl against Kansas State: RB Ty Davis- Price Led LSU and ranked among the Top 10 in the SEC with 1,003 yards and 6 TDs in 2021 … Set a school-record with 287 yards and 3 TDs in win over Florida … Had 4 100-yard rushing games in 2021 – 287 vs. Florida, 147 vs. Kentucky, 106 vs. Arkansas and 104 vs. Alabama … His 1,000-yard season was the 20th in school history and first since Clyde Edwards-Helaire (1,414) in 2019 …
LSU Is 84-10 vs. Non-Conference Teams Dating Back to 2001
Dating back to the 2001 season when LSU captured its first outright SEC title since 1986, the Tigers have done quite well against non-conference opponents, going 84-10 against non-SEC foes during that span. Of the 84 wins, 21 have come against top-25 teams. Of the 10 losses, only four have come during the regular season (2002 at Virginia Tech, 2016 vs. Wisconsin at Lambeau Field, 2017 vs. Troy, and 2021 at UCLA). The other six losses came in bowl games (2003 Cotton Bowl vs. Texas; 2005 Capital One Bowl vs. Iowa; 2009 Capital One Bowl vs. Penn State; 2012 Chick-Fil-A Bowl vs. Clemson; 2014 Music City Bowl vs. Notre Dame, 2018 Citrus Bowl vs. Notre Dame).
York PAT Streak Now at 118
LSU PK Cade York has made 118 consecutive PATs, which stands at the school record, breaking the previous mark of 109 set by David Browndyke from 1986-89. York is 39-for-39 this year after making all 36 of his PATs in 2020. He made his final 43 PATs in 2019. The last time York didn’t successfully make a PAT came in a 46-41 win over Alabama when his second quarter PAT was blocked. York’s last PAT miss (not blocked) came in the third quarter against Auburn in 2019. For his career, York is 164-of-168 on PATs. The 164 PATs rank No. 2 in school history, trailing only Colt David’s 201.
York Becomes Fourth Tiger To Score 300 Points In A Career
With his two PATs against Alabama, Junior PK Cade York became the fourth player in LSU history to reach the 300-point mark. York has scored 326 points in his career (164 PATs, 162 on 54 made field goals). He currently ranks No. 2 in school history in scoring, trailing only Colt David (369).
Kansas State Wildcats Notes
K-STATE AND LSU MEET FOR FIRST TIME IN 41 YEARS
Kansas State is back in the bowl scene after a one-year hiatus as the Wildcats were rewarded for their seven-win regular season with their 23rd bowl berth all-time and will take on LSU in the TaxAct Texas Bowl. The game is slated for an 8 p.m., kickoff on Tuesday, January 4, 2022, inside NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. The Wildcats and Tigers will meet for just the second time ever and the first in 41 seasons, as K-State fell at LSU, 21-0, to open the 1980 season.
K-State is in the Texas Bowl for the third time, having played in the inaugural game in 2006 and topping Texas A&M, 33-28, in 2016. It is the eighth time the Wildcats will play a bowl game in the state of Texas, while they are playing an SEC opponent in a bowl for a fifth time.
The TaxAct Texas Bowl is the second bowl game under head coach Chris Klieman, making him the first coach in school history to lead his team to two bowl games in his first three season at the helm. He is also the first coach in K-State history to guide the Wildcats to at least seven wins twice in his first three seasons.
The Wildcats are one of just 25 Power 5 teams in the nation to advance to at least 10 bowl games in the last 12 seasons and one of four from the Big 12, joining Baylor, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. The Wildcats have won two of their last three bowl games – which includes the 2016 Texas Bowl – and will be looking for three bowl wins in a four-game span for the first time since 1999-2002.
A LOOK AT THE WILDCATS
Kansas State raced out to a 3-0 start in 2021, highlighted by a season-opening 24-7 win over Stanford at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in addition to an impressive 38-17 victory against Nevada, which finished the year with an 8-4 record and boasts a potential first-round NFL Draft pick at quarterback. Big 12 play began with three losses against teams that were either ranked in the top-25 at the time or were a preseason top-25 team.
However, K-State was able to right the ship and rattle off four-straight wins, its second-straight season with a four-game winning streak in conference play. The streak began with a gusty 25-24 victory at Texas Tech, a game in which K-State trailed, 24-10, at halftime before pitching a second-half shutout against a Red Raider team that eventually reached the postseason. The Wildcats then came home and throttled TCU, 31-12, as they limited an explosive Horned Frog team that 34.3 points per game entering the contest.
Kansas State opened the month of November by winning its 13th-straight game against Kansas to retain the Governor’s Cup. The 13-straight wins over KU is tied for the fourth-longest active streak by a team against any one opponent in a series that has been contested each year since at least 2009. K-State then turned around and topped West Virginia – another bowl team this season – 34-17 as the Wildcats snapped a five-game losing streak to the Mountaineers.
The Wildcats will enter the TaxAct Texas Bowl on a two-game slide after they dropped the final two regular-season games by two or less scores. The Wildcats held a potent Baylor offense – which led the Bears to a Big 12 Championship and a berth into the Sugar Bowl – to just 20 points after averaging 35.4 points per game entering the contest, as K-State fell, 20-10. The Cats then lost at Texas, 22-17, on a short turnaround as they played the day after Thanksgiving.
The Wildcats were led during the regular season by a pair of sophomores – one on each side of the ball – as running back and all-purpose player Deuce Vaughn was named a First Team All-American by several publications, while defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah was one of the nation’s top pass rushers this season.
Vaughn enters the TaxAct Texas Bowl ranked eighth in school history in single-season rushing yards with 1,258, while he enters the postseason as one of only two players in the nation with at least 1,000 rushing yards and 400 receiving yards this season. Anudike-Uzomah enters the bowl game ranked first in the nation in forced fumbles (6), while he is ninth in the nation and second in the Big 12 in sacks (11.0) and second in the Big 12 in tackles for loss (14.5). A First Team All-Big 12 selection by the league’s coaches, Anudike- Uzomah tied a school record with 4.0 sacks against TCU. He is a half sack shy of tying the school record for sacks, and he enters the TaxAct Texas Bowl tied for the school record in forced fumbles.
A LOOK AT THE TIGERS
LSU finished the regular season with a 6-6 record, including a 3-5 mark in conference play to tie for fifth place in the SEC West. The Tigers won their final two games to get bowl eligible – a 27-14 win against ULM and a 27-24 upset victory over 14th-ranked Texas A&M. The Tigers have averaged 27.1 points per game this season while giving up 25.3 per game. Tyrion Davis-Price has rushed for 1,003 yards and six touchdowns, while LSU’s quarterback situation is uncertain following the transfer of starter Max Johnson after the regular season.
On defense, the Tigers are giving up 137.3 yards per game on the ground and 234.9 through the air. Damone Clark, a Second Team ll-America pick, leads the way with a SEC-best 135 tackles on the year, including 15.5 for losses, while BJ Ojulari leads the way with 6.0 sacks. Freshmen defensive end Maason Smith and wide receiver Malik Nabers were also named to the Freshman All-SEC team. Offensive guard Ed Ingram and placekicker Cade York were also named second team All-SEC selections.
WILDCATS HEADED TO
TAXACT TEXAS BOWL
• Finishing the regular season with a 7-5 record – winning at least seven regular-season games for the 21st time in the last 31 years – Kansas State received its 23rd bowl berth all-time and second under head coach Chris Klieman as the Wildcats will face LSU in the TaxAct Texas Bowl inside NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, on Tuesday, January 4, 2022.
• Of K-State’s 23 total bowl appearances, 22 have come in the last 29 seasons.
• The Wildcats hold a 9-13 record in bowl games. Having won its bowl game in 2016 and 2017 – the former being the Texas Bowl against Texas A&M – K-State is looking for three bowl wins in a four-game stretch for the first time since 1999-2002.
K-STATE BOWL HISTORY
The TaxAct Texas Bowl marks K-State’s 23rd postseason bowl appearance. Below is K-State’s all-time list of bowl appearances.
1982 Independence Bowl ……………………Wisconsin 14, K-State 3
1993 Copper Bowl …………………………… K-State 52, Wyoming 17
1994 Aloha Bowl ……………………….. Boston College 12, K-State 7
1995 Holiday Bowl …………………….K-State 54, Colorado State 21
1997 Cotton Bowl……………………………………. BYU 19, K-State 15
1997 Fiesta Bowl ………………………………. K-State 35, Syracuse 18
1998 Alamo Bowl ……………………………….. Purdue 37, K-State 34
1999 Holiday Bowl ………………………..K-State 24, Washington 20
2001 Cotton Bowl…………………………… K-State 35, Tennessee 21
2001 Insight.com Bowl ……………………….. Syracuse 26, K-State 3
2002 Holiday Bowl ………………………K-State 34, Arizona State 27
2004 Fiesta Bowl ……………………………. Ohio State 35, K-State 28
2006 Texas Bowl …………………………………Rutgers 37, K-State 10
2010 Pinstripe Bowl ………………………….. Syracuse 36, K-State 34
2012 Cotton Bowl………………………………Arkansas 29, K-State 16
2013 Fiesta Bowl ………………………………… Oregon 35, K-State 17
2013 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl …………… K-State 31, Michigan 14
2015 Alamo Bowl ……………………………………UCLA 40, K-State 35
2016 Liberty Bowl ……………………………..Arkansas 45, K-State 23
2016 Texas Bowl …………………………… K-State 33, Texas A&M 28
2017 Cactus Bowl ……………………………………K-State 35, UCLA 17
2019 Liberty Bowl ………………………………….. Navy 20, K-State 17
K-STATE IN TEXAS
• K-State will be playing a bowl game in the state of Texas for an eighth time, including the third time in the Texas Bowl.
• The Wildcats played in the inaugural Texas Bowl against Rutgers in 2006, while it topped Texas A&M, 33-28, in 2016.
• The other bowl games K-State played in the state of Texas were the 1997 (post-1996 season) Cotton Bowl, 1998 Alamo Bowl, 2001 (post-2000 season) Cotton Bowl, 2012 (post-2011 season) Cotton Bowl and 2015 (post-2014 season) Alamo Bowl.
• The eight bowl games in Texas will be the most in any one state for the Wildcats, breaking a tie with Arizona (4-Copper/Insight/ Buffalo Wild Wings/Cactus, 3-Fiesta).
• K-State holds an all-time record of 25-37 (40.3%) in the state of Texas, and the TaxAct Texas Bowl will be its fourth contest in the Lone Star State this season. The Wildcats opened the season with a 24-7 win over Stanford in the Allstate Kickoff Classic held inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, while they won, 25-24, at Texas Tech and closed out the season with a 22-17 setback at Texas.
CATS AND TIGERS
• The TaxAct Texas Bowl will be just the second all-time meeting between Kansas State and LSU.
• The Wildcats traveled to face the Tigers to open the 1980 season in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, falling to LSU, 21-0.
K-STATE AND THE SEC
• K-State will be playing its 137th game all-time against a current member of the SEC, but 107 of those meetings were against either Missouri or Texas A&M as Big Eight/12 foes.
• The TaxAct Texas Bowl marks the fifth time K-State will face an SEC team in a bowl game as the Wildcats defeated Tennessee in the 2001 Cotton Bowl (35-21) and Texas A&M in the 2016 Texas Bowl (33-28), while they fell to Arkansas in the 2012 Cotton Bowl (29-16) and 2015 Liberty Bowl (45-23).
• K-State will play an SEC team for the third time in the last four seasons as it had a home-and-home with Mississippi State (2018 in Manhattan, 2019 in Starkville). Additionally, the Wildcats will host Missouri on September 10 next season and will travel to Columbia in 2023.
BOWLING AGAIN
• In an era of college football where nearly 80 teams play in bowl games each year, K-State is one of just 25 Power 5 schools to advance to a bowl in 10 of the last 12 seasons.
• The Wildcats are one of four Big 12 teams to accomplish the feat, joining Baylor, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
TWICE IN A PRO STADIUM
• Kansas State will bookend its season by playing a game inside an NFL stadium as the Wildcats defeated Stanford, 24-7, in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, to open the 2021 campaign.
• It is the 16th time in school history the Cats will play in the current home of an NFL franchise, holding a 9-6 record in those games.
• The 2021 season will mark just the second time ever that the Wildcats will play at least two games in one season inside the home of a current NFL team. In 2003, the Wildcats opened the year with a 42-28 win over California – a team that featured Aaron Rodgers – inside Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City), and they returned to Arrowhead to defeat No. 1 Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship. K-State ended that season by playing Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl inside Sun Devil Stadium (Arizona Cardinals).
WINNING THE FINAL FRAME
• Kansas State has been strong in the fourth quarter of games this season, as the Wildcats are outscoring their opponents, 98-43, in the final frame.
• The 55-point margin in the fourth quarter is the second-highest mark in the Big 12 this year.
• The Wildcats have won nine of their 12 fourth quarters this season. The only three they did not were at Oklahoma State (0-0), against Baylor (3-0) and at Texas (3-0).
K-STATE TOPS IN
NON-OFFENSIVE TDS
• K-State is the nation’s best in non-offensive touchdowns over the last 23 seasons as it has 125 since 1999, seven more than the next closest team entering the bowl season.
• Kansas State has three non-offensive scores this year as Malik Knowles returned a kickoff for a touchdown at Oklahoma State and against Oklahoma, and Marvin Martin returned a block punt for a score against West Virginia.
• K-State has had at least five non-offensive scores in seven of the last 10 years. Last year, the Cats missed that mark by just one during their shortened 10-game schedule
A WINNING HISTORY
• A proven winner with a championship history, Chris Klieman holds a 91-29 career record, as his 75.8% career winning percentage ranks fifth among current FBS coaches that have led programs for at least eight years.
• Klieman came to Manhattan after capping his five-year stint as head coach at North Dakota State by winning his fourth national championship in 2018. He guided the 2018 Bison to a perfect 15-0 record.
FEW FLAGS
• Kansas State has been one of the least penalized teams in the nation over the final few weeks of the regular season, as the Wildcats totaled only four penalties (1.3 per game) for 41 yards (13.7 yards per game) over their final three games.
• Entering the final three games – which began with a contest against West Virginia – K-State ranked 77th nationally and ninth in the Big 12 in fewest penalties per game. However, the Wildcats enter the bowl season ranked 34th nationally (43-spot jump) and fourth in the Big 12 (five-spot) with their three nearly perfect games
