Kansas State Ends 4-Year Dry Spell : Wildcats: Team beats Oklahoma State, 23-17, for first conference victory in four seasons.

Carl Straw, after hitting a long third-down pass with defenders pulling him down, scored the go-ahead touchdown on a one-yard run Saturday as Kansas State beat Oklahoma State, 23-17, for its first Big Eight victory in four years.

Oklahoma State, which had not lost in Manhattan since 1978, drove to a first and goal from the 10 late in the fourth quarter after Kansas State took the lead. But quarterback Kenny Ford fumbled while appearing to go over the goal line, and Danny Needham recovered for the Wildcats, who are now 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the Big Eight.

The Cowboys (2-4, 0-2), took a 17-10 lead with 9:57 left in the third quarter. But Straw directed an 80-yard, 15-play drive climaxed by Rod Schiller’s one-yard run late in the third quarter.

A few minutes later, Jaime Mendez intercepted Ford’s pass, returning it 25 yards to the Cowboy 19. On third and eight from the 17, Straw flipped to Schiller over the middle for 14 yards to the three.

Two stabs into the line produced nothing, but then Straw slid off right tackle and dragged a tackler into the end zone.