No, Sirr, Kansas State Can’t Do It

The purple-clads went nuts when they flashed the news on the Trans World Dome scoreboard with 10:37 left in the half.

We’re talking Aerosmith-in-concert-type nuts:

Miami 49, UCLA 45.

Quartile ranks were suddenly rendered meaningless. Kansas State’s dream season was there for the taking.

“That left it in our hands,” Coach Bill Snyder said of UCLA’s loss. “That’s all your players ask for for 11 weeks.”

Kansas State led by 14 points at the time. Victory would secure a trip to the Jan. 4 Fiesta Bowl.

What could go wrong?

Everything.

A couple of hours later Saturday night, before a crowd of 60,798, another stunning result flashed on the scoreboard in the Big 12 Conference title game.

Texas A&M; 36, Kansas State 33. In two overtimes.

It was enough to make grown men cry, and it did.

Trailing by 15 points after three quarters, Texas A&M; (11-2) staged an improbable and amazing comeback, ending in the second overtime when the Aggies’ second-string quarterback, Branndon Stewart, hit the second-string tailback, Sirr Parker, on a short slant pattern.

Parker took the pass, turned toward the post, slipped cornerback Jerametrius Butler’s tackle at the 20 and then dragged cornerback Lamar Chapman to the pylon for the game-winning touchdown.

The touchdown measured 32 yards, although even Parker wasn’t sure his lunge at the end was enough.

“I’m 5-11,” Parker said. “But on that play I was 6-feet trying to stretch. I don’t know if I was in or not.”

It was Parker’s first touchdown catch of the year.

One could not satisfactorily gauge the magnitude of Texas A&M; joy or Kansas State shock.

Ten seasons removed from a 0-11 season, Kansas State was quarters, then minutes, then seconds from an appearance in the Jan. 4 national title game.

In an instant, it was gone.

Kansas State linebacker Jeff Kelly sobbed on the podium as Snyder tried to describe the pain.

“This may be in their young lives the most difficult thing they’ll have at this point in time to handle,” Snyder said.

Snyder equated the feeling of despair to a death in the family.

“There was such an emotional investment by these young players,” he said. “The more the investment, the more the pain.”

Kansas State players insisted they did not get caught looking ahead after hearing of UCLA’s loss.

“I don’t think that had an effect,” guard Jeremy Martin said. “Everyone in the stadium saw the score. I’m not going to sit here and say we didn’t see it. If anything, it gave us a boost.”

Maybe too much. The atmosphere after the Miami score flashed bordered on frenzy. Kansas State led 17-3 at the time, 17-6 at the half, and 27-12 after three quarters.

But you could sense the emotional drain, and the scent of nervousness as Texas A&M; chipped away.

With 9:20 left, the Aggies cut the lead to 27-19 on a 13-yard scoring pass from Stewart to Leroy Hodge.

Kansas State still had control of the game in the waning minutes, apparently ready to kill the clock when quarterback Michael Bishop dashed out of the pocket on third and six at his 28-yard line.

But Texas A&M; linebacker Warrick Holdman stripped Bishop of the ball and Cornelius Anthony recovered at the Kansas State 35 with 2:26 left.

Stewart, who nearly had to leave the game in the first half after hyperextending his knee, drove his team toward the Kansas State end zone.

Stewart, who lost his starting job to Randy McCown and regained it only after McCown broke his collarbone last week, hit Parker on a nine-yard touchdown pass with 1:05 left to trim the lead to two.

Stewart, who said afterward, “I honestly didn’t feel I’d get to play again,” then tied the score, completing a pass to Parker on the two-point conversion.

Amazingly, Bishop nearly won the game in regulation, completing a last-second Hail Mary pass to Everett Burnett, who was tackled only feet from the Texas A&M; goal line.

“The air conditioning was on and it fell short,” Aggie safety Rich Coady quipped later of Bishop’s pass.

Both schools exchanged field goals in the first overtime, although Kansas State missed a great opportunity to win when, on second-and-two at the six, Bishop tripped after colliding with teammate Eric Hickson in the backfield.

Kansas State took possession to start the second overtime, but ultimately had to settle for Martin Gramatica’s 25-yard field goal.

It appeared that might be enough for the win as Texas A&M; faced a third and 17 at the 32. But, in a play sent in from the overtime gods, Stewart hit Parker for the game-winning pass.

“You really don’t score on slants that often,” Stewart said.

They scored on this one.

It was sweet redemption for Stewart, who started his career at Tennessee but transferred after getting beat out by Peyton Manning.

And for Parker, from Los Angeles’ Locke High, who lost his starting job to Dante Hall.

Stewart completed 15 of 31 passes for 324 yards and three touchdowns.

Parker gained 30 yards in three carries and had three catches for 49.

A&M; Coach R.C. Slocum praised his super-subs afterward.

“A lot of times, guys not starting cause a lot of problems,” Slocum said.

Actually, Parker and Stewart did plenty of harm.

To Kansas State, which fell to 11-1.

“This is a sick feeling,” Bishop said.