Manhattan ? Nick Reid still was livid after Kansas University’s 12-3 football loss to Kansas State on Saturday — and it had nothing to do with the game itself.
Rather, it was more about pregame comments made by Kansas State running back Thomas Clayton.
“They really talked up their run game and how they were going to run all over us,” Reid said, “and they had 35 rushing yards.”
Clayton was quoted as saying, “I’m sure we’ll figure out a way to overcome their — quote, unquote — defense,” in pregame reports this week.
The comment obviously made it to Reid and had him fuming. After Clayton rushed for 13 yards on 16 carries (0.8 yards per rush), Reid felt vindicated.
“I think we could’ve held them to no rushing yards, to tell you the truth,” Reid said. “Clayton talked a lot of trash before the game how our quote-unquote defense was so-so, or whatever he said. But I think we went out there and kind of shut him up a little bit.”
Reid acknowledges that Clayton got the last laugh — a victory. But KSU’s running game had little to do with it.
The Wildcats rushed for 35 yards on 45 carries (0.8 yards per rush), and Kansas registered 16 tackles for a loss by eight different players.
In the last two seasons, KU’s defense has proven it could stop what it focused on, and Saturday certainly added to the evidence.
“I’m proud of our defense,” KU coach Mark Mangino said.
“I felt they played extremely well today. They played good, hard, tough, physical football.”
Reid, the Big 12 Conference’s leading tackler heading into Saturday, registered six against Kansas State (three for a loss) and added a forced fumble and an interception, KU’s lone takeaway.
Kevin Kane led the Jayhawks with 14 tackles. Kane, Reid, Banks Floodman and Charlton Keith each had at least 21/2 tackles for a loss.
Oklahoma is next for Kansas, another team that moves with the running game. But Reid was caught up — and frustrated — with the defense’s effectiveness against the run Saturday, and the reward that subsequently never came.
“That’s less than a yard a carry,” Reid said. “You can’t ask for anything more out of the defense. We did our part.”
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