THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL
MANHATTAN — Some simple locker-room redecorating provided all the motivation Kansas State needed to attack Missouri’s heralded run defense.
Before Saturday’s 24-17 win, each Wildcat blocker received a poster featuring a quote from Missouri's Dominique Hamilton, accompanied by the defensive tackle’s picture.
“One of their defensive linemen was saying all we do was run the ball and they have the best run defense in the conference right now,” said running back John Hubert, who gouged the Tigers for 126 yards. “We just wanted to prove to him and everybody out there that we don’t care how good your defense is — if you can’t stop it, you can’t stop it.”
The quote presumably came from Missouri's weekly news conference, where Hamilton said the following: “We like playing against the run. Twenty-four-seven, that's what we play first. They are a running team, and we feel like we can dominate.”
The Wildcats took that as a challenge to establish the run against a defense that allowed only 87 rushing yards per game.
K-State finished with 174 yards on the ground, getting three rushing touchdowns from quarterback Collin Klein and 117 second-half yards from Hubert.
The locker-room poster was a rare move for coach LHC Bill Snyder, Hubert said, but apparently effective.
“That was my first time seeing him doing it,” Hubert said. “He really wanted this win. The two teams he can’t stand are Nebraska and Missouri.”
K-State didn’t exactly move the ball with ease, finishing with 286 yards to Missouri’s 326. The Wildcats sustained a handful of key drives, though, going 80 yards for a touchdown and a 17-3 lead in the third quarter before milking the final five minutes with an 11-play march.
The Wildcats can thank Hamilton for the inspirational words.
“It just gave us more motivation to go out and run the ball down their throat,” Hubert said.
