Will Howard threw three touchdown passes as No. 19 Kansas State defeated Baylor 31-3 Saturday night in Waco, Texas.

K-State kept hope alive for a berth in the Big 12 Championship Game Dec. 3 in Arlington, Texas. If the Wildcats win their last two games, they only need one loss by Texas to claim a spot.

Howard finished 19 of 27 for 196 yards. Deuce Vaughn had 106 yards rushing and 50 yards and a touchdown receiving.

Kansas State (7-3, 5-2 Big 12) held Baylor to 306 total yards, nearly 150 yards below its season average. Baylor came into the game ranked 14th in the FBS at 38.3 points per game.

Baylor (6-4, 4-3) had won three straight games entering Saturday to move into a tie for second place in the conference with K-State and Texas. Baylor quarterback Blake Shapen was 22-for-38 for 203 yards with two interceptions.

After Baylor failed to convert a fourth-and-10 and punted on back-to-back drives to open the second half, Howard hit Ben Sinnott for a 19-yard touchdown to put the Wildcats ahead 24-3 with 1:53 left in the third quarter. K-State stopped Baylor on fourth-and-3 on the Baylor 19, and DJ Giddens punched it in from the 1-yard line to give the Cats a four-touchdown lead.

For the second time this season, K-State’s starting quarterback, Adrian Martinez, was hurt in the first quarter and was replaced by Howard. Martinez converted a third-and-short on K-State’s second drive, but he was injured on the play. Howard came in and completed a 97-yard drive in 12 plays. He hit Sinnott on a 15-yard touchdown pass for the score.

Howard then led another 12-play drive that put the Wildcats up 10-0 with 5:57 left in the first half. Ty Zentner hit a 31-yard field goal.

Howard hit Deuce Vaughn on a 20-yard catch-and-run to put the Wildcats up 17-0 late in the first half. Baylor got a 37-yard field goal by John Mayers with 16 seconds left before the break.

K-State dominated the stat sheet in the first half, outgaining the Bears 256-123 in total yards.

–Field Level Media