The Sports Xchange
Dec 5, 2015

Receiver Cody Cook stepped in at quarterback to spark two second-half scoring drives before Morgan Burns' 97-yard kick return lifted Kansas State to a 24-23 comeback win over West Virginia on Saturday at Manhattan, Kan.

Wendell Smallwood ran for 141 yards for the Mountaineers (7-5, 4-5 Big 12), who led 13-3 at halftime and seemed on its way to winning eight regular-season games for the first time since joining the Big 12.

But Kansas State State (6-6, 3-6) rallied behind Cook, who replaced the injured Joe Hubener by running for a 1-yard score and throwing a 77-yard touchdown to Deante Burns. The Wildcats clinched bowl eligibility with the win.

West Virginia led 23-17 early in the fourth quarter on Smallwood's 14-yard rushing touchdown until Burns matched the Big 12 record with his fourth kick-return score of the season.

Mountaineers quarterback Skyler Howard threw for 281 yards but was stopped on a fourth-and-1 keeper at midfield with 2:28 left.

Cook was 4-of-12 passing for 121 yards and put the game away with a 14-yard, third-down completion to Burns. Kansas State's Jordan Thompson had 127 receiving yards and Jovon Durante caught a 24-yard touchdown for Mountaineers, whose four-game win streak was snapped.

Hubener, victimized on first-half interceptions by linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski and cornerback Daryl Worley, finished 6 of 19 passing for 85 yards. He twisted his right knee on the first play of the third quarter.

West Virginia's Josh Lambert kicked first-half field goals of 40 and 19 yards and added a 28-yarder in the fourth quarter.