Catching a Break

Texas 22, Kansas State 17

November 26, 2021 • DKR

Finally, finally, finally our losing streak came to a halt. Our guys managed a win over the K State Wildcats. Because of our 5-7 record, there was no bowl game for us, so this had to count for a momentum builder heading into 2022. And it was wonderful to send these seniors out with a win after such a disappointing season. 

Ronnie, our tailgate trailer maestro, moved out of state, and after the Kansas game, he took his trailer home with him for the off-season. He was with family for Thanksgiving, so our other tailgate gurus put together a smaller operation so we could still hang out pregame.

After the game, we took our traditional end-of-season photo. Until next season, HOOK ’EM!

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Win-Loss

Texas 69, Kansas State 31

December 5, 2020 • Manhattan, Kansas

The Horns won, but my spelling pic was lost. I much prefer that to the other way around!

The following week, I had planned to watch the Horns beat up Kansas, but alas, COVID disqualified too many of their players, and the game was canceled. So I’m gonna just go ahead and put this score:

Texas 100000000000000000000, Kansas 0

December. 12, 2020 • Lawrence, Kansas

Now who’s ready for a bowl game?

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Catching Up with the ’Cats

Texas 27, Kansas State 24

November 9, 2019 • DKR

It was up to Dicker the Kicker yet again, but the Horns pulled out the win in the closing seconds. It was exciting and a big relief, since we were down 14-0 early.

After our excitement, we rushed back to the tailgate to tune into the ou-Iowa State game for their close call. The sooners managed to win by 1, but we all enjoyed the schaudenfreude as our Okie friends sweated that one out.

Texas Sports recap

Texas Sports box score

Comeback Cats

Texas 19, Kansas State 14

Sept. 29, 2018 • Manhattan, Kansas

We felt pretty good about the 19-point lead, but then the Wildcats came roaring back, scoring 14 unanswered. The Horns held on, and our guys found a W in the “Little Apple.”

Texas Sports recap

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Double the Fun

Texas 40, Kansas State 34 (2OT) 

Oct. 7, 2017 • DKR

In just his third start of his college career, true freshman Sam Ehlinger came through in a big way, leading our guys to this big double-overtime win under the lights at DKR.

Both teams scored in the first OT, but in the second, K State kept moving backwards thanks to holding penalties. Then their field goal attempt clunked off the upright, opening the door for the Horns.

Our young QB was a beast in this game, but the game-winning TD was a team effort. Chris Warren took the ball and looked like he was stopped 3 yards short of the goal, but our big ol’ O got behind him and pushed him across the line and into the win column.

Making this double OT doubly fun? Katie came home from Lubbock so she could accompany me to Austin, where we met up with Ryan for the game. In his time at Texas, Ryan saw enough bad games, and even when we played well, too often we would lose the close ones. It was fantastic that in his senior year, he could see the Horns FINISH.

This was a first for us: enjoying UT’s mariachi band pregame!

Love, love, love when I get to spend time with BOTH of my babies!

Obligatory stadium selfie

Great day for football

TOUCHDOWN, TEXAS!

Under the lights

❤ Austin

Celebratory Eyes

Thrill of victory

Isn’t she lovely?

Magical fun at the Griz house

Charlie loves Katie

Texas Sports recap

The Way the Cookie Crumbles

Kansas State 24, Texas 21

Oct. 22, 2016 • Manhattan, Kansas

Early in the season, I was walking through IKEA and spied a box of alphabet cookies. The outside of the box had only K cookies on it (probably because the Swedish brand name for the “biscuits” is Kex), so I grabbed it. What could be more perfect than to spell Texas with a bunch of K’s for K State, I thought.

I brought that box home and hid it in the pantry, making sure it didn’t get mistaken for an up-for-grabs snack. The day of the K State game, I pulled out the cookies and got ready to spell Texas with a bunch of K’s.

Except all the cookies weren’t K’s. Well, duh—of course they weren’t! I thought it was a little odd that a whole box of cookies would be a bunch of one letter, but it’s IKEA, right? Ugh. So dumb. Once I got over my chagrin, I made quick work of picking out the letters I needed. Easiest spelling ever, even if the connection to K State was completely lost.

Speaking of lost, my Horns lost this one, too. Blech.

Good Kitty

Texas 23, Kansas State 9

Oct. 24, 2015 • DKR

KitKats are the fallback spelling medium whenever we face the Wildcats, and for this game, we had to keep it simple. The 100% chance of rain in the forecast all week turned out to be 100% accurate, so the kitty litter I’d planned to bring to the tailgate stayed in our (dry) home. Fortunately, unlike many of the times we’ve faced K State, we were spared from shouting, “GIMME A BREAK!”

Even in the rain, our guys, especially J Gray, racked up the yards, and the Horns came through with a big ol’ W. Coming after the upset over ou, this win made our losses to Cal and Okie State even more painful to recall, but whatcha gonna do?

Because this was our first game after Bevo XIV’s passing, the stadium’s mood seemed a little somber at times. But the rain, instead of exacerbating the gloom, actually helped alleviate it. The fans who endured the precip were having a blast. What’s a little water among friends? Besides, a little rain is all you need to distinguish between the true fans and the fair weather ones.

Some pics from the day:

Why I DON’T like 11 a.m. kickoffs.

Longhorn faithful

Bevo’s ranch family and Silver Spurs during pregame

Bevo’s halter and the Golden Hat

The sad, empty corner

Back to the Future halftime: DeLorean

Touchdown, Texas! SWOOOOOOPES!

Rain? WHAT rain?

Rain-soaked crazies

Horns up. Sing The Eyes.

Always in our hearts, Big Guy.

Sunday morning brunch at Kerbey

Kerbey Queso: The real deal

And a little bonus: Our favorite little Longhorn fans!

Cat Scratch Fever

Kansas State 23, Texas 0

Oct. 25, 2014 • Manhattan, KS

To think we were so looking forward to this game! Maybe, just maybe our team had turned a corner and could put together four quarters of offense to add to the (mostly) tough defenses we had seen so far this season.

My son was especially looking forward to K State—ever since I’d bought the Trader Joe’s “Cat Cookies” for Spell Texas. After each game he’d ask if it was safe to open the package yet, and for weeks I’d been saying no.

The cookies might’ve been worth the wait, but the game surely wasn’t. It’s hard to be excited about our offense when we didn’t see any. This was just my second game to watch on TV (thanks to away games that were close to home), so I anticipated sitting back and enjoying the game from the comfort of my couch. But not only was this one frustrating, it wasn’t at all FUN.  And our first shutout in 10 years? Yikes.

At least the cookies were tasty.

Not So Special

Kansas State 42, Texas 24

Dec. 1, 2012 • Manhattan, Kansas

Same song, 12th verse. The 2012 regular season came to a close with another disappointing outing, a game that we COULD’VE won if it weren’t for a few plays.

But then again, it’s not as simple as that. Really, the problem seems to be systemic. Even magically reversing the two INTs would not right all the wrongs we’ve witnessed week in, week out. Between now and our bowl game, the needed overhaul is unlikely unless there’s a leadership change.

In this new mediocrity mindset, we’re left with consolation prizes: we had an unlikely lead at times, we saw some “McCoy to Shipley” magic, Malcolm Brown finally returned to form.

Is that enough for us Texas fans? That would be a big NO. Even the Special K cereal used to spell this week’s Texas is more satisfying.

But we’ll still be here, rooting for our guys, loving our Longhorns, hoping for better days. HOOK ’EM!