TOP 25/SEC
VANDERBILT 14,
NO. 18 KANSAS STATE 7
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Kyle Shurmur scored on a 2-yard run with 8:23 left, and Vanderbilt upset No. 18 Kansas State 14-7 on Saturday night. It was the Commodores' first victory over a ranked, nonconference opponent since beating North Carolina State in 1946.
With the victory, Vanderbilt improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2011. The Commodores also have won five in a row at home dating back to last season.
Kansas State (2-1) last beat an SEC team on the road in the regular season in 1982 at Kentucky.
Senior quarterback Jesse Ertz tried to drive the Wildcats to the tying score. But he was tackled short on fourth-and-8 deep in Vanderbilt territory by Oren Burks and LaDarius Wiley with 1:06 left.
D.J. Reed of the Wildcats had not one but two touchdowns wiped out. He picked up a fumble by Shurmur and ran 35 yards to the end zone in the second quarter. A replay review ruled Shurmur was down before the ball came out. In the final seconds of the third quarter, Reed returned a punt for a TD that was wiped out by an illegal block in the back.
Those weren't the only points Kansas State missed. Matthew McCrane's 42-yard field goal late in the third quarter went just wide right.
Shurmur drove the Commodores 84 yards using up half of the first quarter to put Vanderbilt up 7-0 with a 2-yard pass to C.J. Duncan.
Ertz answered for Kansas State with a 75-yard drive, and on fourth-and-1, Ertz took the ball wide left and ran untouched for a 15-yard TD.
Wiley intercepted a pass tipped by Joejuan Williams early in the fourth quarter, putting the Commodores at the Kansas State 39 off the first interception of Ertz this season. Vanderbilt had first-and-10 at the Kansas State 11 when Ralph Webb, the Commodores' all-time leading rusher, fumbled, and Wildcats linebacker Elijah Sullivan recovered with 11:20 left.
Senior Ryan White picked off Ertz soon after at the Wildcats 33, and Vanderbilt needed only four plays before Shurmur scored the clinching TD.
Sports on 09/17/2017