Dylan Edwards ran for 196 yards and two touchdowns and added a third score receiving as Kansas State defeated Rutgers 44-41 in the Rate Bowl in Phoenix, Ariz., on Thursday.

The Wildcats trailed by 17 points approaching the midpoint of the third quarter and won their fourth game this season when trailing in the fourth quarter.

Kansas State (9-4) had 542 yards of total offense. Avery Johnson was 15-of-30 passing for 195 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 57 yards and a score.

Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis finished 14 of 32 for 237 yards and a touchdown for Rutgers (7-6).

After opening with a punt, the Scarlet Knights scored on six straight possessions, capped by a touchdown the first time they had the ball in the second half. Kaliakmanis found Ja’shon Benjamin for a touchdown on a 7-yard screen pass to give Rutgers a 34-17 lead.

Following an exchange of punts, Edwards rushed 65 yards to trim the lead to 34-23.

On Rutgers’ next possession, Daniel Cobbs intercepted Kaliakmanis, and the Wildcats capitalized on 13-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to Garrett Oakley, and the deficit was down to five at 34-29.

Late in the third, Rutgers took over at the Kansas State 18-yard line following Christian Dremel’s 67-yard punt return. Soon after, Antwan Raymond scored a 1-yard touchdown, giving Rutgers a 41-29 lead with 14:02 left.

Johnson then found Joe Jackson on a 9-yard touchdown pass to trim it the Wildcats’ deficit to 41-36.

After a three-and-out, Edwards ran for a 36-yard score, giving Kansas State its first lead since early in the second quarter. Johnson found Oakley for the two-point conversion and a 44-41 lead with 4:15 left.

The Wildcats then stopped Rutgers on fourth-and-7 at the Scarlet Knights’ 44-yard line with 1:55 left.

In the first half, Kansas State got a 29-yard Chris Tennant field goal.

The teams then traded 75-yard touchdown drives, as Raymond and Johnson scored on 2-yard runs. Rutgers settled for a 31-yard field goal from Jai Patel to tie the game.

Raymond had a 65-yard run to set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Benjamin for a 17-10 lead with 9:31 left in the half.

Moments later, Johnson found Edwards on a screen for a 26-yard touchdown to tie the game. But Raymond raced untouched for a 24-yard touchdown to give Rutgers the lead.

Rutgers closed the half with Patel’s 48-yard field goal with 4:15 left in the half.

–Field Level Media

Take it from Kansas State and Rutgers. Bowl preparation isn’t what it used to be.

The teams will meet in the Rate Bowl on Thursday in Phoenix, but the list of matters rotating atop the priority list this month is deep and wide.

Coaches have to balance prep time with recruiting and keeping track of their roster and other names in the transfer portal. And both teams are away from home to play the day after Christmas.

“We’re limited in the amount of time (to game plan) because of portal kids on campus pretty much every day,” Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman said. “That’s the balance we have to adjust to. I hope we get it figured out in college football in the near future.”

The game itself features clubs from the Big 12 and Big Ten that had aspirations higher than this game after starting the season with success.

Kansas State (8-4) started the season 7-1 and had its sights set on playing for the Big 12 championship and a possible spot in the College Football Playoff. The Wildcats lost three of their final four games. Rutgers (7-5) started the season 4-0 before losing four straight.

Kansas State is led by dual-threat quarterback Avery Johnson, who rushed for 548 yards (45.7 per game), second most on the team, and passed for 2,517 yards (209.8 per game) with 28 total touchdowns (22 passing and six rushing). DJ Giddens, who averaged 111.9 yards per game, has declared for the NFL draft and will sit out, but the Wildcats still have plenty of firepower.

The Wildcats prioritize the ground game — running the ball on offense and working to take away their opponent’s running game on defense. Their 204.5 rushing yards per game were third in the Big 12 and their 114.9 yards allowed on the ground led the conference.

Klieman said the Wildcats have weathered the storm created by the lure of the transfer portal.

“The core of our best players returned,” Klieman said. “Those kids are still getting contacted. It is what it is. I’m excited that those core players have stuck together. We’re excited (about the Rate Bowl). We’re going to play a lot of young kids on the 26th, but we’ve got a lot of veterans who have played a lot of football who are going to play on the 26th.

“I’m excited for (running backs Dylan Edwards and Joe Jackson). It’s their chance to get established. We know a lot of things Dylan can do, and we’re excited to be able to showcase those things.”

Rutgers has the idea of balance figured out schematically.

The Scarlet Knights are averaging 381.2 yards per game overall and allowing 381.5 yards per game. They get 204.9 of those yards through the air and 176.3 on the ground.

Their rushing offense is heavily dependent on Kyle Monangai, who averaged 116.3 yards per game and 13 of Rutgers’ 24 rushing touchdowns.

On the passing side, quarterback Athan Kaliakmanus has thrown every pass this season. He completed 54.8 percent of his throws for 2,459 yards, 17 touchdowns and six interceptions. His primary targets are Dymere Miller (57 catches, 731 yards and four touchdowns) and Ian Strong (38, 571, five).

“Offensively, we’ve been finding our stride,” head coach Greg Schiano said. “It’s important to keep up the continuity.”

Schiano said his team knows a tough game awaits.

“We’ve had some good practices, because Kansas State is a really good team. I’ve done a lot of studying. This is quite a formidable opponent.

“We’ve transitioned over from development (work) to game planning. Some guys have had a little bit of rest, so I’m really excited about getting into the meat and potatoes of getting ready.”

–Field Level Media