By ROBERT CESSNAKansas State prides itself on special teams.
The Wildcats were able to win their Big 12 opener against Iowa State when sophomore defensive back Emmanuel Lamur blocked an extra point with 32 seconds left for a 24-23 victory. KSU head football coach Bill Snyder was preparing for overtime when the sophomore transfer from Independence Community College in Kansas turned planning into partying at Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium.
Lamur also blocked a field goal attempt, and Chris Carney blocked a punt in a 21-17 victory over Massachusetts in the season opener that marked the return of the legendary Snyder, who had retired after the 2005 season.
"Coach Snyder takes a lot of pride in the special teams aspect of the game and spends a lot of time there," said A&M head coach Mike Sherman, who is preparing his team for a rematch with the Wildcats at 6 p.m. Saturday in Manhattan, Kan.
The Aggies felt the sting of KSU's special teams last year in a 44-30 loss. KSU's Courtney Herndon blocked Justin Brantly's punt and returned it 10 yards for a touchdown. That gave the Wildcats a 13-3 lead two plays into the second quarter.
The blocked punt was overshadowed by KSU quarterback Josh Freeman who was 21-of-26 passing for 234 yards while rushing for 95 yards on 18 carries and four touchdowns. Freeman declared early for the NFL draft and was a first-round draft pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
KSU is struggling without him on offense, averaging only 357.3 yards per game (75th nationally), and the Wildcats (3-3) have leaned heavily on special teams for every win.
Brandon Banks had kickoff returns of 91 and 92 yards for scores in a 49-7 victory over Tennessee Tech.
"That's an area we really have to shore up," Sherman said. "We've had some good moments on special teams and some not-so-good moments. This is not the week to not have good moments because they can bring it back to the house on you in a minute."
Banks averaged 28.0 yards per kickoff return last year and ranked second in the Big 12. He didn't have a return against the Aggies.
"He's very talented, obviously," Sherman said. "It's not real complicated. Much like their offense, they come at you, they challenge you and they're tough kids. When you have a guy like Banks that can return one, the guys really block hard for that guy knowing he can take it the distance every single time."
Opponents have hurt A&M with long kickoff returns. Oklahoma State scored touchdowns last week after 35- and 45-yard returns by Perrish Cox. A&M is 53rd in the country in kickoff coverage, allowing 20.8 yards per return.
The Wildcats also excel at punt returns with Banks (11.6 average) and Tysyn Hartman (13.1), but A&M is best on special teams at defending punt returns, allowing only 3.1 yards per return, which ranks 16th in the country.
A&M has the edge in field-goal kicking with Randy Bullock, who hit a 50-yarder last week that was the program's longest since 2000. He's 6 of 8 on the season while KSU is only 2 of 7.
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NOTES -- KSU has 36 blocked kicks since 2002, ranking behind only Fresno State (45), Texas (41) and Louisiana-Lafayette (38). ... KSU's blocked punt against A&M last year was part of a school-record tying nine blocks that season (four punts, two extra points, three field goals). ... KSU has scored 71 nonoffensive touchdowns since 1999, topped by only Virginia Tech (76).
Texas A&M Football
* Saturday's game: Texas A&M (3-2, 0-1 Big 12) at Kansas St. (3-3, 1-1), 6:10 p.m.
* TV/radio: FOX College Sports/WTAW, 1620 AM and Sirius Ch. 126
* Line: A&M by 5 1/2
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