Tyler Lockett Catch for Kansas State is Clutch Catch of the Year So Far

Kansas State had fought hard to get back in the game against Iowa State Saturday after being down 28-13. They had made it 28-26 but couldn’t get over the top.

Then, with the ball at the Kansas State 35, the Wildcats down by 2 still, and less than 3 minutes to go, Tyler Lockett came through with an incredible catch for a 23-yard gain.

The catch was with an Iowa State defender all over him, and Lockett had to pull it in and drag one foot in just barely. That got the Wildcats going and allowed them to score the game winning touchdown to come away with a 32-28 win and avoid an embarrassing upset.

At 5’11”, the senior receiver is not supposed to make plays like that on the outside. He doesn’t have a huge frame, but he’ll pull down balls. Lockett had more than 1,200 yards receiving last year despite being the size of a slot receiver. He plays way bigger than he is, similar to what Peerless Price did for Tennessee during the Vols’ 1998 national championship run.

With a huge Thursday night game against Auburn in less than two weeks, this was a trap game for the Wildcats, and it certainly look like they fell for it midway through the game. The Cyclones, after getting blown out by North Dakota State last week, were in complete control of this game against a top 20 team in front of that Iowa State home crowd.

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Even as Kansas State finally made it a game, they couldn’t get over the hump. So when the Wildcats had the ball in their own territory at 2nd and 10, Cyclones fans had to feel pretty good about the situation before the play. But Lockett came through in a huge way.

The Tyler Lockett catch is so far the clutch catch of the year. That could change as time goes on, but with the way the Wildcats offense was going before that, they might not have won the game were it not for that play.

The 5’11” receiver made a Randy Moss-type play. The little man with the huge heart. Lockett is certainly the hero in Kansas right now.