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Ready for Holiday Kansas State looking forward to San Diego
Posted: Monday December 20, 1999 12:36 AM
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) -- Just one year ago, Kansas State was ranked in the Top 10, had only one loss, was about to play an unranked team in a bowl game and was utterly miserable. So miserable that the demoralized Wildcats lost 37-34 to Purdue in the Alamo Bowl. This year, the Wildcats are ranked in the Top 10, have only one loss, are about to play an unranked team in a bowl and feel -- well, pretty good. All things considered, Bill Snyder's team would still prefer to be playing in one of the major BCS bowls. But meeting Washington in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 29 in San Diego is like going to heaven compared with the dark mood the Wildcats found themselves in last year. Twelve months ago, they had just frittered away a fourth-quarter lead to Texas A&M in the Big 12 title game and lost in overtime, squandering a matchup with Tennessee in the Fiesta Bowl for the national championship. "The circumstances are diametrically opposed to what they were a year ago," Snyder said Sunday night in a teleconference. After the Alamo Bowl fiasco, Snyder had said publicly that he learned a lot about how to prepare for a bowl. But because his team's attitude is so much sunnier than it was a year ago, those lessons do not apply. "It had to do with how we got into the position we were a year ago going into the Alamo Bowl," he said. "It really didn't have anything to do with the day-to-day routine. It was an emotional thing. What we went through that time -- it's completely different than where this team is." Even the workaholic Snyder is in a holiday mood. "I feel more comfortable than I did a year ago," he said. "I assure you, I'm not comfortable in our preparation for Washington. But the side effects of the loss in the (Big 12 title game) were indescribable. We're not going through that right now so we feel much better about ourselves." Mark Simoneau, the Wildcats' All-America linebacker, said the entire team feels better than it did last December. "It's just the overall attitude is better," he said. "Last year, it seemed like there was a dark cloud over us through the bowl game. But we're looking forward to playing this game in San Diego." According to oddsmakers, the No. 7 Wildcats (10-1) have much to look forward to against Washington (7-4). Kansas State is an 11 1/2-point favorite. There's not a bigger spread in any bowl game. "The fact we wanted to be in a BCS game was obvious," said Simoneau. "We thought we belonged. We should have an opportunity to play in it. But after that didn't work out, this was the best thing for us."
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