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SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- Derrick Evans' first touchdown of the season is one he will remember for quite some time.

The junior receiver caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from El Roberson with 75 seconds remaining as sixth-ranked Kansas State rallied for a 34-27 victory over Arizona State in the Holiday Bowl.

The Sun Devils reached the Wildcats' 48 on their final possession before Andrew Walter threw four straight incompletions.

Kansas State (11-2) became the first Division I-A school to win 11 games five times in a six-year span.

"It is a tremendous accomplishment anytime you accomplish anything for the first time," Wildcats coach Bill Snyder said. "It is not just the people who have been a part of this record. It is the people who were here when we started here in 1989 who should get the credit for this as well."

An 18-point underdog, Arizona State (8-6) gave the Wildcats all they could handle, opening a 20-7 lead with 1:25 left in the first half.

Roberson almost single-handedly sparked Kansas State (11-2). He scored on a 32-yard run just 31 seconds later to pull the Wildcats within 20-14 at halftime, then directed three scoring drives in the fourth quarter.

Roberson finished with 278 total yards, rushing for three TDs and passing for another. He completed 11-of-28 passes for 215 yards and rushed for 63 on 18 carries.

Darren Sproles paced the Wildcats on the ground with 118 yards and a TD on 21 carries.

"We got off to a slow start," Roberson said. "They were blitzing a lot and we had a lot of guys to account for. I just told the guys to keep pluggin' and that good things would happen."

Kansas State, the highest-ranked team not in a BCS bowl, made amends for an embarrassing 26-3 loss to Syracuse in last year's Insight.com Bowl and will have a chance to finish in the top five for the first time in school history.

But it was not easy.

"I think we came in lackadaisical in the first half," Kansas State cornerback Terence Newman said. "We got down, but we played through it. That's what good teams are supposed to do in the second half."

With the contest tied, 20-20, early in the final period, Walter picked apart the nation's top defense, marching the Sun Devils 78 yards on eight plays, all through the air.

Walter capped the drive with a 10-yard toss to Mike Williams with 10 1/2 minutes to play, the first score allowed by the Wildcats in the fourth quarter in nine games.

"I don't think we came of age, really," Walter said. "We wanted to show everybody in the nation that we can play, and we did that."

While Arizona State rushed for just 17 yards, Walter was 28-of-57 for 293 yards and two TDs.

Kansas State answered with an 11-play, 80-yard drive, tying it on Roberson's one-yard keeper with 6:41 to play.

Facing 4th-and-10 at the Arizona State 22, Snyder elected not to kick a field goal. Roberson was pressured but got off an off-balance pass that James Terry caught at the 2. Two plays later, Roberson again brought the Wildcats even.

"He's very elusive," Arizona State defensive end Terrell Suggs said. "He was able to make the big plays, and that's what killed us down the stretch. He's a great player."

Suggs had a pair of sacks, extending his NCAA single-season record to 24 1/2.

"Suggs has such a tremendous impact on the game," Snyder said. "Even when we blocked him, he made an impact. We had to account for him every play and because of that, it threw us off a little bit."

After forcing a punt, Kansas State drove 59 yards in seven plays for the winning score. On the play before his TD strike to Evans, Roberson connected with Terry for a 15-yard gain.

Before Kansas State's final two scoring drives, Roberson completed just 4-of-18 passes.

"He would, I think, agree that it was not his best game, but when he had to be there, like on that last drive, he made it happen," Snyder said.

The Wildcats were fortunate to be behind by only six at intermission as Arizona State had six possessions in Kansas State territory and its average starting position was the Wildcats 48.

Kansas State fumbled twice in the first half, but the Sun Devils converted the turnovers into a pair of field goals.

"One of my mottos is to compete with passion and character, and we certainly did that tonight," Arizona State coach Dirk Koetter said.

After a scoreless third quarter, the Wildcats pulled even on Roberson's three-yard run 2:46 into the fourth quarter. It capped a 16-play, 65-yard drive.

The game remained even, however, as holder Travis Brown could not handle the snap on the extra point.

Kansas State improved to 3-0 in the Holiday Bowl, also defeating Washington in 1999 and Colorado State in 1995. Arizona State dropped to 0-2, losing to Arkansas, 18-17, in 1985.