April 21, 2008

Manhattan, KS (UWIRE) -- The Kansas State University football team put its running game on display Saturday during the Spring Game, and it was junior running back Keithen Valentine who benefited the most from the gameplan.

Valentine, a walk-on from Mississippi Delta Community College, ran for 104 yards on 15 carries for the Purple team, but the White team won 3-0 on a fourth-quarter 51-yard field goal from sophomore kicker Josh Cherry. K-State head coach Ron Prince said Valentine wants to be a part of the competition for running back.

"I think it is very clear that he is going to help us at that position," Prince said. "How much, how often and where is what we will try to figure out. I think he did a really terrific job. He has the kind of personality - and is the type of guy - you want in your locker room."

Valentine chose to come to K-State as a walk-on after learning the Wildcats did not have any more scholarships to give. Valentine said the underdog position is familiar to him.

"I have always been at the bottom - pretty much the underdog," he said. "I went to an underprivileged school, an underprivileged community college and I always had to prove myself."

While the running game thrived for both the White and Purple teams, the passing game had its flaws. Junior quarterback Josh Freeman was one-for-four for nine yards and an interception as he played in only the first two possessions.

Freshman Tysyn Hartman was two-of-seven for 20 yards, sophomore Carson Coffman was six-for-14 for 41 yards, and freshman Trey Scott was 1-of-3 for three yards for the Purple team.

"The plan was that Josh wouldn't get more than a quarter; I really wanted to see Tysyn and Carson," Prince said. "I'm pretty well established on what Josh can do in games, and I also wanted to make sure we got Scott in the game."

The Purple team opened the first quarter with a drive all the way to the White three-yard line before junior tight end Jeron Mastrud dropped the ball trying to stretch for the goal line.

Senior Gary Chandler intercepted Freeman's second pass of the game. It was exactly what Chandler said he would do.

"I had told Josh I was going to get him this year, and it ended up happening," Chandler said.

With 18 seconds left in the first half, Cherry set up for a 51-yard field goal to give the White team the lead. Cherry pushed the ball wide right and the game remained scoreless going into halftime.

"I could tell by the way it went off my foot, I didn't even have to look up, I could tell it was going to go right," Cherry said. "It was a bad feeling because you want to make them all. I was hoping for another chance to get it, and luckily I did."

With 12:46 left in the game, Cherry set up for his second field goal attempt of the day, and this time knocked the 51-yard attempt through to give the White team the 3-0 lead and eventually the win.

The defense seemed to post the strongest performance of the game. It held the White offense to 76 yards of total offense and the Purple being held to 128 yards.

"It was obviously a defensive game," Prince said. "Really in the last couple days in practice I think we have seen that kind of defensive performance, and I believe that gave us an indication of what was going to take place here today."

(C) 2008 Kansas State Collegian via UWIRE