Kansas State smokes Michigan in Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl

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TEMPE, Ariz. — For the final time this season, Michigan offered up a crushing defeat.

There are no more games, after the Wolverines lost the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl,31-14, to Kansas State, in the only way they could.

When the offense showed promise in the first half, the defense was torched.

When the defense found its legs after halftime, the offense retreated into a shell.

BOX SCORE: Kansas State 31, Michigan 14

The maddening inconsistency of the season – game to game, half to half sometimes – was on full display at Sun Devil Stadium Saturday before the third-largest crowd in bowl history of 53,284.

It wasn't hard to tell which team ended the season winning six of seven games and which one lost five of six.

The loss even was historic as, combined with Notre Dame's Pinstripe Bowl win earlier in the day, vaulted the Irish to the all-time lead in winning percentage over U-M, 0.733 to 0.732.

BOWL SCHEDULE: Don't miss a game

Those fans watched as U-M's freshman quarterback Shane Morris was mediocre (24-of-38, 196 passing yards) yet his receivers dropped passes.

They watched as he tried to create with his arm, knowing his team was producing another putrid rushing effort – aside from his fourth-quarter 40-yard rush, setting up U-M's lone meaningless touchdown with 1:15 remaining in the game.

By then, the pressure was off as the U-M defense had dug a significant enough hole by letting Kansas State's best player, receiver Tyler Lockett, burn the defense for three first-half touchdowns.

For many, the air left the balloon almost immediately, on the first drive of the game, as Kansas State plowed through the U-M defense for a soul-sucking 7:41 touchdown drive, setting the tone before U-M ever touched the ball.

Just over three hours later, that left this season with the miserable 7-6 finish, capped by a bowl game that was so dispiriting, it was a challenge to find anything positive.

Had the Wolverines shown some life and played the game close, maybe a few would imagine regular quarterback Devin Gardner – out with a left foot injury – could have saved it with his explosion. But this was never close, Michigan never threatened and simply limped to the merciful conclusion, saving its lone explosive moment for when the game was out of reach.

Even when something went right – Jeremy Gallon catching a 22-yard pass to set U-M's single-season receiving record, which ended at 1,373 yards – it was followed immediately by horror – a Morris interception returned 51 yards to set up the dagger touchdown to make it 31-6 with 2:25 to play.

The Wolverines had a second-half chance, but even when handed that, they wilted, showing no life.

U-M played the third quarter to a scoreless stalemate, which was progress in this game, already down 15 points at halftime and even felt an opportunity.

The Wolverines started the quarter by forcing a missed field goal on the Wildcats' first drive, but the clock was working against them as it ate seven minutes.

Then on the Wildcats' second drive of the quarter they were marching for an insurance score and nearly had it when Lockett had a long touchdown pass hit his hands in the end zone.

But he dropped it, giving U-M life, which it seized the next play as U-M defensive end Mario Ojemudia recovered a fumble. Yet four plays later, the ball was back to the Wildcats (8-5).

The first half looked like the U-M defense never changed from Ohio State game, apparently as Kansas State had three full first-half drives and all ended in quarterback Jake Waters hitting Lockett for those scores.

He burned Raymon Taylor on two of them and Blake Countess on one each with a different move. Considering Lockett entered the game as a 1,100 yard receiver with eight touchdowns, he would seem to be the defensive focus from the start but the Wolverines had no answers in the red zone – or anywhere on the field for that matter as Kansas State started the game by converting 6-of-7 third downs.

As impressive as Waters was, Morris nearly matched him in first half accuracy and yardage, completing 15-of-19 passes for 121 yards. But stalling twice in the red zone and settling for field goals and punting once dug the Wolverines a 21-6 hole at the half.

Much of that was attributable to the 10 team rushing yards at the half, with tight end/receiver Devin Funchess leading the team with 14.

It was clearly over and 30 minutes still had to be played.

Mark Snyder also writes for the Detroit Free Press.