Kansas State football had no business beating North Dakota. What’s wrong with the team?

Boos rained down on Kansas State football as it ran into the locker room for halftime. Losing to their FCS opponent at the break, the Wildcats needed to wake up.

They did, and then they didn’t. A 10-point fourth-quarter lead disappeared before trailing by four in the final minutes. Unlike against Iowa State the week before, the Wildcats got a needed stop before Avery Johnson led them down the field for the go-ahead touchdown with 42 seconds left, avoiding disaster and beating North Dakota, 38-35.

Kansas State had no business winning the game, and something looks a little off in Manhattan.

Whether it was a hangover after an unorthodox beginning to the season in Ireland or the Wildcats overlooking a smaller opponent, they don’t look like the team that was picked to challenge for the Big 12 title, let alone a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Here are a few things we noticed after rewatching the game.

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Chris Klieman was right to call out Kansas State’s defensive discipline

Klieman used two “awfuls” to describe the eye discipline of the defense. It was a problem for most of the night, which is surprising considering the level of play the Wildcats typically receive from what’s supposed to be one of the better linebacker groups in the Big 12.

North Dakota used plenty of motion to confuse the defense’s eyes, and it worked, especially in the first half and the fourth quarter. For whatever reason, the Fighting Hawks went away from it a little bit in the third quarter, leading to negative-10 yards of offense in the frame.

Other lapses in discipline also made appearances, particularly when the Wildcats ran into the kicker in the second quarter, resulting in a first down for UND. On the same drive, UND faced a second-and-21 when Justice Clemons got flagged for a face mask, extending the drive further, which ultimately resulted in a touchdown.

Kansas State gave up too many chunk plays in and-long situations

UND was second-for-6 when facing a third down with nine yards or more to go. That included a 23-yard pass on a third-and-22 and a 13-yard rush on third-and-10 on the same drive to end the first half. The drive resulted in a touchdown.

Other and-long situations popped up after the Wildcats had success in earlier downs. When UND converted, those extended drives resulted in touchdowns.

• Second-and-13 in the 2nd quarter — 25-yard rush (drive resulted in touchdown)
• Fourth-and-6 in the 4th quarter — Eight-yard pass (drive resulted in touchdown)
• Third-and-8 in the 4th quarter — 10-yard pass (drive resulted in touchdown)

Avery Johnson was lucky to finish game without interception

Sometimes, it’s better to be lucky than good. Avery Johnson’s 30-yard touchdown pass to Jaron Tibbs appeared to be intercepted in the endzone before it somehow landed in his receiver’s hands. There were a few plays where a Johnson pass sailed or was put in danger, making you wonder how he left the game without throwing a pick.

Johnson tends to receive a lot more criticism than he deserves. Without his late-game heroics, this would be an entirely different conversation. However, there were a few close calls that will require some cleanup.

Kansas State offensive line, rushing concerns remain

Against an FCS opponent, this was when you would’ve wanted to see the offensive line assert itself. After last week’s loss to Iowa State, when the Wildcats struggled to run the ball, this was supposed to be somewhat of a tune-up game.

Instead, a consistent ground game was still lacking. Of K-State’s 143 rushing yards, 91 of them came on nine carries it had of 10 yards or more. That means the Wildcats averaged 2.6 yards on their 20 other carries.

There’s no question that the Wildcats miss Dylan Edwards, who was out with an ankle injury and may miss this week’s game against Army. The Wildcats still need to figure this out with the running backs they have.

Kansas State could have put the game away late in the third quarter, but got in its own way

Up 10 with the ball and 1:33 left in the third quarter, the Wildcats had a chance to put a nail in the coffin.

Johnson had a throw on the run to a wide-open Garrett Oakley that was dropped at the UND 16. In the following play, Johnson attempted to pull the ball on a fake to Joe Jackson, but it was fumbled, kicked backward, and turned into a 17-yard loss to end the quarter. Those two plays turned into a 37-yard difference in field position and at least three points coming off the board.

UND responded with a 71-yard touchdown drive, bringing the game within three with just over 10 minutes left, beginning the scare.

Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at wwheeler@gannett.com