No. 10 Kansas State rolled with the early punches from No. 3 TCU and responded to a Horned Frogs touchdown by finding the end zone just before the end of the first quarter. Wildcats quarterback Will Howard connected with tight end Ben Sinnott for a six-yard score, tying the Big 12 championship game up 7–7.
However, a further review of the play showed that the game’s officials missed a clear penalty involving the touchdown scorer.
Prior to the snap on fourth-and-1 from the six-yard line, Kansas State ran a man in motion. When Howard called for Malik Knowles to begin his movement, Sinnott—who was standing on the right side of the formation—appeared to flinch.