MANHATTAN — Qua Moss’ last name couldn’t be more fitting.
Late in the fourth quarter, when UCF was trailing by two touchdowns, Knights quarterback Tayven Jackson tried to push the ball down the field. He threw the ball 20 yards down the field along the sideline to Duane Thomas Jr., who appeared to have the ball in his hands.
And then he got, well, “Mossed.”
Moss came flying in, ripped the ball out of Thomas’ hands, got a foot in bounds and gave Kansas State the game-ending interception in a 34-20 win over UCF on Saturday, Sept. 27, at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
“That was a ridiculous play,” Gunner Maldonado, who also had an interception, said. “I thought I was gonna make a play on the ball, and then he came up with that. I was shocked. That kind of put the game away.”
Moss’ interception was reminiscent of those that Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss made popular, creating the “Mossed” verb that’s become so common for receivers when they snag the ball over an opponent’s head or rip it out of their arms.
Kansas State’s Moss finished the game with two tackles and the interception, which sent a good chunk of the Wildcats’ sideline onto the field as he ran around in celebration.
It’s almost a certainty that Qua Moss’ catch will be featured during Sunday morning’s NFL Countdown on ESPN, a segment that the Hall of Famer hosts.
Just don’t expect quarterback Avery Johnson to fight for Qua Moss to make a transition over to offense, even with the Wildcats’ injury problems at receiver.
“That was the craziest interception that I’ve ever seen,” Johnson laughed. “But we’re not going to pump Qua’s head up. He can’t play receiver just yet. I’ll tell him that.”
Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at wwheeler@gannett.com
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