By Wendell Barnhouse | wendell@big12sports.com
Big 12 Sports.com Correspondent

MANHATTAN, Kan. - Bill Snyder is back. No, really. B-I-L-L S-N-Y-D-E-R is back. The real Bill Snyder.

He made his "official" return Saturday, minutes after Kansas State disposed of Colorado, 20-6. The victory made the surprising (too mild an adjective?) Wildcats 5-3 overall and 3-1 in the Big 12 Conference North Division.

For a team expected to finish below .500, a team whose only league loss was a 66-14 shellacking, it should have been reason to celebrate. After all, by the end of the day, the other five teams in the North Division all had two losses.

"It's not about being 3-1 or whatever we are," Snyder said. "It's about getting better. We didn't get better today, particularly on offense. That's why I'm upset. Am I proud of the fact that we won? Yes. But I don't want us to feel good about playing poorly."

Those who observed Snyder's first 17 seasons with the Wildcats could not remember another post-victory press conference where the 70-year-old coach had displayed such agitation. He twice hand chopped the air to emphasize a point and once even pounded the podium.

Translation: Snyder knows full well how the North Division race is falling into Kansas State's lap. He wants carpe diem, not wait 'til next year.

"We didn't play our best today," sophomore safety Tysyn Hartman said. "We let them score on their first drive, we let them drive the length of the field at the end of the game. Coach Snyder sees the potential we have and he's trying to get every bit out of us."

Expect no let up the rest of the season. Because of lackluster workouts, the Wildcats have practiced on Friday the last two weeks.

"We're 2-0 after practicing on Fridays. I'll practice Friday, I'll practice on Saturday morning if he wants us to," senior offensive tackle Nick Stringer said. "He's coached some great teams. When he tells us we've got the potential to be a really good team we need to take that to heart. We know we still need to get better."

Kansas State's offense disappointed Snyder, particularly in a scoreless second half. The Wildcats committed eight of their nine penalties after intermission plus their only turnover.

Running back Daniel Thomas continues to be the Wildcats' most reliable offensive weapon. He had a career-high 145 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. Quarterback Grant Gregory had a 5-yard touchdown run late in the first half for the final points but Snyder assessed Kansas State's passing game (9-of-18, 80 yards, 2 sacks) this way: "It stinks."

If true, then what was the odor coming from the Colorado locker room? The Buffaloes' first and last drives produced 165 yards and their only touchdown. Their other 11 possessions produced 79 yards.

The lack of production prevented Colorado from building on the momentum of last week's upset of Kansas.

"We just weren't make a lot of plays," said Colorado coach Dan Hawkins, who had his son Cody relieve starter Tyler Hansen. "There was a combination of things that really ruined our continuity."

One of those things no doubt was the Kansas State defense. A unit that resembled a sieve last year is now more like a brick wall. The Wildcats allowed 429 yards per game in 2008. Through eight games, the defense is allowing 327 per game - and that includes the 739 yards allowed to Texas Tech. Remove the Red Raiders roasting and Kansas State is giving up just 268 yards per game.

"We owe this game to our defense," Gregory said. "They gave us great field position and we didn't take advantage of it."

Snyder acknowledged that his defense played well but that "we are not without issues" on defense. Colorado's final drive, which ended with the Wildcats' Emmanuel Lamur making an end zone interception on fourth-and-goal from the two, never should have reached that point. Kansas State dropped at least four interceptions before Lamur's stop.

"(Snyder) said he was proud of us … we kinda deserve it," Hartman said. "We held them and got crucial stops when we needed to."

Kansas State is 3-1 in Big 12 play for the first time since 2000. Snyder, who is back running the team after a three-year absence, was the coach then. He is fully aware of what it takes to win and compete in the Big 12.

"We need to go to practice, prepare well and be better players and we need to be better coaches," Snyder said. "I am proud of them and proud we won the game. Do not misunderstand me. I am just angry."

The man has his standards and they're high. For now, though, you can color the Big 12 North Division purple.