 The Wildcats wouldn't have another winning season until 1982, when Jim Dickey led a redshirt-laden roster to the 1982 Independence Bowl—the first bowl appearance in school history.However, Dickey was unable to sustain the momentum, and suffered back-to-back three-win seasons in 1983 and 1984.After the team opened the 1985 season with two consecutive losses to I-AA teams, Dickey was forced to resign, leaving Kansas State with a record of 24–52–2.