Kansas State enters the Sunflower Showdown carrying a lot more than just its usual in-state bragging rights.
The Wildcats are 3-0 to start the year, but Big 12 play has turned ugly in a hurry. K-State is 0-2 in the league after a road loss at Cincinnati and then a rough one at home against Houston last week.
That 35-16 defeat in Manhattan came out of a bye week and never really felt close; the Wildcats were flat, short on energy, and out of sync from the start. Houston is a good team with a good coach, but K-State spent most of the night looking like it didn’t belong on the same field.
That is what makes this matchup with Kansas so significant. For K-State students, alumni, and fans, the Sunflower Showdown is already the biggest regular-season game on the calendar.
The Wildcats have won 17 straight in the series, a point of pride for the purple side. But the current mood around the program is uneasy, and this one has shades of 2018, when Bill Snyder’s final season made the rivalry feel much more uncertain.
It also has echoes of a poor version of 2023.
Kansas comes in at 2-3, but the Jayhawks were competitive for much of last weekend’s game at Utah and still look like a team that can cause problems. They are hungry for a win, and they’ll be looking at a K-State team that appears more vulnerable than it has in a long time.
That puts Collin Klein in the spotlight. He knows exactly what this game means to Kansas State University, to the fan base, and to the donors.
The question now is whether he can steady the program. Can the man whose own career in purple began by watching the last KU win in the series keep his own coaching start from following the same path?
Time to find out who owns the state.
Kickoff is set for 11:00am CT at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. FS1 will carry the game with Eric Collins on play-by-play and Spencer Tillman as analyst.
For listeners, the game will air across the 29-station K-State Sports Network with Wyatt Thompson on play-by-play, former K-State quarterback Stan Weber on analysis, and Matt Walters on sidelines. It will also be available on SiriusXM Satellite Radio Ch. 173 or 237 and online through the Varsity Network app.
In Other News...
Kansas State May Need Another Tight End Fix Against Arizona State
Garrett Oakley is expected to miss a second straight game, leaving Kansas State to keep adjusting at tight end as it prepares for Arizona State. Coach Collin Klein said the starting tight end is dealing with a viral illness, and Oakley was already out for the Wildcats game against Kansas, forcing the staff to shuffle personnel and look for help elsewhere on the offense.
One of those fixes has been using freshman offensive tackle Oliver Miller in a tight end role in recent games, a move that shows how much the Wildcats have had to improvise around the spot. With Oakley unlikely to return this week, Kansas State will again have to manage its tight end plan on the fly while trying to stay on schedule against the Sun Devils. [Read more 🡒]
K-State Revives A Throwback Look Fans Never Expected This Soon
Kansas State is reaching back into its wardrobe for a look that feels equal parts familiar and fresh, unveiling alternate uniforms with purple helmets and purple pants for its upcoming game against Arizona State. The Wildcats shared images of the set on social media ahead of the matchup, and the combination brings back a style that has been part of the programs history but not its recent game-day routine.
The purple helmets are especially notable, since Kansas State has not worn them since 1988. The purple pants also make their return after last being used during the Ron Prince era, giving this weeks matchup a vintage feel before the Wildcats even take the field. For fans who like a little nostalgia mixed into the present, it is a throwback worth paying attention to. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Faces A Road Test After Last Weeks Ground Breakthrough
Kansas State heads into Saturdays trip to Tempe with a little more breathing room after finally breaking through for its first Big 12 win of the season against Kansas. The Wildcats will now try to carry that momentum into Mountain America Stadium, where they face Arizona State on Oct. 24 with kickoff set for 2:45 p.m. CT.
Arizona State comes in looking to respond after a loss to Texas Tech, which makes this one feel like an important measuring-stick game for both programs. The matchup will be on ESPN2 and streamed on ESPN+, giving the Wildcats a quick chance to see whether last weeks breakthrough can travel on the road. [Read more 🡒]