Kansas State has owned the Sunflower Showdown for more than a decade and a half, but Collin Klein still knows exactly why records mean nothing once this rivalry game arrives.
The Wildcats have beaten Kansas 17 straight times, a run that dates back to 2008. Yet for Klein, the memory that sticks is the one loss at the end of that streak, when he was on the wrong side of KU’s 52-21 win in Lawrence.
That experience came up during Klein’s weekly press conference, and it was clear he sees it as a useful warning for his team now.
"Well, I was there the year before too, and I think the pain of that one and living it firsthand, personally, was real," Klein said. "I think that '09 team, we were building."
Kansas State and Kansas are both trying to steady themselves after recent rough patches. The Wildcats have dropped two in a row, losing at Cincinnati in their Big 12 opener before falling at home to Houston.
Kansas has lost three of its last four, with its lone win in that stretch coming in a blowout over Middle Tennessee State. The Jayhawks are 2-3 overall, and their other victory came against Long Island University in the opener.
Even with that record, Kansas has shown some fight. The Jayhawks pushed Utah for three quarters before the game slipped away in the fourth against a team that is among the favorites to win the Big 12 title.
That is part of why Klein isn’t treating this as a game Kansas State can afford to approach lightly.
Here’s a look at the last 18 meetings in the series:
2025: Kansas State 42, Kansas 17 in Lawrence
2024: Kansas State 29, Kansas 27 in Manhattan
2023: Kansas State 31, Kansas 27 in Lawrence
2022: Kansas State 47, Kansas 27 in Manhattan
2021: Kansas State 35, Kansas 10 in Lawrence
2020: Kansas State 55, Kansas 14 in Manhattan
2019: Kansas State 38, Kansas 10 in Lawrence
2018: Kansas State 21, Kansas 17 in Manhattan
2017: Kansas State 30, Kansas 20 in Lawrence
2016: Kansas State 34, Kansas 19 in Manhattan
2015: Kansas State 45, Kansas 14 in Lawrence
2014: Kansas State 51, Kansas 13 in Manhattan
2013: Kansas State 31, Kansas 10 in Lawrence
2012: Kansas State 56, Kansas 16 in Manhattan
2011: Kansas State 59, Kansas 21 in Lawrence
2010: Kansas State 59, Kansas 7 in Lawrence
2009: Kansas State 17, Kansas 10 in Manhattan
2008: Kansas 52, Kansas State 21 in Lawrence
In Other News...
Collin Kleins Latest Offer Push Shows Kansas States Recruiting Urgency
Kansas States recruiting push has been busy lately, with Collin Klein continuing to fan out offers as the Wildcats try to keep momentum going on the trail. One of the latest to hear from the program was Tucson defensive lineman Lincoln Maggard, part of a broader run of scholarship offers aimed at high school prospects across multiple classes and positions. For a staff still building out its board, the activity is a reminder that Kansas State is not waiting around to make its presence felt.
The pace also underscores how wide the competition has become, with several of the same recruits drawing attention from other programs as well. For the Wildcats, these early moves matter because they help establish relationships and keep Kansas State in the conversation before visits, evaluations and commitments start narrowing the field. Kleins latest wave of offers suggests the staff is moving with a clear sense of urgency, even if the full picture on this group is still coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Collin Klein Still Carries One Sunflower Showdown Memory Into Kansas Week
The Sunflower Showdown has looked a lot different for Kansas State ever since the Wildcats turned the series in 2009, when a 17-10 win started a run that still holds today. For Collin Klein, now leading the program as head coach, that stretch carries a personal edge. He was part of the team that helped launch it, and he remembers the sting of Kansas 2008 win as something that sharpened the edge inside the building.
What followed became more than just a streak. That first breakthrough marked a clear turning point for Kansas State football, and the Wildcats used it to stack up several dominant wins in the seasons that came after. As Kansas week arrives again, Klein still has that earlier memory in mind, a reminder of how quickly the rivalry changed and how much the outcome can still mean on both sides. [Read more 🡒]
K-States First Scrimmage Revealed One Encouraging Sign And One Concern
Kansas State got an early look at itself in a closed scrimmage against Tulsa on a neutral court, and the first read was a mixed one. Senior transfer Brandon Rechsteiner and freshman Jaylen Alexander drew praise from head coach Casey Alexander for the way they performed, giving the Wildcats a couple of encouraging notes as the preseason starts to take shape.
The scrimmage also surfaced some issues the staff will want cleaned up before exhibition play begins, most notably on the defensive communication side. Add in the need to manage a few injuries, and the next stretch becomes important for a roster trying to settle in before upcoming tuneups against Missouri and Nebraska. [Read more 🡒]