Kansas State’s grip on the Sunflower Showdown just kept rolling, and this one came with plenty of drama before the Wildcats finally pulled away.
Joe Jackson powered the Wildcats with 159 rushing yards and a touchdown, Avery Johnson piled up 203 passing yards and a score while also adding 132 yards on the ground, and Kansas State rallied from an early 10-point deficit to beat Kansas 35-24 on Saturday and stretch its series win streak to 18 games.
The last time Kansas State lost to Kansas was 2008, when Wildcats coach Collin Klein was still a quarterback on campus. Afterward, Klein said, “It’s real.
There’s a lot of people, you know - they just care so much,” he said. “But again, even though it’s real, it’s about this team and whatever that team does on that day.
And I’m so proud that our guys were able to do that.”
Kansas State had to work through a messy first half and still found a way to go into the break ahead. The Wildcats opened with a 75-yard touchdown drive, but Kansas answered immediately when Bryson Hayes returned the kickoff 95 yards for a score. The Jayhawks then put together an 88-yard touchdown drive - their only sustained march of the half - and later took a 17-7 lead after Kansas State tight end Linkon Cure fumbled, setting up a short field goal.
The Wildcats were stuck settling for points from Luis Rodriguez early, with three first-half field goals, but they managed to salvage the half when Kansas fumbled a punt snap and Kansas State turned it into a safety for an 18-17 lead at the break.
“We wanted to make a statement,” Jackson said. “We decided that early in the week.”
Kansas State kept making mistakes after halftime, too. The Wildcats had an opportunity to put the game away in the third quarter but came up empty after four runs from first-and-goal at the Kansas 5. That left Kansas trailing only 25-24 heading into the fourth.
Then the game swung hard. Isaiah Marshall, who finished with 151 passing yards and 116 rushing yards for the Jayhawks, threw an interception in the end zone when Kansas was trying to tie it late in the fourth quarter. Kansas still had a chance after that, but a facemask penalty on right guard Amir Herring erased Marshall’s 45-yard touchdown run and pushed the Jayhawks into a punt.
Kansas State took over from there. The Wildcats leaned on the run to drain the clock, and Johnson’s 39-yard scramble on third-and-long near midfield set up Rodriguez’s clinching field goal with 1:56 left.
Johnson also threw for a touchdown, and Rodney Fields Jr. added 66 rushing yards and a score as Kansas State overcame an early fumble, two failed fourth-down tries inside the Kansas 12 and a string of stalled drives.
Klein said, “Thought the resiliency and fight through the ebbs and flows of the ballgame were fantastic," Klein said. "The energy, camaraderie and communication to fix some of the issues we were having, and to stay together through ups and downs - so proud.”
Dylan Edwards ran for 57 yards and a touchdown against his former team for Kansas, which fell to 2-4 overall and 0-3 in the Big 12. After the game, Kansas coach Lance Leipold said, “All losses sting.
This one stings a lot,” Kansas coach Lance Leipold said. “There's a lot of people that count on us in games like this.
A lot of people want this streak snapped, myself included. ... Today was the day that mattered and we didn't rise to the occasion.”
Leipold also said, “There’s times where we can play with people. That confidence hasn’t waned whatsoever,” Leipold said. “It’s just that sometimes in these situations, our margin for error is very small, and you have to play clean, especially when you're on the road."
And after all that, he added, “Yeah, frustrated that we haven't won this game since we’ve been here. Frustration-slash-disappointment, those kind of go hand-in-hand in this one,” Leipold.
“There have been years we haven't matched up very good against them. Today, I think we did.”
The Jayhawks return home to face Baylor next Saturday.
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 🡒]