By D. Scott Fritchen – K-State Athletics
Kansas State entered the Sunflower Showdown as the underdog for the first time since this remarkable winning streak began in 2009, but the Wildcats emphatically showed that it was the same ‘ol, same ‘ol in a series that they have dominated for nearly two decades, racing past Kansas, 42-17, for a 17th straight win over their rival — and keeping the coveted Governor’s Cup Trophy in Manhattan for another year.
On a dreary and cold Saturday in Lawrence, it was K-State — not Kansas — that repeatedly lit up the scoreboard, quickly conjuring memories of many previous victories at Memorial Stadium. As time ticked down, some folks headed toward the stadium exits, but the K-State marching band blared on, and K-State players and coaches paraded toward the visiting locker room serenaded by rain-soaked K-State fans, who remained, and who were warmed by the vision of the numerals upon the scoreboard and by the smiles upon the faces of players who labored for this win.
K-State, which improved to 4-4 overall and 3-2 in the Big 12 Conference, answered its skeptics. Kansas fell to 4-4 and 2-3.
K-State with 17-straight wins over Kansas now owns the longest winning streak in an uninterrupted series in the FBS. Georgia owns a 16-game winning streak over Kentucky.
“Our guys had tremendous focus this week,” K-State head coach Chris Klieman said. “They know all about this streak. Our guys could feel that for sure this was the year, and it kind of pissed off a lot of our older Kansas kids. I told them, you just have to prepare this week. You can’t worry about Saturday. It’s going to get here. If we do the things we need to do, I have a feeling we’ll play really well.
“These guys were razor sharp and focused.”
After starting the season with a 1-3 record, K-State has gone 3-1 with the lone loss a one-point defeat at Baylor on October 4. K-State thumped TCU 41-28 in its previous game on October 11.
With K-State and Kansas both coming off bye weeks, many believed this Sunflower Showdown had the makings of a nailbiter. After all, K-State entered as one of only three Power 4 teams to already have five games decided by one possession. Also, the last two K-State/Kansas battles were notably close. Two years ago, K-State beat Kansas 31-27 in Lawrence, and last season K-State beat Kansas 29-27 in Manhattan.
Didn’t happen this time in front of 41,525 at Memorial Stadium.
K-State, which said it was ascending into a really good team, exploded.
“These last four games, we’ve hit a groove, and we’ve found our identity, and we focused in on KU, and we did a really good job of that in our off week,” said K-State quarterback Avery Johnson, who completed 11-of-17 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns, and had eight carries for 17 yards and two scores. “That showed today. Guys came out firing and ready to play. It was a really great win to get for our seniors.”
K-State led 21-14 at halftime and finished things off by outscoring Kansas 21-3 in the final two quarters.
K-State has now outscored Kansas 680-279 during its winning streak.
K-State outgained Kansas 371-247 in total yards, outgained the Jayhawks in passing yards 231-137, and outgained them in rushing yards 140-110. K-State averaged 7.0 yards per play; Kansas 3.2. The Wildcats also collected four sacks on Jalon Daniels, who went 17-of-35 for 129 yards and one interception. The leader in passing efficiency in the FBS entering the game, Daniels never seemed comfortable against the Wildcats’ defense, which sent four and five rushers at a time while defensive backs took care of the back end.
K-State forced four takeaways — two fumble recoveries by Ralph Ortiz and Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder, and two interceptions by Daniel Cobbs and Gunner Maldonado. K-State now has 17 takeaways this season and entered the game ranked 12th nationally in that department.
“We kept him contained,” said K-State linebacker Desmond Purnell who had a team-high nine tackles. “The defensive line got after him. We didn’t let him get explosive yardage. We understood he’s a heck of a player and he has the ball in his hands. I’m just glad we kept him contained.”
In a game that featured impressive performances, perhaps K-State sophomore wide receiver Jayce Brown shined the brightest. He had four catches for 160 yards and one touchdown for the most receiving yards by a K-State player since Byron Pringle at Oklahoma State in 2017, and Brown’s 78-yard catch-and-run touchdown was the longest pass play since Will Howard’s 80-yard pass to Deuce Vaughn against Kansas in 2022.
The touchdown couldn’t have come at a better time.
K-State grinded down the field. Johnson converted a fourth-and-1 play to get the ball to the Kansas 33. Three plays later, Johnson rolled to his right and threw across his body and found Brown in front of Mason Ellis near the goal line. DeVon Rice pounded it into the end zone for a 28-14 lead with 7:23 left in the third quarter.
But both teams struggled to move the ball after that score. Kansas cut the K-State lead to 11 points on a 47-yard field goal by Laith Marjan to trim it to 28-17, causing a few uneasy moments. Would the Wildcats answer?
Yes, they did.
Johnson and Brown went to work. On the first play from scrimmage, Johnson wound up and Brown, who faced press coverage, got underneath the long ball at the 43-yard line and outraced redshirt freshman Austin Alexander down the sideline for a 78-yard catch-and-run touchdown for a 35-17 lead with 63 seconds left in the third quarter.
“That was the dagger,” Johnson said. “Me and Coach Matt Wells probably had the same thing going through our mind at the moment. They gave us a single-high look, and I said, ‘If Jayce is pressed…’ I knew Jayce was going to be going right there. I just tried to put it up with air and let him do his thing after it.
“When we scored that one, we weren’t completely celebrating too early, but I felt that we had them at that point.”
Brown said that he had been struggling with injury, which made the play that much more meaningful to him.
“It was a tremendous ball,” Brown said. “It’s a blessing. I’ve been battling a little injury. Getting back out there is another opportunity, so I was really excited. You’re on an island and one-on-one with them. That’s my favorite part of being football is being in a one-on-one matchup with somebody.”
At the start, this game seemed like this was an even matchup.
The game had an unfortunate start for K-State, as Bryce Noernberg caught the opening kickoff at the 2-yard line, ran up field, and fumbled it when he was hit by Jalen Dye at the K-State 25. From there, Kansas needed just five plays to score the opening touchdown, which came when Daniels rushed right six yards and dived into the end zone for a 7-0 lead less than three minutes into the game.
“That was the only momentum I felt we gave up all day,” Klieman said.
K-State answered on the next drive, as Johnson coolly guided the Wildcats down the field and used a 34-yard pass to Brown to get to the 5. Two plays later, Johnson ran to the left and untouched into the end zone, capping a 6-play, 80-yard drive, and tying it at 7-7.
After the K-State defense held Kansas in check — Purnell nearly intercepted his third pass in two games — disaster struck for the Kansas special teams. Punter Tate Nagy mishandled the ball and K-State’s Ralph Ortiz swept in, picked up the ball, and raced 20 yards into the end zone for a special teams score — the 139th non-offensive touchdown by the Wildcats since 1999 to lead the FBS — and suddenly K-State led 14-7.
“I really believed we were going to block a punt for a touchdown,” Klieman said. “I told the officials that the first punt they have, we’re coming, and everyone is coming. They fumbled the snap, so we didn’t have a chance at it, but that was a turning point for us.”
Then — another K-State takeaway. This time, Purnell skated into the backfield on a blitz and swung Daniels around and the ball slipped out of the hands of the Kansas quarterback. Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder landed on the loose ball at the K-State 42, ending a 10-play, 37-yard drive by the Jayhawks.
K-State couldn’t capitalize, but its defense held serve again, forcing Daniels, one of the most efficient passers in the FBS, to throw incompletions.
Meanwhile, Johnson had little trouble throwing completions, including a 27-yard touchdown pass to Jaron Tibbs across the middle for a 21-7 advantage with 12 seconds left in the first quarter.
Neither team scored in the second quarter until Kansas running back Daniel Hishaw finally punched it into the end zone from the K-State 3-yard line to make it 21-14 with 30 seconds left until halftime.
On the 18-play, 85-yard drive, Daniels converted a crucial third down on a 14-yard pass to Hishaw and then hit Keaton Kubecka for eight yards before taking the ball himself and rushing nine yards to the K-State 5. Kansas called timeout after Hishaw rushed two yards up the middle to the K-State 3 with 38 seconds left. Hishaw scored on the next play to make it 21-14.
K-State went into the locker room with the lead.
And it would only continue to grow.
“All I wanted to do was go out there and win,” Purnell said. “We definitely won — and then some.”
And the trophy remains in Manhattan for another year.
“We knew if we played average, we’d lose the game because that’s a dang good football team,” Klieman said. “But if we played our best football, we were a better football team. I really believe that, and the kids really believed that.
“That was a complete performance.”
