Oct 243 min read

Kansas State, Kansas Meet for the 122nd Sunflower Showdown

Kansas State Quarterback Avery Johnson — © Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

No. 16 Kansas State (6-1, 3-1 Big 12 Conference) hosts Kansas (2-5, 1-3) for the 122nd edition of the Dillons Sunflower Showdown on Oct. 26 at 8 p.m. EST in Manhattan, Kan., at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Kansas leads the all-time series 65-51-5, but K-State has won 15 straight. The Jayhawks started the season with high hopes of contending for a Big 12 championship, but they are 2-5 with four blown fourth-quarter leads. Quarterback Jalon Daniels has struggled this season before having a breakout game against Houston (2-5, 1-3), throwing for 247 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 42-14 win.

K-State, since the bad loss against BYU (7-0, 4-0), quarterback Avery Johnson turned a corner, and his passing game has continued to develop every week. Against West Virginia (3-4, 2-2), Johnson threw for 298 yards and 3 touchdowns. The most surprising stat from the Mountaineers' game was Johnson, who is known for running the ball, had zero rushing attempts but was still very effective in the 45-18 win.

Kansas Quarterback Jalon Daniels — © William Purnell-Imagn Images

Key Players: Kansas State

DJ Giddens, Running Back

Giddens has 843 yards rushing and 4 touchdowns on the season. The Wildcats are a run-first team with a running back like him. Last week against West Virginia, he was bottled up for most of the game, having his lowest output of the season with 57 yards. The Kansas defense is giving up 148.7 yards a game rushing, which is ninth in the Big 12. Expect Giddens to get back on track in this game.

Marques Sigle, Safety

Sigle is coming off of his best game at K-State where he had 9 tackles, 2 of which were for a loss and a pick-6. The Kansas offense likes to throw the ball down the field, which will put pressure on the K-State secondary. The running game is also a part of the attack where Sigle likes to come down and lay some hits. The Kansas State defense has improved over the last few weeks like the offense has, and that has a lot to do with the elevation of play from Sigle.

Key Players: Kansas

Devin Neal, Running Back

Neal has 692 yards and 7 touchdowns this season, leading the Jayhawks. One of the better running backs in the Big 12 will have his work cut out for him, facing the best rushing defense in the Big 12 only surrendering 83.1 yards per game. Neal has had at least 70 yards in every game this season. With K-State's pass rush, the Kansas offense cannot get one-dimensional in this game and allow Big 12 sack leader Brendan Mott to focus on getting pressure. If Kansas wants to end the streak and upset Kansas State, then Neal will need to be effective.

JB Brown, Linebacker

The team leader in tackles with 39 and sacks with 4 will be depended on to stop the K-State ground game and create pressure on Johnson. The Kansas defense has outstanding cornerbacks Mello Dotson and Cobee Bryant. It will be important to force Kansas State to throw the ball more consistently to attempt to force K-State into mistakes. If Brown and the front seven can slow down, the K-State rushing attack it will play into the Jayhawks' hands.

Trends to Watch

Kansas State is looking to continue its chase of the Big 12 title and extend the streak over its in-state rivals. Will the Wildcats' offense continue to develop a lethal passing game that will make them difficult to slow down?

Kansas is trying to salvage their season and make a run at a bowl game. Will the Jayhawks be able to end the 15-game losing streak to the Wildcats and win for the first time in Manhattan since 2007? Has Jalon Daniels turned a corner last week against Houston or was that just a good game against possibly the worst team in the Big 12?