What happens when a Wildcat Marries a Jayhawk?Snyder: “Well, I’m quite certain that the vast majority of our players would like to bring the Governor’s Cup back to Manhattan. This game is very important to all of our team, especially our players from Kansas. I think that this is a very significant game for every one involved on both sides. The hardest part about it is the fact that he (Mangino) has a very fine football team. That’s what makes it more complex than anything else.” Mangino: “Kansas State is a team that has shown a lot of improvement since last season. They are improving in every area of their game. They play good fundamentals, just like you would like to have your team play all the time. They are aggressive on defense and they have enough playmakers on offense to hurt you. They have one of the best, if not the best, return man in the country in Brandon Banks. It is a Big 12 game on the road, so it is important and we are looking forward to it.”
KU favored by 2.5
SERIES: Kansas leads the all-time series 65-36-5 as this week will be the 107th meeting all time between the two schools. The Jayhawks have three straight and four of the last five in the series. Prior to the recent KU streak, the Wildcats had won 11 consecutive games in the series.
2008: Kansas 52, Kansas State 21
The Sunflower State Showdown certainly has stood the test of time. The Wildcats and Jayhawks will do battle for the 107th time this Saturday. According to the 2009 NCAA record book, the 106 meetings make the Sunflower Showdown the 13th most-played rivalry in the country. The series dates to 1902 and is one of the most continuously-played rivalries (98 straight, #4 in the nation). Kansas State and Kansas also play annually for The Governor’s Trophy. The “trophy” game was initiated in 1969 by Gov. Robert Docking. The trophy is presented to the winning team and coaches in the winner’s dressing room immediately following each year’s game by the Governor of Kansas. Kansas has won three straight and four of the last five meetings, but the Wildcats hold a 9-4 edge since the Big 12 was formed and a 13-4 advantage under head coach Bill Snyder.
KSU vs KU STATS - NATIONAL CATEGORY RANKINGS
Category | Kansas State | Kansas | ||
Rush Y/G | 182.3 | 32 | 136.3 | 76 |
Pass Y/G | 175.0 | 102 | 311.6 | 7 |
Pass EFF. | 126.2 | 70 | 139.4 | 35 |
Total Off. | 357.3 | 75 | 447.9 | 11 |
Score Off. | 27.1 | 58 | 33.38 | 19 |
Rush Def. | 107.7 | 24 | 99.1 | 14 |
Pass Def. | 234.3 | 81 | 247.4 | 100 |
Total Def. | 342.0 | 43 | 346.5 | 47 |
Score Def. | 23.9 | 59 | 25.13 | 71 |
Turn. Mar. | +0.89 | 14 | +0.13 | 57 |
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Other categories ranked in top-25.
KSU: Time of possession #3, Kickoff returns #5, Passes Intercepted #17, Fumbles recovered #13.
KU: First downs #4, Sacks #11, 4th down pct. #16, Red Zone offense #20, Tackles for loss #24, Time of possession #24.
INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS (Top – 30)
Kansas State:
Rushing: Daniel Thomas #26
Interceptions: Tysyn Hartman #25
Kickoff returns: Brandon Banks #9
All purpose yards: Banks #7
Kansas:
Passing yards: Todd Reesing #6
Completions: Reesing #6
Total offense: Reesing #6
Points responsible for: Reesing #11
Receiving yards: Dezmon Briscoe #3, Kerry Meier #30
Receptions: Brisco #6, Meier #2
All purpose yards: Briscoe #15
COOL FACTOIDS
• Kansas has lost three straight games this year and has not lost four consecutive games since losing four in a row in the middle of 2006. They are 28-10 since that four-game losing streak.
• Kansas is looking for its sixth win of the season, which would give the Jayhawks at least six victories for the fifth consecutive season, a streak which has only been accomplished twice in school history (1895-99 and 1902-06).
• Since 1991 under Snyder, K-State is 40-11 in the month of November, which includes a stretch of 13 straight seasons of winning records in the month and six seasons with an undefeated final month.
• Over the past 18 years, K-State is an amazing 105-23-1 (.814) when playing at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, including a 51-17-1 mark (.739) in league games (combined Big 8/Big 12).
KANSAS STATE last 3 years NCAA RANKING
OFFENSEYear | Tot Off. | Pass Off. | Score Off. |
| 2007 | #40 | #21 | #18 |
| 2008 | #34 | #19 | #19 |
| 2009 | #75 | #102 | #58 |
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DEFENSEYear | Tot Def. | Pass Def. | Score Def. |
| 2007 | #69 | #99 | #86 |
| 2008 | #117 | #105 | #110 |
| 2009 | #43 | #81 | #59 |
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KANSAS last 3 years NCAA RANKING
DEFENSEYear | Tot Off. | Pass Off. | Score Off. |
| 2007 | #8 | #17 | #2 |
| 2008 | #21 | #8 | #22 |
| 2009 | #11 | #7 | #19 |
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DEFENSEYear | Tot Def. | Pass Def. | Score Def. |
| 2007 | #12 | #49 | #4 |
| 2008 | #89 | #114 | #82 |
| 2009 | #47 | #100 | #71 |
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THINGS TO LOOK FOR
K-State
Daniel Thomas needs just 98 yards to become the ninth player in school history with 1,000 yards rushing in a season. Six of K-State’s top 10 rushers in a season have come since 2000, including Darren Sproles, who holds the top three spots on the list for his efforts in 2003 (1,986 yards), 2002 (1,465 yards) and 2004 (1,318 yards). The last player to top the 1,000-yard mark was James Johnson (1,106 yards) in 2007.
If Brandon Banks continues to his current 160.9-yard average for all-purpose yards the final three games of the regular season, he will finish with 3,861 yards, which would be the third most in school history.
Kansas
Jake Sharp (2,143) needs 103 rushing yards to pass Jon Cornish (2,245) for ninth place and 106 rushing yards to pass L.T. Levine for eighth place on the KU career rushing yardage list.
Kerry Meier (1,990) needs 10 receiving yards to become the fourth Jayhawk in school history to record 2,000 career receiving yards. He also needs one more (16) touchdown catch to tie for second on the KU career touchdown receptions list.
Dezmon Briscoe (3,240) needs 16 all-purpose yards to pass former Jayhawk All-American Ray Evans (3,259) for seventh on the KU all-purpose yardage list.
Todd Reesing (9,963) needs just 37 yards to become the fifth player in Big 12 history to throw for 10,000 yards in a career.