Kansas State University Athletics
Ready for a Four-Quarter Battle
Oct 24, 2025 | Football, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
The Governors' Cup Trophy rested inside the Kansas State locker room at the Vanier Family Football Complex this week — the trophy given annually to the winner of the Dillons Sunflower Showdown.
It's become a trophy that merely demonstrates the stranglehold K-State has on Kansas. The last 16 times the old rivals have met on a football field, the Wildcats have brought the trophy back to Vanier.
Which is where K-State players believe it belongs.
"When I was younger coming into this program, that's all the older guys emphasized, was how much we had to keep this going for all the K-State fans, for this program, and for everybody who lives in Kansas," senior offensive lineman Taylor Poitier said. "Being able to carry on the tradition is really big for me."
It's a tradition that isn't lost on K-State players — wherever they are from.
"This means a lot," said K-State junior safety Jet Dineen, a Lawrence native who grew up a KU fan and whose grandfather, father, and two brothers played football at Kansas. "It's two Kansas teams super close to each other, and there's some bad blood between the two schools. All the guys from different states have really embraced it."
The 123rd edition of the Sunflower Showdown is scheduled to get underway Saturday at 11:00 a.m. in front of a sellout 41,525-capacity Memorial Stadium — where K-State hasn't lost since 2008.
Since then, K-State has outscored Kansas 638 to 262 over the last 16 games — an average score of 39.9 to 16.4 per contest — while the winning streak has touched the tenures of seven different Kansas head coaches, including Mark Mangino, Turner Gill, Charlie Weis, Clint Bowen, David Beaty, Les Miles and current head coach Lance Leipold.
Leipold will make his fifth attempt at beating K-State on Saturday.
"This program is aware of how many games they've won in a row," Leipold said. "I'm not going to act like they don't know. We shared that with our players, as a part of the process of where this is at. They can't change what was done in the past. What you can change is what you do today, the work you put in, and what you do on Saturday."
K-State enters 3-4 overall and 2-2 in the Big 12.
Kansas enters 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the Big 12.
"They're obviously a good football team and somebody we respect dearly," said junior wide receiver Isaac Koch, a native of Olathe, Kansas. "We both have a lot of film on each other. First thing that comes to mind is the preparation and to attack it the best we can. The rest will take care of itself."
Leipold recently has brought competitiveness back into the series.
Two years ago, K-State beat Kansas 31-27 in Lawrence. Last season, K-State beat Kansas 29-27 in Manhattan.
"It's become a really good football game, and we have to be our best to beat those guys," seventh-year K-State head coach Chris Klieman said. "They have really good players. It's become a four-quarter game. Whoever can make plays in the fourth quarter is going to prevail."
Both K-State and Kansas come off bye weeks, meaning this could be a chess match galore in a rivalry game that at times has been about expecting the unexpected, but weather could be an issue as well.
The Weather Channel calls for a 60% chance of rain in Lawrence on Saturday.
Klieman said that the team played with soaked footballs in practice this week in preparation for potential precipitation.
It appears the gameplan remains mostly the same.
"You've got to be able to rush for 150 to 175 yards to win this week," Klieman said. "If you can get 150-plus on the ground and get another 225 or 250 yards throwing the ball, you have balance, and when you have that balance, what has worked in our favor has been time of possession. That's a great stat because it means you're keeping people on defense fresh."
K-State will be led by junior quarterback Avery Johnson, who has completed 140-of-223 passes for 1,561 yards and 13 touchdowns and two interceptions. Johnson has also rushed 60 times for 238 yards and three touchdowns.
But K-State will be without a key offensive player and key defensive player on Saturday.
Junior running back Dylan Edwards, a native of Derby, Kansas, and who Klieman called one of the most dynamic players in college football prior to the season, will not carry the football in a game for a fifth time this season. Klieman said that Edwards, who rushed for 166 yards and one touchdown against UCF, did not practice this week.
"Now, you've got to move forward with the guys you have that you know are practicing and healthy," Klieman said. "Those guys are practicing and playing really well, but when you have the ability to run the quarterback and are doing well up front, those guys have some more lanes."
Sophomore running back Joe Jackson figures to play a big role against a Kansas defense that ranks 118th nationally in giving up 188.3 rushing yards per game. The 6-foot, 212-pound Jackson comes off the best performance of his career — a 27-carry, 110-yard effort — in the Wildcats' 41-28 win over TCU prior to the bye week.
"He was a young player before the season, and he's not now," K-State offensive coordinator Matt Wells said. "He's certainly played more. I'm proud of Joe. He catches the ball well and protects well and he's improved."
The good news is that Jackson & Co. will be running behind an improved offensive line.
"It makes you more aggressive," Wells said. "We need to have success running the ball, whether it's Avery, Joe, DeVon Rice, or whoever is back there. Avery can ignite the confidence when he gets out and breaks loose. That's good for their confidence."
The key loss for K-State defensively is 6-foot-3, 250-pound defensive end Tobi Osunsanmi, who Klieman has called one of the best pass rushers in the Big 12. With his lateral quickness and burst, Osunsanmi would've been a major part of the plan for K-State defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman. Klieman said Osunsanmi will miss the remainder of the season with an upper-body injury.
The K-State defense must be at its best when it faces Kansas senior quarterback Jalon Daniels, who has completed 138-of-186 passes for 1,752 yards and 18 touchdowns and two interceptions. His 18 touchdown passes are tied for second most in the FBS and the fifth most in Kansas single-season history. He has four games with at least three passing touchdowns, while he threw for 455 yards and rushed for 45 yards (500 total) against Cincinnati, which are the second most total yards in a game in the FBS this season.
"It stinks because Tobi would be perfect for a game like this where you're going to have to chase a guy around a whole bunch," Klieman said. "He's probably the one guy we have who can do it."
Daniels' passing efficiency rating of 178.8 leads the Big 12 Conference and is fourth in the FBS.
"He's playing really well and making good decisions," Klanderman said. "When he's playing really well, these guys are as efficient offensively as anybody."
Kansas comes off its worst game of the season in a 42-17 loss at then-No. 9 Texas Tech.
K-State comes off its biggest win of the season in the 41-28 win over TCU.
After starting the season with a 1-3 record, K-State has gone 2-1 with the loss a one-point defeat at Baylor. Five of K-State's games this season have been decided by one score as the Wildcats are one of only three Power 4 teams to already have five games decided by one possession. Two of their three wins this season have been by two scores — a 34-20 win against UCF and a 41-28 win over TCU.
K-State is 0-3 in games played away from Manhattan. Those three games were decided by a total of 10 points — a 27-24 loss to then-No. 22 Iowa State in Dublin, Ireland, a 23-17 loss at Arizona, and a 35-34 loss at Baylor.
For the first time in years, some believe that K-State's winning streak will come to an end on Saturday.
"That's fine," K-State senior defensive tackle Damian Ilalio said. "At the end of the day, it all comes down to us and how we perform. It's not about who we're playing against, but how K-State shows up."
Regardless the record, in 16 straight meetings, K-State has shown up famously, winning the Sunflower Showdown, hoisting the Governor's Cup Trophy, and loading up busses to drive back to Vanier Family Football Complex — to return the trophy to its normal spot.
The Governors' Cup Trophy rested inside the Kansas State locker room at the Vanier Family Football Complex this week — the trophy given annually to the winner of the Dillons Sunflower Showdown.
It's become a trophy that merely demonstrates the stranglehold K-State has on Kansas. The last 16 times the old rivals have met on a football field, the Wildcats have brought the trophy back to Vanier.
Which is where K-State players believe it belongs.
"When I was younger coming into this program, that's all the older guys emphasized, was how much we had to keep this going for all the K-State fans, for this program, and for everybody who lives in Kansas," senior offensive lineman Taylor Poitier said. "Being able to carry on the tradition is really big for me."
It's a tradition that isn't lost on K-State players — wherever they are from.
"This means a lot," said K-State junior safety Jet Dineen, a Lawrence native who grew up a KU fan and whose grandfather, father, and two brothers played football at Kansas. "It's two Kansas teams super close to each other, and there's some bad blood between the two schools. All the guys from different states have really embraced it."
The 123rd edition of the Sunflower Showdown is scheduled to get underway Saturday at 11:00 a.m. in front of a sellout 41,525-capacity Memorial Stadium — where K-State hasn't lost since 2008.
Since then, K-State has outscored Kansas 638 to 262 over the last 16 games — an average score of 39.9 to 16.4 per contest — while the winning streak has touched the tenures of seven different Kansas head coaches, including Mark Mangino, Turner Gill, Charlie Weis, Clint Bowen, David Beaty, Les Miles and current head coach Lance Leipold.
Leipold will make his fifth attempt at beating K-State on Saturday.
"This program is aware of how many games they've won in a row," Leipold said. "I'm not going to act like they don't know. We shared that with our players, as a part of the process of where this is at. They can't change what was done in the past. What you can change is what you do today, the work you put in, and what you do on Saturday."
K-State enters 3-4 overall and 2-2 in the Big 12.
Kansas enters 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the Big 12.
"They're obviously a good football team and somebody we respect dearly," said junior wide receiver Isaac Koch, a native of Olathe, Kansas. "We both have a lot of film on each other. First thing that comes to mind is the preparation and to attack it the best we can. The rest will take care of itself."
Leipold recently has brought competitiveness back into the series.
Two years ago, K-State beat Kansas 31-27 in Lawrence. Last season, K-State beat Kansas 29-27 in Manhattan.
"It's become a really good football game, and we have to be our best to beat those guys," seventh-year K-State head coach Chris Klieman said. "They have really good players. It's become a four-quarter game. Whoever can make plays in the fourth quarter is going to prevail."
Both K-State and Kansas come off bye weeks, meaning this could be a chess match galore in a rivalry game that at times has been about expecting the unexpected, but weather could be an issue as well.
The Weather Channel calls for a 60% chance of rain in Lawrence on Saturday.
Klieman said that the team played with soaked footballs in practice this week in preparation for potential precipitation.
It appears the gameplan remains mostly the same.
"You've got to be able to rush for 150 to 175 yards to win this week," Klieman said. "If you can get 150-plus on the ground and get another 225 or 250 yards throwing the ball, you have balance, and when you have that balance, what has worked in our favor has been time of possession. That's a great stat because it means you're keeping people on defense fresh."
K-State will be led by junior quarterback Avery Johnson, who has completed 140-of-223 passes for 1,561 yards and 13 touchdowns and two interceptions. Johnson has also rushed 60 times for 238 yards and three touchdowns.
But K-State will be without a key offensive player and key defensive player on Saturday.
Junior running back Dylan Edwards, a native of Derby, Kansas, and who Klieman called one of the most dynamic players in college football prior to the season, will not carry the football in a game for a fifth time this season. Klieman said that Edwards, who rushed for 166 yards and one touchdown against UCF, did not practice this week.
"Now, you've got to move forward with the guys you have that you know are practicing and healthy," Klieman said. "Those guys are practicing and playing really well, but when you have the ability to run the quarterback and are doing well up front, those guys have some more lanes."
Sophomore running back Joe Jackson figures to play a big role against a Kansas defense that ranks 118th nationally in giving up 188.3 rushing yards per game. The 6-foot, 212-pound Jackson comes off the best performance of his career — a 27-carry, 110-yard effort — in the Wildcats' 41-28 win over TCU prior to the bye week.
"He was a young player before the season, and he's not now," K-State offensive coordinator Matt Wells said. "He's certainly played more. I'm proud of Joe. He catches the ball well and protects well and he's improved."
The good news is that Jackson & Co. will be running behind an improved offensive line.
"It makes you more aggressive," Wells said. "We need to have success running the ball, whether it's Avery, Joe, DeVon Rice, or whoever is back there. Avery can ignite the confidence when he gets out and breaks loose. That's good for their confidence."
The key loss for K-State defensively is 6-foot-3, 250-pound defensive end Tobi Osunsanmi, who Klieman has called one of the best pass rushers in the Big 12. With his lateral quickness and burst, Osunsanmi would've been a major part of the plan for K-State defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman. Klieman said Osunsanmi will miss the remainder of the season with an upper-body injury.
The K-State defense must be at its best when it faces Kansas senior quarterback Jalon Daniels, who has completed 138-of-186 passes for 1,752 yards and 18 touchdowns and two interceptions. His 18 touchdown passes are tied for second most in the FBS and the fifth most in Kansas single-season history. He has four games with at least three passing touchdowns, while he threw for 455 yards and rushed for 45 yards (500 total) against Cincinnati, which are the second most total yards in a game in the FBS this season.
"It stinks because Tobi would be perfect for a game like this where you're going to have to chase a guy around a whole bunch," Klieman said. "He's probably the one guy we have who can do it."
Daniels' passing efficiency rating of 178.8 leads the Big 12 Conference and is fourth in the FBS.
"He's playing really well and making good decisions," Klanderman said. "When he's playing really well, these guys are as efficient offensively as anybody."
Kansas comes off its worst game of the season in a 42-17 loss at then-No. 9 Texas Tech.
K-State comes off its biggest win of the season in the 41-28 win over TCU.
After starting the season with a 1-3 record, K-State has gone 2-1 with the loss a one-point defeat at Baylor. Five of K-State's games this season have been decided by one score as the Wildcats are one of only three Power 4 teams to already have five games decided by one possession. Two of their three wins this season have been by two scores — a 34-20 win against UCF and a 41-28 win over TCU.
K-State is 0-3 in games played away from Manhattan. Those three games were decided by a total of 10 points — a 27-24 loss to then-No. 22 Iowa State in Dublin, Ireland, a 23-17 loss at Arizona, and a 35-34 loss at Baylor.
For the first time in years, some believe that K-State's winning streak will come to an end on Saturday.
"That's fine," K-State senior defensive tackle Damian Ilalio said. "At the end of the day, it all comes down to us and how we perform. It's not about who we're playing against, but how K-State shows up."
Regardless the record, in 16 straight meetings, K-State has shown up famously, winning the Sunflower Showdown, hoisting the Governor's Cup Trophy, and loading up busses to drive back to Vanier Family Football Complex — to return the trophy to its normal spot.
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