MANHATTAN — History and records suggest that this year’s Sunflower Showdown against Kansas has all the making of a Kansas State football trap game.
K-State coach Chris Klieman isn’t buying it.
“I think it’s because it’s KU and K-State,” said Klieman whose No. 16-ranked Wildcats (6-1, 3-1 Big 12) entertain KU (2-5, 1-3) at 7 p.m. Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. “I know that we didn’t have as much life as I wanted us to have, our energy when we got off the bus at West Virginia (last week), but we found a way.
“I don’t think that’s going to be the case this week, just because of the respect that both programs have for one another. There’s almost all the same (KU) players that were up 11 on us in the fourth quarter at their place last year.”
True, the Wildcats needed a late comeback and a few breaks to escape Lawrence last year with a 31-27 victory, their 15th straight in the series. But KU’s highly anticipated 2024 season is off to a rocky start that included five straight losses — four after leading in the fourth quarter — before the Jayhawks blew out Houston last week in Kansas City, 42-14.
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The way K-State senior offensive lineman Hadley Panzer sees it, none of that matters.
“I think the biggest thing I’m telling myself, telling the guys, is that when you make a game out to be something bigger than what it is, that’s when you can trip up,” said Panzer, a Kansas native from Lakin who grew up with the rivalry and has yet to lose to the Jayhawks. “So, I think that’s the biggest thing, just taking this week with a grain of salt and saying we’re looking to go 1-0 each day to give ourselves the best opportunity on Saturday.”
The fact that Kansas, and especially quarterback Jalon Daniels, got back on track against Houston made Panzer take notice.
“We know that they have a lot of weapons on their team and what they can do,” Panzer said. “They’re very explosive.
“But records aside, we know what kind of players they have, and they are a good group. We’re looking forward to that.”
Daniels, who has struggled with turnovers, had his best game against Houston. The Wildcats also have one of the Big 12’s top running back duos in Devin Neal (692 yards) and Daniel Hishaw (318), a talented group of receivers and two standout cornerbacks on defense in Mello Dotson and Cobee Bryant.
“They have obviously the full attention of our players and coaches, because it’s a bunch of veteran guys on both sides of the ball that 2-5 is not indicative,” Klieman said. “They’re ahead in all five of those losses and have a chance to win all five of those games.”
K-State sophomore quarterback Avery Johnson, another Kansas native from Maize High School, is experiencing the Sunflower Showdown for the second time in person and first time as a starter.
“The biggest thing is not over-hyping it and just treating it like each and every week,” said Johnson, who passed for a career-high 298 yards with three touchdowns last week in last week’s 45-18 victory at West Virginia. “Obviously, it’s a rivalry game. We’re going to get KU’s best, and we’re going to go out on the field and put our best out there on display.
“So, preparing like every other week, but obviously this one means a little bit more to us.”
Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.
