Kansas State rallied past rival Kansas to secure its 18th consecutive Sunflower Showdown win, 35-24 on Saturday in Manhattan, Kan.
Avery Johnson threw for 209 yards and a touchdown and ran for 132 yards to help the Wildcats (4-2, 1-2 Big 12) snap their two-game losing skid. Joe Jackson added 159 rushing yards and a score as Kansas State totaled 568 yards of offense.
Kansas (2-4, 0-3) lost its second straight game and fourth in its last five. Isaiah Marshall was 12 of 26 for 151 yards passing and ran for another 117 yards. Nik McMillan led Jayhawks receivers with five catches, 55 yards and a touchdown.
A 59-yard scramble by Johnson set up a 4-yard touchdown run by Rodney Fields Jr. on the game’s opening drive, but Kansas immediately responded as Bryson Hayes returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a tying touchdown. The score was 7-7 1:56 into the game.
The Jayhawks took the lead when Marshall found McMillan for a 12-yard touchdown pass with 4:21 remaining in the first. On the ensuing Wildcats drive, defensive end Dak Brinkley forced a fumble by Linkon Cure that David Santiago recovered to put the Jayhawks on Kansas State’s 27-yard line. Martin Connington later connected on a 31-yard field goal to put Kansas up 17-7.
Kansas State kicker Luis Rodriguez connected on field goals from 22 and 51 yards to cut Kansas’ lead to 17-13, the latter coming with 6:57 remaining in the half. The Wildcats halved that deficit 1:39 before halftime when Kansas punter Matt Gill dropped the ball in the end zone and then rolled it out for a safety amid heavy K-State pressure.
The Wildcats marched to Kansas’ 10-yard line after the free kick before settling for a 28-yard Rodriguez field goal with 24 seconds to go in the half to go up 18-17.
Dylan Edwards put the Jayhawks back up 24-18 on their first drive of the second half with a 3-yard TD run. The Wildcats answered immediately with a nine-play, 65-yard drive that ended with Jackson’s scoring run from 8 yards out. The extra point put Kansas State back ahead 25-24.
Kansas State extended the lead to 32-24 when Johnson fired a 9-yard touchdown pass to Jaron Tibbs with 8:28 remaining in the fourth quarter. Rodriguez kicked his fourth field goal of the game with 1:56 remaining to make it 35-24.
–Field Level Media
