K-State Football vs. KU: Five things to know about Wildcats before Sunflower Showdown

The Sunflower Showdown has never been known as much of a football rivalry, but that could change when Kansas heads to K-State for a prime-time game with Big 12 championship implications at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

KU and K-State have only met once when both teams were ranked. That happened in 1995. It was obviously a big game that year.

This is without a doubt the most important football game between the Jayhawks and the Wildcats since then. K-State is ranked 15th in the latest Associated Press top 25 and one victory (or a Texas loss) away from clinching a berth in the Big 12 title game. KU is bowl eligible for the first time since the Mark Mangino era and can secure a winning record with a win on Saturday.

There are several reasons why the game will be televised nationally on FOX.

Here is everything else you need to know to start preparing for the contest.

The details

Kickoff: 7 p.m. Saturday

Where: Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan

TV: FOX

Radio: KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City and KKGQ (92.3 FM) in Wichita

Betting line: K-State by 12 1/2

Over/Under Points Total: 62 1/2

Five things to know

1. K-State controls its own destiny in the Big 12 championship race. There are two ways the Wildcats can earn a berth in the conference title game on Dec. 3 at AT&T Stadium against TCU. There’s a chance K-State will have clinched a trip to Arlington, Texas, before kickoff. If Baylor defeats Texas on Friday, the Wildcats will finish all alone in second place of the Big 12 standings no matter what happens against the Jayhawks. If the Longhorns beat the Bears, then K-State will have to beat KU to stay alive in the Big 12 championship hunt. Simply put: The Wildcats are in with one more win or a Texas loss.

2. Will Howard continues to excel at quarterback. It’s getting hard to believe the Wildcats wanted to redshirt Howard. The junior quarterback has been sensational in his four games this season, throwing for 1,011 yards and 11 touchdowns while leading K-State to some convincing victories. The Wildcats are averaging 38.8 points per game when Howard plays. When he starts, they are averaging 48 points per game. That number would rank first in the Big 12 over the course of a full season. TCU currently leads the league at 39.5 points per game.

3. Brendan Mott is another pass-rusher to keep an eye on. Everyone knows about Felix Anudike-Uzomah, and Eli Huggins and Nate Matlack are excellent defenders up front for the Wildcats. Fans will need to start taking note of Brendan Mott as well. The K-State defensive end surprised West Virginia last week with three sacks. He is a rising player on the Wildcats’ defense.

4. K-State is banged up in the secondary. The Wildcats lost star safety Kobe Savage with a season-ending injury two weeks ago at Baylor. They may have lost another key defender last week at West Virginia. Cincere Mason was unable to finish that game with a lower-body injury and Chris Klieman was unsure about his health status afterward. He returned an interception for a touchdown against the Mountaineers. The Wildcats would love to get him back in the lineup, but it’s too early to know if he will be available to play against the Jayhawks.

5. Malik Knowles is quietly putting together his best season. The senior receiver is up to 44 catches for 669 yards and two touchdowns this year. This has easily been his finest season in purple. He has eclipsed 100 yards in three different games, including last week’s victory over West Virginia when he caught six passes for 111 yards and a score. With Howard at quarterback, it’s possible Knowles could flirt with 1,000 yards if K-State plays three more games.

Some bonus coverage: Here are five things to know about the Jayhawks before Saturday.