Kansas football vs. Kansas State recap: Jayhawks fall short in rivalry matchup

LAWRENCE — Kansas football’s 2023 season continued Saturday with a Big 12 Conference game at home against No. 24 Kansas State.

The Jayhawks came off of a loss at home against Texas Tech. The Wildcats came off a win at home against Baylor. During Kansas coach Lance Leipold’s time in Lawrence, he had been winless against Kansas State.

Did the Jayhawks top the Wildcats for the first time in Leipold’s tenure? Did the Jayhawks top the Wildcats for the first time in more than a decade? There was a sellout crowd following along.

Here’s what’s happened inside David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium:

Kansas game time, TV channel for today’s game against Kansas State

Kickoff: 6 p.m.

TV: FS1

Kansas football against Kansas State recap

FINAL: Kansas State 31, Kansas 27

Kansas State takes the lead

Quarterback Will Howard scored on a 14-yard rushing touchdown with 10:22 left in the fourth quarter. The drive went 55 yards in six plays and took 3:01 off of the clock. After the extra point, Kansas State leads 31-27.

END 3Q: Kansas 27, Kansas State 24

Kansas State strikes back

Kansas State nearly saw the drive end in an interception, but instead was able to drive for another touchdown with 6:37 left in the third quarter. The Wildcats' drive went 87 yards in 10 plays and took 4:01 off of the clock, and after converting a two-point attempt trail 27-24. Running back DJ Giddens scored the touchdown on a one-yard rush.

Kansas adds to its lead

The Jayhawks are up 27-16 now with 13:28 left in the third quarter after a touchdown drive and the ensuing extra point. Running back Devin Neal rushed it in from a couple yards out. The drive went 65 yards in three plays and took 1:32 off of the clock.

HALFTIME: Kansas 20, Kansas State 16

Kansas scores just before halftime

The Jayhawks are leading again, and this time 20-16 after a touchdown and the extra point with 0:26 left before halftime. Quarterback Cole Ballard found wide receiver Lawrence Arnold for a five-yard score. The drive took 7:00 off of the clock and went 75 yards in 13 plays.

Kansas State takes the lead back

Aided by a defensive penalty that kept the drive alive, Kansas State has taken the lead back with a touchdown drive. The Wildcats, after the 8-play and 75-yard drive that took 3:33 off of the clock, scored on an 11-yard pass from quarterback Will Howard to wide receiver Keagan Johnson. After the extra point, they lead 16-13 with 7:26.

Kansas takes the lead

The Jayhawks have found the end zone again, this time on a nine-yard rush by running back Devin Neal. The drive took 4:28 off of the clock and went 76 yards in eight plays. The extra point was blocked and returned by Kansas State, though, so with 10:57 left in the second quarter it's a 13-9 lead for Kansas.

END 1Q: Kansas 7, Kansas State 7

Kansas strikes back

With Cole Ballard as the Jayhawks' starting quarterback, Kansas has itself on the scoreboard now as well. Ballard led the Jayhawks on an 11-play, 82-yard touchdown drive that took 6:10 off of the clock and ended on a 36-yard rush by running back Devin Neal. After the extra point, it's tied up at 7-7 with 2:05 left in the first quarter.

Kansas State opens the scoring

The Wildcats didn't waste much time, and drove for a touchdown within the first two minutes of the first quarter. After the extra point, they are up 7-0. The touchdown was scored on a pass from quarterback Will Howard to tight end Ben Sinnott from 11 yards out.

RELATED: Kansas football bowl projections following Jayhawks’ Big 12 loss against Texas Tech

RELATED: 3 key observations from Kansas football’s 16-13 loss at home against Texas Tech

RELATED: Grading Kansas football on its 16-13 loss against Texas Tech in Big 12 Conference play

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas football vs. Kansas State recap: Jayhawks fall short vs. rival