KU football vs. K-State: Five things to know about Jayhawks entering Saturday’s game

After dropping two straight Big 12 football games and five of the last six contests, the Kansas Jayhawks next travel to Manhattan on Saturday for a battle against the No. 15-ranked Kansas State Wildcats.

Chris Klieman’s KSU team has won two in a row, three of four and six of eight entering the Sunflower Showdown between the bowl-eligible Jayhawks (6-5, 3-5) and bowl-eligible Wildcats (8-3, 6-2).

The fact one team is hot and the other is not may not mean much when the rivals kick off at 7 p.m. on Fox at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

“I mean it’s a rivalry game coming up. There doesn’t need to be much of a message. We’re all fired up ready to play,” KU senior tight end Mason Fairchild said after Saturday’s 55-14 home loss to Texas. “I think it’ll be easy to get up this week knowing the challenge ahead. I think it’ll be a fun week.”

Quarterback Jalon Daniels, who threw for a pair of touchdown passes in the second half against the Longhorns after shaking off the rust of a 4 1/2 game absence due to injury, said the team’s mental makeup is rock solid entering the regular season finale.

“Keep your head up and stay together no matter what the situation is. It’s football,” said Daniels, one of the team’s leaders. “If we’re turning on each other we won’t be able to go into the next one. Stay together. Own what’s on film and get better.

“Even if we won or lost today, we have the 24-hour rule. ... That game’s in the past. We can’t focus too much on our last opponent. We look to our next opponent.”

Second-year coach Lance Leipold says there’s been no change in his players’ desire to win entering rivalry week.

“There are guys on our sideline literally in tears they want to compete so bad, and they’re frustrated and want to see us do better because they care so much,” Leipold said. “That means a lot to me and our coaches and other guys (players). We’ve got to make sure that spreads throughout this program.

“One thing I did say (after the game to players),” Leipold added, “we have to find a better way to understand and react when we play opponents who have their backs to the wall.”

For instance, Texas was coming off a low-scoring 17-10 loss to TCU; Baylor was coming off a 43-40 loss to West Virginia; and Oklahoma was coming off a 49-0 loss to Texas — all before they faced Kansas. Each of the three reversed course and defeated the Jayhawks.

“The great thing about our conference, we run into teams coming off losses as well and they really have responded well. I don’t know if we are matching that punch for punch,” Leipold said.

THE DETAILS

Kickoff: 7 p.m., Saturday

Where: Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan.

TV: FOX.

Radio: WHB (810) in Kansas City; KFH (1240 AM, 97.5 FM) in Wichita

Early betting line: Kansas State by 12

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

1. These two teams have been playing each other a long time. KU leads the all-time series 66-48-5. It is the 10th most played rivalry in FBS, dating to 1902. The series has been contested every year since 1911, making it the fourth-longest active series in FBS and the second-longest in-state rivalry. The Wildcats have won 13 in a row in the series. KU last won on November 1, 2008.

2. The running game is pivotal for Kansas. KU finished with 104 rushing yards on 30 carries in Saturday’ s 55-14 blowout loss to Texas. The Jayhawks have rushed for at least 100 yards in 10 games this season. That marks the first time since 2008 that KU has 10 games with 100+ rushing yards in a season.

3. KU continues to throw the football effectively. Against Texas, Kansas threw for 242 passing yards, marking the sixth consecutive game with 200+ yards through the air. The last time KU had at least 200 passing yards in six straight games was when the Jayhawks threw for 200+ yards in each of the first seven games of the 2009 season.

4. Kenny Logan was as productive as advertised this season. Logan, a senior safety from St. Augustine, Florida, recorded a game-high 10 tackles against the Longhorns. It was the preseason all-Big 12 pick’s fifth game of the season with double-digit tackles. For the year Logan leads the team with 90 tackles. Rich Miller is second with 79.

5. Andy Kotelnicki and Joe Klanderman are up for the same national award. Kansas football offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki and K-State defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman are two of 51 nominees for the Broyles Award, the Frank & Barbara Broyles Foundation announced. The award honors college football’s top assistant coach. Other Big 12 nominees: Jeff Grimes, OC, Baylor; Jon Heacock, DC, Iowa State; Garrett Riley, OC, TCU.

Some bonus coverage: Here are five things to know about K-State ahead of Saturday.