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Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. There is something deeply satisfying about beating Kansas, even a bad Kansas team still looking for a second Big 12 win. You could see it on the faces of the players, especially the ones from Kansas. You could see it in the look in Bill Snyder's eyes. You could see it in the enthusiasm of the fans.
The win gets Kansas State more than just the Governor's Cup and in-state bragging rights. It moves the Wildcats one step closer to another Big 12 championship. If the ring seems less brassy for not having the word playoff associated with, so be it. We are not yet the sort of program that can scoff at conference titles, and I hope we never are.
Go Purple!
The 112th episode of the Sunflower Showdown is in the books. Kansas State won 51-23, and here are 3 Things We Learned, courtesy of Jon Morse. Here are all your game recaps from less important folks, in no particular order: Yesterday was Senior Day in Manhattan, and in this SE feature, Kelly McHugh writes about Kansas State celebrating winning another Governor's Cup. The Kansas State offense had a banner day yesterday. Jake Waters threw for 294 yards and four touchdowns. Two of those scores were on passes to Tyler Lockett, who had a total of nine passes for 119 yards, passing his father into the #1 spot in the record books in the process. Curry Sexton also had nine catches, this time for 141 yards. Waters and Charles Jones had a rushing touchdown each, and the avalanche of scoring buried the Jayhawks long before time finally ran off the clock. Lockett's record-breaking day deserved all the headlines, but his name is now forever linked with Waters and Sexton. Together, they make up one of the most dynamic trios to ever don purple. The entire team, but most especially the offense, gets top marks when the Collegian grades the game. Check out the video highlights from Campus Insiders:
The mood is understandably different down the river in Lawrence, and Sheahon Zenger has a few things on his mind. Elsewhere in the conference, Baylor's narrow 48-46 victory over Texas Tech may have been Pyrrhic, as quarterback Bryce Petty was knocked out of the game with a possible concussion. Meanwhile, Patrick Mahomes is now the Big 12 freshman passing leader, with 593 yards and six touchdowns. In Ames, West Virginia overcame a slow start to beat Iowa State 37-24. The win gave West Virginia its first winning season in the Big 12 and snapped a three-game losing streak for the Mountaineers. The Cyclones are now 0-8 in the conference. It was sort of a strange day of rivalry games yesterday. Ohio State beat Michigan, but lost quarterback J.T. Barrett in the process. Wisconsin trailed Minnesota and then ran all over the Gophers to win Paul Bunyan's Axe and a spot in the Big Ten championship game. Oh, and Bo Pelini was fired. Auburn could not quite pull off the upset in Tuscaloosa, as Alabama won the Iron Bowl 55-44. So much for defense in the SEC! Meanwhile, Ole Miss (probably) knocked Mississippi State out of the playoffs with an emphatic 31-17 Egg Bowl win. The SEC East managed to drag the conference down by getting swept by the ACC. Also, stuff happened in the Pac-12.
Despite a valiant effort in forcing a fifth set, the volleyball team lost to West Virginia. The defeat drops the Wildcats to fifth in the Big 12, with Iowa State, Kansas and Oklahoma finishing in a second place tie behind Texas. Tonight, the team will learn if it has made the NCAA tournament field.
If you're looking for something to put a smile on your face this Sunday afternoon, just take a few minutes to watch this video from a few K-State students having a bit of fun on campus (set to the tune of All About That Bass):