Division race increases importance of Sunflower Showdown

To most of Wildcat Nation, Dec. 8, 2005, must seem like a very long time ago.

That was the last time the K-State football team, a program once feared across the Big 12 Conference, knocked off in-state rival Kansas. The final score of 12-3 accurately reflected the teams’ performances. Neither squad managed more than a single field goal in the game’s first three quarters. The Wildcats and Jayhawks combined for seven fumbles. There were 21 penalties, 14 punts, four sacks and four turnovers. By any team’s standards, it was as ugly as a college football game can get.

But, ugly or not, it was a win for the Wildcats, and it meant the Governor’s Cup was back in Manhattan.

Since then, head coach Bill Snyder has retired and returned from his three-year retirement stint. During that span, K-State went 0-3 against the Jayhawks under former head coach Ron Prince. In fact, the Jayhawks have been nearly as dominant as the Wildcats were in the 1990s, outscoring K-State 121-65, including a 59-21 manhandling last year in Lawrence.

But with Prince gone and Snyder back at the helm, many Wildcats believe the rivalry has been rekindled.

“I know it’s a huge game,” said senior quarterback Grant Gregory. “I’m really looking forward to the intensity of the rivalry. When I first got here, [my teammates] let me know which games are true rivalries, and KU — it’s a big game.”

While he’s been well-informed by other players about what’s at stake, Gregory, a transfer from the University of South Florida, said Saturday will be his first experience in a legitimate rivalry matchup.

“In South Florida, we were in a new conference and everything was brand new, so rivalries were just developing,” he said. “It’s nice to have a rivalry that’s been around for a while.”

For the first time in recent memory, Gregory and the Wildcats (5-4, 3-2 Big 12 Conference) will have more than just bragging rights on the line when they take the field against KU (5-3, 1-3) on Saturday. K-State leads the Big 12 North division, and a win against the Jayhawks would virtually eliminate them from the division race and propel the Wildcats one step closer to their fourth Big 12 Championship appearance.

“We’ve just got to go out and treat this like another game,” said sophomore safety Tysyn Hartman. “I mean, it’s a big in-state rivalry game that really means a lot to us right now, especially as far as contending in the North, but really, we’ve just got to see it as another game. We’ll prepare for it the same way we’ve been preparing for all those other games up until this point.”

To secure a win, K-State will be faced with the daunting task of neutralizing KU wideouts Kerry Meier and Dezmon Briscoe, who comprise one of the nation’s most lethal receiving duos. So far this season, the pair has combined for 119 catches, 1,507 yards and 11 touchdowns. As a unit, the Jayhawks’ passing offense ranks seventh nationally with 311.6 yards per contest.

“Briscoe is as good as I’ve seen,” Snyder said. “They’re all big. They’re aggressive wide receivers. Kerry has as good of hands as you’ll find in the game of football anywhere. It’s hard to defend those guys.”

While the Wildcats’ pass defense has been susceptible at times this season – K-State is giving up 234.3 passing yards per game – players like Hartman and junior cornerback Joshua Moore have stepped up this season. As a whole, the Wildcat defense has combined for 11 interceptions and 10 fumble recoveries. The Wildcats, who are listed as three-point underdogs, will likely need to win the turnover battle again on Saturday in order to come away victorious.

Fans who can’t make it out to Snyder Family Stadium this weekend can watch K-State try to extend its division lead and down the Jayhawks live on VERSUS. Kickoff is slated for 11:30 a.m.