It’s time for the Sunflower Showdown, as the Wildcats and Jayhawks are set to face off in Lawrence for the 123rd time on the gridiron.
Neither team comes in to this game feeling particularly good about
how the 2025 season has gone so far. The Wildcats are 3-4 overall and 2-2 in Big 12 play, while the Jayhawks are 4-3 overall and 2-2 in Big 12 play. K-State is coming off a much-needed win over TCU two weeks ago, while the Jayhawks used their bye week to nurse their wounds after limping back from a 42-17 beatdown in Lubbock that resulted in not only a loss on the field, but the Jayhawks coaching staff looking like sore losers.
Regardless, the only thing really on the line for either team today is state pride. Neither team will get bowl eligible today, neither team is really in contention for a run at the Big 12 championship, but the fanbases of these two teams don’t really care about that right now. The Streak is a that really matters to both teams. K-State hasn’t lost this game since 2008. Chris Klieman picked up the torch from Bill Snyder (unlike Snyder’s *other* replacement) and has managed to maintain. But KU under Lance Leipold has narrowed the gap to basically nil, and the Wildcats needed some serious good luck to beat the Jayhawks in Manhattan last season.
This game is going to come down to which team wants it more. Both teams have talent, both will be affected by the rainy weather in Lawrence this morning, and both teams have been inconsistent. Can the Wildcats keep the streak alive, or will 2025, 21 years since the Hawks lasted ended a long streak, be the year that KU finally gets the Wildcat-sized monkey off their backs?
For our sakes, lets hope the Cats want this more.
We’ve got an 11:00am CT kickoff from Memorial Stadium, and you can catch the action on TNT (or online via HBO Max) with J.B. Long (Play-by-Play), Mike Golic Jr. (Analyst), Coy Wire (Sidelines) on the call.
If you don’t have TNT or can’t access the stream, the game can be heard across the 28-station K-State Sports Network with Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play), former K-State quarterback Stan Weber (analyst), and Matt Walters (sidelines) calling the action. The game will also be on SiriusXM Satellite Radio Ch. 160 or 199, and available online at K-Statesports.com. Live stats are also available at k-statesports.com, and social media updates (@KStateFB) will also be a part of the coverage.
Go Cats!
