<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/2015/6/12/mbbtickets">Buy Season Tickets Today</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp; <a href="https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/kstate.sidearmsports.com/documents/2025/9/19/25-26_MBB_Schedule.pdf?timestamp=20250919040158">View 2025-26 Schedule (.pdf)</a>

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Weekend home dates with BYU, Kansas, Iowa State and TCU highlight Kansas State’s Big 12 Conference-only schedule, which was released by the league office on Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 23).

The 2026 Big 12 schedule marks a return to an 18-game format after using a 20-game slate in 2025 with the additions of Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah. The league used an 18-game schedule from 2012-24. The conference-only schedule will run from the first week of January to the second week of March with each team playing nine games at home and on the road.

K-State will play every Big 12 member at least once with home-and-home matchups with Kansas, TCU and West Virginia.

Game times and television information will be released at a later date.

K-State will open the Big 12 schedule against expected top-25 opponent BYU on Saturday, Jan. 3 before hosting Kansas in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown on Saturday, Jan. 24, along with weekend matchups with Iowa State on Sunday, Feb. 1 and TCU on Saturday, Feb. 28.

Other home games include UCF on Wednesday, Jan. 14, Utah on Tuesday, Jan. 20, Cincinnati on Wednesday, Feb. 11, Baylor on Tuesday, Feb. 17 and West Virginia on Tuesday, March 3.

The road portion of the Big 12 schedule starts with back-to-back trips to Arizona (Wednesday, Jan. 7) and Arizona State (Saturday, Jan. 10). The Wildcats also have consecutive road trips on one other occasion with visits to Texas Tech on Saturday, Feb. 21 and Colorado on Wednesday, Feb. 25.

Other road trips include Oklahoma State on Saturday, Jan. 17, West Virginia on Tuesday, Jan. 27, TCU on Saturday, Feb. 7, Houston on Saturday, Feb. 14 and Kansas on Saturday, March 7.

The expanded Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship will run Tuesday-Saturday, March 10-14 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City and will coincide with the women’s championship, which runs Thursday-Monday, March 5-9, also at T-Mobile.

Tickets for the 2025-26 season are currently on sale with a variety of options and packages. Fans can purchase tickets by calling toll free at (800) 221.CATS (2287) and/or online at <a href="http://www.kstatesports.com/tickets">www.kstatesports.com/tickets</a>.

Fourteen of the 16 Big 12 teams won at least 16 games in 2024-25 with eight winning at least 20 games, including 35 wins by league champion and national runner-up Houston. Thirteen teams made the postseason a season ago, including NCAA Tournament appearances by Arizona, Baylor, BYU, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas and Texas Tech.

K-State finished the 2024-25 season with a 16-17 record, including a tie for ninth in the Big 12 with a 9-11 mark. Among the Wildcats’ 16 victories were five over Top 25 teams, including No. 3 Iowa State on the road. The team has won 61 games in head coach Jerome Tang’s tenure, including two postseason appearances.

<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/2015/6/12/mbbtickets">Buy Season Tickets Today</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp; <a href="https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/kstate.sidearmsports.com/documents/2025/9/19/25-26_MBB_Schedule.pdf?timestamp=20250919040158">View 2025-26 Schedule (.pdf)</a>MANHATTAN, Kan. – Weekend home dates with BYU, Kansas, Iowa State and TCU highlight Kansas State’s Big 12 Conference-only schedule, which was released by the league office on Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 23).<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758661603046.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>The 2026 Big 12 schedule marks a return to an 18-game format after using a 20-game slate in 2025 with the additions of Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah. The league used an 18-game schedule from 2012-24. The conference-only schedule will run from the first week of January to the second week of March with each team playing nine games at home and on the road.K-State will play every Big 12 member at least once with home-and-home matchups with Kansas, TCU and West Virginia.Game times and television information will be released at a later date.K-State will open the Big 12 schedule against expected top-25 opponent BYU on Saturday, Jan. 3 before hosting Kansas in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown on Saturday, Jan. 24, along with weekend matchups with Iowa State on Sunday, Feb. 1 and TCU on Saturday, Feb. 28.Other home games include UCF on Wednesday, Jan. 14, Utah on Tuesday, Jan. 20, Cincinnati on Wednesday, Feb. 11, Baylor on Tuesday, Feb. 17 and West Virginia on Tuesday, March 3.The road portion of the Big 12 schedule starts with back-to-back trips to Arizona (Wednesday, Jan. 7) and Arizona State (Saturday, Jan. 10). The Wildcats also have consecutive road trips on one other occasion with visits to Texas Tech on Saturday, Feb. 21 and Colorado on Wednesday, Feb. 25.Other road trips include Oklahoma State on Saturday, Jan. 17, West Virginia on Tuesday, Jan. 27, TCU on Saturday, Feb. 7, Houston on Saturday, Feb. 14 and Kansas on Saturday, March 7.The expanded Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship will run Tuesday-Saturday, March 10-14 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City and will coincide with the women’s championship, which runs Thursday-Monday, March 5-9, also at T-Mobile.Tickets for the 2025-26 season are currently on sale with a variety of options and packages. Fans can purchase tickets by calling toll free at (800) 221.CATS (2287) and/or online at <a href="http://www.kstatesports.com/tickets">www.kstatesports.com/tickets</a>.Fourteen of the 16 Big 12 teams won at least 16 games in 2024-25 with eight winning at least 20 games, including 35 wins by league champion and national runner-up Houston. Thirteen teams made the postseason a season ago, including NCAA Tournament appearances by Arizona, Baylor, BYU, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas and Texas Tech.K-State finished the 2024-25 season with a 16-17 record, including a tie for ninth in the Big 12 with a 9-11 mark. Among the Wildcats’ 16 victories were five over Top 25 teams, including No. 3 Iowa State on the road. The team has won 61 games in head coach Jerome Tang’s tenure, including two postseason appearances.SCHEDULE NOTES<ul>
 <li>The Big 12 will return to an 18-game league schedule in 2025-26, playing nine at home and nine on the road... It is a return to a format they instituted from 2012-24 before moving to a 20-game schedule in 2024-25.</li><li>K-State will open Big 12 against BYU for the first time in series history… The Wildcats have won their 2 all-time home meetings (1973, 2024) with the Cougars.</li><li>K-State will play at Arizona for the first time as conference foes and the first time overall since 1999… The two schools played 5 home-and-home series between 1951-81.</li><li>K-State will play at Arizona State for the second consecutive season after rallying for a 71-70 win in Tempe on Feb. 4… The Wildcats are 2-2 all-time at Desert Financial Arena.</li><li>K-State will host UCF for the third time, including the second time in Big 12 play, with wins in 2003 and 2024.</li><li>K-State will face Oklahoma State just once on Jan. 17 at Gallagher-Iba Arena after having met twice every year since 2012.</li><li>K-State will host Utah for the first time at Bramlage Coliseum on Jan. 20… The Utes have not played in Manhattan since an 87-82 win on Dec. 1, 1973.</li><li>K-State and Kansas will renew their rivalry in Manhattan on Jan. 24 before ending the season in Lawrence on March 7…. The schools have played a home-and-home series every year since 1912 and have played at least once every year since 1907... It is the sixth-most played rivalry (303) in Division I men’s basketball.</li><li>The first of 2 meetings with West Virginia will come on the road on Jan. 27 with K-State winning 81-67 in the last matchup on Jan. 9, 2024… The return game at Bramlage Coliseum will come on Senior Day on March 3 with the Wildcats winning the last 4 meetings at home.</li><li>K-State and Iowa State will play just once on Sunday, Feb. 1 after meeting home-and-away every year since 1918 in a series dating to 1909.</li><li>K-State and TCU will play twice in the regular season for the first time since 2023, starting in Fort Worth on Feb. 7 before the matchup in Manhattan on Feb. 28… The Horned Frogs have won the 3 meetings in the series, including 63-62 at home last season.</li><li>K-State will host Cincinnati for the second straight season on Feb. 11… The Wildcats snapped an 8-game losing streak in the series with a sweep of a home-and-home series.</li><li>K-State’s lone matchups with Houston (Feb. 14), Baylor (Feb. 17), Texas Tech (Feb. 21) and Colorado (Feb. 25) will come in a row from Feb. 14-25.</li><li>The Wildcats will visit Boulder for the first time since 2011 on Feb. 25.</li>
 </ul>

Four Weekend Home Games Highlight 2025-26 Big 12 Schedule

STILLWATER –&nbsp;Oklahoma State and&nbsp;<a href="https://okstate.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/mike-gundy/3562">Mike Gundy</a>&nbsp;have parted ways, effective immediately, according to a media release from OSU Athletics.

Including his time as a player and coach, Gundy spent more than 30 years at Oklahoma State."Cowboy Football reached an unprecedented level of success and national prominence under Coach Gundy's leadership," OSU Athletic Director&nbsp;<a href="https://okstate.com/staff-directory/chad-weiberg/369">Chad Weiberg</a>&nbsp;said.

"I believe I speak for OSU fans everywhere when I say that we are grateful for all he did to raise the standard and show us all what is possible for Oklahoma State football."From 1986-89, Gundy quarterbacked some of OSU's most explosive offenses. 

He finished his playing career as the Big Eight Conference career passing leader. As head coach, he led the Cowboys to the best era of sustained success in program history, highlighted by a Big 12 championship in 2011, five New Year's Six bowl appearances and eight 10-win seasons. His 170 career coaching victories are 108 more than any other coach in school history."College football has changed drastically in the last few years, and the investment needed to compete at the highest level has never been more important," Weiberg said. 

"As we search for the next head coach of Cowboy Football, we are looking for someone who can lead our program in this new era. It is also important that we continue to support our student-athletes, our staff and our university through the season, and I hope that our fans continue to show that support in Boone Pickens Stadium this fall.

"Moving forward, it is critical for our fans, alumni and donors to align behind Cowboy Football," Weiberg said. "This is a pivotal moment, the stakes have never been higher and we need everyone on board."

"This is a decision about what's best for our football program, our student-athletes and Oklahoma State University and it reflects our unwavering commitment to championship-level football and competing for national success," said OSU President Jim Hess. 

"Coach Gundy dedicated decades of his life to OSU, achieving significant success and positively impacting hundreds of young men who wore the OSU uniform. His contributions to our university, both as a player and coach, deserve our profound respect and will not be forgotten. We are grateful for his service and wish him and his family the very best."

STILLWATER –&nbsp;Oklahoma State and&nbsp;<a href="https://okstate.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/mike-gundy/3562">Mike Gundy</a>&nbsp;have parted ways, effective immediately, according to a media release from OSU Athletics.Including his time as a player and coach, Gundy spent more than 30 years at Oklahoma State."Cowboy Football reached an unprecedented level of success and national prominence under Coach Gundy's leadership," OSU Athletic Director&nbsp;<a href="https://okstate.com/staff-directory/chad-weiberg/369">Chad Weiberg</a>&nbsp;said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Oklahoma State, Gundy part ways <a href="https://t.co/T2hVZdxEJX">https://t.co/T2hVZdxEJX</a> <a href="https://t.co/1mIPb6RHZN">pic.twitter.com/1mIPb6RHZN</a>&mdash; OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/CowboyFB/status/1970543676490158546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>"I believe I speak for OSU fans everywhere when I say that we are grateful for all he did to raise the standard and show us all what is possible for Oklahoma State football."From 1986-89, Gundy quarterbacked some of OSU's most explosive offenses. He finished his playing career as the Big Eight Conference career passing leader. As head coach, he led the Cowboys to the best era of sustained success in program history, highlighted by a Big 12 championship in 2011, five New Year's Six bowl appearances and eight 10-win seasons. His 170 career coaching victories are 108 more than any other coach in school history."College football has changed drastically in the last few years, and the investment needed to compete at the highest level has never been more important," Weiberg said. "As we search for the next head coach of Cowboy Football, we are looking for someone who can lead our program in this new era. It is also important that we continue to support our student-athletes, our staff and our university through the season, and I hope that our fans continue to show that support in Boone Pickens Stadium this fall."Moving forward, it is critical for our fans, alumni and donors to align behind Cowboy Football," Weiberg said. "This is a pivotal moment, the stakes have never been higher and we need everyone on board.""This is a decision about what's best for our football program, our student-athletes and Oklahoma State University and it reflects our unwavering commitment to championship-level football and competing for national success," said OSU President Jim Hess. "Coach Gundy dedicated decades of his life to OSU, achieving significant success and positively impacting hundreds of young men who wore the OSU uniform. His contributions to our university, both as a player and coach, deserve our profound respect and will not be forgotten. We are grateful for his service and wish him and his family the very best."

🏈Oklahoma State fires coach Mike Gundy after 21 seasons

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Quotes

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“I don’t have any injury updates for you. I think we came out of the game pretty clean in that area. (There will) be some good things we can learn from this game. It was great to obviously get the win, but there are some things we can take out of this that will help us down the road. I like the effort from the guys, in particular on the offensive side from the second half was more productive that way. I thought defensively we played another very solid football game, and the turnovers were beautiful. We need to keep that coming, that’s a real plus when you can get those. Offensively, I thought just that the second quarter was not very good football, and we’ve got to make sure that we correct that as coaches and players in that area. We (have) got to make sure we are putting them in the right position to make plays, and then when given an opportunity that we’ve got to make sure we do the right thing. But we came out the second half and put some things together. I like the way guys stuck together and worked hard. I think the question came up yesterday about Travis (Kelce) and the intensity and all of that. Is he frustrated or not frustrated? Well, he’s seen how the offense works, and so when things aren’t going the right way that’s – he’s very aware of that. He’s a pretty smart guy, and he’s been doing it longer than anybody else on this team who’s been doing it. He wants to make sure that he gets that point across to the guys and so he does that. I’m okay with that part. He knows also, like the coaches know, where we can go with this too and the growth we can have here, and we need to take care of business in that area. Then special teams wise we can do – (Harrison) Butker had a couple, he was off on a couple, but he’ll get all that corrected. And then (Matt) Ariaza had another pretty good day. And with that time is yours.”

Q: What is Xavier Worthy’s outlook week to week regarding his injury?

REID:&nbsp;“He was real positive coming in and he was mentally. He was saying I’m going to play in the game and you kind of have to take that approach with that type of an injury and he did. He came out and practiced and did the best that he could. But it just wasn’t right. Between Xavier and the doctors, we thought it was best if he didn’t play.”

Q: On getting Rashee Rice in the facility this week and the decision not to play Jalen Royals against the Giants.

REID:&nbsp;“Well Jalen (Royals) just came back, so I had him there as kind of an emergency just in case we absolutely needed him. His first week of practice in a month was last week, and he’s a rookie and so on. So, this was really his first game of suiting up and you can figure out the rest of it. He’ll continue to work in there. It’s great to have him back. We do get four (Rashee Rice) back, and I know the guys will be fired up about that to see him. He can’t practice. He can’t be on the field, but he can do the other stuff. Just having him around, he’s a good positive energy to have around.”

Q: What are your thoughts on the teams running game against the New York Giants?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, Soren (Petro), first of all, that defensive line is special. That’s a good group. They started against the Cowboys doing their penny front, which is they put five d-linemen in there and so they started off doing that with us and for our guys to be able to run the ball – normally running against that set is a tough haul but our guys did a pretty good job with it. I was proud of Pop (Isiah Pacheco) and Kareem (Hunt), they put together a good day. We didn’t have the big explosive runs, but we had that five-yard run and a couple seven-yard runs that were positive. It was our best rushing day against a good d-line, so I liked the way we matched up with them and I thought the big guys played well up front for the most part of the run and the pass game. That can help us down the road, but to answer your question, the run was better. Did we leave something on the field with it? Well, could I have called more? I probably could’ve called more if that’s what that means.”

Q: How much do you think the Giants spied on Patrick Mahomes and do you think that is something you will see more of moving forward?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, they did a little bit with 51 (Giants LB Abdul Carter). They had a little thing with him there. He’s a heck of a player, by the way. He’s going to be tremendous for this league. Yeah, they can do that. That’s ok. He’s one of their better pass rushers, so I wouldn’t spy him too much.”

Q: At the end of the game against the Giants Jaylon Moore subbed in for Josh Simmons. Was that due to injury or just to get him more reps?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, just to get him in there and get him some reps there.”

Q: On the defensive execution against the Giants by using split safeties.

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid QuotesSeptember 22, 2025OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“I don’t have any injury updates for you. I think we came out of the game pretty clean in that area. (There will) be some good things we can learn from this game. It was great to obviously get the win, but there are some things we can take out of this that will help us down the road. I like the effort from the guys, in particular on the offensive side from the second half was more productive that way. I thought defensively we played another very solid football game, and the turnovers were beautiful. We need to keep that coming, that’s a real plus when you can get those. Offensively, I thought just that the second quarter was not very good football, and we’ve got to make sure that we correct that as coaches and players in that area. We (have) got to make sure we are putting them in the right position to make plays, and then when given an opportunity that we’ve got to make sure we do the right thing. But we came out the second half and put some things together. I like the way guys stuck together and worked hard. I think the question came up yesterday about Travis (Kelce) and the intensity and all of that. Is he frustrated or not frustrated? Well, he’s seen how the offense works, and so when things aren’t going the right way that’s – he’s very aware of that. He’s a pretty smart guy, and he’s been doing it longer than anybody else on this team who’s been doing it. He wants to make sure that he gets that point across to the guys and so he does that. I’m okay with that part. He knows also, like the coaches know, where we can go with this too and the growth we can have here, and we need to take care of business in that area. Then special teams wise we can do – (Harrison) Butker had a couple, he was off on a couple, but he’ll get all that corrected. And then (Matt) Ariaza had another pretty good day. And with that time is yours.”Q: What is Xavier Worthy’s outlook week to week regarding his injury?REID:&nbsp;“He was real positive coming in and he was mentally. He was saying I’m going to play in the game and you kind of have to take that approach with that type of an injury and he did. He came out and practiced and did the best that he could. But it just wasn’t right. Between Xavier and the doctors, we thought it was best if he didn’t play.”Q: On getting Rashee Rice in the facility this week and the decision not to play Jalen Royals against the Giants.REID:&nbsp;“Well Jalen (Royals) just came back, so I had him there as kind of an emergency just in case we absolutely needed him. His first week of practice in a month was last week, and he’s a rookie and so on. So, this was really his first game of suiting up and you can figure out the rest of it. He’ll continue to work in there. It’s great to have him back. We do get four (Rashee Rice) back, and I know the guys will be fired up about that to see him. He can’t practice. He can’t be on the field, but he can do the other stuff. Just having him around, he’s a good positive energy to have around.”Q: What are your thoughts on the teams running game against the New York Giants?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, Soren (Petro), first of all, that defensive line is special. That’s a good group. They started against the Cowboys doing their penny front, which is they put five d-linemen in there and so they started off doing that with us and for our guys to be able to run the ball – normally running against that set is a tough haul but our guys did a pretty good job with it. I was proud of Pop (Isiah Pacheco) and Kareem (Hunt), they put together a good day. We didn’t have the big explosive runs, but we had that five-yard run and a couple seven-yard runs that were positive. It was our best rushing day against a good d-line, so I liked the way we matched up with them and I thought the big guys played well up front for the most part of the run and the pass game. That can help us down the road, but to answer your question, the run was better. Did we leave something on the field with it? Well, could I have called more? I probably could’ve called more if that’s what that means.”Q: How much do you think the Giants spied on Patrick Mahomes and do you think that is something you will see more of moving forward?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, they did a little bit with 51 (Giants LB Abdul Carter). They had a little thing with him there. He’s a heck of a player, by the way. He’s going to be tremendous for this league. Yeah, they can do that. That’s ok. He’s one of their better pass rushers, so I wouldn’t spy him too much.”Q: At the end of the game against the Giants Jaylon Moore subbed in for Josh Simmons. Was that due to injury or just to get him more reps?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, just to get him in there and get him some reps there.”Q: On the defensive execution against the Giants by using split safeties.

Chiefs Quotes: 9-22-24

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas kick returner and wide receiver <a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/emmanuel-henderson-jr-/16265">Emmanuel Henderson Jr.</a> was named Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week, the conference office announced Monday.

Henderson returned the opening kickoff of the second half for a 94-yard touchdown, Kansas' first kick return touchdown since 2020. The last time Kansas took a game or half-opening kickoff back for a touchdown was Greg Heaggans on September 14, 2002, against Southwest Missouri State. He did so on the game-opening kickoff.

Henderson also had a second kickoff return of 43 yards to finish the game with 137 yards on kick returns. In addition, Henderson recorded a team-high six catches for 38 yards. He became the first Big 12 player to have a kickoff return touchdown of at least 90 yards and at least six catches in the same game since Texas Tech's Jakeem Grant had two such games during the 2015 season.

This season, Henderson leads Kansas with 214 kick return yards on six kickoff returns and 221 receiving yards on 18 receptions.

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas kick returner and wide receiver <a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/emmanuel-henderson-jr-/16265">Emmanuel Henderson Jr.</a> was named Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week, the conference office announced Monday.Henderson returned the opening kickoff of the second half for a 94-yard touchdown, Kansas' first kick return touchdown since 2020. The last time Kansas took a game or half-opening kickoff back for a touchdown was Greg Heaggans on September 14, 2002, against Southwest Missouri State. He did so on the game-opening kickoff.Henderson also had a second kickoff return of 43 yards to finish the game with 137 yards on kick returns. In addition, Henderson recorded a team-high six catches for 38 yards. He became the first Big 12 player to have a kickoff return touchdown of at least 90 yards and at least six catches in the same game since Texas Tech's Jakeem Grant had two such games during the 2015 season.This season, Henderson leads Kansas with 214 kick return yards on six kickoff returns and 221 receiving yards on 18 receptions.

🏈 Emmanuel Henderson Jr. Named Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;The Kansas Jayhawks will hit the road for its first Big 12 Conference road test on Saturday, Oct. 4 with kickoff slated for 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2, the conference announced on Monday.

The game will be Kansas' second road game and third Big 12 Conference game overall. It will be the second meeting between Kansas and UCF all-time and the first game played in Orlando between the two teams. Kansas won the inaugural matchup 51-22 on Oct. 7, 2023.

The 6:30 p.m. kickoff will be the fourth game of the season that Kansas has played after 5 p.m. local time.&nbsp;This will be Kansas' second game on ESPN2 this season, following the Jayhawks playing at Missouri on Sept. 6.

Prior to its matchup with UCF, Kansas will host Cincinnati to David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on TNT/TruTV/MAX.

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;The Kansas Jayhawks will hit the road for its first Big 12 Conference road test on Saturday, Oct. 4 with kickoff slated for 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2, the conference announced on Monday.The game will be Kansas' second road game and third Big 12 Conference game overall. It will be the second meeting between Kansas and UCF all-time and the first game played in Orlando between the two teams. Kansas won the inaugural matchup 51-22 on Oct. 7, 2023.The 6:30 p.m. kickoff will be the fourth game of the season that Kansas has played after 5 p.m. local time.&nbsp;This will be Kansas' second game on ESPN2 this season, following the Jayhawks playing at Missouri on Sept. 6.Prior to its matchup with UCF, Kansas will host Cincinnati to David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on TNT/TruTV/MAX.

🏈 Kansas at UCF Kickoff Slated for 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.</a>&nbsp;–&nbsp;Kansas State will open the month of October with a second-straight morning kickoff as the Big 12 Conference and ESPN announced on Monday that the Wildcats’ October 4 game at Baylor will begin at 11 a.m. and be shown on ESPN+.

Kansas State holds a slim 11-10 edge in the series, while Baylor leads, 6-5, in games play in Waco. The Wildcats have won each of the last two meetings, earning a 31-3 victory in Waco in 2022 and a 59-25 triumph in Manhattan in 2023. The teams did not meet last season.

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.</a>&nbsp;–&nbsp;Kansas State will open the month of October with a second-straight morning kickoff as the Big 12 Conference and ESPN announced on Monday that the Wildcats’ October 4 game at Baylor will begin at 11 a.m. and be shown on ESPN+.Kansas State holds a slim 11-10 edge in the series, while Baylor leads, 6-5, in games play in Waco. The Wildcats have won each of the last two meetings, earning a 31-3 victory in Waco in 2022 and a 59-25 triumph in Manhattan in 2023. The teams did not meet last season.

🏈 K-State’s Game at Baylor to Kick at 11 a.m.

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;The Kansas Jayhawks will host their second straight Big 12 Conference game at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium this Saturday when they welcome in the Cincinnati Bearcats for Family Weekend.

Kickoff is slated for 11 a.m., on TNT/TruTV/HBO Max with J.B. Long, Mike Golic Jr., and Lauren Jbara on the call.

Kansas (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) welcomes Cincinnati (3-0, 0-0) after a convincing 41-10 victory over West Virginia in the Jayhawks’ Big 12 opener. The Kansas defense forced eight West Virginia punts – the most forced by the Jayhawks in a conference game since 2017—and surrendered just 10 points, the fewest allowed in a conference game since 2007.

The Kansas defense has been on display in all three games at the new David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, allowing just 24 points in three total games, and outscoring opponents 118-24 over the three contests.

Linebacker Trey Lathan had another standout performance against West Virginia with three tackles, one sack and an interception he returned 32 yards. Lathan, a West Virginia transfer, is leading the team with 28 tackles and 4.5 tackles-for-loss, along with a pair of pass breakups. Defensive end Dean Miller also had a strong game against the Mountaineers, collecting his first sack of the season, and adding seven tackles and another .5 tackle-for-loss. Defensive tackle Blake Herold also shined with seven tackles, one tackle-for-loss and a fumble recovery.

Offensively, quarterback Jalon Daniels continued his hot start to the season, tossing three touchdown passes, rushing for 69 yards and not committing any turnovers in the win over the Mountaineers. Daniels now has 12 touchdown passes to just two interceptions on the season, while throwing for 817 yards and rushing for another 159. Daniels’ 12 passing touchdowns are the third most in the country through four games. Levi Wentz, Boden Groen and Leshon Williams all caught their first touchdown passes of the season on Saturday, while Williams, an Iowa transfer, also rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown.

The Jayhawks will face a rested Bearcats team that is coming off an open week and hasn’t played since a dominant 70-0 win over Northwestern State on Sept. 13. The Bearcats are 2-1 overall on the year, dropping their season opener against Nebraska, before responding with wins against Bowling Green and Northwestern State.

Cincinnati is led by quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who is in his second year with the program after transferring from Indiana. Sorsby has thrown for 655 yards, eight touchdowns and just one interception so far this season. He’s also added 175 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground to lead the offensive attack for the Bearcats.

Sorsby has weapons around him, including All-Big 12 tight end Joe Royer, who already has 138 yards and two touchdowns this season. Transfer wide receivers Cyrus Allen and Jeff Caldwell have also emerged as key targets for Sorsby and have combined for 21 catches for 317 yards and four touchdowns.

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;The Kansas Jayhawks will host their second straight Big 12 Conference game at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium this Saturday when they welcome in the Cincinnati Bearcats for Family Weekend.Kickoff is slated for 11 a.m., on TNT/TruTV/HBO Max with J.B. Long, Mike Golic Jr., and Lauren Jbara on the call.Kansas (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) welcomes Cincinnati (3-0, 0-0) after a convincing 41-10 victory over West Virginia in the Jayhawks’ Big 12 opener. The Kansas defense forced eight West Virginia punts – the most forced by the Jayhawks in a conference game since 2017—and surrendered just 10 points, the fewest allowed in a conference game since 2007.The Kansas defense has been on display in all three games at the new David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, allowing just 24 points in three total games, and outscoring opponents 118-24 over the three contests.Linebacker Trey Lathan had another standout performance against West Virginia with three tackles, one sack and an interception he returned 32 yards. Lathan, a West Virginia transfer, is leading the team with 28 tackles and 4.5 tackles-for-loss, along with a pair of pass breakups. Defensive end Dean Miller also had a strong game against the Mountaineers, collecting his first sack of the season, and adding seven tackles and another .5 tackle-for-loss. Defensive tackle Blake Herold also shined with seven tackles, one tackle-for-loss and a fumble recovery.Offensively, quarterback Jalon Daniels continued his hot start to the season, tossing three touchdown passes, rushing for 69 yards and not committing any turnovers in the win over the Mountaineers. Daniels now has 12 touchdown passes to just two interceptions on the season, while throwing for 817 yards and rushing for another 159. Daniels’ 12 passing touchdowns are the third most in the country through four games. Levi Wentz, Boden Groen and Leshon Williams all caught their first touchdown passes of the season on Saturday, while Williams, an Iowa transfer, also rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown.The Jayhawks will face a rested Bearcats team that is coming off an open week and hasn’t played since a dominant 70-0 win over Northwestern State on Sept. 13. The Bearcats are 2-1 overall on the year, dropping their season opener against Nebraska, before responding with wins against Bowling Green and Northwestern State.Cincinnati is led by quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who is in his second year with the program after transferring from Indiana. Sorsby has thrown for 655 yards, eight touchdowns and just one interception so far this season. He’s also added 175 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground to lead the offensive attack for the Bearcats.Sorsby has weapons around him, including All-Big 12 tight end Joe Royer, who already has 138 yards and two touchdowns this season. Transfer wide receivers Cyrus Allen and Jeff Caldwell have also emerged as key targets for Sorsby and have combined for 21 catches for 317 yards and four touchdowns.

🏈 Jayhawks Welcome Bearcats for 2nd Straight Conference Home Game

Date:&nbsp;Saturday, September 27, 2025

Stadium:&nbsp;Bill Snyder Family Stadium (50,000)

TV:&nbsp;FS1 (<a href="https://www.foxsports.com/college-football/ucf-knights-vs-kansas-state-wildcats-sep-27-2025-game-boxscore-41704" target="_blank">Watch</a>)

K-State Radio:&nbsp;K-State Sports Network;&nbsp;<a href="http://k-statesports.com/" target="_blank">k-statesports.com</a>&nbsp;(<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/live" target="_blank">Listen</a>)

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Wyatt Thompson (Play-by-Play)&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Stan Weber (Analyst)

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Matt Walters (Sidelines)

SiriusXM Satellite Radio Ch. 83, and on the SiriusXM App

<a href="https://tunein.com/radio/Big-12-Radio-s329464/" target="_blank">Big 12 Radio on TuneIn</a>

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THE TOP 51)&nbsp;Coming off its first of three bye weeks during the 2025 season, Kansas State looks to regroup in its Big 12 home opener when the Wildcats host UCF on Saturday inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The game kicks off at 11 a.m., and will be shown nationally on FS1 with Connor Onion (play-by-play) and Mark Helfrich (analyst) on the call.

2)&nbsp;Each of Kansas State’s first four games this season have been decided by one score as the first three games were by a margin of a field goal, while its game at Arizona was decided by six points. K-State is the only team in the nation to already have four games decided by one possession. The Wildcats were 4-2 last season when the final margin was eight or less points.

3)&nbsp;Quarterback Avery Johnson is set to make his 19th-career start under center having thrown for 851 yards and six touchdowns through the first four games. His favorite target has been wide receiver Jayce Brown, who has 25 catches for 284 yards and two touchdowns. Brown ranks 21st nationally and third in the Big 12 in receptions per game (6.25), while he has a catch in each of the last 25 games dating back to 2023.

4)&nbsp;Linebackers Austin Romaine and Des Purnell lead the Wildcats in tackles with 37 and 28, respectively. Romaine ranks 22nd in the country and fourth in the Big 12 with 9.3 tackles per game, while his average of 5.75 solo tackles per game ranks 11th in the nation. Cornerback Zashon Rich is tied for the Big 12 lead with five pass breakups, and the Wildcats rank seventh in the country with four fumble recoveries.

5)&nbsp;K-State’s specialists have started the year strong. Kicker Luis Rodriguez drilled a 51-yard field goal at Arizona, and he is 4-for-4 on field goal attempts and 11-for-11 on extra points. Punter Simon McClannan ranks fifth in the Big 12 with a 43.5-yard average. Bryce Noernberg returned a kickoff 99 yards for a score against Army, and Garrett Harstad blocked a punt at Arizona.

STATISTICAL SPOTLIGHTS25&nbsp;– Consecutive games that Jayce Brown has recorded at least one catch, which dates back to the 2023 Texas Tech game.

13&nbsp;– This is K-State’s first 11 a.m. kickoff in its last 13 games, the last being a 42-20 win over Oklahoma State last year on Sept. 28.

8&nbsp;– Consecutive years K-State has blocked at least one punt, the longest streak in the nation.

4&nbsp;– One-possession games played by the Wildcats this season, the most in the nation this season.

1.46&nbsp;– Sacks per game allowed by K-State since the beginning of 2019, the fifth-best mark among Power 4 teams.

• Kansas State’s first of three bye weeks in the 2025 season came at a time when the Wildcats are looking to rebound from a 1-3 start to the season.

• All four of K-State’s games this season have been decided by one possession. In three of the four games, the Wildcats trailed late in the fourth quarter and had the ball with a chance to either tie or take the lead.

• K-State was able to put together a 10-play, 81-yard drive over 1:03 against North Dakota, scoring a touchdown with 42 seconds remaining to swing a 35-31 deficit into a 38-35 victory.

• The next week against Army, K-State had the ball with less than two minutes remaining and got into plus territory until an interception sealed the Black Knights’ three-point win.

• Six days later at Arizona, K-State had the ball near midfield with just over one minute remaining, but a turnover on downs ended the contest in a six-point defeat.

• Kansas State is 18-11 all-time in its Big 12 home openers, including wins in each of its last three opportunities against Texas Tech (2022), UCF (2023) and Oklahoma State (2024).

• The Wildcats’ first Big 12 home contest was the first ever Big 12 Conference game when they defeated Texas Tech, 21-14, at then-KSU Stadium on August 31, 1996.

• Saturday’s game against UCF is the first time K-State will kick off in the morning (local time) since almost exactly one year to the day.

• The last time the Wildcats played a game that kicked off at 11 a.m., was a 42-20 home victory over Oklahoma State on September 28, 2024.

• K-State has played 12-straight games that kicked off in the afternoon or evening, including 10 that began at 6 p.m. or later local time.

• The Wildcats’ 2025 season opener in Dublin, Ireland, against Iowa State kicked off at 11 a.m. in the Central Time Zone but began at 5 p.m. in Irish Standard Time.

• Of Kansas State’s last 16 games dating back to Week 2 of the 2024 season, 10 have been decided by just one score.

• Last year, the Wildcats went 4-2 in one-possession games. All four of the victories were fourth-quarter comebacks, which ranked second in the nation to Illinois’ five.

• This season, K-State has played four one-possession games but has only come out on the winning side one time.

• The four one-score games this year are the most in the FBS. Second on the list is Iowa State Army and UConn as each have played three one-score games.

• K-State is one of only 10 Power 4 schools that have won at least nine games in each of the last three seasons, joining Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State and Tennessee.

• Among those teams, only Kansas State, Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and Oregon have accomplished that feat in addition to winning a conference championship during that timeframe.

• The Wildcats are tied for 17th among Power 4 teams and are second among current Big 12 programs with 29 total wins since the beginning of 2022.

• K-State has a total of 232 victories since 1996, which ranks 22nd nationally.

• Among active Big 12 teams, the Wildcats rank fourth behind BYU (242), TCU (241) and Utah (236).

• Kansas State has totaled 144 Big 12 victories since the conference’s formation in 1996, which stands as the most among active Big 12 programs.

• The Cats are also second among active Big 12 members in winning percentage since non-divisional play began in 2011. They sit at 59.1% (75-52), trailing only Oklahoma State (61.1%; 77-49).

• During that stretch, the Wildcats are 42-21 (66.7%) at home in Big 12 play and 33-31 (51.6%) on the road/neutral.

• Kansas State has 13 returning starters from a year ago, including seven that hail from the state of Kansas.

• On offense, the Kansans are quarterback Avery Johnson (Wichita), running back Dylan Edwards (Derby) and offensive linemen Taylor Poitier (Kansas City) and Sam Hecht (Shawnee).

• Defensively, the list includes defensive tackle Damian Ilalio (Manhattan), linebacker Des Purnell (Topeka) and defensive end Cody Stufflebean (McPherson).

• A proven winner with a championship history, Chris Klieman holds a 121-44 career record, as his 73.8% career winning percentage is tied for fourth among current FBS coaches that have completed at least 10 seasons. He is also one of just 17 current Power 4 head coaches with at least 100 career victories.

• Klieman, who is 49-31 since arriving at K-State, has led the Cats to five victories over teams ranked in the top 10 of the AP Top 25, the most of any active Big 12 program since 2019.

• K-State enters this week’s game against UCF ranked fifth nationally in fewest penalties per game (3.25) and 13th in fewest penalty yards per game (32.25).

• Since 2022, the Wildcats have averaged 43.00 penalty yards per game (45 games) to tie for eighth among Power 4 teams.

• K-State is the nation’s best in non-offensive touchdowns over the last 25-plus seasons as it has 136 since 1999, 10 more than the next closest team (Alabama – 126) and 18 more than the next Big 12 program (Utah – 119).

• K-State recorded four non-offensive scores during the 2024 season, its most since also recording four in 2020.

• The Wildcats got on the board in 2025 thanks to Bryce Noernberg’s 99-yard kickoff return against Army.

OFFENSIVE NOTESTOTAL OFFENSE• K-State has totaled at least 375 yards of offense in 34 of the last 44 games dating back to the beginning of the 2022 season.

• The 34 games with at least 375 yards are tied for 10th among Power 4 programs and ranks second among Big 12 schools.

• Georgia leads the way with 39, followed by USC (38), Oregon (37), TCU (37), Ole Miss (36), Texas (36), LSU (35) and Washington (35).

• During that stretch, K-State holds a 27-7 record when totaling at least 375 yards, while the Wildcats are 2-8 when going under that mark.RED ZONE SUCCESS• Since Chris Klieman’s first season at K-State in 2019, the Wildcats have been the best in the Big 12 in terms of converting red-zone opportunities into points.

• The Wildcats rank first in the Big 12 with an 89.9% (277-of-308) success rate in the red zone since 2019, just ahead of Texas Tech (88.1%) and Oklahoma State (87.5%).

• K-State also ranks first in the league in touchdown success rate at 66.9% (206-of-308), ahead of Kansas (66.3%) and Utah (65.6%).LIMITED SACKS PER GAME• K-State has been one of the nation’s best in terms of limiting sacks since head coach Chris Klieman’s first season of 2019.

• The Wildcats rank fifth nationally and second in the Big 12 by allowing only 1.46 sacks per game over the last six-plus seasons, a span of 80 games.FEW INTERCEPTIONS• Thanks to only one interception through four games this season, the Wildcats have only thrown 11 picks since Avery Johnson’s first start under center in the 2023 Pop-Tarts Bowl.

• The 11 interceptions thrown are tied for third among Big 12 teams since the 2023 bowl season.THROWING FOR 300• Quarterback Avery Johnson produced the first 300-yard passing game of his career against North Dakota when he totaled 318 yards and a career-high tying three touchdowns on 28-of-43 aim. His completion and attempt totals were also a career high.

• It was the 46th 300-yard passing game in school history and the first since Will Howard went for 327 yards during an overtime contest at Texas in 2023.VERY RESPONSIBLE• Avery Johnson has been responsible for 52 total touchdowns in his 25 career games played to rank ninth in school history.

• His touchdown responsibility total is tied for 27th nationally among active players but ranks sixth among non-seniors.

• A native of Wichita, Kansas, Johnson has 36 career passing touchdowns to tie for sixth in school history – two shy of taking over sole possession of fifth place – while his 16 career rushing touchdowns rank ninth in school history among quarterbacks.NEARING 1,000• Avery Johnson has rushed for 963 yards in his career, just 37 yards shy of becoming the seventh K-State quarterback to reach the 1,000-yard mark.

• Johnson has averaged 5.07 yards on his 190 career rushes, which would rank eighth in school history if he had 10 more rushes to meet the minimum.

• When taking away sack yardage, Johnson has rushed for 1,108 yards on 173 true rushing attempts, good for a 6.40-yard clip.

FAVORITE TARGET• Avery Johnson’s favorite target to open the 2025 season has been wide receiver Jayce Brown, who has 25 receptions for 284 yards and two touchdowns over the first four games.

• Brown’s 6.25 receptions per game this season rank 21st nationally and third in the Big 12.

• Brown hauled in 12 catches against North Dakota, which tied for the seventh-most catches in a single game in school history, doubled his previous career high of six (last year at Colorado) and were the most by a Wildcat since Tyler Lockett had 13 in the final game of his career in the 2014 Alamo Bowl vs. UCLA.

• Brown tallied at least 100 scrimmage yards in the final two games of 2024 and in three of the first four games of 2025 after only one such performance in the first 21 games of his career.

CATCH STREAK• Jayce Brown has recorded at least one reception in each of the last 25 games dating back to the 2023 Texas Tech contest.

• It is the 14th-longest active streak in the nation and fourth in the Big 12 behind Baylor’s Kole Wilson (34 games), TCU’s Joseph Manjack IV (30 games) and BYU’s Chase Roberts (29 games).

• It is the longest streak by a Wildcat since Phillip Brooks went 25-straight games with a reception over the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

• If he were to record a catch against UCF, Brown’s streak would be the longest by a Wildcat since Deuce Vaughn held a 33-game streak that spanned from his first-career game in 2020 through the 10th game of 2022.

• A 26-game catch streak would be the longest by a K-State wide receiver since Curry Sexton also went 26-straight games, catching a pass in every game over the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Dalton Schoen had a catch in 31-straight games in which he played over the 2017, 2018 and 2019 seasons, but he missed four games during that timeframe.

TO THE HOUSE• Jayce Brown opened the second half at Arizona with a 75-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage to get the Wildcats back to within one score.

• His 75-yard run was the Wildcats’ longest rush since Deuce Vaughn had an 88-yard score against Alabama in the 2022 Sugar Bowl.

• It was the longest rush by a K-State wide receiver since Malik Knowles had a 75-yard score on the first play from scrimmage of the 2022 season against South Dakota.

DEFENSIVE NOTESCONTINUITY ON THE STAFF• Each of the Wildcats’ full-time coaches on the defensive side of the ball have been the same since 2020, as Kansas State and Iowa are the only two programs in the country to lay that claim.

• However, Iowa utilizes four positional coaches on defense, whereas K-State employs five.

• Safeties coach Joe Klanderman was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2020, the same year that cornerbacks coach Van Malone was elevated to assistant head coach and Steve Stanard joined the staff to coach the linebackers. Defensive tackles coach Mike Tuiasosopo and defensive ends coach Buddy Wyatt – along with Klanderman and Malone – were members of Chris Klieman’s original staff at K-State in 2019.

LIMITED POINTS PER GAME• Since the 2021 season (57 games), the Cats are allowing just 22.1 points per game, which ranks 27th nationally and third among current Big 12 teams.

🏈 K-State Hosts UCF in Big 12 Home Opener

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Mistakes and penalties threatened to derail the Kansas City Chiefs again early in a season that had not been going their way. Patrick Mahomes made a couple himself.

“I kept throwing the ball backwards,” Mahomes said. “That's not good.”

Mahomes recovered his backward pass, had plenty of good throws going forward and helped the&nbsp;<a href="https://obviously%20we%20didn't%20have%20the%20start%20we%20wanted,%20but%20it's%20a%20long%20season.%20just%20every%20week,%20just%20kind%20of%20go%20back%20to%20work,%20go%20back%20to%20square%20one%20trying%20to%20figure%20out%20things%20we%20can%20get%20better%20at.%20we%20had%20some%20success,%20found%20a%20way%20to%20win%20a%20football%20game,%20but%20there's%20obviously%20some%20stuff%20to%20clean%20up.%20it's%20huge.%20we've%20been%20searching%20for%20one%20win%20and%20try%20to%20figure%20out%20how%20we%20can%20get%20this%20thing%20going.%20the%20main%20thing%20now%20is%20just%20keep%20working,%20keep%20stacking%20and%20try%20to%20get%20another,%20then%20get%20another%20win./">Chiefs pick up their first win</a>&nbsp;of the season by beating the New York Giants 22-9 on Sunday night. Coach Andy Reid called it “a good win to get, in particular when you haven’t have one.”

“Obviously we didn’t have the start we wanted, but it’s a long season,” said linebacker Nick Bolton, who had a game-high 14 tackles. “We’ve been searching for one win and try to figure out how we can get this thing going. The main thing now is just keep working, keep stacking and try to get another, then get another win.”

Mahomes completed 22 of 37 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown pass to Tyquan Thornton to go along with a momentum-altering recovery by snatching the ball out of defender Bobby Okereke's hands. His on-the-run 33-yard throw to Thornton midway through the fourth quarter set up Kareem Hunt's 1-yard TD run that put the game away and sent many fans to the exits.

The Chiefs (1-2) avoided what would have been their first 0-3 start since 2011, two years before Reid took over and started an era that has included a trio of Super Bowl titles and two additional appearances — including trips the past three seasons.

The Giants fell to 0-3, with Russell Wilson throwing two interceptions and finishing 18 of 32 for 160 yards. Chants of “We want Dart!” followed Wilson's second pick, and while Jaxson Dart got in for a handful of snaps, all were handoffs.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giants-quarterbacks-jaxson-dart-41e26ea01a45929be47ef810161753cd">The first-round pick</a>&nbsp;and prospective quarterback of the future has yet to attempt a pass in his rookie season.

“When you don’t convert on third down, it’s hard to sustain anything,” coach Brian Daboll said of his team, which converted just once on 10 tries. "On offense, nothing was good enough. I would be booing too.”

Mahomes, who turned 30 this week, ran far less than the first two games, when he was Kansas City's leading rusher each time. Isiah Pacheco had that distinction at New York, recording 45 yards on 10 carries.

Giants rookie Cam Skattebo ran for a touchdown for a second consecutive game and finished with 121 yards from scrimmage. Skattebo shouldered the load in the backfield, sharing time with Devin Singletary after Tyrone Tracy injured his right shoulder late in the first quarter.

Thrown at seven times, Malik Nabers had just two catches for 13 yards. The Chiefs locked down Nabers a week after holding Philadelphia’s A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith to nine receptions for 80 yards.

“That No. 1 is the real deal,” Reid said, referring to Nabers. “For us to be able to put the clamps on him a little bit, that’s not an easy chore. He’s a heck of a football player.”

Chiefs: Safety Bryan Cook injured his neck defending Nabers on a long pass attempt by Wilson early in the fourth quarter. Reid said Cook was fine. ... Receiver Xavier Worthy (shoulder) missed a second consecutive game.

Giants: A groin injury to kicker Graham Gano was announced just before the game started. He did not take the field until the fourth quarter, when he made a 25-yard field goal. ... Left tackle&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-giants-andrew-thomas-167576472baa689c1b58eb83602fc39c">Andrew Thomas played</a>&nbsp;for the first time in 11 months since undergoing foot surgery. He was in for the first 26 offensive snaps before rookie Marcus Mbow replaced Thomas late in the first half. Daboll said that was the plan for Thomas' return.

Giants: Host the Los Angeles Chargers next Sunday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758537113496.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) throws under pressure from New York Giants outside linebacker Brian Burns (0) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) throws under pressure from New York Giants outside linebacker Brian Burns (0) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)</figcaption>
 </figure>EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Mistakes and penalties threatened to derail the Kansas City Chiefs again early in a season that had not been going their way. Patrick Mahomes made a couple himself.“I kept throwing the ball backwards,” Mahomes said. “That's not good.”Mahomes recovered his backward pass, had plenty of good throws going forward and helped the&nbsp;<a href="https://obviously%20we%20didn't%20have%20the%20start%20we%20wanted,%20but%20it's%20a%20long%20season.%20just%20every%20week,%20just%20kind%20of%20go%20back%20to%20work,%20go%20back%20to%20square%20one%20trying%20to%20figure%20out%20things%20we%20can%20get%20better%20at.%20we%20had%20some%20success,%20found%20a%20way%20to%20win%20a%20football%20game,%20but%20there's%20obviously%20some%20stuff%20to%20clean%20up.%20it's%20huge.%20we've%20been%20searching%20for%20one%20win%20and%20try%20to%20figure%20out%20how%20we%20can%20get%20this%20thing%20going.%20the%20main%20thing%20now%20is%20just%20keep%20working,%20keep%20stacking%20and%20try%20to%20get%20another,%20then%20get%20another%20win./">Chiefs pick up their first win</a>&nbsp;of the season by beating the New York Giants 22-9 on Sunday night. Coach Andy Reid called it “a good win to get, in particular when you haven’t have one.”“Obviously we didn’t have the start we wanted, but it’s a long season,” said linebacker Nick Bolton, who had a game-high 14 tackles. “We’ve been searching for one win and try to figure out how we can get this thing going. The main thing now is just keep working, keep stacking and try to get another, then get another win.”Mahomes completed 22 of 37 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown pass to Tyquan Thornton to go along with a momentum-altering recovery by snatching the ball out of defender Bobby Okereke's hands. His on-the-run 33-yard throw to Thornton midway through the fourth quarter set up Kareem Hunt's 1-yard TD run that put the game away and sent many fans to the exits.The Chiefs (1-2) avoided what would have been their first 0-3 start since 2011, two years before Reid took over and started an era that has included a trio of Super Bowl titles and two additional appearances — including trips the past three seasons.The Giants fell to 0-3, with Russell Wilson throwing two interceptions and finishing 18 of 32 for 160 yards. Chants of “We want Dart!” followed Wilson's second pick, and while Jaxson Dart got in for a handful of snaps, all were handoffs.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giants-quarterbacks-jaxson-dart-41e26ea01a45929be47ef810161753cd">The first-round pick</a>&nbsp;and prospective quarterback of the future has yet to attempt a pass in his rookie season.“When you don’t convert on third down, it’s hard to sustain anything,” coach Brian Daboll said of his team, which converted just once on 10 tries. "On offense, nothing was good enough. I would be booing too.”Mahomes, who turned 30 this week, ran far less than the first two games, when he was Kansas City's leading rusher each time. Isiah Pacheco had that distinction at New York, recording 45 yards on 10 carries.Giants rookie Cam Skattebo ran for a touchdown for a second consecutive game and finished with 121 yards from scrimmage. Skattebo shouldered the load in the backfield, sharing time with Devin Singletary after Tyrone Tracy injured his right shoulder late in the first quarter.Thrown at seven times, Malik Nabers had just two catches for 13 yards. The Chiefs locked down Nabers a week after holding Philadelphia’s A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith to nine receptions for 80 yards.“That No. 1 is the real deal,” Reid said, referring to Nabers. “For us to be able to put the clamps on him a little bit, that’s not an easy chore. He’s a heck of a football player.”<h2>Injuries</h2>Chiefs: Safety Bryan Cook injured his neck defending Nabers on a long pass attempt by Wilson early in the fourth quarter. Reid said Cook was fine. ... Receiver Xavier Worthy (shoulder) missed a second consecutive game.Giants: A groin injury to kicker Graham Gano was announced just before the game started. He did not take the field until the fourth quarter, when he made a 25-yard field goal. ... Left tackle&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-giants-andrew-thomas-167576472baa689c1b58eb83602fc39c">Andrew Thomas played</a>&nbsp;for the first time in 11 months since undergoing foot surgery. He was in for the first 26 offensive snaps before rookie Marcus Mbow replaced Thomas late in the first half. Daboll said that was the plan for Thomas' return.<h2>Up next</h2>Chiefs: Host Baltimore next Sunday.Giants: Host the Los Angeles Chargers next Sunday.

🏈 Mahomes and the Chiefs beat the Giants for first win this season

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Andres Gimenez drove in two runs apiece as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Kansas City Royals 8-5 Sunday and clinched a playoff berth.

Toronto is the first team in the American League to secure a spot in the playoffs, returning to the postseason for the first time since 2023, and improved its AL-best and AL East-leading record to 90-66.

The Blue Jays scored three runs in the second inning on run-scoring hits by Gimenez, Tyler Heineman and George Springer. Guerrero hit a two-run double in the fifth and Addison Barger followed with an RBI double to give Toronto a 6-2 lead.

After the Royals cut their deficit to 6-5, Ernie Clement and Gimenez had RBI hits in the eighth to extend Toronto's lead to 8-5.

Toronto starter Trey Yesavage worked four innings, allowing four runs on five hits while walking three and striking out two. Seranthony Dominguez (4-4) pitched 1 1/3 innings for the win, and Jeff Hoffman recorded his 32nd save of the season.

Carter Jensen had a two-run double in the fourth inning, Maikel Garcia and Salvador Perez hit consecutive run-scoring singles in the fifth and Randal Grichuk picked up an RBI in the sixth to complete Kansas City's scoring.

Michael Wacha (9-13) gave up six earned runs on eight hits in five innings with one walk and four strikeouts.

Gimenez's triple in the eighth all but sealed the win, giving the Blue Jays a three-run lead.

Toronto snapped a four-game skid. The Blue Jays still control their own destiny as far as their finish in the AL.

The Blue Jays send RHP Kevin Gausman (10-10, 3.38 ERA) against Boston on Tuesday.

The Royals head to Los Angeles to face the Angels. Neither team has named a starter.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Andres Gimenez drove in two runs apiece as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Kansas City Royals 8-5 Sunday and clinched a playoff berth.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FBlueJays%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0qLBiXc8r7T53HggXCXebJKxgYsQXF7CqxW45E8MRWoALvT5gRLCxCnAhcixgEv8bl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="609" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>Toronto is the first team in the American League to secure a spot in the playoffs, returning to the postseason for the first time since 2023, and improved its AL-best and AL East-leading record to 90-66.The Blue Jays scored three runs in the second inning on run-scoring hits by Gimenez, Tyler Heineman and George Springer. Guerrero hit a two-run double in the fifth and Addison Barger followed with an RBI double to give Toronto a 6-2 lead.After the Royals cut their deficit to 6-5, Ernie Clement and Gimenez had RBI hits in the eighth to extend Toronto's lead to 8-5.Toronto starter Trey Yesavage worked four innings, allowing four runs on five hits while walking three and striking out two. Seranthony Dominguez (4-4) pitched 1 1/3 innings for the win, and Jeff Hoffman recorded his 32nd save of the season.Carter Jensen had a two-run double in the fourth inning, Maikel Garcia and Salvador Perez hit consecutive run-scoring singles in the fifth and Randal Grichuk picked up an RBI in the sixth to complete Kansas City's scoring.Michael Wacha (9-13) gave up six earned runs on eight hits in five innings with one walk and four strikeouts.<h2>Key moment</h2>Gimenez's triple in the eighth all but sealed the win, giving the Blue Jays a three-run lead.<h2>Key stat</h2>Toronto snapped a four-game skid. The Blue Jays still control their own destiny as far as their finish in the AL.<h2>Up next</h2>The Blue Jays send RHP Kevin Gausman (10-10, 3.38 ERA) against Boston on Tuesday.The Royals head to Los Angeles to face the Angels. Neither team has named a starter.

⚾️American League-best Blue Jays beat Royals, clinch 1st postseason berth since 2023

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post

The Southeast of Saline cross country teams are off to another strong start in 2025, as they pursue what could be a 20th 3A state title.

Despite winning nine state titles in the last decade, SES is far from satisfied, and will be ready to challenge to re-take their throne in Rim Rock later this fall.

“Our tradition is something to be proud of,” SES head coach Wade Caselman said. “We didn’t win another title last year, but we’re ready to make another run and try to re-establish that excellence again this year.”

Southeast opened the season at the Wamego Invitational, where the boys finished second only to the 4A hosts, and the girls finished in sixth amidst a loaded field.

Two Trojans finished inside the top ten as Brayden Walker concluded his race in third, with Jacob Bircher close behind in sixth.

On the girls' side, Piper Brown anchored the Lady Trojan effort with the lone top ten finish on the day.

“Wamego is a great meet for us,” Caselman said. “We get to run against solid 4A programs with very strong traditions and I thought our teams ran well.”

Last week, Southeast took on their second meet of the season in Buhler, and this time it was a double podium with the Trojans edging out Andale for first, and the Lady Trojans finishing in third.

Walker and Bircher dominated the race on the boys' side, finishing 2nd and 4th respectively, with Piper Brown improving to sixth on the girls' side.

“It was good to see our guys win in Buhler,” he said. “That’s a true cross country course, footing isn’t always the greatest there, but it was a good day and we saw some strong competition.”

Now, SES looks ahead to their home invitational, which will be held on the campus of Southeast of Saline on Tuesday.

Results from the first two meets can be found below.

Boys team results 1. SE of Saline - 81 2. Andale - 76 3. Hutch Trinity - 81 4. McPherson - 108 5. Great Bend - 116 6. Buhler - 116 7. Wichita Defenders - 219 8. Winfield - 222

Girls team results 1. Great Bend - 67 2. Buhler - 73 3. SE of Saline - 76 4. Berean Academy - 92 5. McPherson - 115 6. Wichita Defenders - 155 7. Andale - 159 8. Campus - 182

Boys team results 1. Wamego - 48 2. SE of Saline - 81 3. Chanute - 141 4. Christ Prep - 167 5. McPherson - 184 6. Rock Creek - 195 7. Augusta - 219 8. Buhler - 237 9. Eudora - 243 10. Mulvane - 246

Girls team results 1. Christ Prep - 81 2. Baldwin - 96 3. Wamego - 117 4. Rock Creek - 152 5. Clay Center - 167 6. SE of Saline - 172 7. Buhler - 176 8. Eudora - 203

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostThe Southeast of Saline cross country teams are off to another strong start in 2025, as they pursue what could be a 20th 3A state title.Despite winning nine state titles in the last decade, SES is far from satisfied, and will be ready to challenge to re-take their throne in Rim Rock later this fall.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746812152965.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>“Our tradition is something to be proud of,” SES head coach Wade Caselman said. “We didn’t win another title last year, but we’re ready to make another run and try to re-establish that excellence again this year.”Southeast opened the season at the Wamego Invitational, where the boys finished second only to the 4A hosts, and the girls finished in sixth amidst a loaded field.Two Trojans finished inside the top ten as Brayden Walker concluded his race in third, with Jacob Bircher close behind in sixth.On the girls' side, Piper Brown anchored the Lady Trojan effort with the lone top ten finish on the day.“Wamego is a great meet for us,” Caselman said. “We get to run against solid 4A programs with very strong traditions and I thought our teams ran well.”Last week, Southeast took on their second meet of the season in Buhler, and this time it was a double podium with the Trojans edging out Andale for first, and the Lady Trojans finishing in third.Walker and Bircher dominated the race on the boys' side, finishing 2nd and 4th respectively, with Piper Brown improving to sixth on the girls' side.“It was good to see our guys win in Buhler,” he said. “That’s a true cross country course, footing isn’t always the greatest there, but it was a good day and we saw some strong competition.”Now, SES looks ahead to their home invitational, which will be held on the campus of Southeast of Saline on Tuesday.Results from the first two meets can be found below.Buhler Invitational (9-18-25)Boys team results 1. SE of Saline - 81 2. Andale - 76 3. Hutch Trinity - 81 4. McPherson - 108 5. Great Bend - 116 6. Buhler - 116 7. Wichita Defenders - 219 8. Winfield - 222Girls team results 1. Great Bend - 67 2. Buhler - 73 3. SE of Saline - 76 4. Berean Academy - 92 5. McPherson - 115 6. Wichita Defenders - 155 7. Andale - 159 8. Campus - 182Wamego Invitational (9-11-25)Boys team results 1. Wamego - 48 2. SE of Saline - 81 3. Chanute - 141 4. Christ Prep - 167 5. McPherson - 184 6. Rock Creek - 195 7. Augusta - 219 8. Buhler - 237 9. Eudora - 243 10. Mulvane - 246Girls team results 1. Christ Prep - 81 2. Baldwin - 96 3. Wamego - 117 4. Rock Creek - 152 5. Clay Center - 167 6. SE of Saline - 172 7. Buhler - 176 8. Eudora - 203

SES XC off to hot start in 2025

NORTH NEWTON - <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/006d09f8-73c2-4de6-8360-59331926aaef?elinkdata=29192">Henry Austad</a> prowess throwing the football has been well documented. He's also pretty darn good running the ball.

Austad rushed for two touchdowns and threw for two more in leading Kansas Wesleyan to a 38-7 Kansas Conference victory over Bethel on Saturday night at Thresher Stadium.

NORTH NEWTON - <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/006d09f8-73c2-4de6-8360-59331926aaef?elinkdata=29192">Henry Austad</a> prowess throwing the football has been well documented. He's also pretty darn good running the ball.Austad rushed for two touchdowns and threw for two more in leading Kansas Wesleyan to a 38-7 Kansas Conference victory over Bethel on Saturday night at Thresher Stadium.The Coyotes improved to 4-0 under first-year coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/446da57a-22cf-4653-95fc-f6e9a43cb958?elinkdata=29192">Matt Middleton</a>.Austad, a graduate student, threw for 185 yards with both scoring tosses going to <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6609e7e4-bed7-44af-9a4f-b53f4f928ee7?elinkdata=29192">Rhadarious Lomax-Spivey</a> - a 15 yarder in the second quarter then 26 yards in the fourth quarter. He also had 58 yards rushing on seven carries and scored on a two-yard run in the first quarter and went in from 29 yards out in the third quarter."Henry's so super talented, he's our quarterback, he does a great job," KWU coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5ead5eb1-6490-4d22-97e3-b72c7a1c4d57?elinkdata=29192">Matt Middleton</a> said.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/590877cb-32aa-4de6-8074-2d4c0e2899eb?elinkdata=29192">Caden Middleton</a>, the coach's son, also played and directed a touchdown drive early in the second quarter that culminated with a four-yard scoring pass to <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/afdf9f4f-3261-4ca7-a317-c28319222f19?elinkdata=29192">Junior Akintunde</a>."He knows his limitations, he's not going to try to do too much, he's going to give me all the right looks and drive down the field and score," <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c70c6368-a86c-472c-93eb-5e6cd1215a94?elinkdata=29192">Matt Middleton</a> said of Caden. "I have a quarterback who's played a lot of football up to this year and we're blessed with that. I do think we have two good ones and I'm proud of both of them."Defensively the Coyotes were dominant for the fourth consecutive week limiting Bethel to 160 yards on 57 plays, an averaging of 2.8 per play. The Threshers had 48 yards rushing on 31 attempts, an average of 1.5. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e9b54b94-2646-4472-b827-a75972ff9c7a?elinkdata=29192">Myles Elam</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/cf2d667d-3f1a-4238-9950-4a900bf8a35a?elinkdata=29192">CJ Buckhalter</a> had five tackles apiece.Opposing teams have scored a combine 30 points against KWU through the first four games.Wesleyan led 21-7 at halftime and took control in the second half limiting Bethel to four first downs."I thought we played much better in the second half than we did in the first half for sure" Middleton said. "I think we came out flat to be honest with you. I think it was one of those things where you deal with kids, you're facing an 0-3 team and they lost to three hammers, three top 20 teams in the country. I think we just felt like we were going to get it done and we got punched in the mouth."At halftime I got after them pretty good and the challenge was that's not the style of ball we play. We need to go finish; we're letting teams hang around and I was pleased with how we finally ran the ball in the second half and did some different things."KWU took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on Austad's two-yard run that capped a 13-play, 75-yard drive.After Bethel tied it on the second play of the second quarter the Coyotes answered with Middleton at the controls going 39 yards in seven plays, the touchdown pass to Akintunde coming with 9:30 left in the half.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/96e47ca6-dbe9-406b-8732-4da0240a1d24?elinkdata=29192">Isaiah Dickerson's</a> intercepted a Byron Reese pass on Bethel's next possession and Austad cashed in three plays later on his first TD pass to Lomax-Spivey with 7:47 left in the half.Bethel attempted a fake punt midway through the third quarter, but the Coyotes immediately shut it down at the Threshers' 34-yard line and Austad scored from 29 yards out two plays later making it 28-7 with 5:30 left in the quarter.Austad found Lomax-Spivey for the 26-yard touchdown at the 13:00 mark of the final period. The eight-play drive covered 83 yards.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8d28a9b2-a9e1-4c38-ba12-7e9f65520622?elinkdata=29192">Talon Cope's</a> 28-yard field goal with 1:17 remaining ended the scoring and finished a 15-play, 78-yard drive.KWU had 437 total yards - 223 passing and 214 rushing. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5ada663d-acb4-45b7-8c93-bf95d74a7cc9?elinkdata=29192">D'Heaven Domena</a> had a team-best 61 yards rushing on 16 carries; Lomax-Spivey caught five passes for 80 yards and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/648581b0-2645-400e-9e47-a53442246577?elinkdata=29192">Eric Hunter</a> four for 49 yards."It's like my wife (Kayla) just told me 'a win's a win and we're excited,'" Middleton said. "We're blessed to be 4-0."