RENO, Nev. --&nbsp;Devin Neal rushed for three touchdowns and Jalon Daniels threw for 298 yards as Kansas Football remained unbeaten on the year with a 31-24 victory at Nevada&nbsp;on Saturday night&nbsp;at Mackay Stadium.

The win marked the 600th in program history, and improved Kansas to 3-0 on the season for the second-straight year. Prior to last season, Kansas’ last 3-0 start was in 2009, while it is the first time since 1991-92 the Jayhawks have started 3-0 in back-to-back seasons.

Kansas opened with a nine-play, 75-yard drive to start the game that resulted in a three-yard rushing touchdown by Neal. Kansas has scored a touchdown on each of its opening possessions so far this season. The Jayhawks lead 7-0 at the end of the first quarter.

After each team traded field goals, Nevada responded with a 10-play, 78-yard scoring drive to even the score, 10-10 at the half.

Needing a score in the third quarter, Kansas found one on its second drive of the second half. Facing a second and four from the Nevada 30-yard line, Daniels dropped back and found tight end Mason Fairchild for a 29-yard gain, which set up a one-yard touchdown rush for Daniel Hishaw Jr., to make the score 17-10 with&nbsp;5:07&nbsp;remaining in the third quarter.

Nevada responded with a score of its own on a six-yard touchdown rush by quarterback Brendan Lewis, which evened the score&nbsp;at 17-17&nbsp;with&nbsp;3:33remaining in the third quarter.

On the first play of Kansas’ next drive, Daniels hit Neal on a 59-yard strike to set up the Jayhawks at the 1-yard line. Neal was rewarded on the very next play WITH a one-yard rushing touchdown, his second of the game.

In the fourth quarter, Nevada evened up the score at 24-24 with&nbsp;10:37remaining in the game, but Kansas again had an answer. The Jayhawks covered 75 yards in nine plays, including two Daniels completions to Quentin Skinner and a 16-yard pass to Fairchild which got KU into the red zone. Consecutive rushing attempts by Neal landed the Jayhawks in the end zone as Neal scored his third touchdown of the night to put KU up by its final margin, 31-24.

Kansas closed out the victory with back-to-back defensive stops. The Jayhawks forced a three-and-out immediately after scoring the go-ahead touchdown, then punted the ball back to Nevada with two minutes to play. After one Wolf Pack first down, KU forced a turnover on downs when Kenny Logan Jr. came flying up from his safety position to get a fourth-down stop behind the line of scrimmage.

Kansas will return home to Lawrence for a battle of unbeatens as they open league play against BYU&nbsp;on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 2:30 p.m. CT&nbsp;on ESPN. The game will be the conference opener for both teams, including BYU’s first against a Big 12 opponent as a member of the Big 12 Conference. BYU improved to&nbsp;3-0 on Saturday&nbsp;with a 38-31 victory at Arkansas.

Fans can purchase tickets to the BYU game or any of Kansas’ five remaining home games by<a href="https://kuathletics.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetGroupList?groupCode=FB&amp;linkID=kansas&amp;shopperContext=&amp;caller=&amp;appCode=" target="_blank">&nbsp;clicking here</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695041778073.jpeg" alt="Devin Neal rushed for three touchdowns and Jalon Daniels threw for 298 yards as Kansas Football remained unbeaten on the year with a 31-24 victory at Nevada on Saturday night at Mackay Stadium. KU Athletics Photo" />
 <figcaption>Devin Neal rushed for three touchdowns and Jalon Daniels threw for 298 yards as Kansas Football remained unbeaten on the year with a 31-24 victory at Nevada on Saturday night at Mackay Stadium. KU Athletics Photo</figcaption>
 </figure>RENO, Nev. --&nbsp;Devin Neal rushed for three touchdowns and Jalon Daniels threw for 298 yards as Kansas Football remained unbeaten on the year with a 31-24 victory at Nevada&nbsp;on Saturday night&nbsp;at Mackay Stadium.The win marked the 600th in program history, and improved Kansas to 3-0 on the season for the second-straight year. Prior to last season, Kansas’ last 3-0 start was in 2009, while it is the first time since 1991-92 the Jayhawks have started 3-0 in back-to-back seasons.Kansas opened with a nine-play, 75-yard drive to start the game that resulted in a three-yard rushing touchdown by Neal. Kansas has scored a touchdown on each of its opening possessions so far this season. The Jayhawks lead 7-0 at the end of the first quarter.After each team traded field goals, Nevada responded with a 10-play, 78-yard scoring drive to even the score, 10-10 at the half.Needing a score in the third quarter, Kansas found one on its second drive of the second half. Facing a second and four from the Nevada 30-yard line, Daniels dropped back and found tight end Mason Fairchild for a 29-yard gain, which set up a one-yard touchdown rush for Daniel Hishaw Jr., to make the score 17-10 with&nbsp;5:07&nbsp;remaining in the third quarter.Nevada responded with a score of its own on a six-yard touchdown rush by quarterback Brendan Lewis, which evened the score&nbsp;at 17-17&nbsp;with&nbsp;3:33remaining in the third quarter.On the first play of Kansas’ next drive, Daniels hit Neal on a 59-yard strike to set up the Jayhawks at the 1-yard line. Neal was rewarded on the very next play WITH a one-yard rushing touchdown, his second of the game.In the fourth quarter, Nevada evened up the score at 24-24 with&nbsp;10:37remaining in the game, but Kansas again had an answer. The Jayhawks covered 75 yards in nine plays, including two Daniels completions to Quentin Skinner and a 16-yard pass to Fairchild which got KU into the red zone. Consecutive rushing attempts by Neal landed the Jayhawks in the end zone as Neal scored his third touchdown of the night to put KU up by its final margin, 31-24.Kansas closed out the victory with back-to-back defensive stops. The Jayhawks forced a three-and-out immediately after scoring the go-ahead touchdown, then punted the ball back to Nevada with two minutes to play. After one Wolf Pack first down, KU forced a turnover on downs when Kenny Logan Jr. came flying up from his safety position to get a fourth-down stop behind the line of scrimmage.Kansas will return home to Lawrence for a battle of unbeatens as they open league play against BYU&nbsp;on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 2:30 p.m. CT&nbsp;on ESPN. The game will be the conference opener for both teams, including BYU’s first against a Big 12 opponent as a member of the Big 12 Conference. BYU improved to&nbsp;3-0 on Saturday&nbsp;with a 38-31 victory at Arkansas.Fans can purchase tickets to the BYU game or any of Kansas’ five remaining home games by<a href="https://kuathletics.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetGroupList?groupCode=FB&amp;linkID=kansas&amp;shopperContext=&amp;caller=&amp;appCode=" target="_blank">&nbsp;clicking here</a>.

Jayhawks Improve to 3-0 with 31-24 Victory at Nevada 

ANDY REID: As far as injuries go, Kadarius Toney, left foot. We'll check it out. Played most of the plays that he was supposed to be in on. Justin Watson was dehydrated. He got an IV and then he was going to come back out. Our guys really sucked it up, for lack of terms. It was hot and humid out there. You know, I'm an offensive guy, but that was a beautiful thing defensively. Offensively we got to take care of the penalties and the turnovers, but the battle through it shows me a little something. So, we'll get the other stuff fixed as we go. Defensively great to have Chris Jones back. He obviously influenced the game in a positive way for us. McDuffie, I mean I can go on and on. The guys on defense. Steve Spagnuolo had a phenomenal game plan. His coaches did a great job there. Offensively, Pacheco, offensive line picked it up, Pacheco did a nice job with it after the line picked it up. We had some good things happen that second half. Pat had a couple nice plays too, along with the receivers. The other thing is Doug Pederson has done a great job here for the Jacksonville people. Heck of a football team and they're very well coached and they got a lot of toughness there, too. With that, time is yours.

Q. Did you get more out of Chris than you expected?

ANDY REID: I figured he would be able to play about half a game. We shuttled him in and out. He did a great job. Listen, I mentioned this before, over the years here he's learned to keep himself in shape. When I saw him at practice he was moving around pretty good and endurance seemed good.

I felt comfortable that he would go in and be able to do his thing. Maybe not to that level. That was a heck of a job by him.

Q. You mentioned playing through, battling through showed you something. Is that your biggest takeaway? Obviously a lot to clean up on your offense.

ANDY REID: Well, my biggest takeaway, I thought our defense did a nice job, and then the offense battled through it. But you had the elements. We all felt it. All you guys felt it. You got the elements that you got to fight through. You're not walking in the park here. Both teams are battling through some heat and humidity.

Q. Is that how you account for an inordinate number of mistakes?

ANDY REID: No, that wasn't the problem. Just too many procedure penalties, turnovers. We'll get that taken care of. That's not the heat. That's us needing to take care of business.

Q. Do you attribute that to Week 2 of the season?

ANDY REID: We normally don't do this, so, you know, it got us today. We're not a big penalty team, and offensively we're -- we're not a big penalty team, and surely not the turnovers.

Q. How did you feel about T Jawaan Taylor’s performance?

ANDY REID: I took him out for a couple plays. Stepped back. This is home, not only home, but also where he played. You know, just stepped back and let's get you back out there. He had some big blocks later in the game there. Did a nice job finishing.

ANDY REID: Trav did a good job. He's a pretty good shape. He had a lot of routes in there, so looked like he felt pretty good.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691529941375.png" alt="Chiefs Logo no cut off" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs Logo no cut off</figcaption>
 </figure>ANDY REID: As far as injuries go, Kadarius Toney, left foot. We'll check it out. Played most of the plays that he was supposed to be in on. Justin Watson was dehydrated. He got an IV and then he was going to come back out. Our guys really sucked it up, for lack of terms. It was hot and humid out there. You know, I'm an offensive guy, but that was a beautiful thing defensively. Offensively we got to take care of the penalties and the turnovers, but the battle through it shows me a little something. So, we'll get the other stuff fixed as we go. Defensively great to have Chris Jones back. He obviously influenced the game in a positive way for us. McDuffie, I mean I can go on and on. The guys on defense. Steve Spagnuolo had a phenomenal game plan. His coaches did a great job there. Offensively, Pacheco, offensive line picked it up, Pacheco did a nice job with it after the line picked it up. We had some good things happen that second half. Pat had a couple nice plays too, along with the receivers. The other thing is Doug Pederson has done a great job here for the Jacksonville people. Heck of a football team and they're very well coached and they got a lot of toughness there, too. With that, time is yours.Q. Did you get more out of Chris than you expected?ANDY REID: I figured he would be able to play about half a game. We shuttled him in and out. He did a great job. Listen, I mentioned this before, over the years here he's learned to keep himself in shape. When I saw him at practice he was moving around pretty good and endurance seemed good.I felt comfortable that he would go in and be able to do his thing. Maybe not to that level. That was a heck of a job by him.Q. You mentioned playing through, battling through showed you something. Is that your biggest takeaway? Obviously a lot to clean up on your offense.ANDY REID: Well, my biggest takeaway, I thought our defense did a nice job, and then the offense battled through it. But you had the elements. We all felt it. All you guys felt it. You got the elements that you got to fight through. You're not walking in the park here. Both teams are battling through some heat and humidity.Q. Is that how you account for an inordinate number of mistakes?ANDY REID: No, that wasn't the problem. Just too many procedure penalties, turnovers. We'll get that taken care of. That's not the heat. That's us needing to take care of business.Q. Do you attribute that to Week 2 of the season?ANDY REID: We normally don't do this, so, you know, it got us today. We're not a big penalty team, and offensively we're -- we're not a big penalty team, and surely not the turnovers.Q. How did you feel about T Jawaan Taylor’s performance?ANDY REID: I took him out for a couple plays. Stepped back. This is home, not only home, but also where he played. You know, just stepped back and let's get you back out there. He had some big blocks later in the game there. Did a nice job finishing.Q. How did TE Travis Kelce look?ANDY REID: Trav did a good job. He's a pretty good shape. He had a lot of routes in there, so looked like he felt pretty good.

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Postgame Quotes 

By MARK LONG AP Pro Football Writer

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdown passes, including one to returning star Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs overcame three early turnovers to beat Jacksonville 17-9 on Sunday for their third victory against the Jaguars in 10 months.

The Chiefs (1-1) won their eighth straight in the series and avoided becoming the first Super Bowl champions to start 0-2 since Denver in 1999.

The Jaguars (1-1), who insisted all week they owed the Chiefs because of a loss in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs in January, pretty much no-showed in their home opener.

Coach Doug Pederson’s team had another slow start, failed to capitalize on two of three turnovers and struggled to protect quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Lawrence threw incomplete on a fourth-and-12 play with 4:16 remaining in an eight-point game, and Kansas City didn't let the Jaguars get the ball back.

Chiefs All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, making his season debut after ending his holdout and signing a one-year contract, dominated his one-on-one matchups. Jones&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1703473144487444561">manhandled rookie right tackle Anton Harrison</a>&nbsp;and was equally effective against the rest of Jacksonville’s line. He finished with two sacks on five QB pressures.

With extra time to prepare following a loss to Detroit 10 days earlier in the NFL opener, the Chiefs had hoped to look a lot more like their normally dynamic selves on offense. But Richie James muffed a punt, Justin Watson fumbled and Mahomes threw an interception. Kadarius Toney, who dropped three passes in the opener, fumbled late in the third but was able to scoop up the loose ball and avoid another turnover.

Mahomes completed 29 of 41 passes for 305 yards. He&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1703481447833600419">found Kelce all alone in the end zone</a>&nbsp;to extend KC’s lead to 14-6. CBS play-by-play announcer Ian Eagle slipped in a song reference to reports linking Kelce to pop superstar Taylor Swift by saying “Kelce finds a blank space for the score.” One of Swift’s many hits is “Blank Space.”

Kelce, who missed the opener because of a hyperextended knee,&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1703482916917940720">punted the ball into the end zone to celebrate</a>. He finished with four catches on nine targets for 26 yards.

The Chiefs converted twice on fourth down and outgained Jacksonville 399 to 271 in total yards. The Jaguars had several chances but settled for field goals in two trips into the red zone, and they averaged a measly 4.2 yards per play.

Chiefs right tackle Jawaan Taylor, who spent the first four years of his NFL career with Jacksonville, had a rough homecoming. Taylor was penalized five times and ultimately benched for a series. He was flagged twice for false starts, once for an illegal formation and twice for holding.

Pederson fell to 0-4 against his close friend and mentor, Chiefs coach Andy Reid. This was Pederson's first loss at home; the previous three were played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

The Chiefs beat Pederson and Philadelphia 27-20 in Week 2 of the 2017 season; the Eagles rebounded and ultimately won the Super Bowl. The Chiefs swept the Jaguars last season, winning 27-17 in Week 10 and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-jacksonville-jaguars-nfl-sports-patrick-mahomes-ii-c198676ebe3fa51c02060b1c473701ef">27-20 in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs</a>.

Chiefs: LBs Nick Bolton and Willie Gay were attended to on the field, but both were able to return to the game.

Jaguars: LB Josh Allen left the game in the second half with a shoulder injury. WR Zay Jones (knee) returned after spending time in the locker room. WR Calvin Ridley ran into the padding surrounding the goal post and was shaken up. RB Travis Etienne dealt with cramping issues late.

By MARK LONG AP Pro Football WriterJACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdown passes, including one to returning star Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs overcame three early turnovers to beat Jacksonville 17-9 on Sunday for their third victory against the Jaguars in 10 months.The Chiefs (1-1) won their eighth straight in the series and avoided becoming the first Super Bowl champions to start 0-2 since Denver in 1999.The Jaguars (1-1), who insisted all week they owed the Chiefs because of a loss in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs in January, pretty much no-showed in their home opener.Coach Doug Pederson’s team had another slow start, failed to capitalize on two of three turnovers and struggled to protect quarterback Trevor Lawrence.Lawrence threw incomplete on a fourth-and-12 play with 4:16 remaining in an eight-point game, and Kansas City didn't let the Jaguars get the ball back.Chiefs All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, making his season debut after ending his holdout and signing a one-year contract, dominated his one-on-one matchups. Jones&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1703473144487444561">manhandled rookie right tackle Anton Harrison</a>&nbsp;and was equally effective against the rest of Jacksonville’s line. He finished with two sacks on five QB pressures.With extra time to prepare following a loss to Detroit 10 days earlier in the NFL opener, the Chiefs had hoped to look a lot more like their normally dynamic selves on offense. But Richie James muffed a punt, Justin Watson fumbled and Mahomes threw an interception. Kadarius Toney, who dropped three passes in the opener, fumbled late in the third but was able to scoop up the loose ball and avoid another turnover.Mahomes completed 29 of 41 passes for 305 yards. He&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1703481447833600419">found Kelce all alone in the end zone</a>&nbsp;to extend KC’s lead to 14-6. CBS play-by-play announcer Ian Eagle slipped in a song reference to reports linking Kelce to pop superstar Taylor Swift by saying “Kelce finds a blank space for the score.” One of Swift’s many hits is “Blank Space.”Kelce, who missed the opener because of a hyperextended knee,&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1703482916917940720">punted the ball into the end zone to celebrate</a>. He finished with four catches on nine targets for 26 yards.The Chiefs converted twice on fourth down and outgained Jacksonville 399 to 271 in total yards. The Jaguars had several chances but settled for field goals in two trips into the red zone, and they averaged a measly 4.2 yards per play.TAYLOR BENCHEDChiefs right tackle Jawaan Taylor, who spent the first four years of his NFL career with Jacksonville, had a rough homecoming. Taylor was penalized five times and ultimately benched for a series. He was flagged twice for false starts, once for an illegal formation and twice for holding.MENTOR VS MENTEEPederson fell to 0-4 against his close friend and mentor, Chiefs coach Andy Reid. This was Pederson's first loss at home; the previous three were played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.The Chiefs beat Pederson and Philadelphia 27-20 in Week 2 of the 2017 season; the Eagles rebounded and ultimately won the Super Bowl. The Chiefs swept the Jaguars last season, winning 27-17 in Week 10 and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-jacksonville-jaguars-nfl-sports-patrick-mahomes-ii-c198676ebe3fa51c02060b1c473701ef">27-20 in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs</a>.INJURY REPORTChiefs: LBs Nick Bolton and Willie Gay were attended to on the field, but both were able to return to the game.Jaguars: LB Josh Allen left the game in the second half with a shoulder injury. WR Zay Jones (knee) returned after spending time in the locker room. WR Calvin Ridley ran into the padding surrounding the goal post and was shaken up. RB Travis Etienne dealt with cramping issues late.UP NEXTChiefs: Host Chicago next Sunday.

🏈 Chiefs overcome mistakes to beat Jaguars

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Eli Drinkwitz and the Missouri coaching staff decided in the closing seconds of a back-and-forth affair with Kansas State on Saturday that if the Tigers crossed midfield and reached the 40-yard line, they would give Harrison Mevis a chance to kick the winning field goal.

Missouri made it to the Kansas State 38 and quarterback Brady Cook spiked the ball to stop the clock.

Then that same coaching staff inexplicably lost track of time on the sideline, and the delay-of-game penalty pushed the field-goal attempt back 5 yards. What would have been a 56-yarder became a 61-yard long shot from the wrong side of midfield.

After Cook threw incomplete trying to recoup the yardage, Mevis trotted onto the field anyway. And with the final few seconds ticking away, he boomed the SEC-record 61-yarder over the crossbar, sending the Tigers to a field-storming, come-from-behind 30-27 victory over the No. 15 Wildcats in a showdown of former Big 12 rivals.

“We took the penalty to make it more dramatic,” Drinkwitz said afterward. “This is all for TV anyway. This was in the script.”

“I told him right before the kick: ‘Listen, you’ve been doing this your whole life. This is your opportunity,'” Cook said. “I was just on a knee, watching. I just could not believe it. I could not believe it.”

The beleaguered Cook, who was booed by some home fans during introductions, finished with 356 yards passing and two touchdowns, despite hobbling around the second half on a sprained knee. Luther Burden III had both of the scoring grabs for the Tigers (3-0), finishing with seven catches for 114 yards in another star-making performance.

“Redemption is a beautiful thing," Drinkwitz said. “That pissed me off when we booed our starting quarterback to start the game — that pissed me off. And he went out there and played his butt off for the team.”

Will Howard, who was likewise left hobbling after the brutally physical game, had 270 yards passing and three scores. But the senior also threw a costly pick, and the Wildcats (2-1) blew too many chances on third down to put the game away.

“We had plenty of opportunities in all three phases,” K-State coach Chris Klieman said. “This is what Big 12 football is going to be like starting next week. You'd better get used to tight ballgames that are hard to win.”

The Wildcats started off like they finished a year ago, when they rolled to a rain-soaked 40-12 victory in the first meeting since Missouri left the Big 12 for the SEC. Howard hit four different receivers while swiftly marching Kansas State down field, and his third-and-goal throw tipped by the Tigers' JC Carlies landed in the hands of Phillip Brooks for the score.

Rather than begin a blowout, the touchdown launched a thriller.

Cook answered with a 47-yard touchdown heave to Burden, who spent most of the game making a mockery of the Kansas State secondary. And after Howard threw a pick in tight coverage, Mevis' added his first field goal to give Missouri the lead.

When the Wildcats responded with a swift touchdown drive, the Tigers needed two big plays and about 2 1/2 minutes to score again. This time, Cook finished the drive with a short run to send them into halftime with a 17-14 lead.

That's about when Cook hurt his leg, and for a while, the Missouri offense became stagnant. The Tigers punted twice to start the second half, and Kansas State turned them into a field goal and Howard's second TD pass to Ben Sinnott for a 24-17 lead.

It was still 24-20 when the Wildcats squandered two chances to put the game away, failing twice on short third downs. And when Missouri took over after Howard's third-and-1 pass fell incomplete, it took two plays — Cody Schrader's 26-yard run and a personal foul penalty, and Cook's 26-yard TD pass to Burden — to cover 77 yards and give Missouri a 27-24 lead.

The Wildcats had a chance to regain the lead with 5 1/2 minutes to go. But with third-and-goal at the Missouri 3, Howard lost track of time and was called for a delay of game. Kansas State settled for a tying field goal — and a costly one at that.

Mevis made sure of that with his kick — the one that bailed out his coaches — on the game's final play.

“I would have preferred it from 56,” he said, “but you know, it really doesn't matter. It's going to be the same kick.”

Kansas State beat itself at the most inopportune of times. Along with the failed third downs, the Wildcats were penalized seven times for 65 yards, their running game was bottled up in the second half and Howard had far too many passes dropped. Those are all correctable mistakes going forward, but they proved costly on Saturday.

Missouri has been under pressure to move beyond mediocre under Drinkwitz, who has yet to have a winning record in three seasons despite going to three bowl games; that's part of the reason Cook was booed by fans, who have been pining for backup Sam Horn to take the field. The result Saturday could go a long way toward changing those narratives.

Kansas State plays Big 12 newcomer UCF next Saturday night.

Missouri plays Memphis next Saturday night in St. Louis.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694896476919.jpeg" alt="Missouri kicker Harrison Mevis kicks the game-winning field goal during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Kansas State Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, in Columbia, Mo. Missouri won 30-27. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)" />
 <figcaption>Missouri kicker Harrison Mevis kicks the game-winning field goal during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Kansas State Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, in Columbia, Mo. Missouri won 30-27. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)</figcaption>
 </figure>COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Eli Drinkwitz and the Missouri coaching staff decided in the closing seconds of a back-and-forth affair with Kansas State on Saturday that if the Tigers crossed midfield and reached the 40-yard line, they would give Harrison Mevis a chance to kick the winning field goal.Missouri made it to the Kansas State 38 and quarterback Brady Cook spiked the ball to stop the clock.Then that same coaching staff inexplicably lost track of time on the sideline, and the delay-of-game penalty pushed the field-goal attempt back 5 yards. What would have been a 56-yarder became a 61-yard long shot from the wrong side of midfield.It didn't matter.After Cook threw incomplete trying to recoup the yardage, Mevis trotted onto the field anyway. And with the final few seconds ticking away, he boomed the SEC-record 61-yarder over the crossbar, sending the Tigers to a field-storming, come-from-behind 30-27 victory over the No. 15 Wildcats in a showdown of former Big 12 rivals.“We took the penalty to make it more dramatic,” Drinkwitz said afterward. “This is all for TV anyway. This was in the script.”Quite the fairytale ending.“I told him right before the kick: ‘Listen, you’ve been doing this your whole life. This is your opportunity,'” Cook said. “I was just on a knee, watching. I just could not believe it. I could not believe it.”The beleaguered Cook, who was booed by some home fans during introductions, finished with 356 yards passing and two touchdowns, despite hobbling around the second half on a sprained knee. Luther Burden III had both of the scoring grabs for the Tigers (3-0), finishing with seven catches for 114 yards in another star-making performance.“Redemption is a beautiful thing," Drinkwitz said. “That pissed me off when we booed our starting quarterback to start the game — that pissed me off. And he went out there and played his butt off for the team.”Will Howard, who was likewise left hobbling after the brutally physical game, had 270 yards passing and three scores. But the senior also threw a costly pick, and the Wildcats (2-1) blew too many chances on third down to put the game away.“We had plenty of opportunities in all three phases,” K-State coach Chris Klieman said. “This is what Big 12 football is going to be like starting next week. You'd better get used to tight ballgames that are hard to win.”The Wildcats started off like they finished a year ago, when they rolled to a rain-soaked 40-12 victory in the first meeting since Missouri left the Big 12 for the SEC. Howard hit four different receivers while swiftly marching Kansas State down field, and his third-and-goal throw tipped by the Tigers' JC Carlies landed in the hands of Phillip Brooks for the score.Rather than begin a blowout, the touchdown launched a thriller.Cook answered with a 47-yard touchdown heave to Burden, who spent most of the game making a mockery of the Kansas State secondary. And after Howard threw a pick in tight coverage, Mevis' added his first field goal to give Missouri the lead.When the Wildcats responded with a swift touchdown drive, the Tigers needed two big plays and about 2 1/2 minutes to score again. This time, Cook finished the drive with a short run to send them into halftime with a 17-14 lead.That's about when Cook hurt his leg, and for a while, the Missouri offense became stagnant. The Tigers punted twice to start the second half, and Kansas State turned them into a field goal and Howard's second TD pass to Ben Sinnott for a 24-17 lead.It was still 24-20 when the Wildcats squandered two chances to put the game away, failing twice on short third downs. And when Missouri took over after Howard's third-and-1 pass fell incomplete, it took two plays — Cody Schrader's 26-yard run and a personal foul penalty, and Cook's 26-yard TD pass to Burden — to cover 77 yards and give Missouri a 27-24 lead.The Wildcats had a chance to regain the lead with 5 1/2 minutes to go. But with third-and-goal at the Missouri 3, Howard lost track of time and was called for a delay of game. Kansas State settled for a tying field goal — and a costly one at that.Mevis made sure of that with his kick — the one that bailed out his coaches — on the game's final play.“I would have preferred it from 56,” he said, “but you know, it really doesn't matter. It's going to be the same kick.”THE TAKEAWAYKansas State beat itself at the most inopportune of times. Along with the failed third downs, the Wildcats were penalized seven times for 65 yards, their running game was bottled up in the second half and Howard had far too many passes dropped. Those are all correctable mistakes going forward, but they proved costly on Saturday.Missouri has been under pressure to move beyond mediocre under Drinkwitz, who has yet to have a winning record in three seasons despite going to three bowl games; that's part of the reason Cook was booed by fans, who have been pining for backup Sam Horn to take the field. The result Saturday could go a long way toward changing those narratives.UP NEXTKansas State plays Big 12 newcomer UCF next Saturday night.Missouri plays Memphis next Saturday night in St. Louis.

Missouri upsets Kansas State on 61-yard field goal with no time remaining

Weiss Wins Buhler Tennis Tournament

Trojan XC Posts 1-2 Finish at Buhler Invitational

The Coyotes are back home for a Family Weekend game against Kansas Conference and Kessinger Division opponent Friends. Kickoff is 6 p.m. Saturday at JRI Stadium and the Graves Family Sports Complex.

KWU has won the last eight games and has averaged 75 points in the last five. The Coyotes won last year's game 70-0 at JRI Stadium in the season opener. Wesleyan has a 15-7 edge since the 2001 season.

"Offensively we need to find our identity and that's going to be the goal here in the next few weeks and especially this week. We have possibly been overcomplicating a few things. We need to do what we do well and do it over and over and don't over-complicate things. Defensively when we play with the correct posture and intensity we play really well. Friends is super-hot right now and is scoring a lot of points. Terry Harrison has done an excellent job of recruiting. They have one of the best offensive lines I've seen, they are very good. The quarterback (Baker) is very good, makes really good decisions and is athletic. Their defense does things a little bit different that you have to prepare for. They have guys that move around a lot. Their first three games I haven't seen them make any big mistakes."

The Coyotes play No. 23 Bethel at 1 p.m. Saturday in North Newton.

The Coyotes are back home for a Family Weekend game against Kansas Conference and Kessinger Division opponent Friends. Kickoff is 6 p.m. Saturday at JRI Stadium and the Graves Family Sports Complex.LIVE COVERAGE<ul>
 <li>The video stream of the game will be available online through the Coyote Sports Network at&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6190fb85-3f30-444c-8cc7-42913ba9a3ae?elinkdata=571" target="_blank">www.kcacnetwork.com/kansaswesleyan</a>.</li><li>Live Stats will be available at&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/42b417dc-3628-488c-b057-1b7cd95eda04?elinkdata=571" target="_blank">https://kwucoyotes.com/sidearmstats/football/summary</a></li><li>Radio coverage can be heard locally on KINA 910 AM/107.5 FM, and online at Eagle Communication's Post Sites (<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d535b55c-edfc-41b6-87b3-2eebce8df078?elinkdata=571" target="_blank">salinapost.com</a>&nbsp;in Salina). The online stream is also available at&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1b57d89a-875e-480f-8e6c-2d2dba7a4d8d?elinkdata=571" target="_blank">https://radio.securenetsystems.net/ce/kina2</a>. Tyler Henry will have the call with pregame starting at 5:00 p.m.</li>
 </ul>RECORDS<ul>
 <li>Kansas Wesleyan 1-2</li><li>Friends 3-0</li>
 </ul>THE SERIESKWU has won the last eight games and has averaged 75 points in the last five. The Coyotes won last year's game 70-0 at JRI Stadium in the season opener. Wesleyan has a 15-7 edge since the 2001 season.KANSAS WESLEYAN AT A GLANCE<ul>
 <li>The Coyotes fell to 1-2 with a 24-3 loss to No. 9 Southwestern last Saturday in Winfield. Neither team scored the second half as the defenses took control. KWU limited the Moundbuilders to 85 total yards the final 30 minutes. The Coyotes finished with 75 total yards and Southwestern 285.</li><li>Linebacker&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fbefd2c4-ef6b-48e7-86eb-30f174049158?elinkdata=571" target="_blank">Quatama Massaquoi</a>&nbsp;led the defense with 10 tackles while linebacker&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f3b6c127-00f4-42d6-adf0-de8b15bdbe6a?elinkdata=571" target="_blank">Ricco Moore</a>&nbsp;had nine and safety&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b03351df-816b-4886-a58e-ffa0e7ebc619?elinkdata=571" target="_blank">Julian Urioste</a>&nbsp;eight. End&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d2241132-a108-41e4-8c67-15ed56e3fc37?elinkdata=571" target="_blank">Josh King-Bradley</a>&nbsp;had seven tackles and a sack.</li><li>Moore is the team's top tackler with 29, Massaquoi has 24 and linebacker&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/54d37170-e224-4659-81e4-ffbdb830d968?elinkdata=571" target="_blank">Shaylan Lewis</a>&nbsp;23.</li><li>The defense has been outstanding through the first three games. Opponents are averaging 14.7 points and 227.3 total yards that includes 112 rushing.</li><li>Getting the offense untrack is the key. KWU is averaging 13.7 points and 203.7 yards in the first three games.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ee64ab3c-09c0-4e60-b24a-912b03dedfca?elinkdata=571" target="_blank">Richard Lara</a>&nbsp;is slated to start at quarterback Saturday.</li>
 </ul>FRIENDS AT A GLANCE<ul>
 <li>The Falcons are 3-0 and receiving votes in the latest NAIA coaches' poll. They're coming off a 54-20 victory over Avila last Saturday in Wichita and also have beaten Saint Mary 64-20 and Ottawa 49-20.</li><li>Friends is averaging 533 yards and 55.7 points. The flexbone triple option offense is averaging an NAIA-best 494 yards rushing and just 39 passing. The Falcons have thrown just seven passes and completed three this season.</li><li>Seven Falcons are averaging at least 124 yards rushing led by quarterback K'Vonte Baker with 292 and running back Elias Pino with 240. Baker has a team-best six touchdowns and Pino five.</li><li>Friends' opponents are averaging 20 points and 305 yards to per game.</li><li>Coach Terry Harrison is in his second season after leading Bethel to a combined 29-14 record in four seasons. He was head coach at Wichita Heights High School for five seasons before going to Bethel.</li>
 </ul>KWU COACH MATT MYERS"Offensively we need to find our identity and that's going to be the goal here in the next few weeks and especially this week. We have possibly been overcomplicating a few things. We need to do what we do well and do it over and over and don't over-complicate things. Defensively when we play with the correct posture and intensity we play really well. Friends is super-hot right now and is scoring a lot of points. Terry Harrison has done an excellent job of recruiting. They have one of the best offensive lines I've seen, they are very good. The quarterback (Baker) is very good, makes really good decisions and is athletic. Their defense does things a little bit different that you have to prepare for. They have guys that move around a lot. Their first three games I haven't seen them make any big mistakes."NEXT WEEKThe Coyotes play No. 23 Bethel at 1 p.m. Saturday in North Newton.

Coyotes host upstart Friends Saturday night at Bissell Field

Trojans Rout Lions 60-6, Improve to 3-0

Sacred Heart Falls to Ellsworth in Home Opener, 39-3

Area HS Scoreboard: Week Three

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post

With a quarter of the regular season already in the books, the Sacred Heart Knights will square off with Ellsworth on Friday night as they kick off the home portion of their schedule.

The Knights (0-2), enter this contest in search of their first win after falling to Minneapolis in a shutout a week ago, while the Bearcats (2-0) come in ranked as the #5 team in Class 2A, hot on the heels of a 62-6 bashing of Republic County.

Despite the pregame odds, Sacred Heart will be hungry to put their best foot forward this week in another challenge against a rising league foe.

“These boys expect to be competitive in this game and if somebody said Ellsworth was a heavy favorite a lot of the boys in this locker room would argue with you,” Knights head coach Norm Jennings said. “I love the attitude of this team and I hope that continues to build and define Sacred Heart football.”

While the Knights focus on rebuilding their program, the Bearcats have emerged as a real contender for a second consecutive season, and will look to continue a recent run of dominance that has seen the team win nine of their last ten regular season games.

“We’re still looking for improvement in our offense on both sides of the ball,” Ellsworth head coach Josh Homolka said. “We were a lot more crisp in practice this week and I think we had some of the best practices we’ve had in several years here.”

In order to have success, Sacred Heart will once again need a big performance out of Michael Matteucci, who has been the centerpiece of the offense through two weeks, floating between quarterback, receiver, and at times, running back.

“Mike is absolutely critical to what we do and that’s a testimony to his football IQ,” Jennings said. “He understands what’s happening on the field and he makes very sound judgement calls. He understands the weapons around him and he knows how to get everyone involved when we need them.”

To stop Matteucci and company, the Bearcat defense will need another big week, as they take on a look that they’ve practiced defending since summer workouts.

“They run a flex wing offensively and we have things that we work on all year round when to face that,” Homolka said. “Matteucci is a kid that can run well and he can throw it too so our cover guys are going to have to stay home and we’re going to have to get hats to the ball.”

On the other side of the matchup, the Knight's defense will have their hands full with a Bearcat offense averaging 42 points per game, still warming up one of it’s best weapons in transfer Ian Andalon.

“The defense really rose up for us last year and they did the same thing last week,” Jennings said. “I was so proud of that unit and to have so many kids shifted around to some different positions I thought they really responded well.”

Meanwhile, to stake their third consecutive win, and what would be their fourth straight over Sacred Heart, the Bearcats will need to lean into the “all business” mentality that’s allowed them to build a 2A juggernaut.

“They play a gap-sound 4-4 similar to us and they’ve been solid on that side of the ball,” Homolka said. “Offensively we need to be physical up front and defensively we have to stop the run and keep things in front of us.”

Kickoff between the Knights and Bearcats is set for 7:00 in Salina and as always the game can be streamed with live audio and video on the Salina Post.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694792827171.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine – Your home-field advantage starts here" />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine – Your home-field advantage starts here</figcaption>
 </figure>With a quarter of the regular season already in the books, the Sacred Heart Knights will square off with Ellsworth on Friday night as they kick off the home portion of their schedule.The Knights (0-2), enter this contest in search of their first win after falling to Minneapolis in a shutout a week ago, while the Bearcats (2-0) come in ranked as the #5 team in Class 2A, hot on the heels of a 62-6 bashing of Republic County.Despite the pregame odds, Sacred Heart will be hungry to put their best foot forward this week in another challenge against a rising league foe.“These boys expect to be competitive in this game and if somebody said Ellsworth was a heavy favorite a lot of the boys in this locker room would argue with you,” Knights head coach Norm Jennings said. “I love the attitude of this team and I hope that continues to build and define Sacred Heart football.”While the Knights focus on rebuilding their program, the Bearcats have emerged as a real contender for a second consecutive season, and will look to continue a recent run of dominance that has seen the team win nine of their last ten regular season games.“We’re still looking for improvement in our offense on both sides of the ball,” Ellsworth head coach Josh Homolka said. “We were a lot more crisp in practice this week and I think we had some of the best practices we’ve had in several years here.”In order to have success, Sacred Heart will once again need a big performance out of Michael Matteucci, who has been the centerpiece of the offense through two weeks, floating between quarterback, receiver, and at times, running back.“Mike is absolutely critical to what we do and that’s a testimony to his football IQ,” Jennings said. “He understands what’s happening on the field and he makes very sound judgement calls. He understands the weapons around him and he knows how to get everyone involved when we need them.”To stop Matteucci and company, the Bearcat defense will need another big week, as they take on a look that they’ve practiced defending since summer workouts.“They run a flex wing offensively and we have things that we work on all year round when to face that,” Homolka said. “Matteucci is a kid that can run well and he can throw it too so our cover guys are going to have to stay home and we’re going to have to get hats to the ball.”On the other side of the matchup, the Knight's defense will have their hands full with a Bearcat offense averaging 42 points per game, still warming up one of it’s best weapons in transfer Ian Andalon.“The defense really rose up for us last year and they did the same thing last week,” Jennings said. “I was so proud of that unit and to have so many kids shifted around to some different positions I thought they really responded well.”Meanwhile, to stake their third consecutive win, and what would be their fourth straight over Sacred Heart, the Bearcats will need to lean into the “all business” mentality that’s allowed them to build a 2A juggernaut.“They play a gap-sound 4-4 similar to us and they’ve been solid on that side of the ball,” Homolka said. “Offensively we need to be physical up front and defensively we have to stop the run and keep things in front of us.”Kickoff between the Knights and Bearcats is set for 7:00 in Salina and as always the game can be streamed with live audio and video on the Salina Post.

Knights and Bearcats Meet for All-NCAA Duel

The Kansas Wesleyan broadcast of Saturday’s game will be available locally on <a href="https://910kina.com/">KINA 910 AM/107.5 FM</a> and right here on Salina Post.&nbsp;

Tyler Henry, the Voice of KWU Football, has the call. 

The live-stream video broadcast can be viewed <a href="https://www.kcacnetwork.com/kansaswesleyan/?B=655654">here.</a>

<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/football/opponent-history/friends-university-kan-/100">Click here for&nbsp;Stats from previous Cayotes vs. Falcons Games</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691416010742.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BY SALINA POST The Kansas Wesleyan broadcast of Saturday’s game will be available locally on <a href="https://910kina.com/">KINA 910 AM/107.5 FM</a> and right here on Salina Post.&nbsp;Tyler Henry, the Voice of KWU Football, has the call. The live-stream video broadcast can be viewed <a href="https://www.kcacnetwork.com/kansaswesleyan/?B=655654">here.</a><a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/football/opponent-history/friends-university-kan-/100">Click here for&nbsp;Stats from previous Cayotes vs. Falcons Games</a>

 Watch/Listen LIVE: KWU Coyotes host the Friends Falcons Saturday

<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=22682&amp;type=Archive" target="_blank">Watch Collin Klein’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=22683&amp;type=Archive" target="_blank">Watch Joe Klanderman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/coordinator-press-conferences-september-14-2023/4827" target="_blank">Listen on Wildcats Uncut</a>&nbsp; |

<a href="https://we.tl/t-RE2HZHzfgc" target="_blank"></a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State offensive coordinator&nbsp;Collin Klein&nbsp;and defensive coordinator&nbsp;Joe Klanderman&nbsp;met with members of the media on Thursday at the Vanier Family Football Complex prior to 15th-ranked K-State traveling to face Missouri on Saturday. Links to video and audio of both press conferences are above, and a transcript of select quotes are below.

COLLIN KLEIN, OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

“We played them early last season. Kind of watching as their season went, I thought they were very good defensively when we played them, and I thought they were playing better as the season went on. They have good length. I think they run well across the board, and I think they are going to be aggressive. I think they're a really good unit.”

On the success of the offense through two games…

“Right now, it's more of just trying to keep pushing ourselves forward. While we have been able to do some good things and have good production, there's been things we have left out there. This group is still coming together. That's the exciting part. That's what this game is all about, to constantly get better, getting more continuity with our receivers, our quarterback, across the board. Even though we have a lot of experience, there's still some new pieces too. We are working together. I’m proud of them, too. We've made some good steps, to be able to have that production, and still have things to work on is a good thing.”

On wide receiver Keegan Johnson receiving more snaps at Missouri…

“We are hoping so. I really thought he turned the corner last week. We were hoping that held, and it did. He was able to go in, and when he got out there made some big plays for us. That third down in the red zone was huge and almost got us in the end zone. I hope that continues for sure.”

On moving around the offensive line…

“It will probably be a week-to-week deal. I think it's been a good thing that we have been able to get as many guys snaps thus far. I would imagine things will level out as we continue to go, but then a little bit of that too is just keeping guys fresh and managing their load as we get through the entirety of the season. Probably week to week, I'd imagine.”

On Troy taking away tight end Ben Sinnott…

“They did a great job. It was clear that they knew where he was most of the time, which is not a bad thing and credit to him. It is something we’ll definitely calculate moving forward.”

JOE KLANDERMAN, DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

On what the defense can improve on after two games…

“We still have to execute better. I think we still are leaving some things out there, leaving some opportunities out there. A couple of the runs we had last week, I put our guys in a tougher situation. They did a great job stopping the run except for two plays, one of which was easily avoidable, probably, on my part. I got maybe a little greedy, but I just want our guys to continue to improve, especially our young guys. I want those guys to continue to push and be in a situation where there's not a drop off between the ones and the twos.”

On looking at Missouri’s previous cut ups…

“With only two games this year, we are looking at some things from the past. They may not have had 50-point games, but they're explosive. They have some great athletes, they have a quarterback that can run, they have talent over there and good coaches. It’s a scary group.”

“They're really talented. I thought Troy had some really fast, electric kids at receiver too. The difference between these guys and those guys is they are just bigger, they are heavier, they are stronger, and equally as fast. I worry not only about the route running but the catch and runs, some of the screen games, some of the things that get the ball to those guys in space. Those guys aren't going to be easy to get on the ground. It's going to be a big challenge for us.”

On the success of the run defense being due to players or play calls…

“Those two things work hand in hand because we are trying to do things to get people in positions to be successful, but at the end of the day, they are the ones doing it. We're really talented up front. We've got a lot of quickness on the defensive line, and anytime you can get those guys moving, I think that that's helpful. We've got some linebackers that like to get downhill, too, and take the challenge in the run game. I give as much credit as I can to those guys.”

On having 20 tackles for loss over the first two games…

“I'm not one of those guys that sits after the game and looks at the stat sheet a whole bunch. I'm more about, ‘Okay, we did this call this many times and this was our efficiency in it.’ I'm looking more at it probably from an analytical point of view rather than a results-based point of view. I'm looking at it as, ‘Hey, we are executing this call at a high level,’ or, ‘This other call we are not executing at a high level. Either we are going to get rid of it, or we are going to work with it, and massage and make it better.’”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694794382789.png" alt="K-State before MO game" />
 <figcaption>K-State before MO game</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=22682&amp;type=Archive" target="_blank">Watch Collin Klein’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=22683&amp;type=Archive" target="_blank">Watch Joe Klanderman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/coordinator-press-conferences-september-14-2023/4827" target="_blank">Listen on Wildcats Uncut</a>&nbsp; |<a href="https://we.tl/t-RE2HZHzfgc" target="_blank"></a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State offensive coordinator&nbsp;Collin Klein&nbsp;and defensive coordinator&nbsp;Joe Klanderman&nbsp;met with members of the media on Thursday at the Vanier Family Football Complex prior to 15th-ranked K-State traveling to face Missouri on Saturday. Links to video and audio of both press conferences are above, and a transcript of select quotes are below.COLLIN KLEIN, OFFENSIVE COORDINATOROn the Missouri defense…“We played them early last season. Kind of watching as their season went, I thought they were very good defensively when we played them, and I thought they were playing better as the season went on. They have good length. I think they run well across the board, and I think they are going to be aggressive. I think they're a really good unit.”On the success of the offense through two games…“Right now, it's more of just trying to keep pushing ourselves forward. While we have been able to do some good things and have good production, there's been things we have left out there. This group is still coming together. That's the exciting part. That's what this game is all about, to constantly get better, getting more continuity with our receivers, our quarterback, across the board. Even though we have a lot of experience, there's still some new pieces too. We are working together. I’m proud of them, too. We've made some good steps, to be able to have that production, and still have things to work on is a good thing.”On wide receiver Keegan Johnson receiving more snaps at Missouri…“We are hoping so. I really thought he turned the corner last week. We were hoping that held, and it did. He was able to go in, and when he got out there made some big plays for us. That third down in the red zone was huge and almost got us in the end zone. I hope that continues for sure.”On moving around the offensive line…“It will probably be a week-to-week deal. I think it's been a good thing that we have been able to get as many guys snaps thus far. I would imagine things will level out as we continue to go, but then a little bit of that too is just keeping guys fresh and managing their load as we get through the entirety of the season. Probably week to week, I'd imagine.”On Troy taking away tight end Ben Sinnott…“They did a great job. It was clear that they knew where he was most of the time, which is not a bad thing and credit to him. It is something we’ll definitely calculate moving forward.”JOE KLANDERMAN, DEFENSIVE COORDINATOROn what the defense can improve on after two games…“We still have to execute better. I think we still are leaving some things out there, leaving some opportunities out there. A couple of the runs we had last week, I put our guys in a tougher situation. They did a great job stopping the run except for two plays, one of which was easily avoidable, probably, on my part. I got maybe a little greedy, but I just want our guys to continue to improve, especially our young guys. I want those guys to continue to push and be in a situation where there's not a drop off between the ones and the twos.”On looking at Missouri’s previous cut ups…“With only two games this year, we are looking at some things from the past. They may not have had 50-point games, but they're explosive. They have some great athletes, they have a quarterback that can run, they have talent over there and good coaches. It’s a scary group.”On Missouri’s receivers…“They're really talented. I thought Troy had some really fast, electric kids at receiver too. The difference between these guys and those guys is they are just bigger, they are heavier, they are stronger, and equally as fast. I worry not only about the route running but the catch and runs, some of the screen games, some of the things that get the ball to those guys in space. Those guys aren't going to be easy to get on the ground. It's going to be a big challenge for us.”On the success of the run defense being due to players or play calls…“Those two things work hand in hand because we are trying to do things to get people in positions to be successful, but at the end of the day, they are the ones doing it. We're really talented up front. We've got a lot of quickness on the defensive line, and anytime you can get those guys moving, I think that that's helpful. We've got some linebackers that like to get downhill, too, and take the challenge in the run game. I give as much credit as I can to those guys.”On having 20 tackles for loss over the first two games…“I'm not one of those guys that sits after the game and looks at the stat sheet a whole bunch. I'm more about, ‘Okay, we did this call this many times and this was our efficiency in it.’ I'm looking more at it probably from an analytical point of view rather than a results-based point of view. I'm looking at it as, ‘Hey, we are executing this call at a high level,’ or, ‘This other call we are not executing at a high level. Either we are going to get rid of it, or we are going to work with it, and massage and make it better.’”

K-State Coordinators Discuss Contest at Missouri

There’s little doubt that the NCAA is on the rise this season, and on Friday night two of its contenders will meet in Gypsum, with Southeast of Saline looking to cement a narrative, and Minneapolis looking to flip the script.

Two weeks into the 2023 campaign, three undefeated teams remain in the league, as SES, Ellsworth, and Minneapolis have all gotten off to excellent starts, and many expect Beloit (0-2), who made a big run in Class 2A a season ago, to bounce back.

That turnaround will be needed desperately after Southeast decimated the rival Trojans 52-6 a week ago in a contest that was over shortly after it began.

“I was impressed with what I saw out of our defense last week,” SES head coach Mitch Gebhardt said. “Beloit’s offense is awfully good, and you have to be disciplined to shut that down. We saw two completely different offenses in our first two weeks but I felt like we took a huge step forward and did an excellent job holding Beloit to 6 points.”

On the flip side of the matchup, Minneapolis appears to have taken another step forward this year and will enter this contest on the heels of two blowout wins, having ransacked Republic County and Sacred Heart by a combined score of 93-0.

“We’re trending in the right direction,” Lions head coach Tom Flax said. “We know who we’ve played and the level those teams are at but our focus each week has been to make sure we do the things we need to do to continue getting better.”

While SES has won each of the last six meetings between these two dating back to 2013, this year’s Lions squad might be the best in recent memory, and could present a real challenge to the Trojans on Friday night.

“Coach Flax and his staff do an outstanding job with those kids and I think having that continuity has worked wonders for their program,” Gebhardt said. “They’re strong on both lines, you don’t go 2-0 if you’re not, and they have really good speed also.”

Some of the Lions’ success on offense has come from a brilliant move to convert Ryan Parks from quarterback to a wideout, where he has been able to lead the team in receiving (111 yds, 1 TD), alongside a unit that now averages six yards per carry and 15 yards per reception.

“Having Ryan in open space opens things up for everybody and if we need a big play we feel like we can get him the ball,” Flax said. “Our other receivers and wingbacks get free because opponents are covering him up and they respect him as a playmaker. He’s a team player, he wants to win and he’s going to fight to help us do that whether he has the ball or not.”

Despite holding their first two opponents to just 13 points, the Trojan defense will need to take another step this week to combat the speed of a Lion team that has given their first two opponents fits.

“We need to continue to get better on defense,” Gebhardt said. “We’ve seen a pass-oriented team and a run-oriented team, now we’re up against a team that can do both so we have to be disciplined on that side.”

Meanwhile, for Minneapolis, the hurdles standing between them and their first victory over SES since 2012 will be every bit as much mental as they are physical, as the Lions gear up for battle on Friday night.

“We know what we’re going to get when we walk into Southeast of Saline,” Flax said. “We have to control the line of scrimmage, win the turnover battle, and win the big play battle. I think if we can do those things we’ll come out ahead.”

Kickoff between the Trojans and Lions is set for 7:00 on the campus of SES, and as always the game can be heard on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM) or streamed with live audio and video on the Salina Post.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694792827171.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine – Your home-field advantage starts here" />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine – Your home-field advantage starts here</figcaption>
 </figure>There’s little doubt that the NCAA is on the rise this season, and on Friday night two of its contenders will meet in Gypsum, with Southeast of Saline looking to cement a narrative, and Minneapolis looking to flip the script.Two weeks into the 2023 campaign, three undefeated teams remain in the league, as SES, Ellsworth, and Minneapolis have all gotten off to excellent starts, and many expect Beloit (0-2), who made a big run in Class 2A a season ago, to bounce back.That turnaround will be needed desperately after Southeast decimated the rival Trojans 52-6 a week ago in a contest that was over shortly after it began.“I was impressed with what I saw out of our defense last week,” SES head coach Mitch Gebhardt said. “Beloit’s offense is awfully good, and you have to be disciplined to shut that down. We saw two completely different offenses in our first two weeks but I felt like we took a huge step forward and did an excellent job holding Beloit to 6 points.”On the flip side of the matchup, Minneapolis appears to have taken another step forward this year and will enter this contest on the heels of two blowout wins, having ransacked Republic County and Sacred Heart by a combined score of 93-0.“We’re trending in the right direction,” Lions head coach Tom Flax said. “We know who we’ve played and the level those teams are at but our focus each week has been to make sure we do the things we need to do to continue getting better.”While SES has won each of the last six meetings between these two dating back to 2013, this year’s Lions squad might be the best in recent memory, and could present a real challenge to the Trojans on Friday night.“Coach Flax and his staff do an outstanding job with those kids and I think having that continuity has worked wonders for their program,” Gebhardt said. “They’re strong on both lines, you don’t go 2-0 if you’re not, and they have really good speed also.”Some of the Lions’ success on offense has come from a brilliant move to convert Ryan Parks from quarterback to a wideout, where he has been able to lead the team in receiving (111 yds, 1 TD), alongside a unit that now averages six yards per carry and 15 yards per reception.“Having Ryan in open space opens things up for everybody and if we need a big play we feel like we can get him the ball,” Flax said. “Our other receivers and wingbacks get free because opponents are covering him up and they respect him as a playmaker. He’s a team player, he wants to win and he’s going to fight to help us do that whether he has the ball or not.”Despite holding their first two opponents to just 13 points, the Trojan defense will need to take another step this week to combat the speed of a Lion team that has given their first two opponents fits.“We need to continue to get better on defense,” Gebhardt said. “We’ve seen a pass-oriented team and a run-oriented team, now we’re up against a team that can do both so we have to be disciplined on that side.”Meanwhile, for Minneapolis, the hurdles standing between them and their first victory over SES since 2012 will be every bit as much mental as they are physical, as the Lions gear up for battle on Friday night.“We know what we’re going to get when we walk into Southeast of Saline,” Flax said. “We have to control the line of scrimmage, win the turnover battle, and win the big play battle. I think if we can do those things we’ll come out ahead.”Kickoff between the Trojans and Lions is set for 7:00 on the campus of SES, and as always the game can be heard on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM) or streamed with live audio and video on the Salina Post.

Undefeated League Foes Clash as SES and Minneapolis Meet in Gypsum

ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR

Q:&nbsp;What has been the point of emphasis since last Thursday’s game?

TOUB:&nbsp;“Getting back on track. I mean that’s what everybody – that was the mantra this week. Make plays when they’re there, get back to practicing with great effort and being exact in what we do, and just be us. That’s really what the message was this week.”

TOUB:&nbsp;“I was really disappointed with the fake just because we worked so hard on – we invested a lot of time on it. It wasn’t like we were tricked or anything, but our guys reacted well, we just didn’t make the play. They made a play, we didn’t. It was a gutsy call, a good call. It is what it is, but I wasn’t surprised by anything they did. I thought our punter punted great and (our) kicker kicked great and we covered well.”

Q:&nbsp;Before the Lions fake kick, was there a discussion with Head Coach Andy Reid about leaving the defensive linemen in?

TOUB:&nbsp;“No. No, Andy relies on me to make those calls, he trusts me. I mean I make those calls.”

Q:&nbsp;On Richie James in the return game through week one.

TOUB:&nbsp;“Richie (James) did a good job fielding the football on punt. We didn’t get any opportunities on kick return. I think he’s going to be fine; I like his leadership back there. He did a good job fielding the ball. Obviously, the ball came out after he landed on his head but besides that, we’re only one game in.”

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR STEVE SPAGNUOLO

Opening Statement:&nbsp;“I’ll go back – it’s been a while since we played that game. I’ll just go back real quick (and) tell you what I told the unit when I saw them. I was proud of the way – overall – with the way we performed, but I also said that it’s a bottom-line business and the bottom line was we didn’t win the game. Somewhere in there we needed to find one more stop in the fourth quarter. It could have helped us win the football game. Having said that, that’s put to rest, now we’re on to Jacksonville. Had a pretty good practice yesterday, a good little walkthrough and practice this afternoon. With that I’ll open it up.”

Q:&nbsp;What was the key to the success the defense did have against the Lions?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“I put that all on – it was a group effort, it was a unit thing I talked about. We knew that we had to click on all cylinders and execution, have some good plays. That was a good football team that we went against, a good offense. Like I say I was proud overall (but) there were still some things we need to clean up. The disappointing things were the missed tackles in the fourth quarter and really one third down redzone play that could have been a four-point play. Might have been the difference in the game, that’s how close it was.”

Q:&nbsp;What do you see from Jaguars Quarterback Trevor Lawrence?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“He gets better and better. (Jaguars Head Coach) Doug (Pederson) does a great job with him. The thing that always stands out, and this stood out when we played – he’s huge. He’s big, he’s a big strong quarterback that can run. I showed a clip this morning (where) he runs, he didn’t slide, he’s running over people. He’s in the pocket, people get around him, and he’s getting out. He’s just a big strong guy that can throw the football. I just see a really – I thought he was great when he was in college and knew he’d be a good player. He just looks like he gets more and more confident.”

Q:&nbsp;What have you seen from Jaguars Wide Receiver Calvin Ridley especially last week?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“Yeah, really good, obviously, in that game – and it feels like – I know if I’m that quarterback and you have a guy like that and you have a game like you did last week, I got to believe you’re going to keep looking to him. Yet you commit too many people to that one person, and they got a lot – this is a skilled – might be as skilled of an offense as we’re going to play all year. Now I’m sure I’m going to say that five weeks from now about the next team we’re playing. You guys know what I’m saying, they were skilled last year, you add him (Calvin Ridley) to it, they got another running back, number four (Tank Bigsby) from Auburn.”

Q:&nbsp;How much has Trent McDuffie grown?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“I’m glad you brought him up because I thought he had a really good game. What I thought he did a really good job of – we call it ‘block destruction’ like he was getting off blocks the other night quick and getting himself involved in the run game which a nickel (corner) has got to do because he’s like a linebacker when we put him out there. His coverage skills have been really good, he’ll have a challenge this week with the guys they have in the slot, but he’s excited about that and hopefully we can do some good things. Him, along with LJ (L'Jarius Sneed) whichever corner we put in there, if we can stay healthy – knock on wood – we can continue to do some things that we like to do, and we’ve got guys I think can cover.”

Q:&nbsp;Are there specific improvements you’re looking for from the receiving group?

NAGY:&nbsp;“Yeah, I think for us the biggest thing is we know in that game what went on and the ones that jump out obviously you can look at the drops. We as a coaching staff always start by looking at us, looking at the players and then trying to figure out what’s the solution. When you get into a game like that whether it’s throws, passes, you know catching, runs, whatever it is you got to be real when you go through that. The best part about the group of guys we have in that receiver room is that they all know how much we trust them, and that’s one game and they know they can be better but at the same point in time they know we believe in them. I know the drops was a big deal for all of us, but we got to be able to – whatever that is, whatever that means this week in practice, the days after the game mentally, physically do everything we can to be better. Also not let it be something that you think about all the time, and I think that’s (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid’s greatest strength and I think that’s a lot of the players strength is that we move on, and we show belief and trust in each other and then we understand that when we get back out there, we all need to be better, everybody.”

Q:&nbsp;You guys kept seven receivers, is it harder to get that many guys in sync?

NAGY:&nbsp;“No it’s not harder. It does give you depth, but at the same point in time, it probably goes back to when we’re in practice. If you’re in 11 personnel, you have three wide receivers that are out on that play in practice, that’s three. That means you have four guys that aren’t in on that play and getting the timing. That’s very common, it’s the guys that aren’t out there at that time for that rep that got to be mentally locked in and then also be able to steal reps as well off to the side with the quarterback and stay locked in that way, too. It’s just a combination of all of that, (it) by no means makes it harder, it just allows those guys to kind of figure what position they’re at and what they do well. Then how do we fit them in with what we think we do well conceptually.”&nbsp;

Q:&nbsp;On how to get more production out of the run game.

NAGY:&nbsp;"You know, I think for us specifically a lot of things – it’s crazy to say with Patrick (Mahomes) – but this offense being able to run the football and have Patrick and the rest of the guys on this offense, it certainly helps. You know, Patrick used his legs when he needed, too, to help in the run game with some scrambles on first and second and not just third down but also first and second. We know, our offensive linemen know that every week they want to be able to protect, and they want to be able to create holes for the running backs to find those holes and you know you’d love to average four and a half yards per carry, which is great because it makes second and third down a lot easier. Again, that’s a focus for us, we want to keep being great at it. The way to do that is to have solid execution all in practice and then take it to the game, on game day.”

Q:&nbsp;What are the key points or the mentality when it comes to the short yardage plays?

NAGY:&nbsp;"So a few things with that, I will say is it’s pretty – and it’s usually tough to get one yard in those got-to-have-it situations. That said, whether it’s a run or a pass, it’s about the execution, it’s about doing whatever you need to do to get that one yard. You watch games across the league, it is not easy so we just need to do whatever we can to make sure whether it’s a run or a pass whatever, that we are finding a way to move the sticks on third and one, however that is, we need to do it and we understand that last week wasn’t good enough and we need to get better there.”

Q:&nbsp;Are there specific things as a wide receiver room you guys are looking to improve on?

MOORE:&nbsp;“Just every aspect. We understand that wasn’t our best performance, and it needs to get better.”

Q:&nbsp;How does getting through the ups and downs you did last year help you this season?

MOORE:&nbsp;“Just knowing this is life. Life will hit you, there’s going to be upsets, there’s going to be downs in life, so you can’t stop, you’ve got to keep going.”

Q:&nbsp;When you have a game that you’re not as happy with, how does Patrick Mahomes help keep the confidence up?

MOORE:&nbsp;“(Patrick) Pat (Mahomes) is great with stuff like that just always making sure you’re in a great head space. You see it all the time, you see if someone drops the ball in a game, he’s coming right back at you trying to get you to forget about it. I feel like the whole locker room has been doing good just flipping to the next page.”

Q:&nbsp;How do you evaluate the defense of Jacksonville?

MOORE:&nbsp;“They’ve got a good defense. They’ve got a lot of long athletic corners, and their secondary is pretty solid. I feel like it will be a good match up, and we can go out there and give a better effort than last week for sure.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691529941375.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Chiefs Coordinator QuotesASSISTANT HEAD COACH/SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATORQ:&nbsp;What has been the point of emphasis since last Thursday’s game?TOUB:&nbsp;“Getting back on track. I mean that’s what everybody – that was the mantra this week. Make plays when they’re there, get back to practicing with great effort and being exact in what we do, and just be us. That’s really what the message was this week.”Q:&nbsp;On the Lions fake punt.TOUB:&nbsp;“I was really disappointed with the fake just because we worked so hard on – we invested a lot of time on it. It wasn’t like we were tricked or anything, but our guys reacted well, we just didn’t make the play. They made a play, we didn’t. It was a gutsy call, a good call. It is what it is, but I wasn’t surprised by anything they did. I thought our punter punted great and (our) kicker kicked great and we covered well.”Q:&nbsp;Before the Lions fake kick, was there a discussion with Head Coach Andy Reid about leaving the defensive linemen in?TOUB:&nbsp;“No. No, Andy relies on me to make those calls, he trusts me. I mean I make those calls.”Q:&nbsp;On Richie James in the return game through week one.TOUB:&nbsp;“Richie (James) did a good job fielding the football on punt. We didn’t get any opportunities on kick return. I think he’s going to be fine; I like his leadership back there. He did a good job fielding the ball. Obviously, the ball came out after he landed on his head but besides that, we’re only one game in.”DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR STEVE SPAGNUOLOOpening Statement:&nbsp;“I’ll go back – it’s been a while since we played that game. I’ll just go back real quick (and) tell you what I told the unit when I saw them. I was proud of the way – overall – with the way we performed, but I also said that it’s a bottom-line business and the bottom line was we didn’t win the game. Somewhere in there we needed to find one more stop in the fourth quarter. It could have helped us win the football game. Having said that, that’s put to rest, now we’re on to Jacksonville. Had a pretty good practice yesterday, a good little walkthrough and practice this afternoon. With that I’ll open it up.”Q:&nbsp;What was the key to the success the defense did have against the Lions?SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“I put that all on – it was a group effort, it was a unit thing I talked about. We knew that we had to click on all cylinders and execution, have some good plays. That was a good football team that we went against, a good offense. Like I say I was proud overall (but) there were still some things we need to clean up. The disappointing things were the missed tackles in the fourth quarter and really one third down redzone play that could have been a four-point play. Might have been the difference in the game, that’s how close it was.”Q:&nbsp;What do you see from Jaguars Quarterback Trevor Lawrence?SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“He gets better and better. (Jaguars Head Coach) Doug (Pederson) does a great job with him. The thing that always stands out, and this stood out when we played – he’s huge. He’s big, he’s a big strong quarterback that can run. I showed a clip this morning (where) he runs, he didn’t slide, he’s running over people. He’s in the pocket, people get around him, and he’s getting out. He’s just a big strong guy that can throw the football. I just see a really – I thought he was great when he was in college and knew he’d be a good player. He just looks like he gets more and more confident.”Q:&nbsp;What have you seen from Jaguars Wide Receiver Calvin Ridley especially last week?SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“Yeah, really good, obviously, in that game – and it feels like – I know if I’m that quarterback and you have a guy like that and you have a game like you did last week, I got to believe you’re going to keep looking to him. Yet you commit too many people to that one person, and they got a lot – this is a skilled – might be as skilled of an offense as we’re going to play all year. Now I’m sure I’m going to say that five weeks from now about the next team we’re playing. You guys know what I’m saying, they were skilled last year, you add him (Calvin Ridley) to it, they got another running back, number four (Tank Bigsby) from Auburn.”Q:&nbsp;How much has Trent McDuffie grown?SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“I’m glad you brought him up because I thought he had a really good game. What I thought he did a really good job of – we call it ‘block destruction’ like he was getting off blocks the other night quick and getting himself involved in the run game which a nickel (corner) has got to do because he’s like a linebacker when we put him out there. His coverage skills have been really good, he’ll have a challenge this week with the guys they have in the slot, but he’s excited about that and hopefully we can do some good things. Him, along with LJ (L'Jarius Sneed) whichever corner we put in there, if we can stay healthy – knock on wood – we can continue to do some things that we like to do, and we’ve got guys I think can cover.”OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR MATT NAGYQ:&nbsp;Are there specific improvements you’re looking for from the receiving group?NAGY:&nbsp;“Yeah, I think for us the biggest thing is we know in that game what went on and the ones that jump out obviously you can look at the drops. We as a coaching staff always start by looking at us, looking at the players and then trying to figure out what’s the solution. When you get into a game like that whether it’s throws, passes, you know catching, runs, whatever it is you got to be real when you go through that. The best part about the group of guys we have in that receiver room is that they all know how much we trust them, and that’s one game and they know they can be better but at the same point in time they know we believe in them. I know the drops was a big deal for all of us, but we got to be able to – whatever that is, whatever that means this week in practice, the days after the game mentally, physically do everything we can to be better. Also not let it be something that you think about all the time, and I think that’s (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid’s greatest strength and I think that’s a lot of the players strength is that we move on, and we show belief and trust in each other and then we understand that when we get back out there, we all need to be better, everybody.”Q:&nbsp;You guys kept seven receivers, is it harder to get that many guys in sync?NAGY:&nbsp;“No it’s not harder. It does give you depth, but at the same point in time, it probably goes back to when we’re in practice. If you’re in 11 personnel, you have three wide receivers that are out on that play in practice, that’s three. That means you have four guys that aren’t in on that play and getting the timing. That’s very common, it’s the guys that aren’t out there at that time for that rep that got to be mentally locked in and then also be able to steal reps as well off to the side with the quarterback and stay locked in that way, too. It’s just a combination of all of that, (it) by no means makes it harder, it just allows those guys to kind of figure what position they’re at and what they do well. Then how do we fit them in with what we think we do well conceptually.”&nbsp;Q:&nbsp;On how to get more production out of the run game.NAGY:&nbsp;"You know, I think for us specifically a lot of things – it’s crazy to say with Patrick (Mahomes) – but this offense being able to run the football and have Patrick and the rest of the guys on this offense, it certainly helps. You know, Patrick used his legs when he needed, too, to help in the run game with some scrambles on first and second and not just third down but also first and second. We know, our offensive linemen know that every week they want to be able to protect, and they want to be able to create holes for the running backs to find those holes and you know you’d love to average four and a half yards per carry, which is great because it makes second and third down a lot easier. Again, that’s a focus for us, we want to keep being great at it. The way to do that is to have solid execution all in practice and then take it to the game, on game day.”Q:&nbsp;What are the key points or the mentality when it comes to the short yardage plays?NAGY:&nbsp;"So a few things with that, I will say is it’s pretty – and it’s usually tough to get one yard in those got-to-have-it situations. That said, whether it’s a run or a pass, it’s about the execution, it’s about doing whatever you need to do to get that one yard. You watch games across the league, it is not easy so we just need to do whatever we can to make sure whether it’s a run or a pass whatever, that we are finding a way to move the sticks on third and one, however that is, we need to do it and we understand that last week wasn’t good enough and we need to get better there.”Chiefs Player QuotesSeptember 14, 2023WR SKYY MOOREQ:&nbsp;Are there specific things as a wide receiver room you guys are looking to improve on?MOORE:&nbsp;“Just every aspect. We understand that wasn’t our best performance, and it needs to get better.”Q:&nbsp;How does getting through the ups and downs you did last year help you this season?MOORE:&nbsp;“Just knowing this is life. Life will hit you, there’s going to be upsets, there’s going to be downs in life, so you can’t stop, you’ve got to keep going.”Q:&nbsp;When you have a game that you’re not as happy with, how does Patrick Mahomes help keep the confidence up?MOORE:&nbsp;“(Patrick) Pat (Mahomes) is great with stuff like that just always making sure you’re in a great head space. You see it all the time, you see if someone drops the ball in a game, he’s coming right back at you trying to get you to forget about it. I feel like the whole locker room has been doing good just flipping to the next page.”Q:&nbsp;How do you evaluate the defense of Jacksonville?MOORE:&nbsp;“They’ve got a good defense. They’ve got a lot of long athletic corners, and their secondary is pretty solid. I feel like it will be a good match up, and we can go out there and give a better effort than last week for sure.”

KC Chiefs coordinator and player quotes, Sept. 14

The shots were almost as rapid as machine gun fire but the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes could not score a goal, missing from near, far and in between for nearly 80 minutes.

With time becoming a limited commodity a freshman from Potsdam, Germany -&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f419a85b-543d-4bcf-b60f-a8cf02c6168c?elinkdata=518" target="_blank">Mika Wernicke</a>&nbsp;- rose above the fray and headed a shot that finally whisked past York goalkeeper Breno Prado in the 79th minute.

It was enough to propel the Coyotes to a hard-fought 1-0 victory in their Kansas Conference opener Wednesday night at JRI Stadium and the Graves Family Sports Complex.

Wernicke, who has an inherent advantage with 6-foot-2 frame, scored on the set piece with the assist to&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/69eba9c9-fec1-44c6-aea9-6d79643324c9?elinkdata=518" target="_blank">Jesus Moreno</a>.

"They're learning," first-year KWU coach&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/748e6c0f-b9c1-48c3-bfe7-b835602f030f?elinkdata=518" target="_blank">Bruce Palmbaum</a>&nbsp;said of his team. "We spent a lot of time this week talking about just hanging in there. Everybody recognizes that we just have to keep getting better week to week. They stuck with it and stuck to a lot of things we worked on this week."

KWU's roster is virtually brand new with a slew of freshmen and transfers who were not around last season.

"It's not so much that they're young, it's that they're new," Palmbaum said. "They don't know each other and it's going to take a while for it to happen. It's a project as I've said from the beginning, a three-year project. At one point today we had eight freshmen on the field all at the same time - what's that going to be like in two years?"

Palmbaum was pleased to see a set piece succeed.

"We were struggling with our service on our corner kicks," he said, "so we weren't getting them where they needed to go."

The Coyotes (4-2) had several good scoring opportunities but didn't convert.

"We had two or three whistle by the post that probably should have gone in but sometimes that happens,"Palmbaum said. "That's why soccer is such an odd game. It's hard to get a goal."

The assist was a deserved bright spot for Moreno, a transfer from Long Beach City College (Calif.) who misfired on a couple of makeable shot attempts.

"He had two or three really good chances and he usually makes those," Palmbaum said. "I have full confidence in him. I think he established himself today as our center forward."

KWU outshot the Panthers (0-5-1) 19-5. Moreno had five shots followed by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0bd79f4f-726a-4386-8ef2-9e6e57f71dc3?elinkdata=518" target="_blank">Noel Zimbeva</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/326df6f2-94c6-45cd-8ea3-f399f1956cde?elinkdata=518" target="_blank">Abaenya Nundu</a>&nbsp;with three each.

The defense was superb from start to finish. Goalkeeper&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f34df3be-e8ca-446b-9831-448bdfdf97fa?elinkdata=518" target="_blank">Santiago Pagnutti</a>, a transfer from East Los Angeles College, had three saves.

"Our defense is getting tighter and tighter and our goalkeeper came up big," Palmbaum said. "Eddie Flores (transfer from Long Beach City College) was a substitute in the second half on defense and played a really stellar game at left back."

The Coyotes play conference newcomer Evangel at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Springfield, Mo. in their next outing.

Palmbaum said the proceedings made Wednesday "a really significant day."

The shots were almost as rapid as machine gun fire but the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes could not score a goal, missing from near, far and in between for nearly 80 minutes.With time becoming a limited commodity a freshman from Potsdam, Germany -&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f419a85b-543d-4bcf-b60f-a8cf02c6168c?elinkdata=518" target="_blank">Mika Wernicke</a>&nbsp;- rose above the fray and headed a shot that finally whisked past York goalkeeper Breno Prado in the 79th minute.It was enough to propel the Coyotes to a hard-fought 1-0 victory in their Kansas Conference opener Wednesday night at JRI Stadium and the Graves Family Sports Complex.Wernicke, who has an inherent advantage with 6-foot-2 frame, scored on the set piece with the assist to&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/69eba9c9-fec1-44c6-aea9-6d79643324c9?elinkdata=518" target="_blank">Jesus Moreno</a>."They're learning," first-year KWU coach&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/748e6c0f-b9c1-48c3-bfe7-b835602f030f?elinkdata=518" target="_blank">Bruce Palmbaum</a>&nbsp;said of his team. "We spent a lot of time this week talking about just hanging in there. Everybody recognizes that we just have to keep getting better week to week. They stuck with it and stuck to a lot of things we worked on this week."KWU's roster is virtually brand new with a slew of freshmen and transfers who were not around last season."It's not so much that they're young, it's that they're new," Palmbaum said. "They don't know each other and it's going to take a while for it to happen. It's a project as I've said from the beginning, a three-year project. At one point today we had eight freshmen on the field all at the same time - what's that going to be like in two years?"Palmbaum was pleased to see a set piece succeed."We were struggling with our service on our corner kicks," he said, "so we weren't getting them where they needed to go."The Coyotes (4-2) had several good scoring opportunities but didn't convert."We had two or three whistle by the post that probably should have gone in but sometimes that happens,"Palmbaum said. "That's why soccer is such an odd game. It's hard to get a goal."The assist was a deserved bright spot for Moreno, a transfer from Long Beach City College (Calif.) who misfired on a couple of makeable shot attempts."He had two or three really good chances and he usually makes those," Palmbaum said. "I have full confidence in him. I think he established himself today as our center forward."KWU outshot the Panthers (0-5-1) 19-5. Moreno had five shots followed by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0bd79f4f-726a-4386-8ef2-9e6e57f71dc3?elinkdata=518" target="_blank">Noel Zimbeva</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/326df6f2-94c6-45cd-8ea3-f399f1956cde?elinkdata=518" target="_blank">Abaenya Nundu</a>&nbsp;with three each.The defense was superb from start to finish. Goalkeeper&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f34df3be-e8ca-446b-9831-448bdfdf97fa?elinkdata=518" target="_blank">Santiago Pagnutti</a>, a transfer from East Los Angeles College, had three saves."Our defense is getting tighter and tighter and our goalkeeper came up big," Palmbaum said. "Eddie Flores (transfer from Long Beach City College) was a substitute in the second half on defense and played a really stellar game at left back."The Coyotes play conference newcomer Evangel at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Springfield, Mo. in their next outing.Palmbaum said the proceedings made Wednesday "a really significant day.""It was a collective effort," he said. "The guys on the bench were really excited and were active. It's a family. It's not a team yet but it's definitely a family."