MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Joe Jackson rushed for 142 yards and three touchdowns as Kansas State defeated Colorado 24-14 and earned bowl eligibility for the fifth straight season on a cold and blustery day. The game-time temperature was 32 degrees with a wind chill of 24.

Quarterback Avery Johnson was 10-of-17 for 115 yards in difficult conditions for Kansas State (6-6, 5-4 Big 12).

Kaidon Salter was 14-of-25 for 172 yards for Colorado (3-9, 1-8), who got two rushing touchdowns from Micah Welch.

Jackson scored his second touchdown of the day from 1-yard out with 4:32 left in the third quarter. The score capped a 56-yard drive.

The Wildcats then made it a two-score game with a 35-yard field goal by Luis Rodriguez. The Wildcats stalled at the Colorado 19-yard line, but they burned 6:43 off the clock.

Welch's second rushing touchdown of the game capped a nine-play, 75-yard drive and brought the Buffaloes to within 17-14.

But Jackson's third touchdown, a 17-yard scamper with 2:34 left, extended the lead to 10 points.

K-State used nearly half the first quarter to take a 7-0 lead on a 4-yard touchdown run by Jackson. The Wildcats used 7:13 for a 13-play drive.

Neither team did much offensively for most of the rest of the half until Colorado marched 84 yards in 11 plays for the tying touchdown.

Welch hurdled over the line from the 1 for the score. Colorado finished the half with 162 yards of total offense. K-State finished with 114 yards, with 74 of those coming on its opening drive.

Colorado: The Buffaloes didn't look like a team with nothing to play for. They outgained the Wildcats 323-321.

Kansas State: The Wildcats struggled to find its rhythm on offense. A week after gaining 574 yards, they gained just 321.

Colorado's season is done. Kansas State will await a bowl invitation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764453657023.png" alt="Photo K-State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo K-State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Joe Jackson rushed for 142 yards and three touchdowns as Kansas State defeated Colorado 24-14 and earned bowl eligibility for the fifth straight season on a cold and blustery day. The game-time temperature was 32 degrees with a wind chill of 24.Quarterback Avery Johnson was 10-of-17 for 115 yards in difficult conditions for Kansas State (6-6, 5-4 Big 12).Kaidon Salter was 14-of-25 for 172 yards for Colorado (3-9, 1-8), who got two rushing touchdowns from Micah Welch.Jackson scored his second touchdown of the day from 1-yard out with 4:32 left in the third quarter. The score capped a 56-yard drive.The Wildcats then made it a two-score game with a 35-yard field goal by Luis Rodriguez. The Wildcats stalled at the Colorado 19-yard line, but they burned 6:43 off the clock.Welch's second rushing touchdown of the game capped a nine-play, 75-yard drive and brought the Buffaloes to within 17-14.But Jackson's third touchdown, a 17-yard scamper with 2:34 left, extended the lead to 10 points.K-State used nearly half the first quarter to take a 7-0 lead on a 4-yard touchdown run by Jackson. The Wildcats used 7:13 for a 13-play drive.Neither team did much offensively for most of the rest of the half until Colorado marched 84 yards in 11 plays for the tying touchdown.Welch hurdled over the line from the 1 for the score. Colorado finished the half with 162 yards of total offense. K-State finished with 114 yards, with 74 of those coming on its opening drive.THE TAKEAWAY:Colorado: The Buffaloes didn't look like a team with nothing to play for. They outgained the Wildcats 323-321.Kansas State: The Wildcats struggled to find its rhythm on offense. A week after gaining 574 yards, they gained just 321.UP NEXT:Colorado's season is done. Kansas State will await a bowl invitation.

🏈 Jackson's three rushing touchdowns leads K-State to bowl eligibility

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post

Unfortunately for the Southeast of Saline football team, this was one of those days, as two Thunder kick return touchdowns and three lost Trojan fumbles led to the first and only loss of the SES season, 35-6 in the 2A state title game.

Nemaha Central returns to the top step in Class 2A, winning their third state title in the last four seasons, and their fourth in the last seven.

Southeast of Saline concludes their campaign at 12-1, and as state runners-up in Class 2A.

The Thunder came out swinging, as Caleb Strathman returned the opening kick 85 yards to the house to put Nemaha on top early.

A quick three-and-out led to a Trojan punt, and it was Strathman again, this time from 75 yards away, who found the end zone on a return to make it 14-0 Thunder.

Both defenses buckled down for the remainder of the first quarter, and to open the second, Tiernan Ptacek hit Malachi Hopkins from five yards away to get the Trojans on the board and make this a one-possession game.

Unfortunately for Southeast, that would be their lone score of the game, as things came unglued just before the halftime break.

A promising Trojan drive late in the half fell apart when Southeast fumbled, and Kamden Schmitz recovered for Nemaha Central.

The Thunder wasted no time ending a drought of four empty possessions, as Carter Hajek housed his first touchdown of the day to extend the lead to 21-6 at the break.

On their first drive of the third, Southeast again found themselves marching into Thunder territory, but another fumble returned the ball to Nemaha, and Hajek engineered his second touchdown drive of the game, capping it off with a powerful four-yard score on the ground.

The Trojans desperately needed a break to go their way, but instead, muffed the ensuing kickoff, setting up another Thunder touchdown run to put the game further out of reach.&nbsp;

A turnover on downs at the two-yard line officially put the game on ice as Nemaha ran out the clock to secure another 2A state title.

While this loss will sting for some time, the Trojans can, and should, still hold their heads high, not only for the success of this season, but for sustaining the excellence of a program that has cemented itself as one of the best in the state.

This group of Southeast seniors finishes their fourth season in purple and white with a combined record of 46-3, 14 playoff victories, two state title appearances, and a 2024 2A state championship.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostSometimes, it’s just not your day.Unfortunately for the Southeast of Saline football team, this was one of those days, as two Thunder kick return touchdowns and three lost Trojan fumbles led to the first and only loss of the SES season, 35-6 in the 2A state title game.Nemaha Central returns to the top step in Class 2A, winning their third state title in the last four seasons, and their fourth in the last seven.Southeast of Saline concludes their campaign at 12-1, and as state runners-up in Class 2A.The Thunder came out swinging, as Caleb Strathman returned the opening kick 85 yards to the house to put Nemaha on top early.A quick three-and-out led to a Trojan punt, and it was Strathman again, this time from 75 yards away, who found the end zone on a return to make it 14-0 Thunder.Both defenses buckled down for the remainder of the first quarter, and to open the second, Tiernan Ptacek hit Malachi Hopkins from five yards away to get the Trojans on the board and make this a one-possession game.Unfortunately for Southeast, that would be their lone score of the game, as things came unglued just before the halftime break.A promising Trojan drive late in the half fell apart when Southeast fumbled, and Kamden Schmitz recovered for Nemaha Central.The Thunder wasted no time ending a drought of four empty possessions, as Carter Hajek housed his first touchdown of the day to extend the lead to 21-6 at the break.On their first drive of the third, Southeast again found themselves marching into Thunder territory, but another fumble returned the ball to Nemaha, and Hajek engineered his second touchdown drive of the game, capping it off with a powerful four-yard score on the ground.The Trojans desperately needed a break to go their way, but instead, muffed the ensuing kickoff, setting up another Thunder touchdown run to put the game further out of reach.&nbsp;A turnover on downs at the two-yard line officially put the game on ice as Nemaha ran out the clock to secure another 2A state title.While this loss will sting for some time, the Trojans can, and should, still hold their heads high, not only for the success of this season, but for sustaining the excellence of a program that has cemented itself as one of the best in the state.This group of Southeast seniors finishes their fourth season in purple and white with a combined record of 46-3, 14 playoff victories, two state title appearances, and a 2024 2A state championship.

🏈 Trojans fall to Nemaha Central in state final, finish as 2A runners-up

For those who have been around this program long enough, it can be easy to lose sight of just how special the last six seasons of Southeast of Saline football have been.

If you find yourself in Hutch on Saturday, take a moment to look around and take it all in.

From the teams that contended in Class 3A despite being the smallest school in the classification, to the one that raised the trophy as the kings of 2A a season ago, what SES has built in Gypsum is incredibly rare, and on Saturday, they can ascend to what many might consider the highest rung on the high school football ladder.

The definition of a true dynasty is one that will be debated until the end of time, but there are two things that tend to be associated with those elite programs: multiple titles, and in many cases, a changing of the guard.

For an example, look no further than Nemaha Central, a school that will be playing for a state championship for the fourth consecutive year, and one that has the same number of 2A titles in that span as total losses.

The Thunder have sat atop Class 2A three times in the last seven years, but have learned as the ancient Greeks did before them, that the Trojans are a scary foe to have at your gates.

If Southeast of Saline can find a way to repeat as state champions on Saturday, there may very well be a new dynasty in Class 2A.

Accomplishing that feat will be every bit as tricky as it was a season ago, especially against a Nemaha Central team hellbent on avenging their state loss from a season ago and reclaiming their throne.

“Coach Glatczak does a great job at Nemaha Central and has for a long time,” SES head coach Mitch Gebhardt said. “They’ve got a great program and any time you match up against someone like that you know you’re going to have to play well.”

Just like 2024, both teams enter this matchup a perfect 13-0, with the Trojans taking down Southwestern Heights, Russell, Phillipsburg and Hoisington to reach Hutch, and the Thunder overcoming West Franklin, Council Grove, Sabetha and Osage City.

Unlike 2024, the Trojans have been here before and know what it takes to win a game like this on the biggest stage.

“These runs we’ve made in the playoffs have helped us in confidence and experience,” Gebhardt said. “We have a lot of guys who have played in the state championship game and know what that means but the excitement is definitely still here for getting to play in this game.”

A matchup of this caliber wouldn’t be complete without each side presenting a champion to the battle, and this 2A finale might just feature the best duel in the state.

Trojan tailback Grady Gebhardt has decimated opposing defenses, turning 183 carries and 27 receptions into 2,526 yards and 43 touchdowns.

On the other side a familiar foe emerges in the form of Carter Hajek, who has amassed 294 carries and completed 52 passes for a total of 3,223 yards and 51 touchdowns.

“You have to play good team defense because they have a good scheme for Hajek,” Gebhardt said. “He’s a load to bring down, and we’ll need to get a lot of hats to the football. You can’t just focus on him either because they have a lot of other athletes that can hurt you.”

Fortunately, the Trojan defense has been up to the task so far, pitching four second-half shutouts in their four playoff games this season.

“Our kids hunker down and get after,” he said. “We know how crucial the second half is and I think that’s where our guys really start to understand what an offense is doing. We’ve played some good teams here in the playoffs and that’s an impressive feat to have.”

Kickoff for the 2A state championship game is scheduled for noon on the campus of Hutch Community College.

As always, this game can be heard on KINA (910 AM/107.5 FM) with Devin Hanney and Tyler Smith on the call and can be streamed with live video and audio commentary on Salina Post in the window below.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostFor those who have been around this program long enough, it can be easy to lose sight of just how special the last six seasons of Southeast of Saline football have been.If you find yourself in Hutch on Saturday, take a moment to look around and take it all in.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746812152965.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>From the teams that contended in Class 3A despite being the smallest school in the classification, to the one that raised the trophy as the kings of 2A a season ago, what SES has built in Gypsum is incredibly rare, and on Saturday, they can ascend to what many might consider the highest rung on the high school football ladder.The definition of a true dynasty is one that will be debated until the end of time, but there are two things that tend to be associated with those elite programs: multiple titles, and in many cases, a changing of the guard.For an example, look no further than Nemaha Central, a school that will be playing for a state championship for the fourth consecutive year, and one that has the same number of 2A titles in that span as total losses.The Thunder have sat atop Class 2A three times in the last seven years, but have learned as the ancient Greeks did before them, that the Trojans are a scary foe to have at your gates.If Southeast of Saline can find a way to repeat as state champions on Saturday, there may very well be a new dynasty in Class 2A.Accomplishing that feat will be every bit as tricky as it was a season ago, especially against a Nemaha Central team hellbent on avenging their state loss from a season ago and reclaiming their throne.“Coach Glatczak does a great job at Nemaha Central and has for a long time,” SES head coach Mitch Gebhardt said. “They’ve got a great program and any time you match up against someone like that you know you’re going to have to play well.”Just like 2024, both teams enter this matchup a perfect 13-0, with the Trojans taking down Southwestern Heights, Russell, Phillipsburg and Hoisington to reach Hutch, and the Thunder overcoming West Franklin, Council Grove, Sabetha and Osage City.Unlike 2024, the Trojans have been here before and know what it takes to win a game like this on the biggest stage.“These runs we’ve made in the playoffs have helped us in confidence and experience,” Gebhardt said. “We have a lot of guys who have played in the state championship game and know what that means but the excitement is definitely still here for getting to play in this game.”A matchup of this caliber wouldn’t be complete without each side presenting a champion to the battle, and this 2A finale might just feature the best duel in the state.Trojan tailback Grady Gebhardt has decimated opposing defenses, turning 183 carries and 27 receptions into 2,526 yards and 43 touchdowns.On the other side a familiar foe emerges in the form of Carter Hajek, who has amassed 294 carries and completed 52 passes for a total of 3,223 yards and 51 touchdowns.“You have to play good team defense because they have a good scheme for Hajek,” Gebhardt said. “He’s a load to bring down, and we’ll need to get a lot of hats to the football. You can’t just focus on him either because they have a lot of other athletes that can hurt you.”Fortunately, the Trojan defense has been up to the task so far, pitching four second-half shutouts in their four playoff games this season.“Our kids hunker down and get after,” he said. “We know how crucial the second half is and I think that’s where our guys really start to understand what an offense is doing. We’ve played some good teams here in the playoffs and that’s an impressive feat to have.”Kickoff for the 2A state championship game is scheduled for noon on the campus of Hutch Community College.As always, this game can be heard on KINA (910 AM/107.5 FM) with Devin Hanney and Tyler Smith on the call and can be streamed with live video and audio commentary on Salina Post in the window below.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L4kWk7J-2IY"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

🏈 Trojans travel to Hutch to defend 2A title from Nemaha Central

It may have taken Salina Central’s football program 20 years to reascend to the top of the 5A world, but as the final seconds ticked off the clock in Emporia on Friday night, one thing was for certain.

The Mustangs trailed 14-10 at the half but rode a 41-point second-half stampede to a 51-34 win over Basehor-Linwood, staking their claim to a seventh state title.

Before the game, Mark Sandbo said that winning a state championship would take three things.

It would take consistently getting seven points instead of three, which the Mustangs did, converting seven of their eleven drives into touchdowns, including six of their seven second-half drives.

It would take winning the turnover battle, which the Mustangs did, scooping up two loose fumbles, and intercepting the Bobcats on three separate occasions, all without turning the ball over once themselves.

And finally, it would take special teams excellence, which the Mustangs had, recovering a muffed return, keeping the pressure on in the kicking game, and knocking through a big field goal before the half.

While all of these were crucial factors, a 300-yard, four-touchdown performance from Cooper Reves certainly didn’t hurt.

The Mustangs set the tone right out of the gate, driving 75 yards on their opening drive and taking the game’s first lead on a Griffin Hall connection to Bodie Rodriguez.

Basehor-Linwood wasn’t content to let Central off the hook, scoring touchdowns on back-to-back drives before an Elijah Duxler 27-yard field goal cut the lead to 14-10 at halftime.

In the locker room, both offenses ate their Wheaties and returned to the field for a second half that would feature nine total touchdowns and 61 combined points.

The Bobcats were scheduled to get the ball to start the second half, but fumbled on the return, allowing Central an opportunity to reclaim the lead.

Hall wasted little time doing just that, engineering a touchdown drive he capped off himself on a three-yard run to take a 17-14 lead.

With three lead changes already, many in Emporia braced for a back-and-forth battle.

After an Eli Kreighbaum interception, Hall delivered a 13-yard dime to Elijah Duxler to extend the lead to 24-10.

Basehor-Linwood desperately needed a score but fumbled the ball away to Alex Garcia instead, setting up the latest episode of the Cooper Reves show.

Reves, who had a minimal impact in the first half, exploded for a 54-yard touchdown run and made an executive decision that he would not be stopped for the rest of the night.

After forcing a turnover on downs, the Mustangs went back to Reves, who punched in his second score of the day to put Central ahead 37-14.

Another interception, this time to Jesus Delgado, may have finally woken up the Bobcat offense, but their comeback bid would be too little too late.

Basehor-Linwood found a spark when Carson Dixon found Nash Morrison for a 75-yard touchdown.

The Bobcats did recover an onside kick, and Dixon found Morrison again to cut the lead to 11, but as quickly as they found life, Cooper Reves extinguished it, running in his third touchdown of the day to make the Mustang lead 44-26.

Another downfield bomb trimmed the lead back to 11, but Reves again dashed that hope with his fourth touchdown run in as many drives to put Central back up by three scores.

One last turnover in the form of an Alex Garcia interception sealed the deal as the Mustangs took to victory formation and began the celebration on the sideline.

For Basehor-Linwood, their best season in program history comes to a close at 12-1, with their first-ever state runner-up finish.

For Salina, a party that will extend long into the night is only just beginning, as the Mustangs return home from Emporia, 5A state trophy in hand.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764374438453.jpeg" alt="The Mustangs hold their trophy high after defeating Basehor-Linwood in the 5A state championship game - Photo by Kaiden Comeau" />
 <figcaption>The Mustangs hold their trophy high after defeating Basehor-Linwood in the 5A state championship game - Photo by Kaiden Comeau</figcaption>
 </figure>By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostIt may have taken Salina Central’s football program 20 years to reascend to the top of the 5A world, but as the final seconds ticked off the clock in Emporia on Friday night, one thing was for certain.It was worth the wait.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746812152965.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>The Mustangs trailed 14-10 at the half but rode a 41-point second-half stampede to a 51-34 win over Basehor-Linwood, staking their claim to a seventh state title.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764374715129.jpeg" alt="The Mustangs take the field, led by head coach Mark Sandbo - Photo courtesy of Kaiden Comeau." />
 <figcaption>The Mustangs take the field, led by head coach Mark Sandbo - Photo courtesy of Kaiden Comeau.</figcaption>
 </figure>Before the game, Mark Sandbo said that winning a state championship would take three things.It would take consistently getting seven points instead of three, which the Mustangs did, converting seven of their eleven drives into touchdowns, including six of their seven second-half drives.It would take winning the turnover battle, which the Mustangs did, scooping up two loose fumbles, and intercepting the Bobcats on three separate occasions, all without turning the ball over once themselves.And finally, it would take special teams excellence, which the Mustangs had, recovering a muffed return, keeping the pressure on in the kicking game, and knocking through a big field goal before the half.While all of these were crucial factors, a 300-yard, four-touchdown performance from Cooper Reves certainly didn’t hurt.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764374530146.jpeg" alt="Bodie Rodriguez celebrates a touchdowns with Cooper Reves - Photo courtesy of Kaiden Comeau." />
 <figcaption>Bodie Rodriguez celebrates a touchdowns with Cooper Reves - Photo courtesy of Kaiden Comeau.</figcaption>
 </figure>The Mustangs set the tone right out of the gate, driving 75 yards on their opening drive and taking the game’s first lead on a Griffin Hall connection to Bodie Rodriguez.Basehor-Linwood wasn’t content to let Central off the hook, scoring touchdowns on back-to-back drives before an Elijah Duxler 27-yard field goal cut the lead to 14-10 at halftime.In the locker room, both offenses ate their Wheaties and returned to the field for a second half that would feature nine total touchdowns and 61 combined points.The Bobcats were scheduled to get the ball to start the second half, but fumbled on the return, allowing Central an opportunity to reclaim the lead.Hall wasted little time doing just that, engineering a touchdown drive he capped off himself on a three-yard run to take a 17-14 lead.With three lead changes already, many in Emporia braced for a back-and-forth battle.The Mustang defense had other ideas.After an Eli Kreighbaum interception, Hall delivered a 13-yard dime to Elijah Duxler to extend the lead to 24-10.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764374575318.jpeg" alt="A Mustang OL hoists Elijah Duxler in the air following a big Central touchdown - Photo by Kaiden Comeau." />
 <figcaption>A Mustang OL hoists Elijah Duxler in the air following a big Central touchdown - Photo by Kaiden Comeau.</figcaption>
 </figure>Basehor-Linwood desperately needed a score but fumbled the ball away to Alex Garcia instead, setting up the latest episode of the Cooper Reves show.Reves, who had a minimal impact in the first half, exploded for a 54-yard touchdown run and made an executive decision that he would not be stopped for the rest of the night.After forcing a turnover on downs, the Mustangs went back to Reves, who punched in his second score of the day to put Central ahead 37-14.Another interception, this time to Jesus Delgado, may have finally woken up the Bobcat offense, but their comeback bid would be too little too late.Basehor-Linwood found a spark when Carson Dixon found Nash Morrison for a 75-yard touchdown.The Bobcats did recover an onside kick, and Dixon found Morrison again to cut the lead to 11, but as quickly as they found life, Cooper Reves extinguished it, running in his third touchdown of the day to make the Mustang lead 44-26.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764374800511.jpeg" alt="A Bobcat defender does his best to tackle Cooper Reves - Photo by Kaiden Comeau." />
 <figcaption>A Bobcat defender does his best to tackle Cooper Reves - Photo by Kaiden Comeau.</figcaption>
 </figure>Another downfield bomb trimmed the lead back to 11, but Reves again dashed that hope with his fourth touchdown run in as many drives to put Central back up by three scores.One last turnover in the form of an Alex Garcia interception sealed the deal as the Mustangs took to victory formation and began the celebration on the sideline.For Basehor-Linwood, their best season in program history comes to a close at 12-1, with their first-ever state runner-up finish.For Salina, a party that will extend long into the night is only just beginning, as the Mustangs return home from Emporia, 5A state trophy in hand.What a day to be a Mustang.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764374841817.jpeg" alt="The Mustangs celebrate a 5A state title as a team - Photo by Kaiden Comeau." />
 <figcaption>The Mustangs celebrate a 5A state title as a team - Photo by Kaiden Comeau.</figcaption>
 </figure>

🏈 Mustangs ride six second-half touchdowns to seventh 5A state title

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Devon Dampier threw for 253 yards and three touchdowns, Elijah Davis returned an interception 97 yards for another score, and No. 14 Utah came from behind to beat Kansas 31-21 on Friday and keep its slim Big 12 championship hopes alive.

Larry Simmons caught two TD passes, Wayshon Parker ran for 95 yards and Utah (10-2, 7-2, No. 13 CFP) picked off Jalon Daniels three times in the final game of his college career, helping the Utes reach the 10-win mark for the third time in the last five years.

More importantly, the Utes can still play for a conference title. They need Arizona State to beat Arizona on Friday night, then Texas Tech to lose to West Virginia and BYU to beat UCF on Saturday — a long-shot scenario, to be sure, but a reason to turn on TVs.

“We hope 10-2 gets us to what we want to do, but from my standpoint, we were not happy with how last season went," said Dampier, who transferred in from New Mexico after the Utes had finished 5-7 in their first season in the Big 12.

“Just happy it all came together,” he said. “We finished strong, and it was all that work we put in.”

Utah won despite allowing 290 yards rushing, one week after beating Kansas State after allowing 472 on the ground.

“It took a while to get going, and really get into a rhythm. We started to get some things going in the second half,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. “We kept finding ways to make plays, stay in the game, and that's kind of the way it went in the end.”

Daniels finished with 187 yards passing and a touchdown, and also rushed for a TD, though his turnovers led to a smattering of boos from Kansas fans, many of whom have endured the QB's highs and lows over the past six seasons.

Daniel Hishaw Jr. had 107 yards rushing and a touchdown for the Jayhawks (5-7, 3-6). Leshon Williams ran for 104.

“Obviously as a team we didn’t play well enough to win the football game,” Kansas coach Lance Leipold said.

Utah looked as if it might turn Senior Day into a rout in the opening minutes, but the Kansas defense — which had let Leipold's team down so often this season — finally seemed to find its fight. The Jayhawks bottled up the Utes, who had been averaging 279.6 yards on the ground, and early on Dampier was having little success through the air, twice misfiring on fourth-down attempts.

Utah led just 10-7 at halftime in a game it desperately needed to win.

The Jayhawks briefly pulled ahead after the break, when Whittingham went for it on fourth down rather than kick a field goal on a cold, blustery day. Kansas made a stop, drove 67 yards, and Daniels' scoring sneak gave them a 14-10 advantage.

But the momentum swung for good on his two red-zone blunders early in the fourth quarter.

First, Daniels was picked off while trying to throw the ball out of the end zone, and Utah needed just four plays to go 80 yards for a go-ahead touchdown. Then, after Kansas marched downfield again, Daniels was picked off by Davis near the goal line, and the junior cornerback returned it 97 yards to give the Utes a 24-14 lead with 7:52 remaining.

Utah wound up scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter to put the game away.

“We had two little hiccups throughout the season, but I'm really proud of how our guys have played, bouncing back from adversity, whether it's after a loss or in game,” Utah safety Jackson Bennee said. “It's been a good season. We'll see what happens.”

Utah only ran for 164 yards but finished with 417 in total offense, and that was enough to make Kansas pay for its mistakes.

Kansas started the season 4-2 before a loss to Texas Tech. It wound up losing five of its last six games.

Utah watches how the Big 12 race plays out on Saturday.

Kansas watches bowl season on TV for the second straight year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764379266042.png" alt="Photo Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Devon Dampier threw for 253 yards and three touchdowns, Elijah Davis returned an interception 97 yards for another score, and No. 14 Utah came from behind to beat Kansas 31-21 on Friday and keep its slim Big 12 championship hopes alive.Larry Simmons caught two TD passes, Wayshon Parker ran for 95 yards and Utah (10-2, 7-2, No. 13 CFP) picked off Jalon Daniels three times in the final game of his college career, helping the Utes reach the 10-win mark for the third time in the last five years.More importantly, the Utes can still play for a conference title. They need Arizona State to beat Arizona on Friday night, then Texas Tech to lose to West Virginia and BYU to beat UCF on Saturday — a long-shot scenario, to be sure, but a reason to turn on TVs.“We hope 10-2 gets us to what we want to do, but from my standpoint, we were not happy with how last season went," said Dampier, who transferred in from New Mexico after the Utes had finished 5-7 in their first season in the Big 12.“Just happy it all came together,” he said. “We finished strong, and it was all that work we put in.”Utah won despite allowing 290 yards rushing, one week after beating Kansas State after allowing 472 on the ground.“It took a while to get going, and really get into a rhythm. We started to get some things going in the second half,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. “We kept finding ways to make plays, stay in the game, and that's kind of the way it went in the end.”Daniels finished with 187 yards passing and a touchdown, and also rushed for a TD, though his turnovers led to a smattering of boos from Kansas fans, many of whom have endured the QB's highs and lows over the past six seasons.Daniel Hishaw Jr. had 107 yards rushing and a touchdown for the Jayhawks (5-7, 3-6). Leshon Williams ran for 104.“Obviously as a team we didn’t play well enough to win the football game,” Kansas coach Lance Leipold said.Utah looked as if it might turn Senior Day into a rout in the opening minutes, but the Kansas defense — which had let Leipold's team down so often this season — finally seemed to find its fight. The Jayhawks bottled up the Utes, who had been averaging 279.6 yards on the ground, and early on Dampier was having little success through the air, twice misfiring on fourth-down attempts.Utah led just 10-7 at halftime in a game it desperately needed to win.The Jayhawks briefly pulled ahead after the break, when Whittingham went for it on fourth down rather than kick a field goal on a cold, blustery day. Kansas made a stop, drove 67 yards, and Daniels' scoring sneak gave them a 14-10 advantage.But the momentum swung for good on his two red-zone blunders early in the fourth quarter.First, Daniels was picked off while trying to throw the ball out of the end zone, and Utah needed just four plays to go 80 yards for a go-ahead touchdown. Then, after Kansas marched downfield again, Daniels was picked off by Davis near the goal line, and the junior cornerback returned it 97 yards to give the Utes a 24-14 lead with 7:52 remaining.Utah wound up scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter to put the game away.“We had two little hiccups throughout the season, but I'm really proud of how our guys have played, bouncing back from adversity, whether it's after a loss or in game,” Utah safety Jackson Bennee said. “It's been a good season. We'll see what happens.”<h2>The takeaway</h2>Utah only ran for 164 yards but finished with 417 in total offense, and that was enough to make Kansas pay for its mistakes.Kansas started the season 4-2 before a loss to Texas Tech. It wound up losing five of its last six games.<h2>Up next</h2>Utah watches how the Big 12 race plays out on Saturday.Kansas watches bowl season on TV for the second straight year.

🏈 Utah rallies to beat KU and keep slim Big 12 championship hopes alive

For a time, the city of Salina dominated Class 5A, with either South or Central winning a state title in six of the seven seasons between 1999 and 2005.

The dynasties of Salina rose to power quickly, but fell almost as fast, and for the last 20 years, the community has waited for another opportunity to see one of their teams reach the summit.

Today, that wait may very well come to an end, as the Mustangs travel to Emporia to battle for a 5A crown for the first time since 2005.

“This community has been itching for something like this, and there’s been a lot of noise and a lot of positivity all playoffs,” Central head coach Mark Sandbo said. “Our kids feel like they’re walking on the red carpet, and it’s a big-time deal. Playing for a state title anywhere across the country is a big deal, but here in Salina, they take it up another notch.”

Coach Sandbo may be too humble to admit it, but his leadership, along with the leadership of his staff, has led to the revival of a program that, if you squint, looks almost like the Mustang teams of old.

In his first year leading the Mustangs in 2018, Central didn’t just win its first game in two years; it won seven, including its first playoff game since 2013.

In 2022, Sandbo’s Mustangs reached their first quarterfinal since 2013, and this year, they punched a ticket to their first semifinal since 2007, then won again to advance to the big one for the first time since 2005.

Central achieved all of this with a first-year starter in Griffin Hall under center, a power run game that mirrors those early 2000s teams, and a defense that’s taken arguably the biggest step forward of any unit in the state.

All three of those elements were on full display last week when the Mustangs eliminated the number one team in the state on the road in Great Bend, in a 30-28 upset that the city of Salina won’t soon forget.

“The way we played defensively against two of the most explosive players we’ve seen all year impressed me,” Sandbo said. “When the big moments came, our kids rose to the occasion.”

The jubilation of that moment didn’t turn to contentment of a job well done, but to hunger for the ultimate prize, one Salina has yearned for for two decades.

“These guys are locked in, but with 18 seniors and guys who have been in the fire, that’s not surprising,” he said. “We’re having fun but there’s a business focus to this and an understanding that the next one is the biggest one.”

To win a state title and climb the final rung on a very steep ladder, the Mustangs will have to do something no one in the state of Kansas has been able to do in 2025: beat Basehor Linwood.

The Panthers enter this contest at 12-0, fresh off a 28-20 victory over a St. James Academy team that many considered to be sneaky favorites to win 5A this season, setting up a showdown between two teams many counted out to reach this very moment.

“Basehor is really well coached,” Sandbo said. “They’ve got great schemes on both sides of the ball, they’re fast, they execute well and they’ve got some dudes that the spotlight will be on. They’re a lot like us with a lot of really great players in a lot of really important positions and they really hustle around.”

Offensively, the Bobcats are led by senior QB Carson Dixon who has 2,559 total yards, and 31 touchdowns on the year.

Dixon’s duel with Griffin Hall should make for an entertaining watch. The Mustang junior enters this game with 2,587 yards and 35 scores of his own.

The x-factor in this game may very well be Cooper Reves, who nobody, Great Bend included, has had an answer for this season.

Reves has lit 5A defenses on fire to the tune of 280 carries, 2,571 yards, and 28 rushing touchdowns, the perfect man to carry the torch of the Mustang teams of old.

While the importance of this matchup is elevated, the keys to victory do not change for a Central team that knows as well as anyone what’s on the line this afternoon.

“You have to have seven over three,” Sandbo said. “There’s a time when three points are huge, but when we’re inside the red zone, we have to be scoring touchdowns. Turnovers will be big in this game; that’ll get you beat in a game like this. We also need to limit their explosives and force them to drive the distance. If we can keep them somewhat corralled, I think we’ve got a chance to be celebrating around 5 pm.”

Kickoff of the 5A state championship game is scheduled for 2:00 on the campus of Emporia State University.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostFor a time, the city of Salina dominated Class 5A, with either South or Central winning a state title in six of the seven seasons between 1999 and 2005.The dynasties of Salina rose to power quickly, but fell almost as fast, and for the last 20 years, the community has waited for another opportunity to see one of their teams reach the summit.Today, that wait may very well come to an end, as the Mustangs travel to Emporia to battle for a 5A crown for the first time since 2005.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746812152965.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>“This community has been itching for something like this, and there’s been a lot of noise and a lot of positivity all playoffs,” Central head coach Mark Sandbo said. “Our kids feel like they’re walking on the red carpet, and it’s a big-time deal. Playing for a state title anywhere across the country is a big deal, but here in Salina, they take it up another notch.”Coach Sandbo may be too humble to admit it, but his leadership, along with the leadership of his staff, has led to the revival of a program that, if you squint, looks almost like the Mustang teams of old.In his first year leading the Mustangs in 2018, Central didn’t just win its first game in two years; it won seven, including its first playoff game since 2013.In 2022, Sandbo’s Mustangs reached their first quarterfinal since 2013, and this year, they punched a ticket to their first semifinal since 2007, then won again to advance to the big one for the first time since 2005.Central achieved all of this with a first-year starter in Griffin Hall under center, a power run game that mirrors those early 2000s teams, and a defense that’s taken arguably the biggest step forward of any unit in the state.All three of those elements were on full display last week when the Mustangs eliminated the number one team in the state on the road in Great Bend, in a 30-28 upset that the city of Salina won’t soon forget.“The way we played defensively against two of the most explosive players we’ve seen all year impressed me,” Sandbo said. “When the big moments came, our kids rose to the occasion.”The jubilation of that moment didn’t turn to contentment of a job well done, but to hunger for the ultimate prize, one Salina has yearned for for two decades.“These guys are locked in, but with 18 seniors and guys who have been in the fire, that’s not surprising,” he said. “We’re having fun but there’s a business focus to this and an understanding that the next one is the biggest one.”To win a state title and climb the final rung on a very steep ladder, the Mustangs will have to do something no one in the state of Kansas has been able to do in 2025: beat Basehor Linwood.The Panthers enter this contest at 12-0, fresh off a 28-20 victory over a St. James Academy team that many considered to be sneaky favorites to win 5A this season, setting up a showdown between two teams many counted out to reach this very moment.“Basehor is really well coached,” Sandbo said. “They’ve got great schemes on both sides of the ball, they’re fast, they execute well and they’ve got some dudes that the spotlight will be on. They’re a lot like us with a lot of really great players in a lot of really important positions and they really hustle around.”Offensively, the Bobcats are led by senior QB Carson Dixon who has 2,559 total yards, and 31 touchdowns on the year.Dixon’s duel with Griffin Hall should make for an entertaining watch. The Mustang junior enters this game with 2,587 yards and 35 scores of his own.The x-factor in this game may very well be Cooper Reves, who nobody, Great Bend included, has had an answer for this season.Reves has lit 5A defenses on fire to the tune of 280 carries, 2,571 yards, and 28 rushing touchdowns, the perfect man to carry the torch of the Mustang teams of old.While the importance of this matchup is elevated, the keys to victory do not change for a Central team that knows as well as anyone what’s on the line this afternoon.“You have to have seven over three,” Sandbo said. “There’s a time when three points are huge, but when we’re inside the red zone, we have to be scoring touchdowns. Turnovers will be big in this game; that’ll get you beat in a game like this. We also need to limit their explosives and force them to drive the distance. If we can keep them somewhat corralled, I think we’ve got a chance to be celebrating around 5 pm.”Kickoff of the 5A state championship game is scheduled for 2:00 on the campus of Emporia State University.

🏈 5A STATE PREVIEW: Mustang march reaches Emporia with 5A title in sight

CANCUN, Mexico&nbsp;–&nbsp;K-State used a school record 17 three-pointers to rally back from a halftime deficit against Columbia, 95-92 on Thanksgiving in the Mayan Division of the 2025 Cancun Challenge at the Hard Rock Riviera Maya.

K-State (5-3), who entered Thursday’s game following a 2-of-23 effort from long range at Green Bay on November 22, broke the school record for 3-point field goals made in a game with a 17-of-26 effort (.654).

The 17 three-pointers are tied for the second-most in the nation this season. K-State’s 3-point percentage of 65.4 percent is the highest by any team this season that has made 17 or more 3-point field goals in a game. The 65.4 percent effort was a team season-high from beyond the arc and was K-State’s highest on 20 or more attempts since shooting 70.0 percent (14-of-20) against UCF on February 15, 2025.

The Wildcats featured four players in double figures led by the career day of junior guard Taryn Sides. The product of Phillipsburg, Kansas, tallied a career-high 30 points on a career-high 10-of-14 shooting including a career-best 8-of-12 from long distance and added six assists, three rebounds and two steals. Sides had entered Thursday’s game shooting 21.1 percent (4-of-19) from beyond the arc in the previous three games.

Sides is the only player in the nation this season to register a game with 30 or more points, eight or more 3-point field goals made and dish five or more assists. This was the first time a player from a Power 4 Conference achieved these markers in a game since Samara Spencer of Tennessee on December 14, 2024.

Since 2009-10, Sides became the fifth player in Big 12 history and the second Wildcat to achieve these numbers in a game. Sides joins Brittany Chambers, as the only Wildcats to reach these numbers in a game. Chambers tallied 42 points, nine made 3-pointers and five assists against Texas Southern on March 21, 2013, in the first round of the 2013 WNIT.

With her eight made 3-pointers, Sides tied for the fourth most in a game in program history. Her eight 3-point connections were the most since Temira Poindexter made eight at Kentucky in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

Sides is the only player in the nation this season to shoot 66.7 percent or better on 12 or more attempts. She is the fourth Big 12 player since at least 2009-10 and the first since Micah Gray of Oklahoma State on Nov. 25, 2024, to achieve this percentage or better on 12 or more attempts.

Joining Sides in double figures were sophomore guard Izela Arenas with 16 points, including a 3-of-5 effort from long distance.

Junior forward Nastja Claessens added 15 points on a perfect 6-of-6 effort from the field including 2-of-2 from long range. The native of Waregem, Belgium, made the record-setting 3-pointer with 3:09 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Freshman guard Brandie Harrod tallied 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting, nine rebounds and three assists.

- In the fourth quarter, K-State went into the lead, 72-71, as Sides buried a deep three-pointer from the top of the key to begin the final quarter and Sides followed with a layup to push the lead to 74-71 with 8:46 remaining.

- Columbia (3-3) rallied with an 8-2 run to pull in front 79-76 with 5:52 remaining in the frame. K-State would retake the lead for the final time with 4:38 remaining in the frame as Sides buried her eighth and final 3-pointer of the afternoon.

- After holding the Lions of the board, Claessens followed with the record-setting 3-pointer with 3:09 to boost the K-State advantage to 85-81.

- The Lions pulled to within one point twice, in the final two and a half minutes but layups from Gina Garcia and Claessens kept the Wildcats in front by three on both occasions.

- In the final 20 seconds, the Wildcats went 6-of-6 from the free throw line as Sides went 2-of-2 and senior guard Tess Heal went 4-of-4 with under 10 seconds to play to secure the win.

- Kansas State shot 59.4 percent (19-of-32) from the field in the second half, including 66.7 percent (8-of-12) in the fourth quarter.

- In the first half, Columbia outscored the Wildcats 11-6 in the final 3:18 of the second quarter and hold a 48-41 lead at halftime.

- The 48 first half points allowed by the Wildcats were the most surrendered in an opening half since at least the 2017-18 season. Columbia shot 54.3 percent (19-of-35) from the floor including 65.2 percent (15-of-23) on two-point attempts.

- K-State shot 48.4 percent (15-of-31) from the field, including 53.8 percent (7-of-13) from beyond the arc.

- The Wildcats pulled back into the game with a 28-point third quarter to trail by two, 71-69, entering the fourth quarter. K-State made six 3-pointers in the third stanza, including a buzzer-beater from Sides to end the quarter.

- For the afternoon, K-State shot 54.0 percent (34-of-63) from the field and shot 76.9 percent (10of-13) from the free throw line.

- The Wildcats equaled their season-high in assists with 25.

- K-State and Columbia met for the first time in the series. record in games played in Green Bay. Head coach Jeff Mittie is 2-0 in his career against Columbia. The Wildcats are 11-1 against members of the Ivy League.

- K-State head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 677-381 (.640), including a mark of 223-146 (.604).

- The Wildcats are 3-8 all-time in games played in Mexico, including a 2-8 mark in games played in Cancun. Head coach Jeff Mittie is 6-6 in his career in games played in Mexico, including a 3-2 mark at the helm of the Wildcats.

- The Wildcats are 171-58 (.747) in games played in the month of November. Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 57-15 (.792) in games during the 11th&nbsp;month. K-State has now ended the month of November with a winning record in 15 consecutive seasons and 46 times in its 58 seasons.

- K-State's starting five consisted of guards Gina Garcia, Brandie Harrod, Taryn Sides and forwards Jenessa Cotton and Nastja Claessens. This was the first time this lineup has started together this season. This was the eighth career start for Harrod. This was the seventh career start for Sides. This was the sixth career start for Garcia. Claessens made her fourth career start.

- The combined score of 187 points were the most in a regulation game for Kansas State since at least 2009-10.

- K-State has scored 90 or more points in a game 21 times in the last five seasons including twice this season. In the Jeff Mittie era (2014-15 to the present), K-State has reached 90 or more points in a game 28 times.

- Since the 2014-15 season, K-State is 135-23 (.854) when scoring 70 or more points in a game.

- Since the 2014-15 season, K-State has made 10 or more 3-pointers in a game 54 times and are 47-7 (.870).

- Since the 2011-12 season, the Wildcats are 204-89 (.696) when three or more players score in double figures in the same game. K-State is 4-2 this season when three or more players score 10 or more points in a game.

- For the first time this season, the Wildcats registered 20 or more points in all four quarters with 20 on Thursday. Since the start of the quarter system in 2015-16, K-State is 164-67 (.710) when scoring 20 or more points in any quarter in a game. K-State has 15 quarters this season with 20 or more points scored.

- Since the 2014-15 season, the Wildcats are 58-6 (.906) when shooting 50.0 percent or better in a game. The Wildcats shot 50.0 percent or better in three of the four quarters on Thursday. K-State has 11 quarters this season with an effort of 50.0 percent or better which includes a season-high of 66.7 percent in the fourth quarter on Thursday.

- K-State had the edge in bench scoring, 32-11. The Wildcats have received 20 or more points from its bench in seven games this season.

- K-State tied its season-high with 25 assists on Thursday. Over the last 18 years, the Wildcats are 116-8 (.935) when handing out 20 or more assists.

- Sides reached double figures for the 22nd&nbsp;time in her career and the fourth time this season. This was her first career game with 30 or more points and her fourth career game with 20 or more points.

- Sides knocked down a career-high eight 3-pointers on Thursday. This was her fifth game this season and the 35th&nbsp;of her career with two or more connections from 3-point range. Sides carded her 11th&nbsp;career game with four or more connections from long distance.

- Sides dished out five or more assists for the 19th&nbsp;time in her career and the fourth time this season.

- Arenas registered her third game this season and the eighth of her career with 10 or more points.

- Claessens achieved double figures in scoring for the third time this season and second straight game.

- Harrod reached double figures in scoring for the fourth time this season and in her career.

- Harrod pulled in nine rebounds on Thursday. This was her sixth game this season with five or more rebounds.

- Gina Garcia registered a career-high eight assists. This was her fifth career game with five or more assists. Over the last two games, Garcia has 15 assists and four turnovers.

- Jordan Speiser knocked down three 3-pointers on Thursday. This was her third career game with two or more connections from long range.

On the second half shooting performance...

"I just think our ball movement found the right player more often than we had seen previously. It's one of those things that, when Taryn gets hot, you got to find her. And, you go back on film, previously, I'm not sure we had that ball movement to find the hot shooter, and so we just had better execution offensively."

"I thought Nastja (Claessens) had a real toughness about her on Riley Weiss. Weiss is such good offensive player and she got off to such a hot start. This is a player coming in shooting 22% this year that hit 96 threes a year ago, so we knew that she was really capable. But, you know, we even talked about we don't want to be the team she gets hot on. And then, sure enough, she gets nine points in the first four minutes. So I thought, Nastja played better on her and then I do think we had a better awareness as a team of where Weiss was at. Their screening action is hard to guard, but we guarded them better. I thought Columbia played really well, you know, hard to argue with how they played, and we beat a team today that played really at a high level."

On the school record 17 three-pointers...

"It's the first team we have faced that kind of went from man to zone, and we did see some good things that we really we haven't faced. You know, we were able to get the ball in the middle. (Jordan) Speiser got a three off of that. We were able to start the half with a Taryn (Sides) three off of a set coming out of halftime. We felt like they probably would go zone coming out of half. So just better execution. You know, you can execute better but the shots don't fall. Today, they were falling. We had good looks, but I also think we had better movement. I keep saying it, the ball moved better today than it has in previous games to the right player."

"I just think she had a better rhythm about her today. It seemed like the shots were coming in rhythm, and it seemed like the shots in the previous game, she was maybe hunting, trying too hard. I thought the game came to her better today, she just seemed to have a good rhythm about her footwork, a good rhythm about her shot. And then once she got hot, you could see she wanted the basketball. Great to see her play well."

On the quick turnaround to North Carolina tomorrow morning...

"Recovery starts right now. They'll be in recovery right now. We'll get some rest. We'll eat a Thanksgiving meal. And then the staff will go into work right now, but Thanksgiving meal and then we'll come back in and get them to bed. I mean, in these tournaments there's just not a lot of time. We'll have to focus on two or three things at both ends of the floor and execute those things.”

On knowing when it was going to be an offensive game...

"I think right when we started scout with this team, Coach Mittie was like, 'I want to push for 100. They're going to press. So let's attack it right away and go score.' We don't really need to run any of our offense. Let's just go attack and play together. So really, the second we started scout."

On when she felt comfortable from beyond the arc...

"I think once you knock down one, you're like, okay, like I'm ready. I'm in it. I've been struggling to shoot the ball the last few games, but I knew it was going to come eventually. And yeah, just once you get one, I feel like you kind of get in a mode and you're just locked in the rest of the game."

"I feel like we've all kind of been struggling to shoot the ball lately, and we know we're good shooters, we just haven't gotten it to fall. So seeing everyone hit some it's just like, it's a good feeling that you know we can trust one another to make it just as much as we trust ourselves."

K-State continues action in the Cancun Challenge on Friday morning, as the Wildcats will face (12/10) North Carolina at 10 a.m.

CANCUN, Mexico&nbsp;–&nbsp;K-State used a school record 17 three-pointers to rally back from a halftime deficit against Columbia, 95-92 on Thanksgiving in the Mayan Division of the 2025 Cancun Challenge at the Hard Rock Riviera Maya.K-State (5-3), who entered Thursday’s game following a 2-of-23 effort from long range at Green Bay on November 22, broke the school record for 3-point field goals made in a game with a 17-of-26 effort (.654).The 17 three-pointers are tied for the second-most in the nation this season. K-State’s 3-point percentage of 65.4 percent is the highest by any team this season that has made 17 or more 3-point field goals in a game. The 65.4 percent effort was a team season-high from beyond the arc and was K-State’s highest on 20 or more attempts since shooting 70.0 percent (14-of-20) against UCF on February 15, 2025.The Wildcats featured four players in double figures led by the career day of junior guard Taryn Sides. The product of Phillipsburg, Kansas, tallied a career-high 30 points on a career-high 10-of-14 shooting including a career-best 8-of-12 from long distance and added six assists, three rebounds and two steals. Sides had entered Thursday’s game shooting 21.1 percent (4-of-19) from beyond the arc in the previous three games.Sides is the only player in the nation this season to register a game with 30 or more points, eight or more 3-point field goals made and dish five or more assists. This was the first time a player from a Power 4 Conference achieved these markers in a game since Samara Spencer of Tennessee on December 14, 2024.Since 2009-10, Sides became the fifth player in Big 12 history and the second Wildcat to achieve these numbers in a game. Sides joins Brittany Chambers, as the only Wildcats to reach these numbers in a game. Chambers tallied 42 points, nine made 3-pointers and five assists against Texas Southern on March 21, 2013, in the first round of the 2013 WNIT.With her eight made 3-pointers, Sides tied for the fourth most in a game in program history. Her eight 3-point connections were the most since Temira Poindexter made eight at Kentucky in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.Sides is the only player in the nation this season to shoot 66.7 percent or better on 12 or more attempts. She is the fourth Big 12 player since at least 2009-10 and the first since Micah Gray of Oklahoma State on Nov. 25, 2024, to achieve this percentage or better on 12 or more attempts.Joining Sides in double figures were sophomore guard Izela Arenas with 16 points, including a 3-of-5 effort from long distance.Junior forward Nastja Claessens added 15 points on a perfect 6-of-6 effort from the field including 2-of-2 from long range. The native of Waregem, Belgium, made the record-setting 3-pointer with 3:09 remaining in the fourth quarter.Freshman guard Brandie Harrod tallied 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting, nine rebounds and three assists.HOW IT HAPPENED- In the fourth quarter, K-State went into the lead, 72-71, as Sides buried a deep three-pointer from the top of the key to begin the final quarter and Sides followed with a layup to push the lead to 74-71 with 8:46 remaining.- Columbia (3-3) rallied with an 8-2 run to pull in front 79-76 with 5:52 remaining in the frame. K-State would retake the lead for the final time with 4:38 remaining in the frame as Sides buried her eighth and final 3-pointer of the afternoon.- After holding the Lions of the board, Claessens followed with the record-setting 3-pointer with 3:09 to boost the K-State advantage to 85-81.- The Lions pulled to within one point twice, in the final two and a half minutes but layups from Gina Garcia and Claessens kept the Wildcats in front by three on both occasions.- In the final 20 seconds, the Wildcats went 6-of-6 from the free throw line as Sides went 2-of-2 and senior guard Tess Heal went 4-of-4 with under 10 seconds to play to secure the win.- Kansas State shot 59.4 percent (19-of-32) from the field in the second half, including 66.7 percent (8-of-12) in the fourth quarter.- In the first half, Columbia outscored the Wildcats 11-6 in the final 3:18 of the second quarter and hold a 48-41 lead at halftime.- The 48 first half points allowed by the Wildcats were the most surrendered in an opening half since at least the 2017-18 season. Columbia shot 54.3 percent (19-of-35) from the floor including 65.2 percent (15-of-23) on two-point attempts.- K-State shot 48.4 percent (15-of-31) from the field, including 53.8 percent (7-of-13) from beyond the arc.- The Wildcats pulled back into the game with a 28-point third quarter to trail by two, 71-69, entering the fourth quarter. K-State made six 3-pointers in the third stanza, including a buzzer-beater from Sides to end the quarter.- For the afternoon, K-State shot 54.0 percent (34-of-63) from the field and shot 76.9 percent (10of-13) from the free throw line.- The Wildcats equaled their season-high in assists with 25.QUICK FACTS- K-State and Columbia met for the first time in the series. record in games played in Green Bay. Head coach Jeff Mittie is 2-0 in his career against Columbia. The Wildcats are 11-1 against members of the Ivy League.- K-State head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 677-381 (.640), including a mark of 223-146 (.604).- The Wildcats are 3-8 all-time in games played in Mexico, including a 2-8 mark in games played in Cancun. Head coach Jeff Mittie is 6-6 in his career in games played in Mexico, including a 3-2 mark at the helm of the Wildcats.- The Wildcats are 171-58 (.747) in games played in the month of November. Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 57-15 (.792) in games during the 11th&nbsp;month. K-State has now ended the month of November with a winning record in 15 consecutive seasons and 46 times in its 58 seasons.TEAM NOTES- K-State's starting five consisted of guards Gina Garcia, Brandie Harrod, Taryn Sides and forwards Jenessa Cotton and Nastja Claessens. This was the first time this lineup has started together this season. This was the eighth career start for Harrod. This was the seventh career start for Sides. This was the sixth career start for Garcia. Claessens made her fourth career start.- The combined score of 187 points were the most in a regulation game for Kansas State since at least 2009-10.- K-State has scored 90 or more points in a game 21 times in the last five seasons including twice this season. In the Jeff Mittie era (2014-15 to the present), K-State has reached 90 or more points in a game 28 times.- Since the 2014-15 season, K-State is 135-23 (.854) when scoring 70 or more points in a game.- Since the 2014-15 season, K-State has made 10 or more 3-pointers in a game 54 times and are 47-7 (.870).- Since the 2011-12 season, the Wildcats are 204-89 (.696) when three or more players score in double figures in the same game. K-State is 4-2 this season when three or more players score 10 or more points in a game.- For the first time this season, the Wildcats registered 20 or more points in all four quarters with 20 on Thursday. Since the start of the quarter system in 2015-16, K-State is 164-67 (.710) when scoring 20 or more points in any quarter in a game. K-State has 15 quarters this season with 20 or more points scored.- Since the 2014-15 season, the Wildcats are 58-6 (.906) when shooting 50.0 percent or better in a game. The Wildcats shot 50.0 percent or better in three of the four quarters on Thursday. K-State has 11 quarters this season with an effort of 50.0 percent or better which includes a season-high of 66.7 percent in the fourth quarter on Thursday.- K-State had the edge in bench scoring, 32-11. The Wildcats have received 20 or more points from its bench in seven games this season.- K-State tied its season-high with 25 assists on Thursday. Over the last 18 years, the Wildcats are 116-8 (.935) when handing out 20 or more assists.PLAYER NOTES- Sides reached double figures for the 22nd&nbsp;time in her career and the fourth time this season. This was her first career game with 30 or more points and her fourth career game with 20 or more points.- Sides knocked down a career-high eight 3-pointers on Thursday. This was her fifth game this season and the 35th&nbsp;of her career with two or more connections from 3-point range. Sides carded her 11th&nbsp;career game with four or more connections from long distance.- Sides dished out five or more assists for the 19th&nbsp;time in her career and the fourth time this season.- Arenas registered her third game this season and the eighth of her career with 10 or more points.- Claessens achieved double figures in scoring for the third time this season and second straight game.- Harrod reached double figures in scoring for the fourth time this season and in her career.- Harrod pulled in nine rebounds on Thursday. This was her sixth game this season with five or more rebounds.- Gina Garcia registered a career-high eight assists. This was her fifth career game with five or more assists. Over the last two games, Garcia has 15 assists and four turnovers.- Jordan Speiser knocked down three 3-pointers on Thursday. This was her third career game with two or more connections from long range.FROM THE HEAD COACHK-State Head Coach Jeff MittieOn the second half shooting performance..."I just think our ball movement found the right player more often than we had seen previously. It's one of those things that, when Taryn gets hot, you got to find her. And, you go back on film, previously, I'm not sure we had that ball movement to find the hot shooter, and so we just had better execution offensively."On the fourth quarter defense..."I thought Nastja (Claessens) had a real toughness about her on Riley Weiss. Weiss is such good offensive player and she got off to such a hot start. This is a player coming in shooting 22% this year that hit 96 threes a year ago, so we knew that she was really capable. But, you know, we even talked about we don't want to be the team she gets hot on. And then, sure enough, she gets nine points in the first four minutes. So I thought, Nastja played better on her and then I do think we had a better awareness as a team of where Weiss was at. Their screening action is hard to guard, but we guarded them better. I thought Columbia played really well, you know, hard to argue with how they played, and we beat a team today that played really at a high level."On the school record 17 three-pointers..."It's the first team we have faced that kind of went from man to zone, and we did see some good things that we really we haven't faced. You know, we were able to get the ball in the middle. (Jordan) Speiser got a three off of that. We were able to start the half with a Taryn (Sides) three off of a set coming out of halftime. We felt like they probably would go zone coming out of half. So just better execution. You know, you can execute better but the shots don't fall. Today, they were falling. We had good looks, but I also think we had better movement. I keep saying it, the ball moved better today than it has in previous games to the right player."On Taryn's career day..."I just think she had a better rhythm about her today. It seemed like the shots were coming in rhythm, and it seemed like the shots in the previous game, she was maybe hunting, trying too hard. I thought the game came to her better today, she just seemed to have a good rhythm about her footwork, a good rhythm about her shot. And then once she got hot, you could see she wanted the basketball. Great to see her play well."On the quick turnaround to North Carolina tomorrow morning..."Recovery starts right now. They'll be in recovery right now. We'll get some rest. We'll eat a Thanksgiving meal. And then the staff will go into work right now, but Thanksgiving meal and then we'll come back in and get them to bed. I mean, in these tournaments there's just not a lot of time. We'll have to focus on two or three things at both ends of the floor and execute those things.”FROM THE FLOORK-State Junior Guard Taryn SidesOn knowing when it was going to be an offensive game..."I think right when we started scout with this team, Coach Mittie was like, 'I want to push for 100. They're going to press. So let's attack it right away and go score.' We don't really need to run any of our offense. Let's just go attack and play together. So really, the second we started scout."On when she felt comfortable from beyond the arc..."I think once you knock down one, you're like, okay, like I'm ready. I'm in it. I've been struggling to shoot the ball the last few games, but I knew it was going to come eventually. And yeah, just once you get one, I feel like you kind of get in a mode and you're just locked in the rest of the game."On the school record 17 three-pointers..."I feel like we've all kind of been struggling to shoot the ball lately, and we know we're good shooters, we just haven't gotten it to fall. So seeing everyone hit some it's just like, it's a good feeling that you know we can trust one another to make it just as much as we trust ourselves."UP NEXTK-State continues action in the Cancun Challenge on Friday morning, as the Wildcats will face (12/10) North Carolina at 10 a.m.

🏀 K-State WBB Sets 3-Point Record to Down Columbia

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys still face long odds in trying to rally for a spot in the playoffs.

They won't be short on confidence with a win over last season's Super Bowl runner-up just four days after beating the defending champs.

Prescott threw for two touchdowns, Malik Davis sprinted 43 yards for a score and the Cowboys overcame two fourth down TD throws from Patrick Mahomes in a 31-28 Thanksgiving Day victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday.

CeeDee Lamb scored the first Dallas touchdown and finished with 112 yards on seven catches after drops plagued the star receiver in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eagles-cowboys-score-c327c03d384190ed8a067c9936f3cab3">24-21 victory over reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia</a>.

The Cowboys (6-5-1) have won three straight and dropped the defending AFC champion Chiefs (6-6) back to .500 in a matchup of playoff-chasing teams.

Dallas is 3-0 since 24-year-old defensive end&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cowboys-kneeland-schottenheimer-04061190c64246d3c8ce90ef025f501b">Marshawn Kneeland</a>&nbsp;was found dead of an apparent suicide during the club's open week. The Cowboys came back from the emotion-filled break with a 33-16 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.

“On top of where we put ourselves right before these games and just the place that we’re in, having to get these wins against two elite teams,” Prescott said. “I mean, two teams that played in the Super Bowl last year. Last year’s last year, but you’re talking about two organizations that obviously know how to win and we just beat them both in two great games.

“On top of everything that we've been through.”

Mahomes had four touchdown passes in his first professional game at the home of the Cowboys, where he played three times for Texas Tech not far from his East Texas roots.

“They’re the same desperation that we are and they play better over four quarters than we did,” said Mahomes, who threw for 261 yards and was sacked three times, twice by Jadeveon Clowney. “So even though we have good plays here and there, we have be more consistent at the end of the day.”

Travis Kelce caught Mahomes' first fourth-down TD toss on a 2-yarder, and Rashee Rice's second scoring catch came on fourth-and-3 early in the fourth quarter.

Kansas City was down 10 when Mahomes was almost tripped in the backfield by Quinnen Williams but kept his feet and found Xavier Worthy wide-open down the field for 42 yards, setting up a 10-yard scoring toss to Hollywood Brown with 3:27 remaining.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764292517419.png" alt="Photo courtesy Dallas Cowboys" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Dallas Cowboys</figcaption>
 </figure>ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys still face long odds in trying to rally for a spot in the playoffs.They won't be short on confidence with a win over last season's Super Bowl runner-up just four days after beating the defending champs.Prescott threw for two touchdowns, Malik Davis sprinted 43 yards for a score and the Cowboys overcame two fourth down TD throws from Patrick Mahomes in a 31-28 Thanksgiving Day victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday.CeeDee Lamb scored the first Dallas touchdown and finished with 112 yards on seven catches after drops plagued the star receiver in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eagles-cowboys-score-c327c03d384190ed8a067c9936f3cab3">24-21 victory over reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia</a>.The Cowboys (6-5-1) have won three straight and dropped the defending AFC champion Chiefs (6-6) back to .500 in a matchup of playoff-chasing teams.Dallas is 3-0 since 24-year-old defensive end&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cowboys-kneeland-schottenheimer-04061190c64246d3c8ce90ef025f501b">Marshawn Kneeland</a>&nbsp;was found dead of an apparent suicide during the club's open week. The Cowboys came back from the emotion-filled break with a 33-16 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.“On top of where we put ourselves right before these games and just the place that we’re in, having to get these wins against two elite teams,” Prescott said. “I mean, two teams that played in the Super Bowl last year. Last year’s last year, but you’re talking about two organizations that obviously know how to win and we just beat them both in two great games.“On top of everything that we've been through.”Mahomes had four touchdown passes in his first professional game at the home of the Cowboys, where he played three times for Texas Tech not far from his East Texas roots.“They’re the same desperation that we are and they play better over four quarters than we did,” said Mahomes, who threw for 261 yards and was sacked three times, twice by Jadeveon Clowney. “So even though we have good plays here and there, we have be more consistent at the end of the day.”Travis Kelce caught Mahomes' first fourth-down TD toss on a 2-yarder, and Rashee Rice's second scoring catch came on fourth-and-3 early in the fourth quarter.Kansas City was down 10 when Mahomes was almost tripped in the backfield by Quinnen Williams but kept his feet and found Xavier Worthy wide-open down the field for 42 yards, setting up a 10-yard scoring toss to Hollywood Brown with 3:27 remaining.Prescott and company didn't give Mahomes another chance.After two pass interference penalties gave Dallas first downs, Prescott hit George Pickens for 13 yards and a clinching first down at the two-minute warning. Prescott knelt three times after that.The Chiefs had five pass interference penalties, one that was declined, and another defensive holding that gave Dallas a first down. Kansas City finished with 10 penalties for 119 yards.“Bottom line is we’re having too many penalties, and we have to make sure to take care of that,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “No excuses with it. We’re going to clean it up.”Rice had eight catches for 92 yards, his first score coming on a 27-yard catch-and-run on the sideline two plays after Prescott was intercepted by Jaylen Watson on the first Dallas possession.Davis had just three carries, but his long run gave Dallas its first lead at 17-14 late in the second quarter. Lead running back Javonte Williams scored on a 3-yard catch early in the fourth quarter, and Pickens' catch on a 2-point conversion put Dallas back in front 28-21.The Cowboys were 10th in the NFC entering the game, same as the Chiefs in the AFC coming off nine consecutive AFC West titles. The schedule doesn't get much easier, although two of the next four opponents — all playoff teams from a year ago — aren't in the postseason picture at the moment.“We've got to continue with the same mentality,” Lamb said. “Obviously it's been a short week. Now we get a little time to rest, a regular week so to speak. We get our bodies back, relax, build, grow, get better and on to next week.”<h2>Injuries</h2>Chiefs: The Chiefs lost two offensive linemen to injuries after beginning the game without RG Trey Smith, who was inactive because of an ankle injury. RT Jawaan Taylor injured an elbow, and rookie LT Josh Simmons went out with a wrist injury. ... S Bryan Cook injured an ankle in the first half.Cowboys: CB Caelen Carson, who had started the previous two games, was inactive after being listed as questionable. He was added to the injury report during the week. ... CB DaRon Bland injured a foot in the second half.<h2>Up next</h2>Chiefs: Play host to Houston in prime time on Dec. 7.