Hello and happy Tuesday, everybody, it’s Tyler Henry, back with another KINA Sports Update presented by Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine…

On Monday, news broke out of the NFL that Derwin James Jr. of the Los Angeles Chargers has been suspended without pay for one game for repeated violations of playing rules intended to protect the health and safety of players, including during this Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan issued the suspension for a violation of Rule 12, Section 2, Article 10 (a) which states that “it is a foul if a player lowers his head and makes forcible contact with his helmet against an opponent.”

James will be eligible to return to the Chargers’ active roster on Monday, Sept. 30, following the team’s Sept. 29 game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Staying in Kansas City, the Royals will be on the road for the rest of the regular season, opening a three-game series at Washington this evening before travelling to Atlanta later this week.

Earlier this week, the Cleveland Guardians secured the AL Central crown, punching one of the first tickets to this year’s MLB playoffs

The Royals, who have lost a league-worst seven straight games are currently tied with the Tigers for the ALs second Wild Card spot, and only a game ahead of the Twins.

And finally, don’t miss all the latest scores and highlights from schools in our area, head on over to Twitter and give us a follow @Spostsports for more.

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 </figure>BY SALINA POST(Transcript)Hello and happy Tuesday, everybody, it’s Tyler Henry, back with another KINA Sports Update presented by Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine…_________On Monday, news broke out of the NFL that Derwin James Jr. of the Los Angeles Chargers has been suspended without pay for one game for repeated violations of playing rules intended to protect the health and safety of players, including during this Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan issued the suspension for a violation of Rule 12, Section 2, Article 10 (a) which states that “it is a foul if a player lowers his head and makes forcible contact with his helmet against an opponent.”James will be eligible to return to the Chargers’ active roster on Monday, Sept. 30, following the team’s Sept. 29 game against the Kansas City Chiefs._________Staying in Kansas City, the Royals will be on the road for the rest of the regular season, opening a three-game series at Washington this evening before travelling to Atlanta later this week.Earlier this week, the Cleveland Guardians secured the AL Central crown, punching one of the first tickets to this year’s MLB playoffsThe Royals, who have lost a league-worst seven straight games are currently tied with the Tigers for the ALs second Wild Card spot, and only a game ahead of the Twins._________And finally, don’t miss all the latest scores and highlights from schools in our area, head on over to Twitter and give us a follow @Spostsports for more._________

910 KINA Sports Headlines — September 24

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Quotes

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“So, (I) had a chance to look at the tape and evaluate it. Obviously, (we have) plenty of things to work on, which is a good thing if you’re coming off of a win. We know there’s some things there that we need to do a better job with, especially playing a good Chargers team this week. I would tell you the same things that I told you last night, as far as the people that had the good games. There were some guys that really played well. I started with (Nick) Bolton just getting the wind knocked out of him and then sneaking back in there and making a big play like that was tremendous at the end (of the game) there. Maybe the best thing that took place was (that) nobody was pointing fingers, or everybody was supporting each other (and) working their way through. That’s happened, really, the last three games in these tight games, knowing that you’re going to get people’s best shot (and) you know you’re going to have to take it (the game) right down to four quarters. With that, (Carson) Steele had a nice day with 17 carries for 72 yards. I thought Rashee (Rice) played well. (He) had over 100 yards in receptions. Again, there were things that – all of these guys, we can all do better here - myself included. There were some positives that you could take out of this thing. It’s always good to get a win. Wins are hard to get in the National Football League, so when you start criticizing wins, there are a lot of variables that go into it. We’re finding a way right now, but we’ve got to clean it up and play better football. So, anyways, with that, time’s yours.”

Q: Patrick Mahomes was pretty critical of himself after the game last night. What are you seeing from him?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, listen, he’s (Patrick Mahomes) a phenomenal player and I thought he just kind of got into a rhythm (in) the second half and a lot of that’s my responsibility to get him into that rhythm earlier. We’ll go back and discuss all that and get that taken care of. I thought he really hit it well the second half there and had some beautiful throws – that throw to (Travis) Kelce on the deep cross and the throw to Rashee (Rice) – same route, two different throws though. It was spot on there but anyway,&nbsp; he ended up finishing well. We kind of botched up the last play when we weren’t trying to kill (the clock) – when we were coming out of the endzone there offensively. We had a missed route there. Other than that – listen, there are a bunch of things that we – like I said, we can clean up, but he’ll be alright.”

Q: You’ve had to kick short field goals the last couple of weeks. What’s it going to take to get the ball into the endzone?

REID:&nbsp;“It’s tough to win games like that in this league, (when) you’re just scoring three points. You get down in there (on the goal line), you’ve got to get it in (to the endzone). We’ve chose to run the ball a little bit down there and then we did have a turnover in that area, so we’ve got to do better with that – when we were throwing the ball.”

Q: What is it like for you in the last minute of all these close games?

REID:&nbsp;“Listen, I don’t think you get used to it. You don’t want it to come down to that. You’re trying to score as many points as you obviously can, but we’re – that’s how things go. The trust that the guys have in each other – I know that’s easy to say, but when you actually have that, the guys know that something good is going to happen because it’s very important, but you surely don’t want it to come down to that.”

Q:&nbsp;What have you seen from Patrick Mahomes’ footwork, and do you think he’s relying too much on his arm?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, I think – listen, I think he’ll (Patrick Mahomes) be fine there. Just getting him in rhythm, I think, is the important thing. That encompasses all of that stuff – the footwork and the knee bend and his drop and so on, and then the more we secure things up front, also helps. He came off a game where he had to get the ball out quickly last week with the pressure that was on him, but I thought the offensive line did a nice job here and I think Pat (Mahomes) will see that and that also helps (the) situation.”

Q:&nbsp;What did you see from Patrick Mahomes’ interception?

REID:&nbsp;“Well, we should’ve had the protection for him (Patrick Mahomes). We botched the protection or that’s a touchdown right there.”

Q:&nbsp;Where is Xavier Worthy now in the nuances of the offense?

REID:&nbsp;“He’s (Xavier Worthy) doing a great job with that. I pulled off on a couple of the routes just with some of the things they were doing, but he had a number of routes there in the first 15. I just chose to pull off of him because of what they were doing. But he can – he’s doing a nice job for us. He’ll have other games here where he has more grabs. He did a nice job with the quick game stuff that we were using him on.”

Q:&nbsp;What was your assessment on Wanya Morris, and can we expect to see him starting for the foreseeable future?

REID:&nbsp;“Listen, I thought Wanya (Morris) did some good things in there, so we’ll probably stick with that same thing. You saw where Kingsley (Suamataia) rotated in and played some tight end in that, so he was able to get some good reps in there. Again, Wanya had the good reps at the left tackle spot. Do they both have stuff to work on? Yes (laughs). We’ll keep – they’re young guys in a tough position with a tough go here and they’ve got another good one coming here this week that they have to prep for – a couple good ones. We have to make sure we keep growing but they’re surely getting tested early.”

Q: Is it ideal for Rashee Rice to get that many targets or would you like to spread the ball around even more?

REID: “I mentioned to you how Rashee’s (Rice) game goes is kind of how (Travis) Kelce’s goes so what they’re doing is they’re working hard to take Kelce out of the picture. Kelce is going, ‘Hey listen, if they’re going to do that then Rashee is going to get a lot of catches.’ He knows that, but somewhere that levels off and that play he did the second half and Kelce’s catch numbers went up there. Rashee is – he’s a force in there, he’s a good football player and he’s tough when he has the ball in his hands so I’m sure he’ll be getting a lot more attention as we go.”

Q: You referenced the stopped route that Xavier Worthy had on that last drive near the endzone. How much of that is still due to the young receivers and Patrick Mahomes trying to build the chemistry?

REID: “Yeah that actually wasn’t him (Xavier Worthy), that was his compadre (who) ran the wrong route, so he stopped so he didn’t run into him. Listen, Pat (Patrick Mahomes) checked to a play there and the communication got a little mixed up, so one of the routes wasn’t the right route. It wasn’t his (fault).”

Q: How important is it when your defense is able to stop the lead running back on the other team?

REID: “Yeah no, that kid (Falcons RB Bijan Robinson) is a heck of a runner, they’ve got two good runners. I thought we stepped up and did a nice job there. Up front, I started naming off the guys last night but I mean it’s really all of them collectively. That whole front seven is just doing a nice job of – and the safeties too were being accurate with our tackles there and physical which has been good.”

Q: With last night’s win, you won your 131st&nbsp;regular season game with the Chiefs, surpassing your regular season wins with the Eagles (130) as a head coach. What does this mean to you?

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid QuotesSeptember 23, 2024HEAD COACH ANDY REIDOPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“So, (I) had a chance to look at the tape and evaluate it. Obviously, (we have) plenty of things to work on, which is a good thing if you’re coming off of a win. We know there’s some things there that we need to do a better job with, especially playing a good Chargers team this week. I would tell you the same things that I told you last night, as far as the people that had the good games. There were some guys that really played well. I started with (Nick) Bolton just getting the wind knocked out of him and then sneaking back in there and making a big play like that was tremendous at the end (of the game) there. Maybe the best thing that took place was (that) nobody was pointing fingers, or everybody was supporting each other (and) working their way through. That’s happened, really, the last three games in these tight games, knowing that you’re going to get people’s best shot (and) you know you’re going to have to take it (the game) right down to four quarters. With that, (Carson) Steele had a nice day with 17 carries for 72 yards. I thought Rashee (Rice) played well. (He) had over 100 yards in receptions. Again, there were things that – all of these guys, we can all do better here - myself included. There were some positives that you could take out of this thing. It’s always good to get a win. Wins are hard to get in the National Football League, so when you start criticizing wins, there are a lot of variables that go into it. We’re finding a way right now, but we’ve got to clean it up and play better football. So, anyways, with that, time’s yours.”Q: Patrick Mahomes was pretty critical of himself after the game last night. What are you seeing from him?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, listen, he’s (Patrick Mahomes) a phenomenal player and I thought he just kind of got into a rhythm (in) the second half and a lot of that’s my responsibility to get him into that rhythm earlier. We’ll go back and discuss all that and get that taken care of. I thought he really hit it well the second half there and had some beautiful throws – that throw to (Travis) Kelce on the deep cross and the throw to Rashee (Rice) – same route, two different throws though. It was spot on there but anyway,&nbsp; he ended up finishing well. We kind of botched up the last play when we weren’t trying to kill (the clock) – when we were coming out of the endzone there offensively. We had a missed route there. Other than that – listen, there are a bunch of things that we – like I said, we can clean up, but he’ll be alright.”Q: You’ve had to kick short field goals the last couple of weeks. What’s it going to take to get the ball into the endzone?REID:&nbsp;“It’s tough to win games like that in this league, (when) you’re just scoring three points. You get down in there (on the goal line), you’ve got to get it in (to the endzone). We’ve chose to run the ball a little bit down there and then we did have a turnover in that area, so we’ve got to do better with that – when we were throwing the ball.”Q: What is it like for you in the last minute of all these close games?REID:&nbsp;“Listen, I don’t think you get used to it. You don’t want it to come down to that. You’re trying to score as many points as you obviously can, but we’re – that’s how things go. The trust that the guys have in each other – I know that’s easy to say, but when you actually have that, the guys know that something good is going to happen because it’s very important, but you surely don’t want it to come down to that.”Q:&nbsp;What have you seen from Patrick Mahomes’ footwork, and do you think he’s relying too much on his arm?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, I think – listen, I think he’ll (Patrick Mahomes) be fine there. Just getting him in rhythm, I think, is the important thing. That encompasses all of that stuff – the footwork and the knee bend and his drop and so on, and then the more we secure things up front, also helps. He came off a game where he had to get the ball out quickly last week with the pressure that was on him, but I thought the offensive line did a nice job here and I think Pat (Mahomes) will see that and that also helps (the) situation.”Q:&nbsp;What did you see from Patrick Mahomes’ interception?REID:&nbsp;“Well, we should’ve had the protection for him (Patrick Mahomes). We botched the protection or that’s a touchdown right there.”Q:&nbsp;Where is Xavier Worthy now in the nuances of the offense?REID:&nbsp;“He’s (Xavier Worthy) doing a great job with that. I pulled off on a couple of the routes just with some of the things they were doing, but he had a number of routes there in the first 15. I just chose to pull off of him because of what they were doing. But he can – he’s doing a nice job for us. He’ll have other games here where he has more grabs. He did a nice job with the quick game stuff that we were using him on.”Q:&nbsp;What was your assessment on Wanya Morris, and can we expect to see him starting for the foreseeable future?REID:&nbsp;“Listen, I thought Wanya (Morris) did some good things in there, so we’ll probably stick with that same thing. You saw where Kingsley (Suamataia) rotated in and played some tight end in that, so he was able to get some good reps in there. Again, Wanya had the good reps at the left tackle spot. Do they both have stuff to work on? Yes (laughs). We’ll keep – they’re young guys in a tough position with a tough go here and they’ve got another good one coming here this week that they have to prep for – a couple good ones. We have to make sure we keep growing but they’re surely getting tested early.”Q: Is it ideal for Rashee Rice to get that many targets or would you like to spread the ball around even more?REID: “I mentioned to you how Rashee’s (Rice) game goes is kind of how (Travis) Kelce’s goes so what they’re doing is they’re working hard to take Kelce out of the picture. Kelce is going, ‘Hey listen, if they’re going to do that then Rashee is going to get a lot of catches.’ He knows that, but somewhere that levels off and that play he did the second half and Kelce’s catch numbers went up there. Rashee is – he’s a force in there, he’s a good football player and he’s tough when he has the ball in his hands so I’m sure he’ll be getting a lot more attention as we go.”Q: You referenced the stopped route that Xavier Worthy had on that last drive near the endzone. How much of that is still due to the young receivers and Patrick Mahomes trying to build the chemistry?REID: “Yeah that actually wasn’t him (Xavier Worthy), that was his compadre (who) ran the wrong route, so he stopped so he didn’t run into him. Listen, Pat (Patrick Mahomes) checked to a play there and the communication got a little mixed up, so one of the routes wasn’t the right route. It wasn’t his (fault).”Q: How important is it when your defense is able to stop the lead running back on the other team?REID: “Yeah no, that kid (Falcons RB Bijan Robinson) is a heck of a runner, they’ve got two good runners. I thought we stepped up and did a nice job there. Up front, I started naming off the guys last night but I mean it’s really all of them collectively. That whole front seven is just doing a nice job of – and the safeties too were being accurate with our tackles there and physical which has been good.”Q: With last night’s win, you won your 131st&nbsp;regular season game with the Chiefs, surpassing your regular season wins with the Eagles (130) as a head coach. What does this mean to you?

Chiefs Quotes: 10-23-24

Game 5 20/20&nbsp;Oklahoma State at&nbsp;23/25&nbsp;K-State Date: Saturday, September 28, 2024 Kickoff: 11 a.m. Location: Manhattan, Kan. Stadium: Bill Snyder Family Stadium (50,000) Series: Oklahoma State Leads, 43-27 TV: ESPN (<a href="https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/eec1d723-7be7-466f-afb4-1a2bc99a677b" target="_blank">watch</a>) Bob Wischusen (Play-by-Play) Louis Riddick (Analyst) Kris Budden (Sidelines) Radio: K-State Sports Network;&nbsp;<a href="http://k-statesports.com/" target="_blank">k-statesports.com</a>&nbsp;(<a href="http://www.kstatesports.com/watch" target="_blank">Listen</a>) &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Wyatt Thompson (Play-by-Play)&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Stan Weber (Analyst) &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Matt Walters (Sidelines) National Radio: Westwood One &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Nate Gatter (Play-by-Play)&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Derek Rackley (Analyst) SiriusXM Satellite Radio Ch. 82, and on the SiriusXM App <a href="https://tunein.com/radio/Big-12-Radio-s329464/" target="_blank">Big 12 Radio on TuneIn</a> X Updates: @KStateFB and @KStateStatsInfo

THE TOP 51)&nbsp;K-State is looking to bounce back from a tough road defeat at BYU as the 23rd-ranked Wildcats return home to face No. 20 Oklahoma State on Saturday inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The Wildcats' Big 12 home opener will kick at 11 a.m., and be broadcast on ESPN with Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Louis Riddick (analyst) and Kris Budden (sideline) on the call.

2)&nbsp;In the midst of his first season as the starting quarterback, Avery Johnson has completed 61.1% of his passes (58-of-95) for 620 yards and six touchdowns. He has rushed for 261 yards on 39 carries, including a 110-yard effort against Arizona. He was the fifth sophomore signal caller – and just the second true sophomore – to start a season opener since 1990 when he did so against UT Martin.

3)&nbsp;Alongside Johnson in the backfield is running back DJ Giddens, who has rushed for 417 yards and a touchdown on 68 carries to go along with seven receptions for 69 yards and another score. Sophomore Dylan Edwards has also burst onto the scene, averaging 8.5 yards per carry on 21 attempts. Edwards has two rushing touchdowns, one receiving score and a 71-yard punt return score in four games.

4)&nbsp;The experience of the Wildcats resides on defense as the unit brought back eight starters from last year, including five of its top six tacklers from a year ago. Ten Wildcats have recorded 10 or more total tackles through four games led by Austin Romaine’s 27. Brendan Mott has 4.0 sacks to tie for 12th nationally and second in the Big 12. As a unit, the Cats have 31 tackles for loss and 12 sacks on the year.

5)&nbsp;Kicker Chris Tennant is back for his senior campaign and enters this week’s contest in the top 10 in school history in six career categories. The Wildcats’ new punter, Simon McClannan, has averaged 43.4 yards per punt this season and landed three inside the 20-yard line. Additionally, a plethora of options are available at both kickoff and punt return, including Edwards.

STATISTICAL SPOTLIGHTS67&nbsp;– Turnovers produced by K-State since 2021, the second-most among active Big 12 teams and tied for 10th among Power 4 teams.

62&nbsp;– Number of combined kick and punt return touchdowns by the Cats since 2005, the most in the nation.

31&nbsp;– Tackles for loss by the Wildcats through four games this season, which ranks 14th nationally and tops in the Big 12.

16&nbsp;– Current sellout streak at Bill Snyder Family Stadium heading into Saturday's game with Oklahoma State.

15&nbsp;– K-State's national ranking this week in both rushing offense (240.3 ypg) and rushing defense (83.3 ypg).

• K-State holds a 17-11 record all-time in its initial Big 12 home game of the season.

• Under head coach Chris Klieman, K-State is 3-2 in Big 12 home openers, including wins in each of the last two seasons.

• Last year in its Big 12 opener, running back DJ Giddens ran for 207 yards and four touchdowns in addition to catching eight passes for 86 yards in K-State's 44-31 victory over UCF.

• Kansas State has totaled 139 Big 12 victories since the conference’s formation in 1996, which stands as the most among active Big 12 programs.

• The Cats are also second among active Big 12 members in winning percentage since non-divisional play began in 2011. They sit at 59.3% (70-48), trailing only Oklahoma State (65.2%; 77-41).

• During that stretch, the Wildcats are 39-20 (66.1%) at home in Big 12 play and 31-28 (52.5%) on the road.

• K-State has a total of 225 victories since 1996, which is tied for 21st nationally.

• Among active Big 12 teams, the Wildcats rank fourth behind BYU (232), Utah (232) and TCU (231).

• Over the last 14 seasons, the Wildcats have won at least seven games 12 times.

• Kansas State has a strong history of being in the postseason, having advanced to a bowl game 24 times since 1993, including 12 times in the last 14 years.

• K-State’s 24 bowl trips since 1993 are tied for second among active Big 12 teams with BYU and just behind West Virginia (25).

• In an era when over 80 teams play in a bowl game each year, the Cats are one of just 16 Power 4 teams to play in a bowl game at least 12 times in the last 14 years.

• K-State is riding a streak of three-straight years of at least eight wins, its longest since 2011 (10), 2012 (11), 2013 (8) and 2014 (9).

• The Wildcats are the only returning Big 12 team with at least eight wins in each of the last three seasons and one of 13 Power 4 programs to claim that feat.

• K-State has 30 wins since 2021, which ranks third among active Big 12 teams behind Oklahoma State and Utah with 32 wins apiece 32.

• For the second-straight season, Kansas State entered a season ranked in both the Associated Press Top 25 and the Coaches Poll as they checked in at No. 18 and No. 17, respectively.

• It marked the first time the Wildcats were ranked in the Preseason AP Top 25 in consecutive years since 2003 and 2004.

• Last season, K-State entered the year No. 16 in the AP Top 25 and No. 17 in the Coaches Poll.

• Kansas State checks in at No. 23 in this week's Associated Press Top 25 as the Wildcats have been ranked in all five AP polls this year.

• It is the first time Kansas State has been ranked in the first five AP polls of a season since appearing in all 17 polls in 2014.

• K-State has been ranked in the AP Top 25 on 236 occasions since 1993, the most among active Big 12 teams and ranked 22nd nationally.

• Kansas State was ranked No. 25 in the final College Football Playoff Top 25 of 2023, marking the 12th-straight time the Cats were ranked in the CFP Top 25. That figure enters the 2024 season tied for the sixth-longest active streak.

• K-State was more busy than usual scouting the opponents on its schedule during the spring and summer months as the Wildcats are only playing four foes from last year’s schedule – Houston, Iowa State, Kansas and Oklahoma State – in 2024.

• It is the Wildcats’ fewest amount of carryover opponents from one year to the next since only three rematches from the 1918 season to the 1919 season (Baker, Kansas and Iowa State).

• Additionally, half of the Wildcats’ schedule is against teams in which they have not faced in at least 10 years, if ever. Those are UT Martin (First Meeting), Arizona (1978), BYU (1997), Colorado (2010), Arizona State (2002) and Cincinnati (1996).

• A proven winner with a championship history, Chris Klieman holds a 114-38 career record, as his 75.0% career winning percentage ranks fourth among current FBS coaches that have led programs for at least 10 seasons. He is also one of just 16 current Power 4 head coaches with at least 100 victories.

• Klieman, who is 42-25 (62.7%) since arriving at K-State, has led the Cats to five victories over teams ranked in the top 10 of the Associated Press Top 25, which is the most of any active Big 12 program since 2019. Next on the list is Utah with four, followed by Baylor, Oklahoma State and TCU with three apiece.

• Kansas State ranked in the top 10 nationally in turnover margin each of the last two years as the Wildcats finished eighth in 2022 and fifth in 2023.

• It was the first time K-State finished in the top 10 in consecutive seasons since 2011 (9th) and 2012 (3rd).

• Over the final seven weeks of the regular season and bowl season, K-State forced a nation-leading 19 turnovers (11 interceptions, eight fumbles) while only committing five (three interceptions, two fumbles).

• K-State is on the same early-season trajectory so far in 2024 as it is minus-1 in turnover margin to rank 93rd nationally.

• K-State is the nation’s best in non-offensive touchdowns over the last 25-plus seasons as it has 134 since 1999, nine more than the next closest team (Alabama – 125).

• K-State has recorded three non-offensive touchdowns this season with a Ty Bowman blocked punt against UT Martin that was returned one yard for a score by Colby McCalister in addition to a Jack Fabris 60-yard fumble return at Tulane. Dylan Edwards then added a 71-yard punt return touchdown against No. 20 Arizona.

• It was the longest streak of games with a non-offensive touchdown since the final three games of the 2019 season, while it was the first time K-State had a non-offensive touchdown in each of the first three games of a season since 2002.

• Kansas State rallied from a 20-10 halftime deficit at Tulane to take a 34-27 win in New Orleans.

• The win was the first since last year’s KU game when trailing at halftime and also marked the first time since the 2021 Texas Tech game that the Wildcats rallied from a double-digit halftime deficit to win as they trailed 24-10 at half in that contest.

• K-State’s six players, as voted by their teammates, to serve as captains in 2024 are quarterback Avery Johnson, offensive lineman Hadley Panzer, linebacker Austin Moore, defensive ends Brendan Mott and Cody Stufflebean, and safety Marques Sigle.

• Of the six captains, five are seniors and four hail from the state of Kansas. Both of those lists include Moore, a former walk-on who is a captain for a second-straight season. Mott is another former walk-on who is serving as captain.

• Johnson is just the 10th sophomore captain in program history, joining Brooks Barta (1990), Mark Simoneau (1997), Terry Pierce (2001), Josh Freeman (2007), Alex Hrebec (2009), Collin Klein (2010), B.J. Finney (2012), Dalton Risner (2016) and Wyatt Hubert (2019).

• With the entire six-game 2024 home slate trending toward being sold out, K-State is currently riding a streak of 16-consecutive sellouts dating back to the beginning of 2022.

• Kansas State is one of only three schools in the nation to rank in the top 20 of percentage of capacity filled each of the last 10 seasons, joining Ohio State and Oklahoma.

• So far this year, K-State ranks 12th nationally by filling its stadium to 102.53% capacity.

OFFENSIVE NOTESNEW OFFENSIVE STRUCTURE

• K-State’s offense has new faces at the front of room as Conor Riley, the offensive line coach the last five seasons, will call plays for the first time in his career, while K-State hired former Utah State and Texas Tech head coach Matt Wells to serve as co-offensive coordinator, QB coach and associate head coach.

• Riley was the interim offensive coordinator in K-State’s 28-19 victory over NC State in the 2023 Pop-Tarts Bowl, a game in which the Wildcats amassed 257 rushing yards and 435 total yards on a Wolfpack defense that entered bowl season ranking No. 16 and No. 25 in those categories, respectively.

• Wells, who boasts nine years of head coaching experience, came to Manhattan after spending the last two years at Oklahoma as an advisor to head coach/offensive analyst. In addition to coaching quarterbacks during his 27-year coaching career, Wells has also spent time tutoring wide receivers and tight ends.

TOTAL OFFENSE• K-State has totaled at least 375 yards of offense in 25 of the last 31 games dating back to the beginning of the 2022 season. During that stretch, the Cats held a 10-game streak against Big 12 foes with 375 or more yards, the longest in school history.TWENTY-EIGHT IS GREAT• K-State had scored 28 or more points in 11-straight games dating back to last season prior to last week's loss at BYU. It was the longest streak of 28-point games since the 1998-99 seasons when the Cats did so in 16 consecutive games.RUSHING ATTACK• Kansas State is averaging 240.3 yards per game on the ground this season, a figure that ranks 15th nationally and second in the Big 12 Conference.

• The Cats have rushed for 215 yards or more in each game this season, including 283 yards in the opener against UT Martin.

• Four players have had at least 10 rushing attempts and each average at least 5.0 yards per carry.RED ZONE SUCCESS• K-State was one of the nation’s leaders in turning red-zone trips into touchdowns during the 2023 season, as the Cats ranked second nationally by finding paydirt on 78.46% percent of their red-zone possessions (51-of-65).

• K-State just narrowly finished behind Oregon State by 0.11% and would have led the nation had the Cats not been in the red zone when taking a knee to close out the Pop-Tarts Bowl win.

• The 2024 season opened with a continuation of red-zone success under Chris Klieman, as the Wildcats rank first among active Big 12 programs by scoring on 90.6% (240-of-265) of their overall red-zone trips since 2019 with 177 touchdowns.NOT LACKING IN EXPERIENCE• Although the offensive line lost four starters from a year, the starting unit is not lacking in experience as the current starting group has totaled 93 career starts and 6,365 career snaps.

• The leaders in those departments are North Dakota transfer tackle Easton Kilty (41 starts, 2,549 snaps), guard Hadley Panzer (30 starts, 1,969 snaps), tackle Carver Willis (11 starts, 839 snaps) and guard Taylor Poitier (seven starts, 702 snaps).YOUNG BUT EXPLOSIVE• Avery Johnson, the top dual-threat quarterback in the Class of 2023, is in his first full season as K-State’s starter a year after becoming just the first true freshman signal caller in school history to start and win a bowl game. Johnson led the Wildcats to a 28-19 victory over NC State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl en route to MVP honors.

• A member of the watch lists for the Maxwell and Davey O'Brien awards, Johnson was just the fifth sophomore since 1990 to start a season opener under center (Ell Roberson, 2001; Dylan Meier, 2004; Josh Freeman, 2007; Jesse Ertz, 2015).

• Johnson threw two touchdown passes in each of the first three games this season, while he had a career-high 110 rushing yards against No. 20 Arizona. It was the most rushing yards by a K-State quarterback since Will Howard had 125 yards against Oklahoma State in 2020.

• For his effort against UA, Johnson was named to the Davey O'Brien Award Great 8 List.GIDDENS GETTING IT DONE• Running back DJ Giddens is back for his junior season after rushing for 1,226 yards and 10 touchdowns last year in addition to hauling 29 receptions for 323 yards and three more scores.

• His 1,226 yards a year ago ranked 10th in school history.

• Giddens has opened the 2024 campaign with 104.3 rushing yards per game to rank sixth in the Big 12.

MR. 2,000• During the Arizona game, DJ Giddens went over the 2,000-yard mark in his career, the 12th player in school history to reach the milestone.

• He was the third-fastest running back in K-State history to reach 2,000 career rushing yards, behind only Darren Sproles and Alex Barnes.

• Giddens is just 49 yards shy of entering the school's top-10 list for career rushing yards.

GROUND AND POUND• DJ Giddens produced the 19th 1,000-yard rushing season in school history last year and did so on 223 carries to rank eighth in school history in yards per rush (5.50).

• It was the third-straight season K-State had a 1,000-yard rusher, the first time doing so since 2009-11 and the first time by running backs since 2001-04.

• A native of Junction City, Kansas, Giddens holds a career rushing average of 5.69 yards per carry to rank third in school history behind Darren Sproles (6.11; 2001-04) and Alex Barnes (5.71; 2016-18).

TDs BY ANY MANNER• Running back Dylan Edwards has recorded four touchdowns on just 32 touches this year with two coming on the ground, one via a reception and one on a punt return.

• He was the first Wildcat with a rushing, receiving and return touchdown over the first three games of a season since Deon Murphy did so in 2007.

DEFENSIVE NOTESDEFENSIVE SWITCH PAYS OFF• Since the K-State defense switched from a four-man front to a 3-3-5 alignment at the beginning of the 2021 season (44 games), the Cats are allowing just 21.1 points per game, which ranks 22nd nationally and is third among active Big 12 teams.

• After allowing 21.0 points per game in 2021 and 21.9 points per game in 2022, K-State surrendered only 21.0 points per game in 2023. It was the first time the Wildcats strung together three-straight seasons allowing less than 22.0 points per game since going 13-straight years from 1991 to 2003.

• The Wildcats currently are allowing 19.5 points per game this season, which is tied for 46th nationally.

BEHIND THE LINE• K-State recorded 11 tackles for loss in each of the first two games this season and currently ranks tops in the Big 12 and 14th nationally averaging 7.8 per game through four games.

• The Wildcats have also totaled 12 sacks over the first four contests as they are tied for the Big 12 lead and tied for 14th nationally.

• The leader in the sack department is Brendan Mott, who is tied for 12th nationally and second in the Big 12.

UNDER AVERAGE• K-State held each of its Big 12 opponents in 2022 and six of nine in 2023 under its season averages.

• Since head coach Chris Klieman’s first year of 2019, the Wildcats have held 35 of their 45 Big 12 opponents under their season average at the time it faces the Wildcats.

• Arizona came to Manhattan averaging 42 points per game, and, after scoring on its opening drive of the game, Arizona did not score again as the Cats took a 31-7 win.

K-State Returns Home to Face 20th-Ranked Cowboys

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;The Kansas Jayhawks return home and will take on the TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday, Sept. 28 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium for Family Weekend. Kickoff is slated for 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN+.

The Kansas vs. TCU matchup is the first of four to be played at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium for the Jayhawks, after playing their home non-conference slate at Children’s Mercy Park. Kansas will also host Houston (Oct. 19, Homecoming), Iowa State (Nov. 9) and Colorado (Nov. 23) during the 2024 season.

Saturday’s game vs. TCU serves as Kansas’ first matchup against a Big 12 Conference opponent at home this season, while also serving as Family Weekend. On Friday, Sept. 27, Kansas Athletics will host the Third Annual Rock Chalk Block Party presented by Central Bank and supported by Adidas, featuring American singer-songwriter Shaboozey.

Kansas (1-3, 0-1 Big 12) enters Saturday’s matchup following a 32-28 defeat at West Virginia on Saturday, Sept. 21 in Morgantown, W. Va. In the loss, Kansas rushed for 247 yards and three rushing touchdowns, including scores from senior running back Devin Neal, redshirt junior running back Daniel Hishaw Jr., and senior wide receiver Luke Grimm. Defensively, the Jayhawks forced two takeaways with interceptions by All-Big 12 Conference cornerbacks senior Cobee Bryant and Mello Dotson.

TCU (2-2, 0-1 Big 12) is coming off a 66-42 defeat at the hands of SMU in the Battle for the Iron Skillet on Saturday, Sept. 21 in Dallas. The Horned Frogs passed for 415 yards, including 396 yards and three touchdowns from sophomore quarterback Josh Hoover. Hoover connected with wide receivers Jack Bech and Eric McAlister for over 100 yards a piece. TCU has dropped each of its last two games, including a 35-34 loss in its Big 12 Conference opener vs. UCF on Sept. 14.

Saturday’s game between Kansas and TCU will be the 40th meeting between the two schools and the first since Oct. 8, 2022, when the schools met in Lawrence at the site of ESPN College Gameday. TCU holds the overall series advantage at 26-9-4, including a 12-7 mark in games played at Kansas.

Saturday’s game vs. TCU is the first being played at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium for the Jayhawks since 2011, when Kansas and Missouri squared off annually from 2007-11. Prior to its series with Missouri, Kansas played Oklahoma at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in 2005, its first game played at the stadium in program history.

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;The Kansas Jayhawks return home and will take on the TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday, Sept. 28 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium for Family Weekend. Kickoff is slated for 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN+.The Kansas vs. TCU matchup is the first of four to be played at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium for the Jayhawks, after playing their home non-conference slate at Children’s Mercy Park. Kansas will also host Houston (Oct. 19, Homecoming), Iowa State (Nov. 9) and Colorado (Nov. 23) during the 2024 season.Saturday’s game vs. TCU serves as Kansas’ first matchup against a Big 12 Conference opponent at home this season, while also serving as Family Weekend. On Friday, Sept. 27, Kansas Athletics will host the Third Annual Rock Chalk Block Party presented by Central Bank and supported by Adidas, featuring American singer-songwriter Shaboozey.Kansas (1-3, 0-1 Big 12) enters Saturday’s matchup following a 32-28 defeat at West Virginia on Saturday, Sept. 21 in Morgantown, W. Va. In the loss, Kansas rushed for 247 yards and three rushing touchdowns, including scores from senior running back Devin Neal, redshirt junior running back Daniel Hishaw Jr., and senior wide receiver Luke Grimm. Defensively, the Jayhawks forced two takeaways with interceptions by All-Big 12 Conference cornerbacks senior Cobee Bryant and Mello Dotson.TCU (2-2, 0-1 Big 12) is coming off a 66-42 defeat at the hands of SMU in the Battle for the Iron Skillet on Saturday, Sept. 21 in Dallas. The Horned Frogs passed for 415 yards, including 396 yards and three touchdowns from sophomore quarterback Josh Hoover. Hoover connected with wide receivers Jack Bech and Eric McAlister for over 100 yards a piece. TCU has dropped each of its last two games, including a 35-34 loss in its Big 12 Conference opener vs. UCF on Sept. 14.Saturday’s game between Kansas and TCU will be the 40th meeting between the two schools and the first since Oct. 8, 2022, when the schools met in Lawrence at the site of ESPN College Gameday. TCU holds the overall series advantage at 26-9-4, including a 12-7 mark in games played at Kansas.Saturday’s game vs. TCU is the first being played at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium for the Jayhawks since 2011, when Kansas and Missouri squared off annually from 2007-11. Prior to its series with Missouri, Kansas played Oklahoma at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in 2005, its first game played at the stadium in program history.

Kansas Hosts TCU to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium for Family Weekend

Hello and happy Monday, everybody, it’s Tyler Henry, back with another KINA Sports Update presented by Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine…

Even missing Isaiah Pacheco, the Kansas City Chiefs shined in primetime, defeating the Falcons 22-17 on Sunday Night Football.

Mahomes shook off another interception to throw a pair of touchdown passes, and the Chiefs defense stopped Atlanta twice on fourth down in the closing minutes, preserving the victory.

The Chiefs are now 3-0 while Atlanta falls to 1-2, KC will be back in action to take on the Chargers next Sunday

On Sunday Blake Snell struck out nine in six strong innings and the San Francisco Giants completed a three-game series sweep with a 2-0 win over the Kansas City Royals.

Kansas City was shut out for the second straight game and lost its seventh straight. The Royals drop into a tie with Detroit (82-74) in the race for an AL wild card. Minnesota is a half-game back of Kansas City and the Tigers, pending the outcome of its second game of a doubleheader against Boston.

All this comes with just six games remaining in the regular season

And finally in case you missed it a few kickoff updates for Big 12 action. K-State will open it’s Big 12 home slate against Oklahoma State at 11 AM while Kansas hosts TCU on Saturday afternoon at 2:30.

<figure>
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 </figure>BY SALINA POST(Transcript)Hello and happy Monday, everybody, it’s Tyler Henry, back with another KINA Sports Update presented by Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine…_________Even missing Isaiah Pacheco, the Kansas City Chiefs shined in primetime, defeating the Falcons 22-17 on Sunday Night Football.Mahomes shook off another interception to throw a pair of touchdown passes, and the Chiefs defense stopped Atlanta twice on fourth down in the closing minutes, preserving the victory.The Chiefs are now 3-0 while Atlanta falls to 1-2, KC will be back in action to take on the Chargers next Sunday_________On Sunday Blake Snell struck out nine in six strong innings and the San Francisco Giants completed a three-game series sweep with a 2-0 win over the Kansas City Royals.Kansas City was shut out for the second straight game and lost its seventh straight. The Royals drop into a tie with Detroit (82-74) in the race for an AL wild card. Minnesota is a half-game back of Kansas City and the Tigers, pending the outcome of its second game of a doubleheader against Boston.All this comes with just six games remaining in the regular season_________And finally in case you missed it a few kickoff updates for Big 12 action. K-State will open it’s Big 12 home slate against Oklahoma State at 11 AM while Kansas hosts TCU on Saturday afternoon at 2:30.Both games will be televised on ESPN_________

910 KINA Sports Headlines — September 23

ATLANTA (AP) — Patrick Mahomes knows he must get better.

Thanks to a couple of stifling stands from Kansas City's defense, the two-time reigning Super Bowl champs are still unbeaten.

Mahomes shook off another interception to throw a pair of touchdown passes and the Chiefs defense stopped Atlanta twice on fourth down in the closing minutes, preserving a 22-17 victory over the Falcons on Sunday night.

“It helps when you have a defense that’s been in those moments before and is able to make those big plays,” Mahomes said. “It’s a team game and we’re winning games and I feel like we’re gonna start getting better and better each and every week.”

The Chiefs (3-0) have been far from perfect, that's for sure — Mahomes points to himself more than anyone — but their record has remained unblemished by a combined 13 points.

Coming off an upset victory at Philadelphia, the Falcons (1-2) had a couple of shots at the go-ahead touchdown in the closing minutes.

Kirk Cousins threw a pair of incompletions in the end zone from the Chiefs 6 after the Falcons passed up a shot at a field goal with just over 4 minute remaining.

Atlanta got the ball back, drove down the field with help from a couple of penalties, and had third-and-1 at the Kansas City 13. Tyler Allgeier was stuffed for no gain and Bijan Robinson was thrown for&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/i/status/1838055793762963661">a 3-yard loss</a>&nbsp;by Nick Bolton on fourth down with less than a minute remaining.

Bolton said he recognized what play the Falcons were running before they snapped the ball.

“Trust my keys, trust my eyes, trust the play call we had,” he said. “I already knew where I was going.”

Mahomes threw for 217 yards, including scoring throws to Rashee Rice and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/i/status/1838043830265819572">JuJu Smith-Schuster</a>, and Harrison Butker booted three field goals for the Chiefs.

Cousins was 20 of 29 for 230 yards with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Drake London and a 50-yard completion to Kyle Pitts that set up Robinson's 1-yard scoring run.

“I feel like we’ve left a lot of opportunities out there on the field,” Cousins said. “I look forward to getting better.”

Riding the momentum from their last-minute stunner at Philadelphia, the Falcons took the opening kickoff and quickly drove 70 yards for a touchdown.

Cousins completed all five of his passes for 66 yards, including a 14-yard scoring toss to Drake London — who also caught the winning score against the Eagles. London wound up all alone in the end zone on a busted coverage by the Chiefs.

Mahomes bounced back from his fourth interception of the season to take Kansas City on a 13-play, 79-yard drive that ended with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Rice.

The Falcons reclaimed the lead on Robinson’s 1-yard touchdown run, which was set up by Cousins’ 50-yard pass to Kyle Pitts.

But Atlanta’s offensive line took a pair of hits when right tackle Kaleb McGary and center Drew Dalman both went out with injuries. With a pair of backups joining their ranks, the guys up from struggled to keep the pressure off Cousins, who was sacked twice and hit 10 more times as he threw, spending much of the night picking himself off the turf at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

One of those hits resulted in a wobbly pass that was picked off by Chamarri Conner, setting up Butker's 44-yard field goal that sliced the Falcons’ edge to 14-13 at halftime.

Butker put the Chiefs ahead to stay on a 21-yard chip shot in the third quarter, and Kansas City stretched the lead on Mahomes’ 13-yard touchdown pass to Smith-Schuster late in the third quarter.

For the third game in a row, Travis Kelce was not much of a factor. The star tight end had four catches for 30 yards.

With Kansas City running back&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-pacheco-injury-5a299988d5e757e798571eaffe8fc1fe">Isiah Pacheco</a>&nbsp;sidelined with an ankle injury, the Chiefs got good production from his replacements.

Carson Steele, an undrafted rookie, led the way with 17 bruising carries for 72 yards. Samaje Perine chipped in with six carries for 25 yards, to go along with three catches for 15 yards.

“I had a lot of trust there,” Mahomes said. “You lose some of that juice that Isaiah has. I mean, there’s not a lot of people that are that fired up after every run. But I thought the guys did a great job.”

After a disputed pass interference penalty on fourth-and-long set up their victory over Cincinnati the previous week, the Chiefs might have gotten away with one against the Falcons.

On third-and-goal from the Kansas City 6, Cousins looked toward Pitts in the back of the end zone. With his back to the quarterback, safety Bryan Cook appeared to collide with Pitts just before the ball arrived.

But the officials did not throw a flag, and Cousins' fourth-down pass also fell incomplete.

“That is a real-time call that officials have to make a judgment on," referee Tra Blake told a pool reporter. "We do the best we can to make that decision.”

Chiefs: Bolton hobbled off the field early in the fourth quarter after an awkward landing, but he came back to make the big stop on Robinson.

Falcons: McGary and Dalman both went out in the second quarter. McGary was helped off the field with a knee injury and replaced by Storm Norton. Dalman was replaced by Ryan Neuzil after being sidelined with an ankle issue.

Chiefs: Stay on the road for another week when they visit Los Angeles next Sunday to face the Chargers (2-1) in an AFC West matchup.

Falcons: Play the second of three straight home games when their NFC South rival, the New Orleans Saints (2-1), visit Atlanta next Sunday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727085618674.png" alt="Photo courtesy Kansas City Chiefs" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Kansas City Chiefs</figcaption>
 </figure>ATLANTA (AP) — Patrick Mahomes knows he must get better.Not to worry.Thanks to a couple of stifling stands from Kansas City's defense, the two-time reigning Super Bowl champs are still unbeaten.Mahomes shook off another interception to throw a pair of touchdown passes and the Chiefs defense stopped Atlanta twice on fourth down in the closing minutes, preserving a 22-17 victory over the Falcons on Sunday night.“It helps when you have a defense that’s been in those moments before and is able to make those big plays,” Mahomes said. “It’s a team game and we’re winning games and I feel like we’re gonna start getting better and better each and every week.”The Chiefs (3-0) have been far from perfect, that's for sure — Mahomes points to himself more than anyone — but their record has remained unblemished by a combined 13 points.Coming off an upset victory at Philadelphia, the Falcons (1-2) had a couple of shots at the go-ahead touchdown in the closing minutes.Kirk Cousins threw a pair of incompletions in the end zone from the Chiefs 6 after the Falcons passed up a shot at a field goal with just over 4 minute remaining.Atlanta got the ball back, drove down the field with help from a couple of penalties, and had third-and-1 at the Kansas City 13. Tyler Allgeier was stuffed for no gain and Bijan Robinson was thrown for&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/i/status/1838055793762963661">a 3-yard loss</a>&nbsp;by Nick Bolton on fourth down with less than a minute remaining.Bolton said he recognized what play the Falcons were running before they snapped the ball.“Trust my keys, trust my eyes, trust the play call we had,” he said. “I already knew where I was going.”Mahomes threw for 217 yards, including scoring throws to Rashee Rice and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/i/status/1838043830265819572">JuJu Smith-Schuster</a>, and Harrison Butker booted three field goals for the Chiefs.Cousins was 20 of 29 for 230 yards with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Drake London and a 50-yard completion to Kyle Pitts that set up Robinson's 1-yard scoring run.“I feel like we’ve left a lot of opportunities out there on the field,” Cousins said. “I look forward to getting better.”Riding the momentum from their last-minute stunner at Philadelphia, the Falcons took the opening kickoff and quickly drove 70 yards for a touchdown.Cousins completed all five of his passes for 66 yards, including a 14-yard scoring toss to Drake London — who also caught the winning score against the Eagles. London wound up all alone in the end zone on a busted coverage by the Chiefs.Mahomes bounced back from his fourth interception of the season to take Kansas City on a 13-play, 79-yard drive that ended with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Rice.The Falcons reclaimed the lead on Robinson’s 1-yard touchdown run, which was set up by Cousins’ 50-yard pass to Kyle Pitts.But Atlanta’s offensive line took a pair of hits when right tackle Kaleb McGary and center Drew Dalman both went out with injuries. With a pair of backups joining their ranks, the guys up from struggled to keep the pressure off Cousins, who was sacked twice and hit 10 more times as he threw, spending much of the night picking himself off the turf at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.One of those hits resulted in a wobbly pass that was picked off by Chamarri Conner, setting up Butker's 44-yard field goal that sliced the Falcons’ edge to 14-13 at halftime.Butker put the Chiefs ahead to stay on a 21-yard chip shot in the third quarter, and Kansas City stretched the lead on Mahomes’ 13-yard touchdown pass to Smith-Schuster late in the third quarter.For the third game in a row, Travis Kelce was not much of a factor. The star tight end had four catches for 30 yards.<h2>Running back replacements</h2>With Kansas City running back&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-pacheco-injury-5a299988d5e757e798571eaffe8fc1fe">Isiah Pacheco</a>&nbsp;sidelined with an ankle injury, the Chiefs got good production from his replacements.Carson Steele, an undrafted rookie, led the way with 17 bruising carries for 72 yards. Samaje Perine chipped in with six carries for 25 yards, to go along with three catches for 15 yards.“I had a lot of trust there,” Mahomes said. “You lose some of that juice that Isaiah has. I mean, there’s not a lot of people that are that fired up after every run. But I thought the guys did a great job.”<h2>Controversial no-call</h2>After a disputed pass interference penalty on fourth-and-long set up their victory over Cincinnati the previous week, the Chiefs might have gotten away with one against the Falcons.On third-and-goal from the Kansas City 6, Cousins looked toward Pitts in the back of the end zone. With his back to the quarterback, safety Bryan Cook appeared to collide with Pitts just before the ball arrived.But the officials did not throw a flag, and Cousins' fourth-down pass also fell incomplete.“That is a real-time call that officials have to make a judgment on," referee Tra Blake told a pool reporter. "We do the best we can to make that decision.”<h2>Injury report</h2>Chiefs: Bolton hobbled off the field early in the fourth quarter after an awkward landing, but he came back to make the big stop on Robinson.Falcons: McGary and Dalman both went out in the second quarter. McGary was helped off the field with a knee injury and replaced by Storm Norton. Dalman was replaced by Ryan Neuzil after being sidelined with an ankle issue.<h2>Up next</h2>Chiefs: Stay on the road for another week when they visit Los Angeles next Sunday to face the Chargers (2-1) in an AFC West matchup.Falcons: Play the second of three straight home games when their NFC South rival, the New Orleans Saints (2-1), visit Atlanta next Sunday.___

🏈 Mahomes throws 2 touchdown passes to lead Chiefs over the Falcons

ADAM COULTER Salina Post Contributor

The Sacred Heart Knights and Pleasanton Blu-Jays met in Council Grove on Friday night for a neutral site game, but thanks to lightning in the area, the game was delayed and then canceled early in the second quarter.&nbsp;

Both teams were forced to punt after stalled drives on their first offensive possessions. Later in the opening period, backed up at its own 12-yard-line, with the benefit of a pair of 15-yard penalties, Sacred Heart went on an 88-yard drive and what would eventually prove to be the game's lone touchdown.&nbsp;

Noah Hines capped off the long Knight drive with a touchdown catch from Maddox Wells. Dominic Matteucci hauled in the 2-point conversation pass attempt as well.&nbsp;

The score would remain 8-0 at the end of the first quarter and early into the second. Sacred Heart had marched down the field once more and were in the redzone looking to add to its lead. However, lightning in the area postponed the game for about 45 minutes until the decision was made to postpone and then cancel the game with it not being rescheduled.&nbsp;

Sacred Heart will resume its schedule on the road next Friday at Valley Heights. Kickoff is set for 7pm. Every Sacred Heart game throughout the season can be seen and heard with live streaming audio and video at <a href="http://salinapost.com/">salinapost.com</a>.

You can tune watch this game on-demand at any time below.

ADAM COULTER Salina Post ContributorThe Sacred Heart Knights and Pleasanton Blu-Jays met in Council Grove on Friday night for a neutral site game, but thanks to lightning in the area, the game was delayed and then canceled early in the second quarter.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715807615208.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>Both teams were forced to punt after stalled drives on their first offensive possessions. Later in the opening period, backed up at its own 12-yard-line, with the benefit of a pair of 15-yard penalties, Sacred Heart went on an 88-yard drive and what would eventually prove to be the game's lone touchdown.&nbsp;Noah Hines capped off the long Knight drive with a touchdown catch from Maddox Wells. Dominic Matteucci hauled in the 2-point conversation pass attempt as well.&nbsp;The score would remain 8-0 at the end of the first quarter and early into the second. Sacred Heart had marched down the field once more and were in the redzone looking to add to its lead. However, lightning in the area postponed the game for about 45 minutes until the decision was made to postpone and then cancel the game with it not being rescheduled.&nbsp;Sacred Heart will resume its schedule on the road next Friday at Valley Heights. Kickoff is set for 7pm. Every Sacred Heart game throughout the season can be seen and heard with live streaming audio and video at <a href="http://salinapost.com/">salinapost.com</a>.You can tune watch this game on-demand at any time below.<figure>
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Friday night lightning delays then cancels Sacred Heart-Pleasanton matchup

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Blake Snell struck out nine in six strong innings and the San Francisco Giants completed a three-game series sweep with a 2-0 win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.

Kansas City was shut out for the second straight game and lost its seventh straight. The Royals dropped into a tie with Detroit (82-74) in the race for an AL wild card. Minnesota is a half-game back of Kansas City and the Tigers, pending the outcome of its second game of a doubleheader against Boston.

Snell (5-3) allowed two singles and a walk and didn't allow a runner past first base. In his last 14 starts, he is 5-0 with a 1.23 ERA and 114 strikeouts.

Royals’ batters were 1 for 13 when Snell threw a first-pitch strike. Opponents are hitting .121 this season when the 31-year-old left-hander gets ahead in the count.

With one out in the second, Grant McCray lined an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/seth-lugo-in-play-run-s-to-grant-mccray">RBI triple to right-center</a>&nbsp;and scored on Brett Wisely’s two-out hit. McCray snapped an 0-for-13 skid with his first extra-base hit since Sept. 7.

Kansas City's Seth Lugo (16-9) retired the next 16 batters and finished with five strikeouts and two runs allowed through seven innings.

Three Giants relievers struck out four and Ryan Walker earned his ninth save.

San Francisco completed its first series sweep of Kansas City and its first series sweep against an American League opponent since April 15-17, 2022, at Cleveland.

The Royals have scored four runs in their last five games and have held a lead in just one of their last 50 innings.

Kansas City lost by shutout in consecutive games for the second time this season and the first time since June 22-23 at Texas.

Giants: RHP Hayden Birdsong (4-5, 4.74 ERA) opposes Diamondbacks LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (3-3, 5.09) in Arizona on Monday.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Blake Snell struck out nine in six strong innings and the San Francisco Giants completed a three-game series sweep with a 2-0 win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.Kansas City was shut out for the second straight game and lost its seventh straight. The Royals dropped into a tie with Detroit (82-74) in the race for an AL wild card. Minnesota is a half-game back of Kansas City and the Tigers, pending the outcome of its second game of a doubleheader against Boston.Snell (5-3) allowed two singles and a walk and didn't allow a runner past first base. In his last 14 starts, he is 5-0 with a 1.23 ERA and 114 strikeouts.Royals’ batters were 1 for 13 when Snell threw a first-pitch strike. Opponents are hitting .121 this season when the 31-year-old left-hander gets ahead in the count.With one out in the second, Grant McCray lined an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/seth-lugo-in-play-run-s-to-grant-mccray">RBI triple to right-center</a>&nbsp;and scored on Brett Wisely’s two-out hit. McCray snapped an 0-for-13 skid with his first extra-base hit since Sept. 7.Kansas City's Seth Lugo (16-9) retired the next 16 batters and finished with five strikeouts and two runs allowed through seven innings.Three Giants relievers struck out four and Ryan Walker earned his ninth save.San Francisco completed its first series sweep of Kansas City and its first series sweep against an American League opponent since April 15-17, 2022, at Cleveland.The Royals have scored four runs in their last five games and have held a lead in just one of their last 50 innings.Kansas City lost by shutout in consecutive games for the second time this season and the first time since June 22-23 at Texas.UP NEXTGiants: RHP Hayden Birdsong (4-5, 4.74 ERA) opposes Diamondbacks LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (3-3, 5.09) in Arizona on Monday.

⚾ Snell strikes out 9 as Giants complete series sweep of Royals

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–</a>&nbsp;The Big 12 Conference and ESPN announced Sunday that Kansas State’s Big 12 home opener against Oklahoma State will kick at 11 a.m., and will be televised by ESPN.

Kansas State will be in search of its second-straight home victory over the Cowboys for the first time since 2012 and 2014. Two years ago in Manhattan, K-State earned a 48-0 shutout over ninth-ranked OSU, which was the largest ever shutout win by a lower-ranked team against a team ranked in the top 10 of the Associated Press Top 25.

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–</a>&nbsp;The Big 12 Conference and ESPN announced Sunday that Kansas State’s Big 12 home opener against Oklahoma State will kick at 11 a.m., and will be televised by ESPN.Kansas State will be in search of its second-straight home victory over the Cowboys for the first time since 2012 and 2014. Two years ago in Manhattan, K-State earned a 48-0 shutout over ninth-ranked OSU, which was the largest ever shutout win by a lower-ranked team against a team ranked in the top 10 of the Associated Press Top 25.

K-State’s Big 12 Home Opener Slated for Morning Kick

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;The Kansas Jayhawks will host TCU at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 28, in a game that will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT and be broadcast on ESPN+, the Big 12 Conference announced Sunday.

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;The Kansas Jayhawks will host TCU at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 28, in a game that will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT and be broadcast on ESPN+, the Big 12 Conference announced Sunday.This will be the conference home opener for the Jayhawks, and the first of four games that KU will host from GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs. All six of Kansas’ home games during the 2024 season are being played in the Kansas City area while construction continues on the transformational University of Kansas Gateway District.Kansas and TCU will be meeting for the 40th time in series history and the first since Oct. 8, 2022, when the No. 19 Jayhawks hosted the No. 17 Horned Frogs in front of a sold-out crowd at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Lawrence was also the site of ESPN’s College GameDay for the game, which was won by TCU, 38-31. TCU leads the all-time series 26-9-4, including wins in the last four meetings. Kansas last defeated the Horned Frogs 27-26 on Oct. 27, 2018, in Lawrence.Kansas is 1-3 (0-1 Big 12) on the year following a 32-28 setback at West Virginia in their conference opener on Saturday, Sept. 21. The Jayhawks defeated Lindenwood 48-3 in the season opener, before suffering defeats at Illinois, 23-17, and against UNLV, 23-20.TCU is 2-2 on the year and 0-1 in Big 12 play after dropping their conference opener 35-34 against UCF on Sept. 14. The Horned Frogs have now dropped two straight after also falling 66-42 at SMU on Sept. 21 in Dallas.