<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–</a>&nbsp;Kansas State junior&nbsp;DJ Giddens&nbsp;was one of 10 running backs in the country – including four from the Big 12 – to be named a semifinalist for the 2024 Doak Walker Award, the PwC SMU Athletic Forum announced Tuesday.

Giddens is the fourth player in school history to be named a semifinalist or finalist for the award that recognizes the top running back in college football. Darren Sproles was a finalist in 2003, while Daniel Thomas (2010) and Deuce Vaughn (2021 and 2022) were each semifinalists.

A product of Junction City, Kansas, Giddens has rushed for 1,128 yards and five touchdowns on 176 carries in addition to hauling in 18 catches for 219 yards and another score. He ranks eighth in the country in scrimmage yards per game (134.70), ninth in total rushing yards, 10th&nbsp;in all-purpose yards per game (134.70) and 15th&nbsp;in rushing yards per carry (6.41).

Giddens is the fourth player in school history to record multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons, joining the aforementioned Sproles (2002, 2003, 2004), Thomas (2009, 2010) and Vaughn (2021, 2022). He ranks second in school history in single-season rushing yards per carry (6.41), sixth in rushing yards per game (112.8) and tied for eighth in 100-yard rushing games (6), while he is 98 rushing yards shy of entering the single-season top-10 list and 13 yards away from tying for fifth in school history among juniors.

Three finalists for the 2024 Doak Walker Award will be announced next Tuesday, and the winner will be unveiled live on ESPN during&nbsp;The Home Depot College Football Awards&nbsp;on December 12. The formal presentation of the award will take place at the annual banquet scheduled for January 31, 2025.

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–</a>&nbsp;Kansas State junior&nbsp;DJ Giddens&nbsp;was one of 10 running backs in the country – including four from the Big 12 – to be named a semifinalist for the 2024 Doak Walker Award, the PwC SMU Athletic Forum announced Tuesday.Giddens is the fourth player in school history to be named a semifinalist or finalist for the award that recognizes the top running back in college football. Darren Sproles was a finalist in 2003, while Daniel Thomas (2010) and Deuce Vaughn (2021 and 2022) were each semifinalists.A product of Junction City, Kansas, Giddens has rushed for 1,128 yards and five touchdowns on 176 carries in addition to hauling in 18 catches for 219 yards and another score. He ranks eighth in the country in scrimmage yards per game (134.70), ninth in total rushing yards, 10th&nbsp;in all-purpose yards per game (134.70) and 15th&nbsp;in rushing yards per carry (6.41).Giddens is the fourth player in school history to record multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons, joining the aforementioned Sproles (2002, 2003, 2004), Thomas (2009, 2010) and Vaughn (2021, 2022). He ranks second in school history in single-season rushing yards per carry (6.41), sixth in rushing yards per game (112.8) and tied for eighth in 100-yard rushing games (6), while he is 98 rushing yards shy of entering the single-season top-10 list and 13 yards away from tying for fifth in school history among juniors.Three finalists for the 2024 Doak Walker Award will be announced next Tuesday, and the winner will be unveiled live on ESPN during&nbsp;The Home Depot College Football Awards&nbsp;on December 12. The formal presentation of the award will take place at the annual banquet scheduled for January 31, 2025.

K-State’s Giddens Named Semifinalist for Doak Walker Award

<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/stats/2024-25/little-rock/boxscore/18661" target="_blank">Box Score</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/galleries/womens-basketball/kstatewbb-vs-little-rock/4518" target="_blank">Photo Gallery</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://we.tl/t-75KDqP7Rjq" target="_blank">Postgame Highlights</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://we.tl/t-xz6hUvXsPf" target="_blank">K-State Press Conferences</a>

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– (10/11) K-State featured four players in double figures as the Wildcats dropped Little Rock, 73-43, at Bramlage Coliseum on Monday night.

With the victory, K-State women’s basketball secured its 400th&nbsp;all-time win inside Bramlage Coliseum (400-156; .719).

Senior Ayoka Lee registered her first double-double of the season and the 61st&nbsp;of her career with 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting with 11 rebounds and two steals in 14 minutes of action. With her 16 points, Lee passed Nicole Ohlde (2000-04; 2,241) for second in school history for career points with 2,245.

Matching Lee for game-high honors was sophomore guard Zyanna Walker with a career-high 16 points to go with a game-high six assists.

Junior Eliza Maupin and sophomore Taryn Sides each registered 10 points pacing a Wildcat bench effort of 32 total points. Maupin hauled in eight rebounds, while Sides added six rebounds, four assists and two steals.

- K-State (4-0) closed the first quarter with an 11-0 run to build a 23-13 lead. Trailing 13-12 with 1:57 remaining, Gisela Sanchez buried a corner 3-pointer and was followed by Lee with an old-fashioned 3-point play. Lee then finished an offensive rebound with a putback and Zyanna Walker capped the scoring with an acrobatic layup and free throw.

- Little Rock (1-3) was held to 13.3 percent (2-of-15) shooting in the second quarter, as the Wildcats built a 41-23 lead at halftime.

- In the third quarter, the Wildcats held the Trojans to nine points on 21.4 percent (3-of-14) shooting to hold a 55-32 lead entering the final stanza. Six different Wildcats scored in the third frame.

- K-State outscored Little Rock 15-4 in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter to build a 70-36 lead with 4:56 remaining. Maupin and Walker led the scoring during the run, as Maupin tallied six points, while Walker carded five.

- The Wildcats registered a 21-2 advantage in second chance points on Monday night. This was the second time this season K-State carded 20 or more second chance points, trailing the 23 against Green Bay in the season-opener.

- K-State ended the night with a 58-36 advantage on the glass.

- The Wildcats shot 41.1 percent (30-of-73) from the field and held Little Rock to a 23.3 percent (14-of-60) performance.

- K-State leads the series with Little Rock, 5-1. The Wildcats are 19-2 against current members of the Ohio Valley Conference.

- K-State is 400-156 (.719) in its 37-season history inside Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats own a 233-30 (.886) record against non-conference opponents inside Bramlage.

- K-State owns a record of 252-95 (.726) as an AP ranked team. K-State is 15-5 (.750) all-time when ranked 10th in the nation.

- K-State head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 648-370 (.637) in his 33 seasons as a head coach, including a mark of 194-135 (.590) in his 11 seasons at K-State. Mittie is 404-113 (.781) in games played in his home venue, including a 130-48 (.730) mark in Bramlage Coliseum.

- The Wildcats are 164-54 (.752) in games played in the month of November, including wins in 52 of its last 63 games in the month. Under Mittie, K-State is 50-11 (.820) in games during the 11th&nbsp;month.

- K-State's starting five consisted of guards: Zyanna Walker, Jaelyn Glenn and Serena Sundell; forward Temira Poindexter and center Ayoka Lee. This was the third time this lineup has started this season. This was the 117th&nbsp;career start for Lee, the 107th career start for Sundell, the 103rd career start for Jaelyn Glenn, the 91st career collegiate start and fourth at K-State for Poindexter and the fourth career start for Walker. With her 117th&nbsp;career start at K-State, Lee ties Eileen Feeney (1976-80) and Ashley Sweat (2006-10) for 8th&nbsp;in program history for career starts.

- The Wildcats held a 41-23 lead at halftime on Monday. Under Mittie, K-State is 154-19 (.890) when leading at halftime. The Wildcats have led at the half in all four games this season.

- K-State has scored 20-or more points in a quarter eight times this season. Since the start of the quarter-system in 2015-16, the Wildcats are 136-62 (.687) when scoring 20 or more points in any quarter of a game.

- Over the last four seasons, K-State is 46-3 (.939) when holding the advantage on the glass.

- Lee tallied her 61st career double-double. This improves upon her K-State school record and moves her into a tie for fourth in Big 12 history with Sophia Young of Baylor (61; 2003-06).

- Lee needs 89 points to pass Kendra Wecker (2001-05; 2,333 points) for the school record for points in a career. Lee’s career point total stands at 2,245.

- Lee recorded her 107th career game with 10 or more points. Lee has scored in every game of her career (117 games).

- Lee hauled in 11 rebounds on Monday. Lee’s career total for rebounds stands at 1,136, improving upon her own school record for career rebounds. Lee is seventh in Big 12 history for career rebounds.

- Lee has shot 50.0 percent or better from the field in 80 career games. With her seven made field goals on Monday, Lee improved her career total to 908. She needs 28 made field goals to pass Ohlde for the school record for career field goals made.

- Lee improved her career blocked shot total to 314, improving upon her school record for career blocked shots. Lee ranks fifth all-time in Big 12 history for career blocked shots.

- Lee pocketed two steals on Monday. This was 25th&nbsp;career game with two or more steals.

- Walker recorded her 13th&nbsp;career game, all at K-State, with 10 or more points.

- Walker handed out five or more assists for the third time this season and the fifth time in her career.

- Sides pulled in five rebounds on Monday, her sixth career game with five or more rebounds and her second this season.

- Sides connected on two 3-point field goals on Monday, equaling her season-high and marking her 11th&nbsp;career game with two or more connections from long range.

- Maupin reached double figures in points for the 10th&nbsp;time in her career and first time this season.

- Maupin hauled in five or more rebounds for the first time this season and the 13th&nbsp;time in her career.

“It’s always good to get another win under our belt. We weren’t particularly sharp for most of the night—it was kind of an ugly game, to be honest. I didn’t feel like we had much of a rhythm. That said, there were some positives. We did a great job defending Faith Lee, who came in averaging a lot of points. We also saw some strong performances off the bench. I thought [Taryn] Sides played well, [Eliza] Maupin came in and contributed, and Imani Lester had a good showing. From the starting group, I felt [Zyanna] Walker was the most engaged on both ends of the floor, and she was rewarded with a solid performance tonight. Those were definitely the bright spots for us.”

On a few players performing poorly…

“I didn’t feel like that group played very well, and that can’t become a habit. You only get so many opportunities, and I didn’t think they were very engaged or showed much urgency. That’s definitely something that needs to change. I’ll take a closer look to see if there’s a reason behind it, but from my perspective, the lack of urgency hurt us. It seemed to lead to some missed shots—especially a lot of missed layups early on—which really snowballed. The only player who seemed to snap out of it was [Zyanna] Walker. [Ayoka Lee] had some moments, but Walker was the one who stood out.”

On Zyanna Walker’s impressive performance…

“From a leadership standpoint, I thought she was the most engaged. Defensively, she seemed the most locked in to her role, and I think her offensive game came from that. She got a steal and made some plays, which helped her build momentum. The rest just seemed to struggle to get going defensively.”

On some of the concerns from today’s game…

“Too many free throws for them—11 in the first half. I hate to come in here and sound negative, but I’m not going to praise mediocrity either. I need to be honest with you. I can’t say something was good when, in reality, it wasn’t. That said, there were some positives. I thought we had spurts where we played well. We did a good job on Faith Lee, [Tamira] Poindexter got off to a strong start in that matchup. But foul trouble with [Jaelyn] Glenn and [Ayoka Lee] was a problem, and those are things that have to improve. There’s definitely a lot to be concerned about coming out of this game.”

On some players who played well…

“I thought [Eliza] Maupin improved as her rotation went on. Early on, she wasn’t as active as I’d like, but as her minutes increased, she made an impact—getting on the offensive glass and finding the right dives to the rim. Those were really positive things. [Imani] Lester came in and was very efficient, she ends up with seven boards in just 13 minutes, which was great to see. As for Taryn, she didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, but she seemed to find a better offensive rhythm, moving the ball to the right players. That was a real positive for her. Keep in mind, Taryn hasn’t had much practice time because of her ankle, so this was her first extended stretch of minutes. In practice, we’ve had to keep things short for her, so it was good to see her getting into a rhythm out there.”

K-State 5th&nbsp;Year Senior Center Ayoka Lee

On moving into second on K-State's all-time scoring list…

“Yeah, pretty cool. Yeah it's exciting. Yeah, I didn't really know what was going on, so it's cool, yeah.”

On how Zyanna has improved this season…

“I think she's really stepped up just as a vocal leader this year a little bit more. I think she kind of has to be as a point guard. I think she's really embraced that role well, because it's just not an easy role to be in. I think she's really improved her pull up game, like just looking for mid-range. I thought last year she did, and she still does a great job getting to the rim. But like hunting the mid-range and knowing that that's also a really good shot for her, I think, has been a really big difference. And then I think just like the hustle plays, I think that's one thing that she just continues to do well is give us energy when we need it, and give us a big lift through how she hustles.”

On the play of Eliza Maupin and Imani Lester…

“I thought they played really well. I thought Eliza cut really well, and I thought she finished really well. And same for Imani, I thought that they both found the open spots, and they were both in the right spots when they needed to be. I think that's really encouraging, and definitely just will continue to build off that.”

K-State Sophomore Guard Zyanna Walker

“No, I think I just came in with the same mindset, just attack and, people are going to have off nights, so you got to get it taken care of. It was actually kind of weird that so many people were kind of, you know, a little off at the same time, but still got the job done. That's going to happen. So hopefully we're just saving it for Vegas.”

On scoring 70+ points even on an off night…

“I think it just shows that we can use our defense to turn into offense. I think we got out in transition a little bit that second half, and that really helped us.”

“I think the most improvement I made in my game is kind of just my passing and ball handling. I'm feeling more comfortable at the one and just being confident in my shot, you know, being confident that it is going to go in, and if it doesn't, so what, I'm still going to shoot it again.

“Just every day, I just wake up with the same routine and make sure I get in a positive mindset. And I think it's very important to us as athletes that we have that confidence and that it is instilled in us. So, yeah, I just try to make it a daily routine for me.”

On setting a career-high and the team's season…

“Yeah, I'm super excited. I think our potential is super high, so I can't wait to just show all our fans and have another great year.”

The Wildcats finish its five-game home stand on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., as K-State hosts Milwaukee. For tickets, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">kstatesports.com/tickets</a>&nbsp;or call (800) 221-CATS.

<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/stats/2024-25/little-rock/boxscore/18661" target="_blank">Box Score</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/galleries/womens-basketball/kstatewbb-vs-little-rock/4518" target="_blank">Photo Gallery</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://we.tl/t-75KDqP7Rjq" target="_blank">Postgame Highlights</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://we.tl/t-xz6hUvXsPf" target="_blank">K-State Press Conferences</a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– (10/11) K-State featured four players in double figures as the Wildcats dropped Little Rock, 73-43, at Bramlage Coliseum on Monday night.With the victory, K-State women’s basketball secured its 400th&nbsp;all-time win inside Bramlage Coliseum (400-156; .719).Senior Ayoka Lee registered her first double-double of the season and the 61st&nbsp;of her career with 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting with 11 rebounds and two steals in 14 minutes of action. With her 16 points, Lee passed Nicole Ohlde (2000-04; 2,241) for second in school history for career points with 2,245.Matching Lee for game-high honors was sophomore guard Zyanna Walker with a career-high 16 points to go with a game-high six assists.Junior Eliza Maupin and sophomore Taryn Sides each registered 10 points pacing a Wildcat bench effort of 32 total points. Maupin hauled in eight rebounds, while Sides added six rebounds, four assists and two steals.HOW IT HAPPENED- K-State (4-0) closed the first quarter with an 11-0 run to build a 23-13 lead. Trailing 13-12 with 1:57 remaining, Gisela Sanchez buried a corner 3-pointer and was followed by Lee with an old-fashioned 3-point play. Lee then finished an offensive rebound with a putback and Zyanna Walker capped the scoring with an acrobatic layup and free throw.- Little Rock (1-3) was held to 13.3 percent (2-of-15) shooting in the second quarter, as the Wildcats built a 41-23 lead at halftime.- In the third quarter, the Wildcats held the Trojans to nine points on 21.4 percent (3-of-14) shooting to hold a 55-32 lead entering the final stanza. Six different Wildcats scored in the third frame.- K-State outscored Little Rock 15-4 in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter to build a 70-36 lead with 4:56 remaining. Maupin and Walker led the scoring during the run, as Maupin tallied six points, while Walker carded five.- The Wildcats registered a 21-2 advantage in second chance points on Monday night. This was the second time this season K-State carded 20 or more second chance points, trailing the 23 against Green Bay in the season-opener.- K-State ended the night with a 58-36 advantage on the glass.- The Wildcats shot 41.1 percent (30-of-73) from the field and held Little Rock to a 23.3 percent (14-of-60) performance.QUICK FACTS- K-State leads the series with Little Rock, 5-1. The Wildcats are 19-2 against current members of the Ohio Valley Conference.- K-State is 400-156 (.719) in its 37-season history inside Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats own a 233-30 (.886) record against non-conference opponents inside Bramlage.- K-State owns a record of 252-95 (.726) as an AP ranked team. K-State is 15-5 (.750) all-time when ranked 10th in the nation.- K-State head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 648-370 (.637) in his 33 seasons as a head coach, including a mark of 194-135 (.590) in his 11 seasons at K-State. Mittie is 404-113 (.781) in games played in his home venue, including a 130-48 (.730) mark in Bramlage Coliseum.- The Wildcats are 164-54 (.752) in games played in the month of November, including wins in 52 of its last 63 games in the month. Under Mittie, K-State is 50-11 (.820) in games during the 11th&nbsp;month.TEAM NOTES- K-State's starting five consisted of guards: Zyanna Walker, Jaelyn Glenn and Serena Sundell; forward Temira Poindexter and center Ayoka Lee. This was the third time this lineup has started this season. This was the 117th&nbsp;career start for Lee, the 107th career start for Sundell, the 103rd career start for Jaelyn Glenn, the 91st career collegiate start and fourth at K-State for Poindexter and the fourth career start for Walker. With her 117th&nbsp;career start at K-State, Lee ties Eileen Feeney (1976-80) and Ashley Sweat (2006-10) for 8th&nbsp;in program history for career starts.- The Wildcats held a 41-23 lead at halftime on Monday. Under Mittie, K-State is 154-19 (.890) when leading at halftime. The Wildcats have led at the half in all four games this season.- K-State has scored 20-or more points in a quarter eight times this season. Since the start of the quarter-system in 2015-16, the Wildcats are 136-62 (.687) when scoring 20 or more points in any quarter of a game.- Over the last four seasons, K-State is 46-3 (.939) when holding the advantage on the glass.PLAYER NOTES- Lee tallied her 61st career double-double. This improves upon her K-State school record and moves her into a tie for fourth in Big 12 history with Sophia Young of Baylor (61; 2003-06).- Lee needs 89 points to pass Kendra Wecker (2001-05; 2,333 points) for the school record for points in a career. Lee’s career point total stands at 2,245.- Lee recorded her 107th career game with 10 or more points. Lee has scored in every game of her career (117 games).- Lee hauled in 11 rebounds on Monday. Lee’s career total for rebounds stands at 1,136, improving upon her own school record for career rebounds. Lee is seventh in Big 12 history for career rebounds.- Lee has shot 50.0 percent or better from the field in 80 career games. With her seven made field goals on Monday, Lee improved her career total to 908. She needs 28 made field goals to pass Ohlde for the school record for career field goals made.- Lee improved her career blocked shot total to 314, improving upon her school record for career blocked shots. Lee ranks fifth all-time in Big 12 history for career blocked shots.- Lee pocketed two steals on Monday. This was 25th&nbsp;career game with two or more steals.- Walker recorded her 13th&nbsp;career game, all at K-State, with 10 or more points.- Walker handed out five or more assists for the third time this season and the fifth time in her career.- Sides pulled in five rebounds on Monday, her sixth career game with five or more rebounds and her second this season.- Sides connected on two 3-point field goals on Monday, equaling her season-high and marking her 11th&nbsp;career game with two or more connections from long range.- Maupin reached double figures in points for the 10th&nbsp;time in her career and first time this season.- Maupin hauled in five or more rebounds for the first time this season and the 13th&nbsp;time in her career.FROM THE HEAD COACHK-State Head Coach Jeff MittieOpening Statement…“It’s always good to get another win under our belt. We weren’t particularly sharp for most of the night—it was kind of an ugly game, to be honest. I didn’t feel like we had much of a rhythm. That said, there were some positives. We did a great job defending Faith Lee, who came in averaging a lot of points. We also saw some strong performances off the bench. I thought [Taryn] Sides played well, [Eliza] Maupin came in and contributed, and Imani Lester had a good showing. From the starting group, I felt [Zyanna] Walker was the most engaged on both ends of the floor, and she was rewarded with a solid performance tonight. Those were definitely the bright spots for us.”On a few players performing poorly…“I didn’t feel like that group played very well, and that can’t become a habit. You only get so many opportunities, and I didn’t think they were very engaged or showed much urgency. That’s definitely something that needs to change. I’ll take a closer look to see if there’s a reason behind it, but from my perspective, the lack of urgency hurt us. It seemed to lead to some missed shots—especially a lot of missed layups early on—which really snowballed. The only player who seemed to snap out of it was [Zyanna] Walker. [Ayoka Lee] had some moments, but Walker was the one who stood out.”On Zyanna Walker’s impressive performance…“From a leadership standpoint, I thought she was the most engaged. Defensively, she seemed the most locked in to her role, and I think her offensive game came from that. She got a steal and made some plays, which helped her build momentum. The rest just seemed to struggle to get going defensively.”On some of the concerns from today’s game…“Too many free throws for them—11 in the first half. I hate to come in here and sound negative, but I’m not going to praise mediocrity either. I need to be honest with you. I can’t say something was good when, in reality, it wasn’t. That said, there were some positives. I thought we had spurts where we played well. We did a good job on Faith Lee, [Tamira] Poindexter got off to a strong start in that matchup. But foul trouble with [Jaelyn] Glenn and [Ayoka Lee] was a problem, and those are things that have to improve. There’s definitely a lot to be concerned about coming out of this game.”On some players who played well…“I thought [Eliza] Maupin improved as her rotation went on. Early on, she wasn’t as active as I’d like, but as her minutes increased, she made an impact—getting on the offensive glass and finding the right dives to the rim. Those were really positive things. [Imani] Lester came in and was very efficient, she ends up with seven boards in just 13 minutes, which was great to see. As for Taryn, she didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, but she seemed to find a better offensive rhythm, moving the ball to the right players. That was a real positive for her. Keep in mind, Taryn hasn’t had much practice time because of her ankle, so this was her first extended stretch of minutes. In practice, we’ve had to keep things short for her, so it was good to see her getting into a rhythm out there.”FROM THE FLOORK-State 5th&nbsp;Year Senior Center Ayoka LeeOn moving into second on K-State's all-time scoring list…“Yeah, pretty cool. Yeah it's exciting. Yeah, I didn't really know what was going on, so it's cool, yeah.”On how Zyanna has improved this season…“I think she's really stepped up just as a vocal leader this year a little bit more. I think she kind of has to be as a point guard. I think she's really embraced that role well, because it's just not an easy role to be in. I think she's really improved her pull up game, like just looking for mid-range. I thought last year she did, and she still does a great job getting to the rim. But like hunting the mid-range and knowing that that's also a really good shot for her, I think, has been a really big difference. And then I think just like the hustle plays, I think that's one thing that she just continues to do well is give us energy when we need it, and give us a big lift through how she hustles.”On the play of Eliza Maupin and Imani Lester…“I thought they played really well. I thought Eliza cut really well, and I thought she finished really well. And same for Imani, I thought that they both found the open spots, and they were both in the right spots when they needed to be. I think that's really encouraging, and definitely just will continue to build off that.”K-State Sophomore Guard Zyanna WalkerOn elevating her game…“No, I think I just came in with the same mindset, just attack and, people are going to have off nights, so you got to get it taken care of. It was actually kind of weird that so many people were kind of, you know, a little off at the same time, but still got the job done. That's going to happen. So hopefully we're just saving it for Vegas.”On scoring 70+ points even on an off night…“I think it just shows that we can use our defense to turn into offense. I think we got out in transition a little bit that second half, and that really helped us.”On her improvement this season…“I think the most improvement I made in my game is kind of just my passing and ball handling. I'm feeling more comfortable at the one and just being confident in my shot, you know, being confident that it is going to go in, and if it doesn't, so what, I'm still going to shoot it again.On her confidence...“Just every day, I just wake up with the same routine and make sure I get in a positive mindset. And I think it's very important to us as athletes that we have that confidence and that it is instilled in us. So, yeah, I just try to make it a daily routine for me.”On setting a career-high and the team's season…“Yeah, I'm super excited. I think our potential is super high, so I can't wait to just show all our fans and have another great year.”UP NEXTThe Wildcats finish its five-game home stand on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., as K-State hosts Milwaukee. For tickets, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">kstatesports.com/tickets</a>&nbsp;or call (800) 221-CATS.

K-State WBB Captures 400th Win in Bramlage on Monday Night

The No. 24-ranked Coyotes play at home twice this week against McPherson and Kansas Conference preseason favorite and No. 5 Oklahoma Wesleyan.WEDNESDAY'S GAMEOpponent: McPhersonTime: 8 p.m.Location: Mabee ArenaSATURDAY'S GAMEOpponent: Oklahoma WesleyanTime: 4 p.m.Location: Mabee ArenaLIVE COVERAGE

The No. 24-ranked Coyotes play at home twice this week against McPherson and Kansas Conference preseason favorite and No. 5 Oklahoma Wesleyan.WEDNESDAY'S GAMEOpponent: McPhersonTime: 8 p.m.Location: Mabee ArenaSATURDAY'S GAMEOpponent: Oklahoma WesleyanTime: 4 p.m.Location: Mabee ArenaLIVE COVERAGE<ul>
 <li>The video stream of the games will be available online through the Coyote Sports Network at&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/03d86bf3-0f38-4cd0-97d2-27e74e80c52b?elinkdata=15631" target="_blank">www.kcacnetwork.com/kansaswesleyan</a>.</li><li>Live Stats will be available at&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0a21732a-0448-4e6a-bd25-f1b26c6c6022?elinkdata=15631" target="_blank">https://kwucoyotes.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary</a></li><li>Radio coverage will be on 910 KINA on Wednesday and 94.5 PRIME FM on Saturday. The online stream is available at&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2e23fa99-937f-48a5-acf2-d6ab9d3437a6?elinkdata=15631" target="_blank">https://radio.securenetsystems.net/ce/kina2</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/17178a3a-5762-4962-8a2a-1e7abea2c8f0?elinkdata=15631" target="_blank">https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/index.cfm?stationCallSign=KSKGHD2</a>&nbsp;on Saturday. Tyler Henry and Brooks Garretson will have the call for the McPherson game and Devin Hanney the OKWU game. Pregame will begin following the women's contests each night.</li>
 </ul>RECORDS<ul>
 <li>Kansas Wesleyan 4-2, 0-1 KCAC</li><li>McPherson 2-2, 0-1 KCAC</li><li>Oklahoma Wesleyan 4-2, 1-0 KCAC (vs. Friends on Wednesday)</li>
 </ul>THE SERIES<ul>
 <li>The Coyotes have won five in a row against McPherson including a pair of victories last season. They defeated the defeated the Bulldogs 76-69 in November in McPherson and 75-65 in February inside Mabee Arena. KWU leads the series 22-17 since 2006 that includes a 12-8 record in Mabee Arena.</li><li>OKWU has won the last 11 games against the Coyotes including three last season - 60-55 in February in Bartlesville, Okla; 82-66 in January in Mabee Arena; and 81-65 in the championship game of the KCAC tournament in Park City. OKWU leads the series 19-6 since 2005.</li>
 </ul>KANSAS WESLEYAN AT A GLANCE<ul>
 <li>The Coyotes will try and end a two-game losing streak Wednesday. They lost at Morningside 92-86 on November 9 and at Ottawa 73-65 in overtime Saturday.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f3fd98df-fede-40f9-84a1-e0fede141931?elinkdata=15631" target="_blank">Alex Littlejohn</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8bde799e-3a30-43de-8602-9a0b2dd5882c?elinkdata=15631" target="_blank">Izaiah Hale</a>&nbsp;had 15 points apiece and Littlejohn grabbed 19 rebounds in the Ottawa game.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/db02451b-9eba-4bff-b803-ab8c44ad2be2?elinkdata=15631" target="_blank">Evens Appolon</a>&nbsp;had 11 points, and 10 rebounds and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1b7e76d8-0a5a-48e9-9af8-39646ff06ef7?elinkdata=15631" target="_blank">Landon Wagler</a>&nbsp;scored 11 off the bench.</li><li>Littlejohn has been superb through the first six games averaging 18.8 points and 12.3 rebounds in 32 minutes per game.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/89eab2e5-2ae2-46d9-93df-09c763ab73ec?elinkdata=15631" target="_blank">Easton Hunter's</a>&nbsp;averaging 10.5 points and Wagler 9.0.</li><li>The Coyotes are averaging 77.5 points, are shooting 44.2 percent overall (38.5 percent from 3-point range), 69 percent from the line and average 13 turnovers. They're allowing 71.2 points and opponents are shooting 40.1 percent.</li>
 </ul>McPHERSON AT A GLANCE<ul>
 <li>The Bulldogs lost to Southwestern 89-86 Saturday in McPherson. They led 50-46 at halftime. Jamil Hardaway led four players in double figures with 18 points that included six 3-pointers; Antonio Watson scored 15.</li><li>McPherson averages 88.5 points and shoots 46.8 percent as a team, 43.2 percent from long range. Aaron Williams is the top scorer (16.8) followed by Curtis Rose (13.8) and Collin Storr (13.0).</li><li>McPherson has beaten Oklahoma Panhandle State 80-77 and Manhattan Christian 101-85 and lost to city rival Central Christian 88-87 and Southwestern. Wednesday's game will be the Bulldogs first official game outside of McPherson.</li>
 </ul>OKLAHOMA WESLEYAN AT A GLANCE<ul>
 <li>The Eagles defeated Tabor 79-66 Saturday in Bartlesville. All-America center Jaden Lietzke had 16 points and 11 rebounds and Dylan Phillip 11 points off the bench. They led 42-31 at halftime.</li><li>Lietzke leads the team in scoring (18.7) and rebounding (7.8) entering Wednesday game against Friends. All-America point guard Derrick Talton Jr. averages 11.5 point and 5.8 assists. OKWU averages 77.7 points and is collectively shooting 43.1 percent, 25.2 percent from deep.</li><li>The Eagles have victories over LSU-Shreveport 82-72, MidAmerica Nazarene 94-77, Southwestern Christian 67-63 and Tabor. Their losses were to Oklahoma City 87-81 and Texas Wesleyan 73-63.</li>
 </ul>

KWU MBB returns home hosting McPherson Wednesday, Oklahoma Wesleyan Saturday

The Coyotes play Kansas Conference home games this week against McPherson and Oklahoma Wesleyan.

The Coyotes play Kansas Conference home games this week against McPherson and Oklahoma Wesleyan.WEDNESDAY'S GAMEOpponent: McPhersonTime: 6 p.m.Location: Mabee ArenaSATURDAY'S GAMEOpponent: Oklahoma WesleyanTime: 2 p.m.Location: Mabee ArenaLIVE COVERAGE<ul>
 <li>The video stream of the games will be available online through the Coyote Sports Network at <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/193c022c-3641-42f9-b5bb-3cbf468eca66?elinkdata=15603">www.kcacnetwork.com/kansaswesleyan</a>.</li><li>Live Stats will be available at <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/dbc8263c-90a8-49de-84d1-bc32fe83f004?elinkdata=15603">https://kwucoyotes.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary</a></li><li>Radio coverage will be on 910 KINA on Wednesday and 94.5 PRIME FM on Saturday. The online stream is available at <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c2598101-708e-4c69-8bda-8e4eddf4af52?elinkdata=15603">https://radio.securenetsystems.net/ce/kina2</a> on Wednesday and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6b4acd37-b808-4de8-a473-e54efedd759b?elinkdata=15603">https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/index.cfm?stationCallSign=KSKGHD2</a> on Saturday. Tyler Henry and Brooks Garretson will have the call for the McPherson game and Devin Hanney the OKWU game. Pregame will begin at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday and 1:30 p.m. Saturday.</li>
 </ul>RECORDS<ul>
 <li>Kansas Wesleyan 4-2, 1-0 KCAC</li><li>McPherson 0-6, 0-1 KCAC</li><li>Oklahoma Wesleyan 1-4, 0-1 KCAC (vs. Friends on Wednesday)</li>
 </ul>THE SERIES<ul>
 <li>The Coyotes have won six in a row and 11 of the last 12 against McPherson. They won 59-47 last November in McPherson and 67-55 in February inside Mabee Arena. KWU is 35-6 against the Bulldogs since 2006.</li><li>KWU and OKWU played once last season with the Eagles winning 68-61 in Mabee Arena. The loss ended the Coyotes' three-game winning streak in the series, but they have a 13-8 advantage since 2006.</li>
 </ul>KANSAS WESLEYAN AT A GLANCE<ul>
 <li>The Coyotes defeated Ottawa 83-81 Saturday in Ottawa. They led 64-51 after three quarters and held off the Braves' fierce fourth quarter comeback for their second consecutive victory.</li><li><a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0d07c5f6-d741-4001-8b41-bd5f2d0afcd5?elinkdata=15603">LaMyah Ricks</a> had a team-high 15 points while <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b137278a-8c27-4df3-9cfb-149253ceb4aa?elinkdata=15603">Paige Chauncey</a> had 13, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7f294db2-34e4-4dc5-a6f1-d41483474eb6?elinkdata=15603">Jill Stephens</a> 12, and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fc37c4b1-99a4-4f5a-a520-b4ffa649617e?elinkdata=15603">Jocelyn Hall</a> 10. Ricks leads the team in scoring (12.0) followed by Stephens (10.7), <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/90db8c00-1216-42a9-b99a-cd5c9434e7fc?elinkdata=15603">Hampton Williams</a> (8.2) and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/77e11306-903f-4dd0-901b-6ca11c4d8bd2?elinkdata=15603">Odessa Ozuna</a> (8.0). Chauncey averages a team-best 5.2 rebounds.</li><li>KWU averages 72.7 points and allows 60.8. They Coyotes are shooting 44.1 percent overall, 32.2 percent from the 3-point line and have an 8.0 rebounding advantage. Opponents are averaging 60.8 points and are shooting 37.6 percent, just 19.8 from long range.</li>
 </ul>McPHERSON AT A GLANCE<ul>
 <li>The Bulldogs lost to Southwestern 65-58 Saturday in McPherson in their conference opener. Kennedy Smith had a team-best 12 points but was the only Bulldog in double figures.</li><li>Laura Guillamat-Ribo is the leading scorer (9.8) and followed by Gillian Rodgers and Smith (9.7 each). Smith averages a team-high 10.8 rebounds.</li><li>McPherson averages 57.2 points and allows 67. The Bulldogs are shooting 36 percent from the field, 28.6 percent from the 3-point line. Turnovers have been a problem - 20 per game.</li>
 </ul>OKLAHOMA WESLEYAN AT A GLANCE<ul>
 <li>The Eagles lost to Tabor 79-62 Saturday in Bartlesville. It was their fourth consecutive loss after a season-opening victory over Barclay. They trailed the Bluejays just 59-55 after three quarters but faded the final 10 minutes.</li><li>Shade Richardson scored 16 points and Haley Meely and Rashaan Smith had 12 apiece. Meely is the leading scorer (17.0) followed by Zariah Tillman (12.3) and Smith (9.5). Smith is the top rebounder (5.8) but opponents are averaging nearly 10 rebounds more per game.</li><li>OKWU lost to Dakota Wesleyan, Texas Wesleyan, and North Texas-Dallas in addition to Tabor before playing Friends on Wednesday.</li>
 </ul>

KWU WBB hosts McPherson Wednesday, Oklahoma Wesleyan Saturday

WICHITA, Kan. - <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/10e0c45c-e821-4b6f-9b96-5132cec89e63?elinkdata=15575">Josh King-Bradley</a> of Kansas Wesleyan University has earned this week's KCAC Football Defensive Player of the Week honor the conference office announced Monday. Student-athletes are selected for their performances from Nov. 11-17 by a vote of conference sports information directors. All KCAC Player of the Week honors are presented by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a6346bfa-efd1-4330-ad0c-643a2d69d45b?elinkdata=15575">Equity Bank</a>.

King-Bradley had an incredible game for the Coyotes on defense. KWU held Sterling without a touchdown, and only one field goal on the day. He was huge helping KWU hold Sterling to only 51 yards rushing and under 50 percent on pass completions. He had 3.5 tackles for loss, which included three sacks for a total of 27 lost yards as KWU totaled 11 sacks on the day. He also forced a fumble, and had seven total tackles on the day. This marks the second time this season King-Bradley has been named the KCAC Football Defensive Player of the Week.

The Coyotes finished the regular season with a 23-3 win over Sterling on Saturday, boosting their record to 7-4 overall. KWU finished a perfect 5-0 in the KCAC's Bissell Division, earning the division title for a second year, and earning a bid to the NAIA Football Championship Series for the first time since 2021.

WICHITA, Kan. - <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/10e0c45c-e821-4b6f-9b96-5132cec89e63?elinkdata=15575">Josh King-Bradley</a> of Kansas Wesleyan University has earned this week's KCAC Football Defensive Player of the Week honor the conference office announced Monday. Student-athletes are selected for their performances from Nov. 11-17 by a vote of conference sports information directors. All KCAC Player of the Week honors are presented by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a6346bfa-efd1-4330-ad0c-643a2d69d45b?elinkdata=15575">Equity Bank</a>.King-Bradley had an incredible game for the Coyotes on defense. KWU held Sterling without a touchdown, and only one field goal on the day. He was huge helping KWU hold Sterling to only 51 yards rushing and under 50 percent on pass completions. He had 3.5 tackles for loss, which included three sacks for a total of 27 lost yards as KWU totaled 11 sacks on the day. He also forced a fumble, and had seven total tackles on the day. This marks the second time this season King-Bradley has been named the KCAC Football Defensive Player of the Week.The Coyotes finished the regular season with a 23-3 win over Sterling on Saturday, boosting their record to 7-4 overall. KWU finished a perfect 5-0 in the KCAC's Bissell Division, earning the division title for a second year, and earning a bid to the NAIA Football Championship Series for the first time since 2021.

King-Bradley named KCAC Football Defensive Player of the Week

Kansas Wesleyan will continue its School Days initiative with a trio of basketball contests this winter, according to information released by the university Sunday.

At the Dec. 4 doubleheader against Sterling, anyone with USD 435 (Abilene) or USD 473 (Chapman) is eligible for two free tickets. Individuals involved with USD 400 (Smoky Valley) can make plans to attend the Jan. 25 doubleheader against Friends, free of charge, while USD 239 (Minneapolis) can do so Feb. 1 for games against Saint Mary.

Students, staff, administrators and instructors from each of these school districts are eligible for two free tickets to the games in question, on the dates above. Free tickets will be limited to 400 total and are available via walk-up on game day. They are good for admittance to the men's game, women's contest or both.

The use of district IDs is appreciated but not required.

"It's important for us to give back to the communities around us," said Miguel Paredes, director of athletics. "We hope to see big crowds at each of these games and create new fans of Coyote basketball!"

The Feb. 1 contest will cap the five School Days for 2024-25, which began Nov. 2 when all Saline County high schools were recognized at the football game against Tabor. Nov. 13 was the other event, which was Homeschool Night, when women's basketball hosted Kansas Christian.

For more information on Kansas Wesleyan University, please visit <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/16d5ecc8-7455-43de-9075-8f9ed369fc28?elinkdata=15547">www.kwu.edu/news</a>.

Kansas Wesleyan will continue its School Days initiative with a trio of basketball contests this winter, according to information released by the university Sunday.At the Dec. 4 doubleheader against Sterling, anyone with USD 435 (Abilene) or USD 473 (Chapman) is eligible for two free tickets. Individuals involved with USD 400 (Smoky Valley) can make plans to attend the Jan. 25 doubleheader against Friends, free of charge, while USD 239 (Minneapolis) can do so Feb. 1 for games against Saint Mary.Students, staff, administrators and instructors from each of these school districts are eligible for two free tickets to the games in question, on the dates above. Free tickets will be limited to 400 total and are available via walk-up on game day. They are good for admittance to the men's game, women's contest or both.The use of district IDs is appreciated but not required."It's important for us to give back to the communities around us," said Miguel Paredes, director of athletics. "We hope to see big crowds at each of these games and create new fans of Coyote basketball!"The Feb. 1 contest will cap the five School Days for 2024-25, which began Nov. 2 when all Saline County high schools were recognized at the football game against Tabor. Nov. 13 was the other event, which was Homeschool Night, when women's basketball hosted Kansas Christian.For more information on Kansas Wesleyan University, please visit <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/16d5ecc8-7455-43de-9075-8f9ed369fc28?elinkdata=15547">www.kwu.edu/news</a>.

Kansas Wesleyan announces next three school days; local school districts to receive free tickets

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Kansas football coach Lance Leipold has been selected as the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week Presented by PNC Bank. The award, presented by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year and Peach Bowl, Inc. was announced Monday.

The Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank celebrates the head coach of a FBS team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity. The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week award honors a football coach who led his team to a significant victory during the previous week, while also embodying the award's three pillars.

Leipold guided the Jayhawks to a 17-13 victory at previously unbeaten and No. 7-ranked BYU on Saturday night in Provo. The win was the second-consecutive victory for the Jayhawks over an AP Top 25 opponent after KU defeated No. 17 Iowa State 45-36 on Nov. 9 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. This is the first time in program history that Kansas has defeated a ranked opponent in back-to-back weeks.

With the victories, Leipold has become the 10th coach in Kansas football history with 20+ wins as a Jayhawk. He has now captured four ranked wins in his four years leading the Jayhawks.

Prior to the season, Leipold was one of 21 college football coaches named to the preseason watch list for the 2024 Dodd Trophy. This is the second time that Leipold has been honored as the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week during his time at Kansas. He previously received the honor on Nov. 30, 2023, following KU’s 38-33 victory over No. 6 Oklahoma.

Kansas was also named the Cheez-It National Team of the Week on Monday, as selected by the All-America Committee of the&nbsp;Football Writers Association of America.

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Kansas football coach Lance Leipold has been selected as the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week Presented by PNC Bank. The award, presented by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year and Peach Bowl, Inc. was announced Monday.The Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank celebrates the head coach of a FBS team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity. The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week award honors a football coach who led his team to a significant victory during the previous week, while also embodying the award's three pillars.Leipold guided the Jayhawks to a 17-13 victory at previously unbeaten and No. 7-ranked BYU on Saturday night in Provo. The win was the second-consecutive victory for the Jayhawks over an AP Top 25 opponent after KU defeated No. 17 Iowa State 45-36 on Nov. 9 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. This is the first time in program history that Kansas has defeated a ranked opponent in back-to-back weeks.With the victories, Leipold has become the 10th coach in Kansas football history with 20+ wins as a Jayhawk. He has now captured four ranked wins in his four years leading the Jayhawks.Prior to the season, Leipold was one of 21 college football coaches named to the preseason watch list for the 2024 Dodd Trophy. This is the second time that Leipold has been honored as the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week during his time at Kansas. He previously received the honor on Nov. 30, 2023, following KU’s 38-33 victory over No. 6 Oklahoma.Kansas was also named the Cheez-It National Team of the Week on Monday, as selected by the All-America Committee of the&nbsp;Football Writers Association of America.

Lance Leipold Named Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“So, (I) don’t really have any injury updates for you. We’ll just have to see about (Isiah) Pacheco as the week goes on here (and Charles) Omenihu as the week goes on. As far as the film study of the game – the review, (I) feel similar to what I felt after the game. There were some good things that took place but there were some things that we need to work on, especially when you’re playing a good team like that where every series is an important series whether you’re on the offensive side or the defensive side. Any mistakes can get magnified tenfold because of that, and you’ve got to make sure that you’re sharp and – whether it’s assignments or execution and we can do better in that area. We can do better as coaches of making sure (that) our guys can be put in positions to do better and to maybe back off a little bit on certain things that we’ve been doing to help the players out so that they can play a little bit faster. So anyways, in general, that’s what I would tell you on both sides of the ball. I’d tell you on the special teams side I thought we did some good things, in particular with Spencer (Shrader) and his kicking. I was proud of the kid (for) stepping in. That’s a tough environment to step into and he did well with what we asked him to. Anyways, with that, (the) time’s yours.”

Q: You mentioned wanting to look on that Xavier Worthy catch on the sideline. Do you feel any differently after looking at it? Patrick Mahomes said if he would’ve seen him earlier that it is a walk-in touchdown.

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, if Pat (Patrick Mahomes) could have seen him earlier then that’s part of it but once you’re there, he (Xavier Worthy) could have dragged his foot to keep it in. He’ll be able to chalk that one up to experience but again, what Pat told you is true and so that combination – those are the little things, though. You talk about seven points there against a good football team, so we’ve got to make sure (that) we take care of business on both ends there.”

Q: You said you wanted to back off some things to help your players. Can you give an example of what you were talking about there?

REID:&nbsp;“Maybe it’s motions or shifts or that type of thing on the offensive side. (Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) Spags – I haven’t gone through it with him yet. They’re little things but sometimes little things can add up.”

Q:&nbsp;When you’re playing against a guy like Bills QB Josh Allen on that fourth-and-two, what’s the balance with your defensive linemen between trying to go make a play and trying to stay in your lane to make sure he can’t scramble?

REID:&nbsp;“It’s a tough thing to do. I mean, especially when you’re right there. Listen, this was not an effort problem on either side of the ball, it was just an execution part. You want to try to stay in your lanes. Sometimes when it extends that long, that’s a tough thing to do. I mean, the guy’s (Bills QB Josh Allen) moving around (laughter) and all of a sudden, those lanes become skewed just a little bit. Listen, I appreciate the effort on it. The guy made a great play, and we’ll go back and learn from the thing and see what we can do better on that.”

Q:&nbsp;What did you see from Buffalo in their ability to cover DeAndre Hopkins and Travis Kelce?

REID:&nbsp;“Well they bracketed (Travis) Kelce up in certain situations. DeAndre (Hopkins) – they did it – they tried to do it in certain situations, but again, we can work through that part. They’re not the only two on the field. The other guys have opportunities when that happens.”

Q:&nbsp;What’s the level of frustration or disappointment that comes with the defensive line not being able to get as much pressure as they have in the past?

REID:&nbsp;“I don’t have the numbers for you right in front of myself. Last night probably wasn’t as much as we’d like there but the other games, I thought we had done pretty well with that as far as at least hurries for the quarterback. I was pretty happy with that.”

Q:&nbsp;How do you guys go about trying to get the players to build off scoring drives like the final one to Noah Gray going ahead here?

REID:&nbsp;“That’s a – that was one of the positives and that’s something that I can help giving my guys an opportunity to be able to do those things. I might have been a little too conservative early on, but this is what we’re capable of doing and it’s important that we get it down to where we can do that consistently.”

Q:&nbsp;What do you hope the rookies take away from being in an environment like Buffalo and being in that game?

REID:&nbsp;“You have to dig in, man. These things – these should hurt. You spend a lot of time and preparation for these games and effort and so you have to reach inside as coaches and players, not just players here. You have to figure out the problems and then work to solve them. I know I have that kind of locker room, and so I know the guys will do that. I know the coaches will do that too, but you can’t just say everything’s going to be okay. That’s not how this works. You have to dig in and it has to be – there has to be some – you have to check the ego at the door and do some self-evaluation there.”

Q: On Kingsley Suamataia being inactive against the Bills.

REID:&nbsp;“Kingsley (Suamataia) will be ok. It’s just – sometimes you have to take a step back to take a step forward and that’s what we felt we needed to do there. We’ll go from there and just see how things work out here as he continues to work forward.”

Q: Do you have any plans to bring in a veteran and how did you feel about Wanya Morris’ performance?

REID:&nbsp;“I actually thought Wanya (Morris) got a little bit better this week. He’s been doing that for the most part every week, but the injury stepped in on it last week for a while. I felt like he did some good things for a young guy, he improved and will continue to improve with reps there. Then, as far as a veteran player goes, (General Manager Brett) Veach is always keeping his eyes open so he would be the one that heads that up and he’s – obviously, he birddogs all that.”

Q: Do you think there is less pressure since you and the team are no longer undefeated?

HEAD COACH ANDY REIDOPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“So, (I) don’t really have any injury updates for you. We’ll just have to see about (Isiah) Pacheco as the week goes on here (and Charles) Omenihu as the week goes on. As far as the film study of the game – the review, (I) feel similar to what I felt after the game. There were some good things that took place but there were some things that we need to work on, especially when you’re playing a good team like that where every series is an important series whether you’re on the offensive side or the defensive side. Any mistakes can get magnified tenfold because of that, and you’ve got to make sure that you’re sharp and – whether it’s assignments or execution and we can do better in that area. We can do better as coaches of making sure (that) our guys can be put in positions to do better and to maybe back off a little bit on certain things that we’ve been doing to help the players out so that they can play a little bit faster. So anyways, in general, that’s what I would tell you on both sides of the ball. I’d tell you on the special teams side I thought we did some good things, in particular with Spencer (Shrader) and his kicking. I was proud of the kid (for) stepping in. That’s a tough environment to step into and he did well with what we asked him to. Anyways, with that, (the) time’s yours.”Q: You mentioned wanting to look on that Xavier Worthy catch on the sideline. Do you feel any differently after looking at it? Patrick Mahomes said if he would’ve seen him earlier that it is a walk-in touchdown.REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, if Pat (Patrick Mahomes) could have seen him earlier then that’s part of it but once you’re there, he (Xavier Worthy) could have dragged his foot to keep it in. He’ll be able to chalk that one up to experience but again, what Pat told you is true and so that combination – those are the little things, though. You talk about seven points there against a good football team, so we’ve got to make sure (that) we take care of business on both ends there.”Q: You said you wanted to back off some things to help your players. Can you give an example of what you were talking about there?REID:&nbsp;“Maybe it’s motions or shifts or that type of thing on the offensive side. (Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) Spags – I haven’t gone through it with him yet. They’re little things but sometimes little things can add up.”Q:&nbsp;When you’re playing against a guy like Bills QB Josh Allen on that fourth-and-two, what’s the balance with your defensive linemen between trying to go make a play and trying to stay in your lane to make sure he can’t scramble?REID:&nbsp;“It’s a tough thing to do. I mean, especially when you’re right there. Listen, this was not an effort problem on either side of the ball, it was just an execution part. You want to try to stay in your lanes. Sometimes when it extends that long, that’s a tough thing to do. I mean, the guy’s (Bills QB Josh Allen) moving around (laughter) and all of a sudden, those lanes become skewed just a little bit. Listen, I appreciate the effort on it. The guy made a great play, and we’ll go back and learn from the thing and see what we can do better on that.”Q:&nbsp;What did you see from Buffalo in their ability to cover DeAndre Hopkins and Travis Kelce?REID:&nbsp;“Well they bracketed (Travis) Kelce up in certain situations. DeAndre (Hopkins) – they did it – they tried to do it in certain situations, but again, we can work through that part. They’re not the only two on the field. The other guys have opportunities when that happens.”Q:&nbsp;What’s the level of frustration or disappointment that comes with the defensive line not being able to get as much pressure as they have in the past?REID:&nbsp;“I don’t have the numbers for you right in front of myself. Last night probably wasn’t as much as we’d like there but the other games, I thought we had done pretty well with that as far as at least hurries for the quarterback. I was pretty happy with that.”Q:&nbsp;How do you guys go about trying to get the players to build off scoring drives like the final one to Noah Gray going ahead here?REID:&nbsp;“That’s a – that was one of the positives and that’s something that I can help giving my guys an opportunity to be able to do those things. I might have been a little too conservative early on, but this is what we’re capable of doing and it’s important that we get it down to where we can do that consistently.”Q:&nbsp;What do you hope the rookies take away from being in an environment like Buffalo and being in that game?REID:&nbsp;“You have to dig in, man. These things – these should hurt. You spend a lot of time and preparation for these games and effort and so you have to reach inside as coaches and players, not just players here. You have to figure out the problems and then work to solve them. I know I have that kind of locker room, and so I know the guys will do that. I know the coaches will do that too, but you can’t just say everything’s going to be okay. That’s not how this works. You have to dig in and it has to be – there has to be some – you have to check the ego at the door and do some self-evaluation there.”Q: On Kingsley Suamataia being inactive against the Bills.REID:&nbsp;“Kingsley (Suamataia) will be ok. It’s just – sometimes you have to take a step back to take a step forward and that’s what we felt we needed to do there. We’ll go from there and just see how things work out here as he continues to work forward.”Q: Do you have any plans to bring in a veteran and how did you feel about Wanya Morris’ performance?REID:&nbsp;“I actually thought Wanya (Morris) got a little bit better this week. He’s been doing that for the most part every week, but the injury stepped in on it last week for a while. I felt like he did some good things for a young guy, he improved and will continue to improve with reps there. Then, as far as a veteran player goes, (General Manager Brett) Veach is always keeping his eyes open so he would be the one that heads that up and he’s – obviously, he birddogs all that.”Q: Do you think there is less pressure since you and the team are no longer undefeated?

Chiefs Quotes: 11-18-24

<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=23756&amp;type=Archive" target="_blank">Watch Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/chris-klieman-press-conference-november-18-2024/4923" target="_blank">Listen to Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/player-breakout-interviews-november-18-2024/4924" target="_blank">Listen to Player Breakout Interviews</a>

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Chris Klieman&nbsp;and select players met with members of the media on Monday inside the Vanier Family Football Complex to preview K-State’s Senior Night contest against Cincinnati inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Links to video and audio of Klieman’s press conference – which was streamed live on ESPN+ – are above in addition to an audio link of player breakout interviews. A transcript of Klieman’s opening statement is below.

<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=23756&amp;type=Archive" target="_blank">Watch Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/chris-klieman-press-conference-november-18-2024/4923" target="_blank">Listen to Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/player-breakout-interviews-november-18-2024/4924" target="_blank">Listen to Player Breakout Interviews</a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Chris Klieman&nbsp;and select players met with members of the media on Monday inside the Vanier Family Football Complex to preview K-State’s Senior Night contest against Cincinnati inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Links to video and audio of Klieman’s press conference – which was streamed live on ESPN+ – are above in addition to an audio link of player breakout interviews. A transcript of Klieman’s opening statement is below.CHRIS KLIEMAN, HEAD COACHOpening Statement…

K-State Previews Home Finale During Weekly Press Conference

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;The Kansas Jayhawks have been named the Cheez-It National Team of the Week following a 17-13 victory at No. 7 BYU on Nov. 16 in Provo, Utah.

The win, which improved Kansas to 4-6 on the year and 3-4 in Big 12 play, came on the heels of a 45-36 win over No. 17 Iowa State on Nov. 9 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The Jayhawks have now defeated ranked opponents in consecutive weeks for the first time in school history.

Kansas was led by the program’s all-time leading rusher, Devin Neal who ran for 52 yards and two touchdowns in the game. Neal surpassed 4,000 rushing yards for his career in the game, while extending his school record for rushing touchdowns to 45. Quarterback Jalon Daniels completed 12-of-19 passing for 169 yards in the game, completing four passes for a game-high 77 yards to Luke Grimm, who moved up to No. 3 on KU’s career receiving yardage list during the game.

Defensively, Marvin Grant led the Jayhawks with 10 tackles (seven solo, three assist) and one pass breakup, while Taylor Davis added eight, including his first career tackle-for-loss. The Jayhawks finished with five tackles for loss, including two sacks, one apiece from Dylan Wudke and Dean Miller. Mello Dotson recorded his team-leading fifth interception of the season, ending a BYU drive in the end zone just before halftime.

One of the biggest plays of the game came on special teams as Daniels stepped back for a punt with KU trailing 13-10 early in the fourth quarter. The punt traveled 26 yards and deflected off a BYU player which was recovered by Quentin Skinner at the BYU 3-yard line. Neal scored the go-ahead and game-deciding touchdown on the next play.

Leading 17-13 with BYU in Kansas territory, the Kansas defense held strong, forcing the Cougars into a turnover on downs with under a minute remaining. Kansas was able to run out the clock to secure the 17-13 win over BYU.

With the win, Kansas now has four wins against ranked opponents under head coach Lance Leipold, including two this season. This is also the second win for the Jayhawks over a top 10 opponent under Leipold, after the Jayhawks previously defeated No. 6 Oklahoma 38-33 last season in Lawrence. For Kansas, it was the program’s first road win over a top 10 opponent since Oct. 7, 1995, when the Jayhawks won 40-24 at No. 4 Colorado.

The Football Writers Association of America’s National Team of the Week was created as part of the Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll in 2002. Since then, it has been awarded each week during the regular season by various committees that have included members of the FWAA All-America Committee, the association’s board of directors and its past presidents. For the 2023 season, Cheez-It will present the national team of the week with the bowl partner, Florida Citrus Sports, host of the Cheez-It Bowl and Pop-Tarts Bowl, both played in Orlando.

This is the seventh time that Kansas has been honored by the Football Writers Association of America and first since receiving the honor on Oct. 30, 2023, following a 38-33 victory over No. 6 Oklahoma. Kansas also won the award for its’ 57-56 overtime victory at Texas in 2021. The Jayhawks previously earned the honor during the 2019, 2016, 2008 and 2007 seasons.

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;The Kansas Jayhawks have been named the Cheez-It National Team of the Week following a 17-13 victory at No. 7 BYU on Nov. 16 in Provo, Utah.The win, which improved Kansas to 4-6 on the year and 3-4 in Big 12 play, came on the heels of a 45-36 win over No. 17 Iowa State on Nov. 9 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The Jayhawks have now defeated ranked opponents in consecutive weeks for the first time in school history.Kansas was led by the program’s all-time leading rusher, Devin Neal who ran for 52 yards and two touchdowns in the game. Neal surpassed 4,000 rushing yards for his career in the game, while extending his school record for rushing touchdowns to 45. Quarterback Jalon Daniels completed 12-of-19 passing for 169 yards in the game, completing four passes for a game-high 77 yards to Luke Grimm, who moved up to No. 3 on KU’s career receiving yardage list during the game.Defensively, Marvin Grant led the Jayhawks with 10 tackles (seven solo, three assist) and one pass breakup, while Taylor Davis added eight, including his first career tackle-for-loss. The Jayhawks finished with five tackles for loss, including two sacks, one apiece from Dylan Wudke and Dean Miller. Mello Dotson recorded his team-leading fifth interception of the season, ending a BYU drive in the end zone just before halftime.One of the biggest plays of the game came on special teams as Daniels stepped back for a punt with KU trailing 13-10 early in the fourth quarter. The punt traveled 26 yards and deflected off a BYU player which was recovered by Quentin Skinner at the BYU 3-yard line. Neal scored the go-ahead and game-deciding touchdown on the next play.Leading 17-13 with BYU in Kansas territory, the Kansas defense held strong, forcing the Cougars into a turnover on downs with under a minute remaining. Kansas was able to run out the clock to secure the 17-13 win over BYU.With the win, Kansas now has four wins against ranked opponents under head coach Lance Leipold, including two this season. This is also the second win for the Jayhawks over a top 10 opponent under Leipold, after the Jayhawks previously defeated No. 6 Oklahoma 38-33 last season in Lawrence. For Kansas, it was the program’s first road win over a top 10 opponent since Oct. 7, 1995, when the Jayhawks won 40-24 at No. 4 Colorado.The Football Writers Association of America’s National Team of the Week was created as part of the Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll in 2002. Since then, it has been awarded each week during the regular season by various committees that have included members of the FWAA All-America Committee, the association’s board of directors and its past presidents. For the 2023 season, Cheez-It will present the national team of the week with the bowl partner, Florida Citrus Sports, host of the Cheez-It Bowl and Pop-Tarts Bowl, both played in Orlando.This is the seventh time that Kansas has been honored by the Football Writers Association of America and first since receiving the honor on Oct. 30, 2023, following a 38-33 victory over No. 6 Oklahoma. Kansas also won the award for its’ 57-56 overtime victory at Texas in 2021. The Jayhawks previously earned the honor during the 2019, 2016, 2008 and 2007 seasons.

Kansas Jayhawks Named Cheez-It National Team of the Week

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;The Kansas Jayhawks will face a ranked opponent for a fourth-straight game this Saturday when they welcome the 16th-ranked Colorado Buffaloes to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium for a Senior Day matchup on FOX with Jason Benetti, Brock Huard and Allison Williams on the call. Kickoff is slated for 2:30 p.m. CT.

The Jayhawks topped No. 7 BYU on Saturday night in Provo to notch their second win over a ranked opponent in as many weeks for the first time in program history. The week prior, Kansas beat No. 17 Iowa State 45-36. Kansas now sits at 4-6 on the season and 3-4 in Big 12 Conference play after the two wins.

Coach Lance Leipold and Kansas will look to make it three wins over ranked opponents in three straight weeks when they face the Buffaloes on Saturday. Colorado comes to Kansas City at 8-2 on the year and 6-1 in the conference. The Buffaloes, under second-year coach Deion Sanders, have won four-straight games all by double digits and have climbed up the national rankings to No. 16 with their recent stretch.

Quarterback Shedeur Sanders has thrown for 3,222 yards and 27 touchdowns so far this season. He's second in the country with his 27 touchdown passes and is sixth nationally with his 3,222 yards. The 2023 Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year has also rushed for four touchdowns and leads an offense that is third in the Big 12, averaging 34.1 points per game.

The Buffaloes also boast two-way standout and Heisman Trophy candidate Travis Hunter. Hunter, who plays wide receiver and cornerback, has 74 catches for 911 yards and nine touchdowns on offense. The nine touchdowns lead the Big 12 and the 7.4 receptions are second. Defensively, he's added 24 tackles, eight pass breakups, three interceptions and one tackle-for-loss.

The Jayhawk defense will look to be up to the task after a dominating performance against BYU last week. Kansas allowed 13 points in the 17-13 win, marking the team's fewest points allowed to a ranked opponent since surrendering 11 points to No. 2 Oklahoma in 1984. Senior cornerback Mello Dotson notched his fifth interception of the season in the win, which leads the Big 12 Conference and Kansas totaled five tackles-for-loss and a pair of sacks.

Dotson will be one of 30-plus seniors honored before the game for their contributions to the program. The senior class has led Kanas to back-to-back bowl games and wins over ranked opponents for three straight seasons. The headliner of the group may be running back Devin Neal. In his most recent home game against Iowa State, Neal became the school's all-time leading rusher and has since topped the 4,000-yard mark for his career. The Lawrence native is 74 yards away from his third-straight 1,000-yard season and has totaled 28 rushing touchdowns over the last two seasons.

Saturday's game will mark KU's final game this season at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas has won two straight at the venue, beating Houston before the win over Iowa State. The Jayhawks played their six home games in Kansas City this year, both at Arrowhead and Children's Mercy Park, while David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium undergoes major upgrades.

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;The Kansas Jayhawks will face a ranked opponent for a fourth-straight game this Saturday when they welcome the 16th-ranked Colorado Buffaloes to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium for a Senior Day matchup on FOX with Jason Benetti, Brock Huard and Allison Williams on the call. Kickoff is slated for 2:30 p.m. CT.The Jayhawks topped No. 7 BYU on Saturday night in Provo to notch their second win over a ranked opponent in as many weeks for the first time in program history. The week prior, Kansas beat No. 17 Iowa State 45-36. Kansas now sits at 4-6 on the season and 3-4 in Big 12 Conference play after the two wins.Coach Lance Leipold and Kansas will look to make it three wins over ranked opponents in three straight weeks when they face the Buffaloes on Saturday. Colorado comes to Kansas City at 8-2 on the year and 6-1 in the conference. The Buffaloes, under second-year coach Deion Sanders, have won four-straight games all by double digits and have climbed up the national rankings to No. 16 with their recent stretch.Quarterback Shedeur Sanders has thrown for 3,222 yards and 27 touchdowns so far this season. He's second in the country with his 27 touchdown passes and is sixth nationally with his 3,222 yards. The 2023 Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year has also rushed for four touchdowns and leads an offense that is third in the Big 12, averaging 34.1 points per game.The Buffaloes also boast two-way standout and Heisman Trophy candidate Travis Hunter. Hunter, who plays wide receiver and cornerback, has 74 catches for 911 yards and nine touchdowns on offense. The nine touchdowns lead the Big 12 and the 7.4 receptions are second. Defensively, he's added 24 tackles, eight pass breakups, three interceptions and one tackle-for-loss.The Jayhawk defense will look to be up to the task after a dominating performance against BYU last week. Kansas allowed 13 points in the 17-13 win, marking the team's fewest points allowed to a ranked opponent since surrendering 11 points to No. 2 Oklahoma in 1984. Senior cornerback Mello Dotson notched his fifth interception of the season in the win, which leads the Big 12 Conference and Kansas totaled five tackles-for-loss and a pair of sacks.Dotson will be one of 30-plus seniors honored before the game for their contributions to the program. The senior class has led Kanas to back-to-back bowl games and wins over ranked opponents for three straight seasons. The headliner of the group may be running back Devin Neal. In his most recent home game against Iowa State, Neal became the school's all-time leading rusher and has since topped the 4,000-yard mark for his career. The Lawrence native is 74 yards away from his third-straight 1,000-yard season and has totaled 28 rushing touchdowns over the last two seasons.Saturday's game will mark KU's final game this season at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas has won two straight at the venue, beating Houston before the win over Iowa State. The Jayhawks played their six home games in Kansas City this year, both at Arrowhead and Children's Mercy Park, while David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium undergoes major upgrades.

🏈 Jayhawks Go for Third-Straight Win Over Ranked Opponent When No. 16 Colorado Visits

Game 11 Cincinnati at&nbsp;16/rv/25&nbsp;K-State Date: Saturday, November 23, 2024 Kickoff: 7 p.m. Location: Manhattan, Kan. Stadium: Bill Snyder Family Stadium (50,000) Series: Cincinnati Leads, 4-2

TV: ESPN2 (<a href="https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/6e648000-62a3-45c4-8f60-26aeeba2d92c" target="_blank">watch</a>) Brian Custer (Play-by-Play) Rod Gilmore (Analyst) Lauren Sisler (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)

SiriusXM Satellite Radio Ch. 160 or 198, 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;Looking to rebound from consecutive losses for the first time since the final two regular-season games of 2021, Kansas State hosts Cincinnati on Senior Night inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The game, which kicks off at 7 p.m. Saturday night, will be shown nationally on ESPN2 with Brian Custer (play-by-play), Rod Gilmore (analyst) and Lauren Sisler (sidelines) on the call.

2)&nbsp;Quarterback Avery Johnson is set to make his 12th career start as he has thrown for 2,150 yards and 17 TDs on 177-of-291 aim while adding 412 rushing yards and five scores. He is one of only six players in the country and the only Big 12 quarterback with at least 2,000 passing yards and 400 rushing yards. He is one passing TD shy of tying the K-State sophomore record and entering the overall top-10 list.

3)&nbsp;Junior running back DJ Giddens has rushed for 1,128 yards and five touchdowns on 176 carries to go along with 18 receptions for 219 yards and another score. Giddens ranks 12th nationally by averaging 112.8 rushing yards per game, while he is eighth in the nation in scrimmage yards per game (134.7). He is the fourth player in school history with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons.

4)&nbsp;Kansas State has eight players with 35 or more tackles this season, led by linebacker Austin Romaine, whose 71 tackles are tied for 12th in the Big 12. Senior defensive end Brendan Mott has 9.5 TFLs and 8.0 sacks, the latter ranking 12th in the nation. Five Wildcats have carded an interception this season in Marques Sigle (3), VJ Payne (2), Jacob Parrish, Jack Fabris and Keenan Garber.

5)&nbsp;Chris Tennant has been true on 14-of-17 field goals, including a 51-yarder with 1:42 left to give the Wildcats a 29-27 win over Kansas. Tennant ranks in the top 10 in school history in eight career categories. Simon McClannan ranks fourth in the Big 12 with 13 punts that have ended inside the opponent 20-yard line are tied for fifth in the Big 12. Dylan Edwards ranks fourth in the Big 12 with 336 total return yards.

STATISTICAL SPOTLIGHTS217&nbsp;– Opponents' lost yardage on K-State's 25 sacks this season, which ranks seventh the nation and tops in the Big 12.

143&nbsp;– Big 12 victories by K-State since the conference's inception in 1996, the most among active programs.

15&nbsp;– Home wins by the Wildcats since the beginning of 2022, tied for 19th in the country and ranked first in the Big 12.

13&nbsp;– Consecutive CFP polls in which the Wildcats have been ranked, tied for fifth in the nation.

4&nbsp;– DJ Giddens became the fourth player in school history with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons

• K-State is looking to rebound from back-to-back losses as the Wildcats dropped a 24-14 decision to Arizona State last week, which came on the heels of a 24-19 loss at Houston prior to its second bye week of the season.

• The Wildcats entered the game at Houston on a four-game winning streak, capped by a dramatic 29-27 dramatic win over Kansas – its 16th-straight win over the Jayhawks – as linebacker Austin Romaine forced a fumble on defense before Chris Tennant nailed a 51-yard field goal with 1:42 left for the two-point win.

• The defense settled in and held the Jayhawks scoreless in their final four drives with the Romaine forced fumble and Brendan Mott recovery leading to the game-winning drive.

• Saturday's contest serves as the first time this season the Wildcats will have consecutive home games and marks the final home game of the season.

• After going 6-1 at home last year, the Wildcats are 4-1 inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium this season. They are looking for one or fewer home losses in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2011 (1) and 2012 (0).

• Home games have been kind to K-State over the last three years as the Cats have 15 victories, tied for the 19th most home wins in the nation over that span. That figure is also the most among active Big 12 teams.

• With its sixth victory of the year at West Virginia, Kansas State will be playing in the postseason for a fourth-straight season and the 13th time in the last 15 years.

• Entering the year, K-State was one of just 16 Power 4 programs to play in a bowl game at least 12 times in the previous 14 years.

• K-State has a total of 229 victories since 1996, which ranks 22nd nationally.

• Among active Big 12 teams, the Wildcats rank fourth behind BYU (237), TCU (235) and Utah (232).

• Over the last 15 seasons – including 2024 – the Wildcats have won at least seven games on 13 occasions.

• K-State entered the 2024 season riding a streak of three-straight years of at least eight wins, its longest since 2011 (10), 2012 (11), 2013 (8) and 2014 (9), and the Wildcats need one more victory to extend the current streak to four-straight years.

• Entering the season, K-State was the only returning Big 12 team with at least eight wins in each of the previous three seasons and one of 13 Power 4 programs to claim that feat.

• K-State has 34 wins since 2021, which is tied for 15th nationally and first among active Big 12 teams.

• Kansas State has totaled 143 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 59.7% (74-50), trailing only Oklahoma State (62.1%; 77-47).

• During that stretch, the Wildcats are 41-21 (66.1%) at home in Big 12 play and 33-29 (5.32%) on the road.

• K-State fell out of the Associated Press Top 25 this week as the Wildcats were ranked in the previous 12 polls.

• It was the first time K-State had been ranked in the first 12 AP polls of a season since appearing in all 17 polls in 2014.

• K-State has been ranked in the AP Top 25 on 243 occasions since 1993, the most among active Big 12 teams and ranked 22nd nationally.

• Kansas State was ranked No. 16 in this week's College Football Playoff Top 25, marking the 14th-straight time the Cats were ranked in the CFP Top 25. That figure is tied for the fifth-longest active streak.

• K-State is only playing four opponents from last year’s schedule – Houston, Iowa State, Kansas and Oklahoma State – in 2024.

• It is the fewest amount of carryover opponents from one year to the next since only three rematches from 1918 to 1919.

• 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 118-40 career record, as his 74.7% career winning percentage ranks fourth among current FBS coaches that have led programs for at least 10 seasons. He is also one of just 18 current Power 4 head coaches with at least 100 career victories.

• Klieman, who is 46-26 since arriving at K-State, has led the Cats to five victories over teams ranked in the top 10 of the AP Top 25, the most of any active Big 12 program since 2019.

• 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, which marked the first time in the top 10 in consecutive seasons since 2011 (9th) and 2012 (3rd).

• After sitting at minus-2 in turnover margin and ranking 93rd in the nation entering the Oklahoma State game, the Wildcats are now even on the year and ranked 65th.

• K-State is the nation’s best in non-offensive touchdowns over the last 25-plus seasons as it has 135 since 1999, 10 more than the next closest team (Alabama – 125).

• K-State has recorded four non-offensive scores this season, its most since also recording four in 2020.

• The four non-offensive TDs this year are: a Ty Bowman blocked punt against UT Martin that was returned for a score by Colby McCalister, a 60-yard rumble return by Jack Fabris at Tulane, a 71-yard punt return by Dylan Edwards against Arizona, and a 43-yard interception return by Marques Sigle at West Virginia.

• Kansas State is 3-1 in one-possession games this season, with all three of its wins being in comeback fashion.

• The Wildcats' three wins this season when trailing in the fourth quarter are the most since 2017.

• K-State trailed Kansas, 27-26, until Chris Tennant's 51-yard field goal with 1:42 left sparked a K-State win.

• K-State trailed 28-24 at Colorado before the game-winning 50-yard touchdown pass from Avery Johnson to Jayce Brown with 2:14 left.

• In Week 2 at Tulane, K-State rallied from a 20-10 halftime deficit to take a 34-27 win, which included a Dylan Edwards touchdown run and a Jack Fabris fumble return to erase a seven-point fourth-quarter deficit.

• Of K-State's three one-possession victories this year, two were on the road against teams currently ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 (No. 16 Colorado and No. 20 Tulane).

• With the entire six-game 2024 home slate trending toward being sold out, K-State is currently riding a streak of 19-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 10th nationally by filling its stadium to 103.29% capacity.

• K-State enters this week's matchup ranking 18th nationally by averaging 202.9 rushing yards per game, while the Cats are seventh in the country by averaging 5.8 rushing yards per carry.