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

On Tuesday Kyle Isbel snapped Kansas City's 27-inning scoreless streak by sprinting home on a throwing error in the 10th inning, Cole Ragans gave up three hits in six innings, and the Royals held on to the second American League wild card spot with a 1-0 victory over the Washington Nationals.

Isbel, the Royals' automatic runner to begin the 10th, reached third on Bobby Witt Jr.’s infield single to short and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Royals/status/1838764184055513162">crossed the plate on Nasim Nuñez's low throw</a>&nbsp;to first to end Kansas City's seven-game slide.

The Royals sit tied with the Tigers and just two games ahead of the Twins for the final AL Wild Card spot with five games to go. KC is back in action this evening at 5:45 for game 2 with the Nats.

Tuesday was also a big day for Kansas Wesleyan as Abby Donovan was named KCAC Women’s Golfer of the Week, and Valeria Hernandez was named KCAC Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week.

Donovan set a pair of new Kansas Wesleyan women's golf school records and dominated the field to claim the individual championship and help the Kansas Wesleyan women's golf team to a second place finish at the Central Plains Invitational on Monday and Tuesday at Salina Country Club.

And finally on Tuesday Retired NFL quarterback&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brett-favre-mississippi-welfare-money-nfl-59d5047f9e8b1cd6055f13697eea7027">Brett Favre</a>&nbsp;told a congressional committee that he has been diagnosed with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/40d578574b5d419d82a427575b045c03">Parkinson’s disease</a>

Favre is currently giving testimony about a welfare misspending scandal in Mississippi, and has been forced to repay over $1M in speaking fees.

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 </figure>BY SALINA POST(Transcript)Hello and happy Wednesday, everybody, it’s Tyler Henry, back with another KINA Sports Update presented by Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine…_________On Tuesday Kyle Isbel snapped Kansas City's 27-inning scoreless streak by sprinting home on a throwing error in the 10th inning, Cole Ragans gave up three hits in six innings, and the Royals held on to the second American League wild card spot with a 1-0 victory over the Washington Nationals.Isbel, the Royals' automatic runner to begin the 10th, reached third on Bobby Witt Jr.’s infield single to short and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Royals/status/1838764184055513162">crossed the plate on Nasim Nuñez's low throw</a>&nbsp;to first to end Kansas City's seven-game slide.The Royals sit tied with the Tigers and just two games ahead of the Twins for the final AL Wild Card spot with five games to go. KC is back in action this evening at 5:45 for game 2 with the Nats._________Tuesday was also a big day for Kansas Wesleyan as Abby Donovan was named KCAC Women’s Golfer of the Week, and Valeria Hernandez was named KCAC Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week.Donovan set a pair of new Kansas Wesleyan women's golf school records and dominated the field to claim the individual championship and help the Kansas Wesleyan women's golf team to a second place finish at the Central Plains Invitational on Monday and Tuesday at Salina Country Club._________And finally on Tuesday Retired NFL quarterback&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brett-favre-mississippi-welfare-money-nfl-59d5047f9e8b1cd6055f13697eea7027">Brett Favre</a>&nbsp;told a congressional committee that he has been diagnosed with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/40d578574b5d419d82a427575b045c03">Parkinson’s disease</a>Favre is currently giving testimony about a welfare misspending scandal in Mississippi, and has been forced to repay over $1M in speaking fees._________

910 KINA Sports Headlines — September 25

Kansas Wesleyan Men's Golf finished second at the Central Plains Invitational on Monday and Tuesday at Salina Country Club. The KWU B team posted a sixth place finish in the 10-team field.

The Coyote A team were led by a pair of finishers - <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/19321b8b-3cfc-40c8-8b32-2a02dcf09a46?elinkdata=12657">Doak Neill</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6fcca739-f4f6-4b15-9026-667230aadc5b?elinkdata=12657">Hank Reeg</a>, who finished tied for fourth place with an even-par 210 for the tournament. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c387bf2f-08d7-417c-8617-21d4d8ea56b3?elinkdata=12657">Caden Stevens</a> tied for 17th with a 220, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/887644a6-4269-4440-ab34-6eb8e0b90361?elinkdata=12657">Jackson Malone</a> tied for 21st with a 222 and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f76cae05-588b-44b3-b197-4c2d87fbec3f?elinkdata=12657">Joey Wisocki</a> tied for 26th with a 225.

The Coyote B team were led by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3100f5a4-68ca-4cc0-8113-992b88fc4538?elinkdata=12657">Bodee Bratcher</a> who tied for 21st with a 222. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0d6de343-3cad-46b0-9ff9-027fefdb3782?elinkdata=12657">Hunter Newell</a> tied for 26th with a 225, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6ba72a12-c7c9-49b1-9810-5221af07d218?elinkdata=12657">Dylan Esch</a> tied for 32nd with a 228, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/089ffd99-b474-406c-92a0-1772f3dec48a?elinkdata=12657">Derek He</a> tied for 35th with a 229 and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c6b220d5-dff2-4bde-9350-14bcaed8e43d?elinkdata=12657">Alex Burns</a> tied for 42nd with a 232.

KWU also had a pair of individuals play in the tournament as <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1399e0f0-3f50-4261-b86f-ca1f02972014?elinkdata=12657">Tyler Tarvin</a> was amongst the other Coyotes tied for fourth with an even-par 210, and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fc237845-1830-41bf-a739-3fbc93d0bbd4?elinkdata=12657">Logan Smith</a> tied for 32nd with a 228.

The Coyote A team finished second in the team standings with a 3-round score of 858, nine shots behind Garden City CC. Southwestern Christian was third with an 864, Sterling was fourth with an 867, Southwestern was fifth with an 898, KWU B was sixth with a 902, Tabor was seventh with a 904, Ottawa was eighth with a 911, Oklahoma Wesleyan was ninth with a 921, and York was 10th with a 1009.

KWU returns to action next week heading to Teradyne Country Club in Wichita for the Pioneer Prairie Classic hosted by MidAmerica Nazarene University next Monday and Tuesday.

Kansas Wesleyan Men's Golf finished second at the Central Plains Invitational on Monday and Tuesday at Salina Country Club. The KWU B team posted a sixth place finish in the 10-team field.The Coyote A team were led by a pair of finishers - <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/19321b8b-3cfc-40c8-8b32-2a02dcf09a46?elinkdata=12657">Doak Neill</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6fcca739-f4f6-4b15-9026-667230aadc5b?elinkdata=12657">Hank Reeg</a>, who finished tied for fourth place with an even-par 210 for the tournament. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c387bf2f-08d7-417c-8617-21d4d8ea56b3?elinkdata=12657">Caden Stevens</a> tied for 17th with a 220, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/887644a6-4269-4440-ab34-6eb8e0b90361?elinkdata=12657">Jackson Malone</a> tied for 21st with a 222 and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f76cae05-588b-44b3-b197-4c2d87fbec3f?elinkdata=12657">Joey Wisocki</a> tied for 26th with a 225.The Coyote B team were led by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3100f5a4-68ca-4cc0-8113-992b88fc4538?elinkdata=12657">Bodee Bratcher</a> who tied for 21st with a 222. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0d6de343-3cad-46b0-9ff9-027fefdb3782?elinkdata=12657">Hunter Newell</a> tied for 26th with a 225, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6ba72a12-c7c9-49b1-9810-5221af07d218?elinkdata=12657">Dylan Esch</a> tied for 32nd with a 228, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/089ffd99-b474-406c-92a0-1772f3dec48a?elinkdata=12657">Derek He</a> tied for 35th with a 229 and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c6b220d5-dff2-4bde-9350-14bcaed8e43d?elinkdata=12657">Alex Burns</a> tied for 42nd with a 232.KWU also had a pair of individuals play in the tournament as <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1399e0f0-3f50-4261-b86f-ca1f02972014?elinkdata=12657">Tyler Tarvin</a> was amongst the other Coyotes tied for fourth with an even-par 210, and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fc237845-1830-41bf-a739-3fbc93d0bbd4?elinkdata=12657">Logan Smith</a> tied for 32nd with a 228.The Coyote A team finished second in the team standings with a 3-round score of 858, nine shots behind Garden City CC. Southwestern Christian was third with an 864, Sterling was fourth with an 867, Southwestern was fifth with an 898, KWU B was sixth with a 902, Tabor was seventh with a 904, Ottawa was eighth with a 911, Oklahoma Wesleyan was ninth with a 921, and York was 10th with a 1009.KWU returns to action next week heading to Teradyne Country Club in Wichita for the Pioneer Prairie Classic hosted by MidAmerica Nazarene University next Monday and Tuesday.

KWU Men's Golf posts second place finish at Central Plains Invitational, B team places sixth

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/97bcb55f-1668-4f90-96f3-e23ef4ef60f5?elinkdata=12680">Abby Donovan</a> set a pair of new Kansas Wesleyan women's golf school records and dominated the field to claim the individual championship and help the Kansas Wesleyan women's golf team to a second place finish at the Central Plains Invitational on Monday and Tuesday at Salina Country Club.

On Monday, Donovan set a new school record for a single round score, carding a 4-under par 68, breaking the previous record of 72 last achieved by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8d0f7bd1-e6b6-4600-a150-d4180ec40844?elinkdata=12680">Hannah Hart</a> in the 2022-23 season.

Donovan also set a new 2-round individual scoring record for the Coyotes, shooting an even par 144 for the tournament, breaking the previous record of 148 set in 2014-15 by Kamie Rash.

Donovan rolled to a 5-shot win in the tournament over Dodge City's Gaemphuang Ketrahong.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f6b7fe0f-055b-4fe3-ae2b-54568fe109c3?elinkdata=12680">Sarah Krenowicz</a> finished tied for ninth with a 161, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/190a151c-358e-452d-a907-0c6a38e870ca?elinkdata=12680">Chaney Littell</a> tied for 18th with a 170, Ryan Warren finished 26th with a 175, and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fe3318dd-bdb6-4ba6-8081-24519d7bd63b?elinkdata=12680">Savanna Nickum</a> tied for 27th with a 177.

KWU's B Team finished eighth in the team standings. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fed66168-0673-4d5f-807b-14fc8e00229c?elinkdata=12680">Magen Dow</a> tied for 18th with a 170, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7d72f154-b929-497b-a85f-a610c1ba7b1f?elinkdata=12680">Kelsey Essex</a> tied for 35th with a 181, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/80b17121-a06b-42ca-9d55-671c4f5263ad?elinkdata=12680">Emily Stamper</a> tied for 35th with a 181, and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/56a1dee5-0f60-4afb-a9cc-b4195484888f?elinkdata=12680">Abby Day</a> was 47th with a 206.

Dodge City CC was the team champion with a score of 614. KWU was second with a 647, Southwestern Christian was third with a 676, Friends was fourth with a 677, Garden City CC was fifth with a 678.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/97bcb55f-1668-4f90-96f3-e23ef4ef60f5?elinkdata=12680">Abby Donovan</a> set a pair of new Kansas Wesleyan women's golf school records and dominated the field to claim the individual championship and help the Kansas Wesleyan women's golf team to a second place finish at the Central Plains Invitational on Monday and Tuesday at Salina Country Club.On Monday, Donovan set a new school record for a single round score, carding a 4-under par 68, breaking the previous record of 72 last achieved by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8d0f7bd1-e6b6-4600-a150-d4180ec40844?elinkdata=12680">Hannah Hart</a> in the 2022-23 season.Donovan also set a new 2-round individual scoring record for the Coyotes, shooting an even par 144 for the tournament, breaking the previous record of 148 set in 2014-15 by Kamie Rash.Donovan rolled to a 5-shot win in the tournament over Dodge City's Gaemphuang Ketrahong.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f6b7fe0f-055b-4fe3-ae2b-54568fe109c3?elinkdata=12680">Sarah Krenowicz</a> finished tied for ninth with a 161, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/190a151c-358e-452d-a907-0c6a38e870ca?elinkdata=12680">Chaney Littell</a> tied for 18th with a 170, Ryan Warren finished 26th with a 175, and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fe3318dd-bdb6-4ba6-8081-24519d7bd63b?elinkdata=12680">Savanna Nickum</a> tied for 27th with a 177.KWU's B Team finished eighth in the team standings. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fed66168-0673-4d5f-807b-14fc8e00229c?elinkdata=12680">Magen Dow</a> tied for 18th with a 170, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7d72f154-b929-497b-a85f-a610c1ba7b1f?elinkdata=12680">Kelsey Essex</a> tied for 35th with a 181, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/80b17121-a06b-42ca-9d55-671c4f5263ad?elinkdata=12680">Emily Stamper</a> tied for 35th with a 181, and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/56a1dee5-0f60-4afb-a9cc-b4195484888f?elinkdata=12680">Abby Day</a> was 47th with a 206.Dodge City CC was the team champion with a score of 614. KWU was second with a 647, Southwestern Christian was third with a 676, Friends was fourth with a 677, Garden City CC was fifth with a 678.

KWUs Donovan sets new school records, dominates field at Central Plains Invitational

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kyle Isbel snapped Kansas City's 27-inning scoreless streak by sprinting home on a throwing error in the 10th inning, Cole Ragans gave up three hits in six innings, and the Royals held on to the second American League wild card with a 1-0 victory over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night.

“It’s a little bit of a sigh of relief," Ragans said. “We knew it’s going to come down to probably a game like this to get us back on track.”

Kansas City and Detroit are both 83-74 but the Royals own the head-to-head tiebreaker. Both teams are two games up on Minnesota.

After three games without a hit with a runner in scoring position, the Royals were 2 for 11 in that situation Tuesday, though neither plated a run.

“There’s definitely frustration, but I think tonight it was more like, disbelief,” said Royals manager Matt Quatraro. “We know we’re too good a team to have that continue for a long period of time.”

Kyle Finnegan (3-7) escaped the 10th without further damage, but the Nationals lost for the seventh time in eight games.

“Our defense was good until that one play,” said Nats manager Dave Martinez. “It really came down to one play, and execution, and not being able to hit the ball.”

Lucas Erceg worked a clean 10th for his 12th save and ninth with the Royals, striking out Joey Gallo for the final out after the Nationals slugger hooked a 3-2 offering just to the foul side of the right-field foul pole.

"You can never count your chickens there that you’re going to strand the runner," Quatraro said of Erceg, whom Kansas City acquired in a trade from Oakland at this year's deadline. “But you certainly like your chances.”

Ragans struck out six in his fourth consecutive outing of six innings or more to lower his September ERA to 1.08.

Kris Bubic stranded a runner on third in the seventh, Sam Long pitched a scoreless eighth and Angel Zerpa (2-0) threw a perfect ninth to get the game to extra innings.

Royals: RHP Hunter Harvey (back) will be shut down for the season. The reliever hasn't appeared since Aug. 4, and will get another medical opinion. “He's going to go see someone in Dallas to see if they can find something different, but by all accounts, we think it's just going to be rest” that he needs, said Quatraro. ... RHP James McArthur (right elbow), who last pitched on Sept. 16, also won't return this season. ... RHP Michael Lorenzen (left hamstring) remains on track to return from the injured list to make Wednesday’s start, Quatraro said.

Nationals: Recalled OF Stone Garrett from Triple-A Rochester and placed INF Andrés Chaparro on the paternity list.

Lorenzen (7-6, 3.43 ERA) will try to continue his excellent form since joining the Royals from Texas at the deadline. He has a 1.85 ERA and 2-0 record in five starts with Kansas City. He'll face rookie lefty DJ Herz (4-8, 4.30).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727234094702.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Kyle Isbel runs towards home to score on a throwing error by Washington Nationals shortstop Nasim Nunez during the 10th inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Kyle Isbel runs towards home to score on a throwing error by Washington Nationals shortstop Nasim Nunez during the 10th inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Kyle Isbel snapped Kansas City's 27-inning scoreless streak by sprinting home on a throwing error in the 10th inning, Cole Ragans gave up three hits in six innings, and the Royals held on to the second American League wild card with a 1-0 victory over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night.Isbel, the Royals' automatic runner to begin the 10th, reached third on Bobby Witt Jr.’s infield single to short and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Royals/status/1838764184055513162">crossed the plate on Nasim Nuñez's low throw</a>&nbsp;to first to end Kansas City's seven-game slide.“It’s a little bit of a sigh of relief," Ragans said. “We knew it’s going to come down to probably a game like this to get us back on track.”Kansas City and Detroit are both 83-74 but the Royals own the head-to-head tiebreaker. Both teams are two games up on Minnesota.After three games without a hit with a runner in scoring position, the Royals were 2 for 11 in that situation Tuesday, though neither plated a run.“There’s definitely frustration, but I think tonight it was more like, disbelief,” said Royals manager Matt Quatraro. “We know we’re too good a team to have that continue for a long period of time.”Kyle Finnegan (3-7) escaped the 10th without further damage, but the Nationals lost for the seventh time in eight games.“Our defense was good until that one play,” said Nats manager Dave Martinez. “It really came down to one play, and execution, and not being able to hit the ball.”Lucas Erceg worked a clean 10th for his 12th save and ninth with the Royals, striking out Joey Gallo for the final out after the Nationals slugger hooked a 3-2 offering just to the foul side of the right-field foul pole."You can never count your chickens there that you’re going to strand the runner," Quatraro said of Erceg, whom Kansas City acquired in a trade from Oakland at this year's deadline. “But you certainly like your chances.”Ragans struck out six in his fourth consecutive outing of six innings or more to lower his September ERA to 1.08.Kris Bubic stranded a runner on third in the seventh, Sam Long pitched a scoreless eighth and Angel Zerpa (2-0) threw a perfect ninth to get the game to extra innings.TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: RHP Hunter Harvey (back) will be shut down for the season. The reliever hasn't appeared since Aug. 4, and will get another medical opinion. “He's going to go see someone in Dallas to see if they can find something different, but by all accounts, we think it's just going to be rest” that he needs, said Quatraro. ... RHP James McArthur (right elbow), who last pitched on Sept. 16, also won't return this season. ... RHP Michael Lorenzen (left hamstring) remains on track to return from the injured list to make Wednesday’s start, Quatraro said.Nationals: Recalled OF Stone Garrett from Triple-A Rochester and placed INF Andrés Chaparro on the paternity list.UP NEXTLorenzen (7-6, 3.43 ERA) will try to continue his excellent form since joining the Royals from Texas at the deadline. He has a 1.85 ERA and 2-0 record in five starts with Kansas City. He'll face rookie lefty DJ Herz (4-8, 4.30).

⚾ Royals top Nationals in 10 and hold on to 2nd in AL wild card race

The Coyotes are back home Saturday for a Kansas Conference game against the Bethel College Threshers. Kickoff is 6 p.m. on Gene Bissell Field at JRI Stadium and the Graves Family Sports Complex.LIVE COVERAGE

GAME INFORMATIONTICKETSTickets are on sale now at&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6563abf1-da1f-45b4-bb7b-d971ad3d744e?elinkdata=12634" target="_blank">www.kwucoyotes.com/tickets</a>. Tickets are also available at the door. Cash and cards are accepted at the ticket gate. Very few spots remain in the Premium Tailgate lot. Reserve a remaining spot now at&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3ed2a29d-3c04-45db-a934-a552aad63385?elinkdata=12634" target="_blank">www.kwucoyotes.com/tickets</a>GAME DAY SPONSORSSaturday's official game day sponsors are&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4fa2bdd1-0939-42df-ab0b-7e33197258e3?elinkdata=12634" target="_blank">Ryan Roofing</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/89c8d9f7-2d7b-42a6-9454-c8e3485e8a42?elinkdata=12634" target="_blank">A-Plus Architecture and Construction Services</a>&nbsp;of Salina. KWU would also like to thank&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/284b6de9-bf4d-4f3d-8e61-1de5f5fa1286?elinkdata=12634" target="_blank">Little Caesar's</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/825f842f-e469-4b44-b847-abc5a75e06ae?elinkdata=12634" target="_blank">Chick-Fil-A&nbsp;</a>for providing team and game day staff mealsPROMOTIONS

"The game plan going in defensively (against Friends) was solid. We gave up a lot of yards, but we also made them snap the ball a lot. We didn't give up a ton of big plays. Offensively obviously we didn't move the ball as well as we wanted to. We need to be more efficient with the football in the air, but we ran the ball solidly. Unfortunately, just didn't close it out late."I want (Armstrong) touching the ball a minimum of 20 times a game. He's a really talented and a guy that we can use as a decoy at times."(Bethel) is going to run the ball with the quarterback and drop back when they need to. We've got to make sure that we keep Ciers under wraps for sure. We want to make him throw the ball deep down the field and keep him as uncomfortable as possible."

"I knew coming here (from Missouri Baptist) was going to be a challenge because the competition level in practice is hard. I can be doing way better than what I am and I know I am going to do better. I'm really hard on myself because I know that the work that I put in and it will show. You're going to see a whole lot more in the next seven games."We need to help our defense out more. We need to stay on the field longer, we need to put up longer drives. I feel like we've got to play better and we will play better. We've got to do better scoring in the red zone and the goal zone because most of those times we're leaving with field goals and that really hurts us."

(<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5c11cd7f-b740-435a-9daa-7d2835118a3b?elinkdata=12634" target="_blank">Byron McNair</a>) has been a leader to the guys and somebody that people look to in the locker room. He's getting the guys together and talking to them and everybody listens to him. That's the biggest thing I see for him and it's going to grow as he keeps growing as a quarterback."(Drop back passing game) is something where he needs to get a lot better. He has his guys that he looks to and he just needs to be able to progress and keep moving through the thing, not just focus on one person which he has a tendency to do at times. Sometimes he goes through the progressions beautifully and I'm like 'okay everything's fine.' It's something a young quarterback does."We've got to complete some passes (against Bethel). We need to drop back and make sure we progress and just do our job."

The Coyotes play conference foe McPherson at 1 p.m. Saturday in McPherson. It will be their final game against opponents from the Ted Kessinger Division.

The Coyotes are back home Saturday for a Kansas Conference game against the Bethel College Threshers. Kickoff is 6 p.m. on Gene Bissell Field at JRI Stadium and the Graves Family Sports Complex.LIVE COVERAGE<ul>
 <li>The&nbsp;video stream&nbsp;of the game will be available online through the Coyote Sports Network at&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5bf974b2-4118-49e6-8709-4d2beb25956a?elinkdata=12634" target="_blank">www.kcacnetwork.com/kansaswesleyan</a>. The Coyote Sports Network&nbsp;video stream&nbsp;will have Coyote Game Day Live at JRI Stadium from 5 to 5:30, hosted by student broadcasters, previewing Saturday's match-up. At 5:30, the&nbsp;video stream&nbsp;pregame switches to the KINA Radio Pregame Show with Tyler Henry and Brooks Garretson.</li><li>Live Stats will be available at&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e16c2a1e-504e-46ac-b656-24434a7740eb?elinkdata=12634" target="_blank">https://kwucoyotes.com/sidearmstats/football/summary</a></li><li>Radio&nbsp;coverage will be on the&nbsp;KINA Radio&nbsp;starting at 5 p.m., with the pregame show with Tyler Henry and Brooks Garretson. The online radio stream&nbsp;is available at&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bf174173-06a7-4c3b-a073-ab92233dc96c?elinkdata=12634" target="_blank">https://radio.securenetsystems.net/ce/kina2</a>.</li>
 </ul>RECORDS<ul>
 <li>Kansas Wesleyan 1-3</li><li>Bethel 4-0</li>
 </ul>GAME INFORMATIONTICKETSTickets are on sale now at&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6563abf1-da1f-45b4-bb7b-d971ad3d744e?elinkdata=12634" target="_blank">www.kwucoyotes.com/tickets</a>. Tickets are also available at the door. Cash and cards are accepted at the ticket gate. Very few spots remain in the Premium Tailgate lot. Reserve a remaining spot now at&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3ed2a29d-3c04-45db-a934-a552aad63385?elinkdata=12634" target="_blank">www.kwucoyotes.com/tickets</a>GAME DAY SPONSORSSaturday's official game day sponsors are&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4fa2bdd1-0939-42df-ab0b-7e33197258e3?elinkdata=12634" target="_blank">Ryan Roofing</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/89c8d9f7-2d7b-42a6-9454-c8e3485e8a42?elinkdata=12634" target="_blank">A-Plus Architecture and Construction Services</a>&nbsp;of Salina. KWU would also like to thank&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/284b6de9-bf4d-4f3d-8e61-1de5f5fa1286?elinkdata=12634" target="_blank">Little Caesar's</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/825f842f-e469-4b44-b847-abc5a75e06ae?elinkdata=12634" target="_blank">Chick-Fil-A&nbsp;</a>for providing team and game day staff mealsPROMOTIONS<ul>
 <li><a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ff89492e-7ba1-4172-b9e9-26fee43585bb?elinkdata=12634" target="_blank">Yotee's Spirit Store</a>&nbsp;will be open in the Student Activities Center AND on the concourse level at JRI Stadium.</li><li>Coyote Dance Team will perform at half time</li><li>Check out the latest vehicles from our transportation partners Marshall Motor and Long McArthur</li>
 </ul>THE SERIES<ul>
 <li>KWU has won 14 of the last 15 including a 24-14 victory last season in North Newton. Bethel won 30-24 in 2022 in JRI Stadium ending the Coyotes' 13-game winning streak. KWU is 19-4 against Bethel since 2001.</li><li>KWU leads the all-time series 61-25-2 against the Threshers.</li>
 </ul>KANSAS WESLEYAN AT A GLANCE<ul>
 <li>The Coyotes lost to No. 21-ranked Friends 28-26 last Saturday in Wichita. Cole Thompson kicked a game-winning 40-yard field goal on the final play of the game. KWU had taken a 26-25 lead on&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fd2b55c7-16c2-4db6-af63-2f0e24d8030d?elinkdata=12634" target="_blank">Luke Armstrong's</a>&nbsp;37-yard run with 5:27 left before the final Falcons' final drive.</li><li>Armstrong led the offense with 79 yards rushing on 20 carries and returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. He is averaging 8.0 yards per carry and has 377 yards on 47 carries and five touchdowns. He also has returned two kickoffs for scores.</li><li>Special teams had a huge night against Friends. Cole Seagraves kicked a school-record 54-yard field goal on the last play of the first half and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/388f14c9-9ee9-4115-8ef0-f51c63d7e6dd?elinkdata=12634" target="_blank">Talon Cope</a>&nbsp;had field goals of 29, 32 and 29 yards. Punter&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/21b8e511-1560-4ae5-8e34-bcd3475c37d1?elinkdata=12634" target="_blank">Griffin Wiltse</a>&nbsp;averaged 54.5 yards on four kicks.</li><li><a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e09715e6-9fe7-4b4e-8fe3-44d064b3985c?elinkdata=12634" target="_blank">Richard Lara</a>&nbsp;threw for 232 yards and three touchdowns in last year's victory over Bethel. He was 19 of 29 passing with one interception. Armstrong caught six passes for 102 yards and a touchdown.</li><li>The defense blanked the Threshers in the second half and allowed just 213 total yards - 128 rushing and 85 passing.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/06915cd6-1f91-4147-bc42-1b970a42e308?elinkdata=12634" target="_blank">Josh King-Bradley</a>&nbsp;had two sacks.</li>
 </ul>BETHEL AT A GLANCE<ul>
 <li>The Threshers rallied for a 20-17 victory over Avila last Saturday in North Newton. Avila led 17-13 after three quarters before Bethel scored with 8:55 left in the game.</li><li>Bethel opened the season with a 13-0 victory at Sterling then defeated Saint Mary 33-17 at home and won 27-24 at Ottawa.</li><li>The Threshers average 304 yards a game - 210 rushing, 130 passing. Senior running back Torriano Richardson has a team-best 504 yards rushing and averages 6.0 yards per carry. He had 122 yards on 24 carries against Avila. Senior quarterback C.J. Ciers has 169 yards rushing, five touchdowns and has completed 50.6 percent of his passes for 521 yards and five TDs.</li><li>Defensively Bethel allows 14.5 points and 253 yards per game. Opponents are averaging 111 yards rushing.</li><li>Bethel is led by interim head coach Daylon Markham. He's in his fourth season and was slated to be defensive coordinator this fall before being promoted following A.B. Stokes' resignation in July.</li>
 </ul>KWU COACH MATT MYERS"The game plan going in defensively (against Friends) was solid. We gave up a lot of yards, but we also made them snap the ball a lot. We didn't give up a ton of big plays. Offensively obviously we didn't move the ball as well as we wanted to. We need to be more efficient with the football in the air, but we ran the ball solidly. Unfortunately, just didn't close it out late."I want (Armstrong) touching the ball a minimum of 20 times a game. He's a really talented and a guy that we can use as a decoy at times."(Bethel) is going to run the ball with the quarterback and drop back when they need to. We've got to make sure that we keep Ciers under wraps for sure. We want to make him throw the ball deep down the field and keep him as uncomfortable as possible."KWU WIDE RECEIVER EARL GRAY"I knew coming here (from Missouri Baptist) was going to be a challenge because the competition level in practice is hard. I can be doing way better than what I am and I know I am going to do better. I'm really hard on myself because I know that the work that I put in and it will show. You're going to see a whole lot more in the next seven games."We need to help our defense out more. We need to stay on the field longer, we need to put up longer drives. I feel like we've got to play better and we will play better. We've got to do better scoring in the red zone and the goal zone because most of those times we're leaving with field goals and that really hurts us."KWU OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR JAMES BAUER"(<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5c11cd7f-b740-435a-9daa-7d2835118a3b?elinkdata=12634" target="_blank">Byron McNair</a>) has been a leader to the guys and somebody that people look to in the locker room. He's getting the guys together and talking to them and everybody listens to him. That's the biggest thing I see for him and it's going to grow as he keeps growing as a quarterback."(Drop back passing game) is something where he needs to get a lot better. He has his guys that he looks to and he just needs to be able to progress and keep moving through the thing, not just focus on one person which he has a tendency to do at times. Sometimes he goes through the progressions beautifully and I'm like 'okay everything's fine.' It's something a young quarterback does."We've got to complete some passes (against Bethel). We need to drop back and make sure we progress and just do our job."NEXT WEEKThe Coyotes play conference foe McPherson at 1 p.m. Saturday in McPherson. It will be their final game against opponents from the Ted Kessinger Division.

🏈 KWU looks to turn things around hosting Bethel on Saturday

WICHITA, Kan. -&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f5c78dea-e1d3-44ff-af08-803cca1c8a6a?elinkdata=12611" target="_blank">Valeria Hernandez</a>&nbsp;of Kansas Wesleyan University has earned this week's KCAC Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week honor, the conference office announced Monday. Student-athletes were selected for their performances from Sept. 16-22 by a vote of conference sports information directors. All KCAC Player of the Week honors are presented by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/288a8935-c9fa-45d5-928c-59ada4e3c52e?elinkdata=12611" target="_blank">Equity Bank</a>.

Playing center back for the Coyotes, Hernandez was key in helping KWU earn two shutout wins to open KCAC play this week. She was part of KWU's defense that held opponents to only 10 shots on frame in two matches, and 22 total shots, many of them well off target.

WICHITA, Kan. -&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f5c78dea-e1d3-44ff-af08-803cca1c8a6a?elinkdata=12611" target="_blank">Valeria Hernandez</a>&nbsp;of Kansas Wesleyan University has earned this week's KCAC Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week honor, the conference office announced Monday. Student-athletes were selected for their performances from Sept. 16-22 by a vote of conference sports information directors. All KCAC Player of the Week honors are presented by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/288a8935-c9fa-45d5-928c-59ada4e3c52e?elinkdata=12611" target="_blank">Equity Bank</a>.Playing center back for the Coyotes, Hernandez was key in helping KWU earn two shutout wins to open KCAC play this week. She was part of KWU's defense that held opponents to only 10 shots on frame in two matches, and 22 total shots, many of them well off target.

Valeria Hernandez named KCAC Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week

WICHITA, Kan. -&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9330bd20-73ed-4b04-9eeb-500d48cde4f9?elinkdata=12588" target="_blank">Abby Donovan</a>&nbsp;of Kansas Wesleyan University has earned the KCAC Women's Golfer of the Week honor, the conference office announced Monday. Student-athletes were selected for their performances from Sept. 16-22 by a vote of conference sports information directors. All KCAC Player of the Week honors are presented by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4e12a3f3-be47-4de8-8eca-8ae4decf724f?elinkdata=12588" target="_blank">Equity Bank</a>.

Donovan was again excellent for the Coyotes at the Northwest Iowa National Invitational. She finished tied for 10th in the individual standings with a 225 for the 3-round tournament. She helped the Coyotes to a fifth place finish in the team standings as the Coyotes faced a loaded field in the tournament with six of eight teams either ranked in the NAIA Preseason Top 25 or receiving votes in the poll, including No. 5 Texas Wesleyan, No. 11 Embry-Riddle (Ariz.), No. 18 Ottawa (Ariz.), No. 20 Lewis-Clark State and No. 25 Morningside.

WICHITA, Kan. -&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9330bd20-73ed-4b04-9eeb-500d48cde4f9?elinkdata=12588" target="_blank">Abby Donovan</a>&nbsp;of Kansas Wesleyan University has earned the KCAC Women's Golfer of the Week honor, the conference office announced Monday. Student-athletes were selected for their performances from Sept. 16-22 by a vote of conference sports information directors. All KCAC Player of the Week honors are presented by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4e12a3f3-be47-4de8-8eca-8ae4decf724f?elinkdata=12588" target="_blank">Equity Bank</a>.Donovan was again excellent for the Coyotes at the Northwest Iowa National Invitational. She finished tied for 10th in the individual standings with a 225 for the 3-round tournament. She helped the Coyotes to a fifth place finish in the team standings as the Coyotes faced a loaded field in the tournament with six of eight teams either ranked in the NAIA Preseason Top 25 or receiving votes in the poll, including No. 5 Texas Wesleyan, No. 11 Embry-Riddle (Ariz.), No. 18 Ottawa (Ariz.), No. 20 Lewis-Clark State and No. 25 Morningside.

Abby Donovan named KCAC Women's Golfer of the Week

WASHINGTON (AP) — Retired NFL quarterback&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brett-favre-mississippi-welfare-money-nfl-59d5047f9e8b1cd6055f13697eea7027">Brett Favre</a>&nbsp;has been diagnosed with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/40d578574b5d419d82a427575b045c03">Parkinson’s disease</a>, he told a congressional committee Tuesday.

Favre made the disclosure as part of his testimony about a welfare misspending scandal in Mississippi. Favre, who does not face criminal charges, has repaid just over $1 million in speaking fees funded by a welfare program in the state and was also an investor in a biotech company with ties to the case. The biotech firm has said it was developing concussion treatments.

The former football star told the committee that he lost his investment in the company “that I believed was developing a breakthrough concussion drug I thought would help others.”

“As I’m sure you’ll understand, while it’s too late for me — I’ve recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s — this is also a cause dear to my heart,” Favre said.

What causes Parkinson's disease is unknown, and it is unclear if Favre's disease is connected to his football career or head injuries. He said in 2022 that he estimates he experienced “thousands” of concussions in his two decades in the NFL.

Favre appeared at the Republican-led House Ways and Means Committee hearing to advocate reform of the federal welfare system to better prevent fraud.

“The challenges my family and I have faced over the last three years—because certain government officials in Mississippi failed to protect federal TANF funds from fraud and abuse, and are unjustifiably trying to blame me, those challenges have hurt my good name and are worse than anything I faced in football,” Favre said.

<a href="https://waysandmeans.house.gov/2022/11/16/in-light-of-favre-welfare-scandal-gop-members-renew-calls-for-accountability/">House Republicans</a>&nbsp;have said a Mississippi welfare misspending scandal involving Favre and others points to the need for an overhaul in the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-sports-general-football-brett-favre-us-news-ff86e556f25aee92aef15da86c2cc915">Favre has said he didn’t know</a>&nbsp;the payments he received came from welfare funds and has noted his charity had provided millions of dollars to poor kids in his home state of Mississippi and in Wisconsin, where he played most of his career with the Green Bay Packers.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Retired NFL quarterback&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brett-favre-mississippi-welfare-money-nfl-59d5047f9e8b1cd6055f13697eea7027">Brett Favre</a>&nbsp;has been diagnosed with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/40d578574b5d419d82a427575b045c03">Parkinson’s disease</a>, he told a congressional committee Tuesday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">During his opening statement before Congress, <a href="https://twitter.com/BrettFavre?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BrettFavre</a> says he&#39;s recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Full video here: <a href="https://t.co/bANW0t3SK6">https://t.co/bANW0t3SK6</a> <a href="https://t.co/IFQzqC847M">pic.twitter.com/IFQzqC847M</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1838592945483612597?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Favre made the disclosure as part of his testimony about a welfare misspending scandal in Mississippi. Favre, who does not face criminal charges, has repaid just over $1 million in speaking fees funded by a welfare program in the state and was also an investor in a biotech company with ties to the case. The biotech firm has said it was developing concussion treatments.The former football star told the committee that he lost his investment in the company “that I believed was developing a breakthrough concussion drug I thought would help others.”“As I’m sure you’ll understand, while it’s too late for me — I’ve recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s — this is also a cause dear to my heart,” Favre said.What causes Parkinson's disease is unknown, and it is unclear if Favre's disease is connected to his football career or head injuries. He said in 2022 that he estimates he experienced “thousands” of concussions in his two decades in the NFL.Favre appeared at the Republican-led House Ways and Means Committee hearing to advocate reform of the federal welfare system to better prevent fraud.“The challenges my family and I have faced over the last three years—because certain government officials in Mississippi failed to protect federal TANF funds from fraud and abuse, and are unjustifiably trying to blame me, those challenges have hurt my good name and are worse than anything I faced in football,” Favre said.<a href="https://waysandmeans.house.gov/2022/11/16/in-light-of-favre-welfare-scandal-gop-members-renew-calls-for-accountability/">House Republicans</a>&nbsp;have said a Mississippi welfare misspending scandal involving Favre and others points to the need for an overhaul in the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-sports-general-football-brett-favre-us-news-ff86e556f25aee92aef15da86c2cc915">Favre has said he didn’t know</a>&nbsp;the payments he received came from welfare funds and has noted his charity had provided millions of dollars to poor kids in his home state of Mississippi and in Wisconsin, where he played most of his career with the Green Bay Packers.

🎥Retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre says he has Parkinson’s disease

NEW YORK — Sept. 23, 2024 —&nbsp;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.”

In a letter to James, Runyan, who noted that James has had multiple offenses for personal fouls in recent seasons, wrote:

“During the third quarter of Sunday’s Chargers-Steelers game you were involved in a play that the League considers a serious violation of the playing rules. The video of the play shows that you lowered your head and made forcible contact to Steelers tight end, Pat Freiermuth. You had an unobstructed path to your opponent and the illegal contact could have been avoided.”

“Your continued disregard for NFL playing rules will not be tolerated. Substantial penalties are warranted when players violate the rules intended to protect player safety on a repeated basis, particularly when the violations carry with them a significant risk of injury to an opposing player.”

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.

NEW YORK — Sept. 23, 2024 —&nbsp;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.”In a letter to James, Runyan, who noted that James has had multiple offenses for personal fouls in recent seasons, wrote:“During the third quarter of Sunday’s Chargers-Steelers game you were involved in a play that the League considers a serious violation of the playing rules. The video of the play shows that you lowered your head and made forcible contact to Steelers tight end, Pat Freiermuth. You had an unobstructed path to your opponent and the illegal contact could have been avoided.”“Your continued disregard for NFL playing rules will not be tolerated. Substantial penalties are warranted when players violate the rules intended to protect player safety on a repeated basis, particularly when the violations carry with them a significant risk of injury to an opposing player.”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.

Derwin James Jr. Suspended One Game, will miss Chargers game vs. Chiefs

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.

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.

<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OoD_kJIR3UQ"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </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.

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.