By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

With teams like Lenexa's St. James Academy, Overland Park's St. Thomas Aquinas, and Wichita's Bishop Carroll winning 16 of the last 18 Class 5A girls' cross country titles, the state's second-largest classification is notoriously tough. This fall, a pair of individual runners are ensuring the tradition continues. Saturday in Topeka, Topeka Seaman junior Ryin Miller smashed the state 5K record in 16:32.62. Girard's Cailie Logue, a six-time All-American at Iowa State University, set the previous record of 16:46 in 2016.

But Miller is not running alone in Class 5A this year. Salina Central senior Katelyn Rupe, who has committed to run at North Carolina next year, set the Lake Barton record during regionals last year in 17:21.18. She reset that record in 17:14.86 at the Great Bend Invite on Sept. 5. Central sophomore Kaylie Shultz ran an 18:05 at the Lake Barton regional last year and improved to 18:02.05 in her first meet of 2024.

Rupe's time on Sept. 5 was the early leader in Kansas this fall until Miller ran a 16:59 two days later in Manhattan. Miller won that race by 75 seconds, and just two girls managed to break 19:21 on the course. After Miller&nbsp; broke the record Saturday in Topeka, Rupe ran a 16:52.70 later that evening in Olathe to win the Twilight meet. Schultz ran second in 17:28.50. No other Kansas girl ran under 18 minutes.

The back-and-forth is hardly new between the trio of top-tier runners. Rupe won last year's Class 5A cross country title at Rim Rock in 17:36.20, followed by Schultz in 17:58.90, and Miller in 18:36.80. Miller gained the upper hand by last spring, beating Rupe by four seconds to win the KU Relays 3200m run in 10:13.97. The next day, Miller beat Rupe by five seconds to win the 1600m run in 4:53.74.

That set the stage for an impressive state track meet in May. Miller, Rupe, and Spring Hill's Marisa January all came in under the previous 5A state record time in the 1600m run with Miller taking the gold by more than three seconds in 4:51.58. Rupe put the pedal down in the 3200m run, smashing a 41-year-old state record by 16 seconds and beating Miller by the same margin.

Class 5A regional sites have not yet been announced but the trio will likely again steal the show at the Class 5A State Cross Country Championships at Rim Rock Farm on Saturday, Nov. 2.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726578326013.jpeg" alt="Topeka Seaman junior Ryin Miller runs ahead of Salina Central senior Katelyn Rupe during last year's KU Relays. Miller set a new state cross country record Saturday in Topeka, and Rupe missed the previous state record by just six seconds the same day in Olathe. (photo by Mike Courson)" />
 <figcaption>Topeka Seaman junior Ryin Miller runs ahead of Salina Central senior Katelyn Rupe during last year's KU Relays. Miller set a new state cross country record Saturday in Topeka, and Rupe missed the previous state record by just six seconds the same day in Olathe. (photo by Mike Courson)</figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostWith teams like Lenexa's St. James Academy, Overland Park's St. Thomas Aquinas, and Wichita's Bishop Carroll winning 16 of the last 18 Class 5A girls' cross country titles, the state's second-largest classification is notoriously tough. This fall, a pair of individual runners are ensuring the tradition continues. Saturday in Topeka, Topeka Seaman junior Ryin Miller smashed the state 5K record in 16:32.62. Girard's Cailie Logue, a six-time All-American at Iowa State University, set the previous record of 16:46 in 2016.But Miller is not running alone in Class 5A this year. Salina Central senior Katelyn Rupe, who has committed to run at North Carolina next year, set the Lake Barton record during regionals last year in 17:21.18. She reset that record in 17:14.86 at the Great Bend Invite on Sept. 5. Central sophomore Kaylie Shultz ran an 18:05 at the Lake Barton regional last year and improved to 18:02.05 in her first meet of 2024.Rupe's time on Sept. 5 was the early leader in Kansas this fall until Miller ran a 16:59 two days later in Manhattan. Miller won that race by 75 seconds, and just two girls managed to break 19:21 on the course. After Miller&nbsp; broke the record Saturday in Topeka, Rupe ran a 16:52.70 later that evening in Olathe to win the Twilight meet. Schultz ran second in 17:28.50. No other Kansas girl ran under 18 minutes.The back-and-forth is hardly new between the trio of top-tier runners. Rupe won last year's Class 5A cross country title at Rim Rock in 17:36.20, followed by Schultz in 17:58.90, and Miller in 18:36.80. Miller gained the upper hand by last spring, beating Rupe by four seconds to win the KU Relays 3200m run in 10:13.97. The next day, Miller beat Rupe by five seconds to win the 1600m run in 4:53.74.That set the stage for an impressive state track meet in May. Miller, Rupe, and Spring Hill's Marisa January all came in under the previous 5A state record time in the 1600m run with Miller taking the gold by more than three seconds in 4:51.58. Rupe put the pedal down in the 3200m run, smashing a 41-year-old state record by 16 seconds and beating Miller by the same margin.Class 5A regional sites have not yet been announced but the trio will likely again steal the show at the Class 5A State Cross Country Championships at Rim Rock Farm on Saturday, Nov. 2.

One tough class: State XC record falls as battle of 5A runners heats up

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Colt Keith hit a two-run homer, Matt Vierling had three hits while driving in the go-ahead run, and the Detroit Tigers rallied from an early four-run deficit to beat the Kansas City Royals 7-6 on Monday night in a crucial game for their playoff hopes.

Pinch-hitter Wenceel Pérez had the tying two-run double for Detroit, which began its final trip of the regular season by moving within 1 1/2 games of Minnesota for the final AL wild-card spot. The Twins lost to Cleveland earlier in the night.

“It was an incredible win because of how we were able to do it,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “We didn't do much early, although our at-bats were pretty good. Started to chip away a little bit, a couple of really big swings, and then we held on."

Brenan Hanifee (1-1) earned the win in relief for Detroit, allowing one run and three hits over 2 1/3 innings. Jason Foley finished off a solid bullpen performance, working a perfect ninth to earn his 24th save and second in two days.

“The bullpen has been doing it all year for us,” Keith said, “and they did it again tonight.”

Bobby Witt Jr. hit a grand slam to stake Kansas City to a 4-0 lead, and he added a bunt single for a five-RBI game. But the Royals otherwise kept squandering chances to score, just as they did in their loss to the Pirates on Sunday.

Sam Long (3-2) took the loss for Kansas City, allowing three runs while retiring just two batters in relief of Seth Lugo.

“A lot of stuff happened in that game, clearly. It was an intense back-and-forth, both teams putting everything on the line,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “You get out to a lead, you feel pretty good. You know they're not going to go away.”

Indeed, the Royals started their final homestand by taking advantage of what Detroit could not: the bases loaded.

The Tigers packed them in the third before Keith grounded out to second to end the threat. But when Kansas City loaded the bases in the bottom half — a leadoff walk from Adam Frazier, a single by Yuli Gurriel and a bunt single from Kyle Isbel — Witt hit a 1-1 pitch what seemed like a mile high and over the left-field wall for his second grand slam of the season.

Reese Olson, making his first start since straining his right shoulder July 20 in Toronto, was lifted one batter later, after Salvador Perez blooped a single to right. He allowed four runs, four hits and a walk while throwing 50 pitches.

The Tigers still trailed 5-1 in the fifth when they began their comeback, scoring once on Witt's throwing error and twice more when Keith homered to right. And after Witt delivered an RBI single in the bottom half for his 200th hit of the season, Detroit pushed across three more runs in the sixth off Long and John Schreiber to take a 7-6 lead.

“We had trouble putting them away from the very beginning. There weren’t a lot of easy outs,” Quatraro said. "You have got to give them credit the way they battled their at-bats and drove (Seth) Lugo’s pitch count up. Then they continued to put good at-bats up. I thought ours were pretty good, too. We just didn’t get the big hits like they did.”

The Royals had two aboard with one out in the seventh, and the first two on base in the eighth, but failed to score both times.

“That was one of the best games we've played as a team,” Keith said. “I don't think anybody thought that we were out of it."

Tigers: RHP Ricky Vanasco was optioned to Triple-A Toledo to make space for Olson on the roster. Vanasco pitched two scoreless innings in two appearances with the club, earning his first big league win on Sept. 5 in Oakland.

Royals: RHP Chris Stratton, who went on the injured list Saturday, was diagnosed with a Grade-1 flexor strain and will be shut down for at least a week. ... RHP James McArthur left Monday's game after retiring two batters with right elbow tightness.

Detroit: RHP Casey Mize (2-6, 4.47) is on the mound against Kansas City for the second game of the series Tuesday night.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726570671501.jpeg" alt="Bobby Witt Jr. celebrates in the dugout after hitting a grand slam in the Royals game with Detroit. (Kansas City Royals photo)" />
 <figcaption>Bobby Witt Jr. celebrates in the dugout after hitting a grand slam in the Royals game with Detroit. (Kansas City Royals photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Colt Keith hit a two-run homer, Matt Vierling had three hits while driving in the go-ahead run, and the Detroit Tigers rallied from an early four-run deficit to beat the Kansas City Royals 7-6 on Monday night in a crucial game for their playoff hopes.Pinch-hitter Wenceel Pérez had the tying two-run double for Detroit, which began its final trip of the regular season by moving within 1 1/2 games of Minnesota for the final AL wild-card spot. The Twins lost to Cleveland earlier in the night.“It was an incredible win because of how we were able to do it,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “We didn't do much early, although our at-bats were pretty good. Started to chip away a little bit, a couple of really big swings, and then we held on."Brenan Hanifee (1-1) earned the win in relief for Detroit, allowing one run and three hits over 2 1/3 innings. Jason Foley finished off a solid bullpen performance, working a perfect ninth to earn his 24th save and second in two days.“The bullpen has been doing it all year for us,” Keith said, “and they did it again tonight.”Bobby Witt Jr. hit a grand slam to stake Kansas City to a 4-0 lead, and he added a bunt single for a five-RBI game. But the Royals otherwise kept squandering chances to score, just as they did in their loss to the Pirates on Sunday.Sam Long (3-2) took the loss for Kansas City, allowing three runs while retiring just two batters in relief of Seth Lugo.“A lot of stuff happened in that game, clearly. It was an intense back-and-forth, both teams putting everything on the line,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “You get out to a lead, you feel pretty good. You know they're not going to go away.”Indeed, the Royals started their final homestand by taking advantage of what Detroit could not: the bases loaded.The Tigers packed them in the third before Keith grounded out to second to end the threat. But when Kansas City loaded the bases in the bottom half — a leadoff walk from Adam Frazier, a single by Yuli Gurriel and a bunt single from Kyle Isbel — Witt hit a 1-1 pitch what seemed like a mile high and over the left-field wall for his second grand slam of the season.Reese Olson, making his first start since straining his right shoulder July 20 in Toronto, was lifted one batter later, after Salvador Perez blooped a single to right. He allowed four runs, four hits and a walk while throwing 50 pitches.The Tigers still trailed 5-1 in the fifth when they began their comeback, scoring once on Witt's throwing error and twice more when Keith homered to right. And after Witt delivered an RBI single in the bottom half for his 200th hit of the season, Detroit pushed across three more runs in the sixth off Long and John Schreiber to take a 7-6 lead.“We had trouble putting them away from the very beginning. There weren’t a lot of easy outs,” Quatraro said. "You have got to give them credit the way they battled their at-bats and drove (Seth) Lugo’s pitch count up. Then they continued to put good at-bats up. I thought ours were pretty good, too. We just didn’t get the big hits like they did.”The Royals had two aboard with one out in the seventh, and the first two on base in the eighth, but failed to score both times.“That was one of the best games we've played as a team,” Keith said. “I don't think anybody thought that we were out of it."<h2>Roster Moves</h2>Tigers: RHP Ricky Vanasco was optioned to Triple-A Toledo to make space for Olson on the roster. Vanasco pitched two scoreless innings in two appearances with the club, earning his first big league win on Sept. 5 in Oakland.<h2>Trainer's Room</h2>Royals: RHP Chris Stratton, who went on the injured list Saturday, was diagnosed with a Grade-1 flexor strain and will be shut down for at least a week. ... RHP James McArthur left Monday's game after retiring two batters with right elbow tightness.<h2>Up Next</h2>Detroit: RHP Casey Mize (2-6, 4.47) is on the mound against Kansas City for the second game of the series Tuesday night.

⚾ Keith hits 2-run homer as Tigers rally for win over Royals

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–</a>&nbsp;Coming off a dominating 31-7 victory over No. 20 Arizona last Friday, Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Chris Klieman&nbsp;has been named The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week, the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl announced Monday.

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 of scholarship, leadership and integrity.

This is the third time in Klieman’s six seasons at K-State that he has earned the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Week honor after also picking up the accolade following the 2020 and 2022 Oklahoma games.

“Coach Klieman has built the Kansas State football program into a consistent winner and a formidable force in the Big 12,” said Jim Terry, chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. “This was an impressive victory early in the season that has the Wildcats poised to be in contention for a spot in the new 12-team College Football Playoff.”

K-State’s win over 20th-ranked Arizona was the first regular-season non-conference home win over a ranked opponent since 2002. The Wildcats are now 3-0 for the third time under Klieman and the first time since 2021.

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–</a>&nbsp;Coming off a dominating 31-7 victory over No. 20 Arizona last Friday, Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Chris Klieman&nbsp;has been named The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week, the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl announced Monday.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 of scholarship, leadership and integrity.This is the third time in Klieman’s six seasons at K-State that he has earned the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Week honor after also picking up the accolade following the 2020 and 2022 Oklahoma games.“Coach Klieman has built the Kansas State football program into a consistent winner and a formidable force in the Big 12,” said Jim Terry, chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. “This was an impressive victory early in the season that has the Wildcats poised to be in contention for a spot in the new 12-team College Football Playoff.”K-State’s win over 20th-ranked Arizona was the first regular-season non-conference home win over a ranked opponent since 2002. The Wildcats are now 3-0 for the third time under Klieman and the first time since 2021.

K-State’s Klieman Named Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Quotes

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, so I feel kind of the same way (that) I felt last night after reviewing the tape, but I thought our guys did some real good things and there’s some things we’ve got to work on offensively. You’ve got to get rid of the turnovers and the penalties and defensively, we did some great things. The field position, at times, wasn’t great but for the most part, we did some good things. We’ve got to take away a couple of the big plays, a couple of the third downs and we’ll be in a good position. I thought special teams-wise, we did a pretty good job there. (Harrison) Butker had a nice day and (Matt) Araiza had a nice play so I thought that was positive. As far as (Isiah) Pacheco goes, we’ll go with the guys that we have here now. (General Manager Brett) Veach is going through his list and looking at people and we’ll just see where that goes but we’re blessed to have some good people here. Then, as far as the other injuries go, there’s really nothing to talk about and I don’t have the timeframe on Pacheco, but I know it won’t be this week and it’ll probably be more than that, obviously but it’s going to take a little bit of time there. Anyways, with that, the time’s yours.”

Q: Isiah Pacheco carried the ball 25 times yesterday. Do you have a running back on your roster that you’re comfortable giving that workload to?

REID:&nbsp;“Well, one of the backs I haven’t had the opportunity to give it to him that much – or a couple of them – well, really all three of them, Adam (Teicher), if you look at that. I would tell you (that) I have confidence in them (but) I just haven’t experienced it with them.”

Q: On the decision to not go for it on the second fourth-and-one.

REID:&nbsp;“We had three good opportunities at it (to score) and didn’t get it. I just thought we needed to come out of there with points, so I did that.”

Q: What’s the message for Kingsley Suamataia this week? Do you still envision that he’ll be the starter this week?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, I haven’t gone that direction yet as far as (being) the starter or not (being) the starter, but he’s (Kingsley Suamataia) got – he’s obviously got things he needs to work on and get worked out. Like I said last night, I felt like we needed to take a step back to take a step forward. Whether he’s in or out, I still think that was the right thing to do there and if he’s out this week, then it’ll be the right thing to do with that. We haven’t lost confidence in him and that he was going against a good player, and he’s got to learn from it. I think he mentioned that to you (the media). He’s got to take it in and get better and I would tell you that with some of our young guys that played last night. They’ve got to just learn from the experiences that they get in these games.”

Q:&nbsp;What is Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s status regarding potentially returning in Week 5?

REID:&nbsp;“That’s part of the equation, so we have to just kind of figure all of that out and see how all that fits in. We know he’s (Clyde Edwards-Helaire) around. We just don’t have him available here for a couple more weeks here.”

Q:&nbsp;Are teams doing anything different to try and take Travis Kelce away?

REID:&nbsp;“They did have some things that they were attempting there. He’ll (Travis Kelce) get his catches. It’s not that he’s slowing down or any of that bit, that’s not what the deal is. It’s just teams focus on him and kind of know (that) he’s been Pat’s (Mahomes) go-to guy. What it’s done though, Soren (Petro), is that it’s allowed us to utilize the other guys around him and they’ve been productive.”

Q:&nbsp;What’s your confidence level that Carson Steele would be able to handle a full workload in the absence of Isiah Pacheco?

REID:&nbsp;“He’s (Carson Steele) going to have to step it up there in that role. I think he’s – he likes to be challenged and I think this will be a good challenge for him. He obviously has to keep the ball high and tight. He had the fumble yesterday and he hasn’t been – he doesn’t have a history of that, so he’s got to make sure he learns from that.”

Q:&nbsp;How beneficial was it for the offensive line to move some people off the ball in those short yardage situations?

REID:&nbsp;“Listen, I thought all day they (the offensive line) did it. They really, I thought, played well in the run game part of it, and then they took advantage of it in the short yardage with the exception of down there in that goal line stand that they had there, but everything else I thought was very productive. We went into halftime averaging seven yards per carry, so that part was good. We’ve got to build on that though. We still had – there were a couple issues here and there in the pass game. It wasn’t just Kingsley (Suamataia), there were other guys involved, too. Kingsley’s was more magnified –or more of them, but it wasn’t – there were other breakdowns that we had, so we have to make sure we tighten that up a little bit.”

Q: What was it about the Bengals Defensive Coordinator Lou Anarumo’s defense that kept you guys guessing?

REID: “(Bengals Defensive Coordinator) Lou (Anarumo) does a nice job with things. You know, he tried to throw a few different looks at us. We were able to gain a lot of yards which was good.”

Q: How much consideration did you put into maybe kicking the 68-yard field goal at the end of the first half?

REID: “For about a second and then got out of that one (laughter). I figured – listen we’re getting the ball back the second half. We were receiving so I didn’t want to have something happen there with a block, sometimes those are low trajectory and all of sudden there’s a block that takes place and it’s going the opposite way, and we didn’t need that at that point.”

Q: What did you see on Patrick Mahomes’ two interceptions?

REID: “We had – the route, the first one there, was an option route with he (Patrick Mahomes) and (Travis) Kelce and they played – we really had to pull up on part of the option part of it. It was kind of a – there was a little confusion between the two of them and we were late with the ball so that’s what happened. We’ll take care of that – I can take care of that part. Then the deep throw, I thought that guy (Bengals CB Cam Taylor-Britt) made a great play. Again, young receiver (Xavier Worthy) there and he’ll learn that either he gets it or nobody gets it, but I have to give that kid credit too.”

Q: On Isiah Pacheco’s emotions after the game.

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid QuotesSeptember 16, 2024HEAD COACH ANDY REIDOPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, so I feel kind of the same way (that) I felt last night after reviewing the tape, but I thought our guys did some real good things and there’s some things we’ve got to work on offensively. You’ve got to get rid of the turnovers and the penalties and defensively, we did some great things. The field position, at times, wasn’t great but for the most part, we did some good things. We’ve got to take away a couple of the big plays, a couple of the third downs and we’ll be in a good position. I thought special teams-wise, we did a pretty good job there. (Harrison) Butker had a nice day and (Matt) Araiza had a nice play so I thought that was positive. As far as (Isiah) Pacheco goes, we’ll go with the guys that we have here now. (General Manager Brett) Veach is going through his list and looking at people and we’ll just see where that goes but we’re blessed to have some good people here. Then, as far as the other injuries go, there’s really nothing to talk about and I don’t have the timeframe on Pacheco, but I know it won’t be this week and it’ll probably be more than that, obviously but it’s going to take a little bit of time there. Anyways, with that, the time’s yours.”Q: Isiah Pacheco carried the ball 25 times yesterday. Do you have a running back on your roster that you’re comfortable giving that workload to?REID:&nbsp;“Well, one of the backs I haven’t had the opportunity to give it to him that much – or a couple of them – well, really all three of them, Adam (Teicher), if you look at that. I would tell you (that) I have confidence in them (but) I just haven’t experienced it with them.”Q: On the decision to not go for it on the second fourth-and-one.REID:&nbsp;“We had three good opportunities at it (to score) and didn’t get it. I just thought we needed to come out of there with points, so I did that.”Q: What’s the message for Kingsley Suamataia this week? Do you still envision that he’ll be the starter this week?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, I haven’t gone that direction yet as far as (being) the starter or not (being) the starter, but he’s (Kingsley Suamataia) got – he’s obviously got things he needs to work on and get worked out. Like I said last night, I felt like we needed to take a step back to take a step forward. Whether he’s in or out, I still think that was the right thing to do there and if he’s out this week, then it’ll be the right thing to do with that. We haven’t lost confidence in him and that he was going against a good player, and he’s got to learn from it. I think he mentioned that to you (the media). He’s got to take it in and get better and I would tell you that with some of our young guys that played last night. They’ve got to just learn from the experiences that they get in these games.”Q:&nbsp;What is Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s status regarding potentially returning in Week 5?REID:&nbsp;“That’s part of the equation, so we have to just kind of figure all of that out and see how all that fits in. We know he’s (Clyde Edwards-Helaire) around. We just don’t have him available here for a couple more weeks here.”Q:&nbsp;Are teams doing anything different to try and take Travis Kelce away?REID:&nbsp;“They did have some things that they were attempting there. He’ll (Travis Kelce) get his catches. It’s not that he’s slowing down or any of that bit, that’s not what the deal is. It’s just teams focus on him and kind of know (that) he’s been Pat’s (Mahomes) go-to guy. What it’s done though, Soren (Petro), is that it’s allowed us to utilize the other guys around him and they’ve been productive.”Q:&nbsp;What’s your confidence level that Carson Steele would be able to handle a full workload in the absence of Isiah Pacheco?REID:&nbsp;“He’s (Carson Steele) going to have to step it up there in that role. I think he’s – he likes to be challenged and I think this will be a good challenge for him. He obviously has to keep the ball high and tight. He had the fumble yesterday and he hasn’t been – he doesn’t have a history of that, so he’s got to make sure he learns from that.”Q:&nbsp;How beneficial was it for the offensive line to move some people off the ball in those short yardage situations?REID:&nbsp;“Listen, I thought all day they (the offensive line) did it. They really, I thought, played well in the run game part of it, and then they took advantage of it in the short yardage with the exception of down there in that goal line stand that they had there, but everything else I thought was very productive. We went into halftime averaging seven yards per carry, so that part was good. We’ve got to build on that though. We still had – there were a couple issues here and there in the pass game. It wasn’t just Kingsley (Suamataia), there were other guys involved, too. Kingsley’s was more magnified –or more of them, but it wasn’t – there were other breakdowns that we had, so we have to make sure we tighten that up a little bit.”Q: What was it about the Bengals Defensive Coordinator Lou Anarumo’s defense that kept you guys guessing?REID: “(Bengals Defensive Coordinator) Lou (Anarumo) does a nice job with things. You know, he tried to throw a few different looks at us. We were able to gain a lot of yards which was good.”Q: How much consideration did you put into maybe kicking the 68-yard field goal at the end of the first half?REID: “For about a second and then got out of that one (laughter). I figured – listen we’re getting the ball back the second half. We were receiving so I didn’t want to have something happen there with a block, sometimes those are low trajectory and all of sudden there’s a block that takes place and it’s going the opposite way, and we didn’t need that at that point.”Q: What did you see on Patrick Mahomes’ two interceptions?REID: “We had – the route, the first one there, was an option route with he (Patrick Mahomes) and (Travis) Kelce and they played – we really had to pull up on part of the option part of it. It was kind of a – there was a little confusion between the two of them and we were late with the ball so that’s what happened. We’ll take care of that – I can take care of that part. Then the deep throw, I thought that guy (Bengals CB Cam Taylor-Britt) made a great play. Again, young receiver (Xavier Worthy) there and he’ll learn that either he gets it or nobody gets it, but I have to give that kid credit too.”Q: On Isiah Pacheco’s emotions after the game.

Chiefs Quotes: 9-16-24

Game 413/14&nbsp;K-State at&nbsp;rv/rv&nbsp;BYU Date: Saturday, September 21, 2024 Kickoff: 9:30 p.m. (CT) Location: Provo, Utah Stadium: LaVell Edwards Stadium (63,470) Series: Series Tied, 4-4 TV: ESPN (<a href="https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/fe428730-4b4d-46b6-b8d7-32d0be227078" target="_blank">watch</a>) Dave Flemming (Play-by-Play) Brock Osweiler (Analyst) Stormy Buonantony (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;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Wyatt Thompson (Play-by-Play)&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Stan Weber (Analyst)

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Matt Walters (Sidelines)

SiriusXM Satellite Radio Ch. 83, and on the SiriusXM App

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THE TOP 51)&nbsp;Following a big 31-7 home win over No. 20 Arizona, No. 13 K-State will hit the road to begin Big 12 Conference play as the Wildcats travel to BYU for a late-night kick inside LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah. The league opener will kick at 9:30 p.m. (CT), and be broadcast nationally on ESPN with Dave Flemming (play-by-play), Brock Osweiler (analyst) and Stormy Buonantony (sideline) on the call.

2)&nbsp;Quarterback Avery Johnson became 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. In three games this season, Johnson has completed 64.2% of his passes (43-of-67), totaling 490 yards and six touchdowns. He has rushed for 187 yards on 28 carries, including a 110-yard effort against Arizona.

3)&nbsp;Alongside Johnson in the backfield is running back DJ Giddens, who has rushed for 324 yards on 49 carries and a touchdown to go along with seven receptions for 69 yards and another score. Sophomore Dylan Edwards has also burst onto the scene, averaging 9.2 yards per carry on 15 attempts. Edwards has two rushing touchdowns, one receiving score and a 71-yard punt return score in three games.

4)&nbsp;The experience of the Wildcats resides on defense as the unit brings back eight starters, including five of its top six tacklers from a year ago. Seven Wildcats have recorded 10 or more total tackles through three games led by Austin Romaine’s 18. Romaine and Brendan Mott each have three tackles for loss, while Mott’s 2.5 sacks lead the squad. As a unit, the Cats have 26 tackles for loss and 10 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 five career categories. The Wildcats’ new punter, Simon McClannan, has averaged 42.0 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.

12&nbsp;– K-State is seeking its first 4-0 start to a season in 12 years as the last time the Wildcats won their first four games was 2012.

11&nbsp;– Number of consecutive games the Wildcats have scored 28 or more points, the most since 1998-99 (16 straight).

3&nbsp;– The Cats have scored a non-offensive touchdown in each of the first three games this season.

• K-State holds a 14-14 record all-time in Big 12 openers.

• Under head coach Chris Klieman, K-State is 3-2 in Big 12 openers with a 38-35 victory at No. 3 Oklahoma in 2020, a 41-34 triumph at No. 6 Oklahoma in 2022 and a 44-31 win over UCF last season.

• For the 23rd time in the 29-year history of the Big 12 K-State will be opening conference play on the road.

• The Cats are 12-15 all-time in their first Big 12 road game of the year.

• K-State is looking for a win in its first Big 12 road game for the third time under Chris Klieman having won its Big 12 opener at Oklahoma in both 2020 and 2022.

• Kansas State holds a 3-0 record for the third time under Chris Klieman and the first since 2021.

• The Wildcats are looking for their first 4-0 start since 2012, a season that K-State won its first 11 games.

• K-State has started 4-0 12 times since 1993 (1993-1996, 1998-2000, 2002-03, 2010-12).

• 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 59.8% (70-47), trailing only Oklahoma State (65.8%; 77-40).

• During that stretch, the Wildcats are 39-20 (66.1%) at home in Big 12 play and 31-27 (53.4%) on the road.

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

• Among active Big 12 teams, the Wildcats rank fourth behind BYU, TCU and Utah with 231 wins apiece.

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

• 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 (32) and Utah (31).

• 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.

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

• 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.

• K-State has been ranked in the AP Top 25 on 235 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 114-37 career record, as his 75.5% 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 42-24 (63.6%) 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).

• So far in 2024, K-State is plus-1 in turnover margin which ranks 49th 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 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 is the longest streak of games with a non-offensive touchdown since the final three games of the 2019 season, while it is the first time K-State has 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 captains, 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.

• 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 13th 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, quarterbacks 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 30 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 has scored 28 or more points in each of the last 11 games dating back to last season.

• It is the longest streak of 28-point games since the 1998-99 seasons when the Wildcats did so in 28 consecutive games.RUSHING ATTACK• Kansas State is averaging 244.3 yards per game on the ground this season, a figure that ranks 16th nationally and second in the Big 12 Conference.

• The Cats have rushed for 215 yards or more in each game with the season high being 283 in the opener against UT Martin.

• As a unit, eight individuals have had rushing attempts this season and all average at least 6.6 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 90.5% (237-of-262) 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 group has totaled 88 career starts and 6,096 career snaps.

• The leaders in those departments are North Dakota transfer tackle Easton Kilty (40 starts, 2,486 snaps), guard Hadley Panzer (29 starts, 1,895 snaps), tackle Carver Willis (10 starts, 765 snaps) and guard Taylor Poitier (six starts, 674 snaps).YOUNG BUT EXPLOSIVE• Avery Johnson, the top dual-threat quarterback in the Class of 2023, is beginning his first full season as K-State’s starting quarterback 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 has thrown two touchdown passes in each of the last four games dating back to the Pop-Tarts Bowl, 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 finished the 2023 season ranked 11th in the nation with 51 touches that went for at least 10 yards.

• He has opened the 2024 season with 324 yards on 49 carries as he ranks fifth in the Big 12 with 108.0 rushing yards per game.

MR. 2,000• During the Arizona game, DJ Giddens improved his career rushing mark to 2,068 yards as he became the 12th player in school history to go over the 2,000-yard mark.

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

• Giddens is just 142 yards shy of entering the school's career top-10 list for 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.

Cats Open Big 12 Play at BYU

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–</a>&nbsp;Thanks to his 71-yard punt return touchdown to help fuel Kansas State’s 31-7 victory over Arizona, sophomore running back&nbsp;Dylan Edwards&nbsp;has been named the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week, the conference office announced Monday.

It is the second weekly conference honor in Edwards’ career as he was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week after his first-career game last season while playing for Colorado. Edwards’ honor this year is the Wildcats’ 64th&nbsp;special teams weekly accolade since 1997 and the third-straight year a Wildcat has been honored for their work on special teams.

With the game tied, 7-7, just six seconds into the second quarter, Edwards fielded a punt on one hop, went left toward the K-State sideline and out-ran the Arizona coverage unit for the score. He became the first K-State running back to record a punt-return touchdown since Darren Sproles took one back 63 yards against Kansas in 2003, while it was the longest by a K-State running back since David Allen had a 74-yarder at Texas in 1999. It was also K-State’s first non-blocked punt-return touchdown since the second game of the 2022 season.

A product of Derby, Kansas, Edwards has recorded four touchdowns on just 22 touches this year with two on the ground, one via a reception and one on a punt return. He is 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. He leads the Big 12 with a 27.0-yard return average this season.

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–</a>&nbsp;Thanks to his 71-yard punt return touchdown to help fuel Kansas State’s 31-7 victory over Arizona, sophomore running back&nbsp;Dylan Edwards&nbsp;has been named the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week, the conference office announced Monday.It is the second weekly conference honor in Edwards’ career as he was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week after his first-career game last season while playing for Colorado. Edwards’ honor this year is the Wildcats’ 64th&nbsp;special teams weekly accolade since 1997 and the third-straight year a Wildcat has been honored for their work on special teams.With the game tied, 7-7, just six seconds into the second quarter, Edwards fielded a punt on one hop, went left toward the K-State sideline and out-ran the Arizona coverage unit for the score. He became the first K-State running back to record a punt-return touchdown since Darren Sproles took one back 63 yards against Kansas in 2003, while it was the longest by a K-State running back since David Allen had a 74-yarder at Texas in 1999. It was also K-State’s first non-blocked punt-return touchdown since the second game of the 2022 season.A product of Derby, Kansas, Edwards has recorded four touchdowns on just 22 touches this year with two on the ground, one via a reception and one on a punt return. He is 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. He leads the Big 12 with a 27.0-yard return average this season.

K-State’s Edwards Named Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–</a>&nbsp;Kansas State sophomore quarterback&nbsp;Avery Johnson&nbsp;was rewarded for his play in K-State’s 31-7 home win over No. 20 Arizona last Friday as he was named to the Davey O’Brien Award Great 8 List, the award’s committee announced Monday.

With the inclusion on the list, Johnson is now on the watch list for the Davey O’Brien Award, the second-straight year a Wildcat has been on the watch list for the award that honors the nation’s best quarterback. Previous K-State candidates for the award include Chad May (1994 finalist), Matt Miller (1995 finalist), Michael Bishop (1998 winner), Collin Klein (2012 finalist), Jake Waters (2014 semifinalist) Jesse Ertz (2017 preseason candidate) and Will Howard (2023 preseason candidate).

Leading K-State to its first non-conference home win against a ranked opponent since 2002, Johnson went 14-of-23 through the air for 156 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, but he did more of his damage on the ground by rushing for 110 yards on 17 carries. It was the most rushing yards by a K-State quarterback since Howard went for 125 yards against Oklahoma State in 2020.

Johnson tossed a career-long 48-yard pass in the game that also saw him throw two touchdown passes for the fourth-straight contest dating back to last year’s Pop-Tarts Bowl win over NC State.

The Wildcats, ranked 13th&nbsp;in this week’s Associated Press Top 25, open their Big 12 slate on Saturday night in a 9:30 p.m. (CT) contest at BYU. The game will be shown on ESPN.

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–</a>&nbsp;Kansas State sophomore quarterback&nbsp;Avery Johnson&nbsp;was rewarded for his play in K-State’s 31-7 home win over No. 20 Arizona last Friday as he was named to the Davey O’Brien Award Great 8 List, the award’s committee announced Monday.With the inclusion on the list, Johnson is now on the watch list for the Davey O’Brien Award, the second-straight year a Wildcat has been on the watch list for the award that honors the nation’s best quarterback. Previous K-State candidates for the award include Chad May (1994 finalist), Matt Miller (1995 finalist), Michael Bishop (1998 winner), Collin Klein (2012 finalist), Jake Waters (2014 semifinalist) Jesse Ertz (2017 preseason candidate) and Will Howard (2023 preseason candidate).Leading K-State to its first non-conference home win against a ranked opponent since 2002, Johnson went 14-of-23 through the air for 156 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, but he did more of his damage on the ground by rushing for 110 yards on 17 carries. It was the most rushing yards by a K-State quarterback since Howard went for 125 yards against Oklahoma State in 2020.Johnson tossed a career-long 48-yard pass in the game that also saw him throw two touchdown passes for the fourth-straight contest dating back to last year’s Pop-Tarts Bowl win over NC State.The Wildcats, ranked 13th&nbsp;in this week’s Associated Press Top 25, open their Big 12 slate on Saturday night in a 9:30 p.m. (CT) contest at BYU. The game will be shown on ESPN.

K-State’s Johnson Named to Davey O’Brien Award Great 8 List

LAWRENCE, Kan.&nbsp;– The Kansas Jayhawks open their Big 12 Conference schedule on Saturday, Sept. 21 when they travel to Morgantown, W. Va., to take on the West Virginia Mountaineers in Milan Puskar Stadium.

Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. on ESPN2 with Brian Custer (Play-by-Play), Rod Gilmore (Analyst) and Lauren Sisler (Sideline) on the call.

The Big 12 Conference opener serves as the first meeting between Kansas and West Virginia since the thrilling 55-42 overtime victory for the Jayhawks in week two of the 2022 season, which saw quarterback Jalon Daniels throw for three touchdowns, before cornerback Cobee Bryant sealed the game with a pick-six in overtime.

Saturday’s matchup with West Virginia will be the fourth conference opener for the Jayhawks against the Mountaineers all-time. Kansas has won each of its last two Big 12 Conference openers (2023 vs. BYU, 38-27; 2022 at West Virginia, 55-42) for the first time since a three-win stretch from 2007-09. Kansas is 43-68-4 in conference openers all-time, including 20-35-3 on the road.

The Jayhawks are led by senior running back Devin Neal, who has rushed for 100-plus yards in each of Kansas’ three games this season (112 vs. Lindenwood, 101 at Illinois, 120 vs. UNLV). Neal has carried 45 times for 333 yards and two touchdowns, averaging a staggering 7.4 yards per carry. Along with Neal on offense, Kansas has benefitted from throwing to seniors Luke Grimm and Lawrence Arnold. Grimm leads the team with 18 receptions for 157 yards and two touchdowns, while Arnold has 10 receptions for 131 yards and one score.

Defensively, the Jayhawks have stood strong, allowing just 16.3 points per game through the first three games. Senior captain Cornell Wheeler leads that unit with 19 total tackles, while senior defensive end Jereme Robinson leads the team with 2.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles-for-loss.

West Virginia (1-2, 0-0 Big 12) comes into Saturday’s game following a 38-34 defeat to Pitt in the 107th Backyard Brawl. The Mountaineers led by 10 points with 4:55 remaining in the fourth quarter, before Pitt engineered two-straight scoring drives to steal the victory.

Offensively, West Virginia is led by senior quarterback Garrett Greene, who has completed 48-of-81 for 607 yards and five touchdowns through three games, while running back CJ Donaldson Jr., has rushed for 246 yards on 45 carries and three touchdowns. Senior safety Anthony Wilson Jr. leads the Mountaineers with 22 tackles entering Saturday’s contest.

Saturday’s game at West Virginia will be the 13th in the series history, which West Virginia leads 10-2 all-time. Kansas’ 55-42 overtime victory in 2022 was its first win Morgantown in program history. The Jayhawks are 6-12 on the road under head coach Lance Leipold, including wins in back-to-back road contests against Big 12 opponents (at Cincinnati, at Iowa State).

LAWRENCE, Kan.&nbsp;– The Kansas Jayhawks open their Big 12 Conference schedule on Saturday, Sept. 21 when they travel to Morgantown, W. Va., to take on the West Virginia Mountaineers in Milan Puskar Stadium.Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. on ESPN2 with Brian Custer (Play-by-Play), Rod Gilmore (Analyst) and Lauren Sisler (Sideline) on the call.The Big 12 Conference opener serves as the first meeting between Kansas and West Virginia since the thrilling 55-42 overtime victory for the Jayhawks in week two of the 2022 season, which saw quarterback Jalon Daniels throw for three touchdowns, before cornerback Cobee Bryant sealed the game with a pick-six in overtime.Saturday’s matchup with West Virginia will be the fourth conference opener for the Jayhawks against the Mountaineers all-time. Kansas has won each of its last two Big 12 Conference openers (2023 vs. BYU, 38-27; 2022 at West Virginia, 55-42) for the first time since a three-win stretch from 2007-09. Kansas is 43-68-4 in conference openers all-time, including 20-35-3 on the road.The Jayhawks are led by senior running back Devin Neal, who has rushed for 100-plus yards in each of Kansas’ three games this season (112 vs. Lindenwood, 101 at Illinois, 120 vs. UNLV). Neal has carried 45 times for 333 yards and two touchdowns, averaging a staggering 7.4 yards per carry. Along with Neal on offense, Kansas has benefitted from throwing to seniors Luke Grimm and Lawrence Arnold. Grimm leads the team with 18 receptions for 157 yards and two touchdowns, while Arnold has 10 receptions for 131 yards and one score.Defensively, the Jayhawks have stood strong, allowing just 16.3 points per game through the first three games. Senior captain Cornell Wheeler leads that unit with 19 total tackles, while senior defensive end Jereme Robinson leads the team with 2.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles-for-loss.West Virginia (1-2, 0-0 Big 12) comes into Saturday’s game following a 38-34 defeat to Pitt in the 107th Backyard Brawl. The Mountaineers led by 10 points with 4:55 remaining in the fourth quarter, before Pitt engineered two-straight scoring drives to steal the victory.Offensively, West Virginia is led by senior quarterback Garrett Greene, who has completed 48-of-81 for 607 yards and five touchdowns through three games, while running back CJ Donaldson Jr., has rushed for 246 yards on 45 carries and three touchdowns. Senior safety Anthony Wilson Jr. leads the Mountaineers with 22 tackles entering Saturday’s contest.Saturday’s game at West Virginia will be the 13th in the series history, which West Virginia leads 10-2 all-time. Kansas’ 55-42 overtime victory in 2022 was its first win Morgantown in program history. The Jayhawks are 6-12 on the road under head coach Lance Leipold, including wins in back-to-back road contests against Big 12 opponents (at Cincinnati, at Iowa State).

Kansas Opens Big 12 Conference Play at West Virginia

WHAT:&nbsp;The Kansas&nbsp;City Chiefs will once again host a football clinic with athletes from Special Olympics Missouri, Special Olympics Kansas and the YMCA Challenger Program. The clinic will begin with warmups led by Chiefs Cheerleaders, followed by three football station drills – footwork, tackling and throwing/catching – that the athletes will rotate through. The drills will be led by players on the Kansas City Glory tackle football team, with special appearances from current Chiefs players, Chiefs Legends and KC Wolf. The event will conclude with a team photo and each athlete will be presented with a custom jersey to take home. The athletes and their families will also receive a goodie bag with a Flag Football belt and other Chiefs swag.

­WHEN:&nbsp;Tomorrow,&nbsp;Tuesday, September 17, 6-7:15 p.m.

WHO:&nbsp;Special Olympics Missouri, Special Olympics Kansas and YMCA Challenger Program Participants, Chiefs Players, Kansas City Glory Players, Chiefs Cheerleaders, KC Wolf and Chiefs Legends (subject to change).

WHERE:&nbsp;GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium – Field Level&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 1 Arrowhead Dr. Kansas City, MO 64129

*Media can park in Lot E or in front of Tower Gate, then enter through GEHA gate and go through the spiral/e-tunnel to the field.

WHY:&nbsp;The Chiefs have made a strong push for the NFL’s Play 60 and FLAG Football initiatives and the inclusion of all children in those programs, regardless of physical or intellectual abilities. Like the Chiefs, Special Olympics Missouri, Special Olympics Kansas and the YMCA Challenger Program hold the belief that all children need to know the importance of staying fit and leading a healthy lifestyle, making all organizations great working partners.

The mission of Special Olympics is to provide children and adults with intellectual disabilities year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports. The goal is to give them opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in sharing gifts, skills and friendship with each other, their families and the community. To learn more about Special Olympics Kansas, please click&nbsp;<a href="https://soks.org/" target="_blank">here</a>, and to learn more about Special Olympics Missouri, please click&nbsp;<a href="https://somo.org/" target="_blank">here</a>.

The YMCA Challenger Program is for children and young adults from ages 4-30+ with physical, developmental and intellectual disabilities, and gives them the chance to learn, grow and thrive through recreational and social opportunities. The program shines a light on the importance of healthy activities, and how they can make a difference both physically and personally.&nbsp;To learn more about YMCA Challengers, please click&nbsp;<a href="https://kansascityymca.org/programs/adaptive-challenger" target="_blank">here</a>.

NOTE/RSVP:&nbsp;&nbsp;Please RSVP to Olivia Tavernier at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:otavernier@chiefs.nfl.com" target="_blank">otavernier@chiefs.nfl.com</a>&nbsp;with the name(s) of anyone attending for coverage from your outlet. Please note, there is a Royals game that evening.

WHAT:&nbsp;The Kansas&nbsp;City Chiefs will once again host a football clinic with athletes from Special Olympics Missouri, Special Olympics Kansas and the YMCA Challenger Program. The clinic will begin with warmups led by Chiefs Cheerleaders, followed by three football station drills – footwork, tackling and throwing/catching – that the athletes will rotate through. The drills will be led by players on the Kansas City Glory tackle football team, with special appearances from current Chiefs players, Chiefs Legends and KC Wolf. The event will conclude with a team photo and each athlete will be presented with a custom jersey to take home. The athletes and their families will also receive a goodie bag with a Flag Football belt and other Chiefs swag.­WHEN:&nbsp;Tomorrow,&nbsp;Tuesday, September 17, 6-7:15 p.m.WHO:&nbsp;Special Olympics Missouri, Special Olympics Kansas and YMCA Challenger Program Participants, Chiefs Players, Kansas City Glory Players, Chiefs Cheerleaders, KC Wolf and Chiefs Legends (subject to change).WHERE:&nbsp;GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium – Field Level&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 1 Arrowhead Dr. Kansas City, MO 64129*Media can park in Lot E or in front of Tower Gate, then enter through GEHA gate and go through the spiral/e-tunnel to the field.WHY:&nbsp;The Chiefs have made a strong push for the NFL’s Play 60 and FLAG Football initiatives and the inclusion of all children in those programs, regardless of physical or intellectual abilities. Like the Chiefs, Special Olympics Missouri, Special Olympics Kansas and the YMCA Challenger Program hold the belief that all children need to know the importance of staying fit and leading a healthy lifestyle, making all organizations great working partners.The mission of Special Olympics is to provide children and adults with intellectual disabilities year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports. The goal is to give them opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in sharing gifts, skills and friendship with each other, their families and the community. To learn more about Special Olympics Kansas, please click&nbsp;<a href="https://soks.org/" target="_blank">here</a>, and to learn more about Special Olympics Missouri, please click&nbsp;<a href="https://somo.org/" target="_blank">here</a>.The YMCA Challenger Program is for children and young adults from ages 4-30+ with physical, developmental and intellectual disabilities, and gives them the chance to learn, grow and thrive through recreational and social opportunities. The program shines a light on the importance of healthy activities, and how they can make a difference both physically and personally.&nbsp;To learn more about YMCA Challengers, please click&nbsp;<a href="https://kansascityymca.org/programs/adaptive-challenger" target="_blank">here</a>.NOTE/RSVP:&nbsp;&nbsp;Please RSVP to Olivia Tavernier at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:otavernier@chiefs.nfl.com" target="_blank">otavernier@chiefs.nfl.com</a>&nbsp;with the name(s) of anyone attending for coverage from your outlet. Please note, there is a Royals game that evening.

Chiefs to host all-abilities football clinic with Special Olympics & YMCA

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

Despite one of the most pedestrian performances of Patrick Mahomes career, the Kansas City Chiefs managed to squeak out a victory on Sunday, as Harrison Butker kicked a 51-yard field goal with time expiring to deliver the Chiefs a 26-25 victory.

On the final drive, Bengals safety Daijahn Anthony was called for pass interference, delivering the Chiefs new life on a fourth and 15.

Patrick Mahomes threw for 151 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, while Isaiah Pacheco, who left Arrowhead on crutches and in a walking boot, added over 100 yards of total offense.

The Chiefs hit the road to take on the Falcons in primetime next week on Sunday Night Football.

It was a less fortunate outcome for the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes, who suffered their worst regular season loss since 2016 on Saturday in a 44-14 rout.

To add insult to injury, quarterback Byron McNair suffered an injury on a second-half sack and did not return to the game. His status remains up in the air ahead of a matchup with Friends this Saturday

And finally, the Kansas City Royals were able to take two out of three from the Pittsburgh Pirates this weekend as the Pirates avoided the sweep on Sunday.

Bobby Witt Jr. crossed the 100 RBI threshold on Friday, and the Royals maintain their 2.5 game lead for the ALs second Wild Card spot.

That’s your sports update for today, but for even more great area sports content like this, check out Salina Post and stay tuned to KINA.

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 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wHv8fTs_7LA"></iframe>
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 </figure>BY SALINA POST(Transcript)Hello and happy Monday, everybody, it’s Tyler Henry, back with another KINA Sports Update presented by Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine…_________Despite one of the most pedestrian performances of Patrick Mahomes career, the Kansas City Chiefs managed to squeak out a victory on Sunday, as Harrison Butker kicked a 51-yard field goal with time expiring to deliver the Chiefs a 26-25 victory.On the final drive, Bengals safety Daijahn Anthony was called for pass interference, delivering the Chiefs new life on a fourth and 15.Patrick Mahomes threw for 151 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, while Isaiah Pacheco, who left Arrowhead on crutches and in a walking boot, added over 100 yards of total offense.The Chiefs hit the road to take on the Falcons in primetime next week on Sunday Night Football._________It was a less fortunate outcome for the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes, who suffered their worst regular season loss since 2016 on Saturday in a 44-14 rout.To add insult to injury, quarterback Byron McNair suffered an injury on a second-half sack and did not return to the game. His status remains up in the air ahead of a matchup with Friends this Saturday_________And finally, the Kansas City Royals were able to take two out of three from the Pittsburgh Pirates this weekend as the Pirates avoided the sweep on Sunday.Bobby Witt Jr. crossed the 100 RBI threshold on Friday, and the Royals maintain their 2.5 game lead for the ALs second Wild Card spot._________That’s your sports update for today, but for even more great area sports content like this, check out Salina Post and stay tuned to KINA.

910 KINA Sports Headlines — September 16

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Harrison Butker kicked a 51-yard field goal as time expired and the Kansas City Chiefs, kept alive by a pass interference call on Bengals safety Daijahn Anthony on fourth down in the final minute, rallied to beat Cincinnati 26-25 on Sunday.

Patrick Mahomes threw for 151 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, but it was his incomplete pass to Rashee Rice on fourth-and-16 from the Kansas City 35 that turned out to be decisive. Anthony arrived a split-second early and hit Rice from behind with his body, and flags flew with 38 seconds remaining as the crowd in Arrowhead Stadium erupted.

The penalty came just after the Chiefs had a long gain on fourth down wiped out by a penalty of their own.

The pass interference call moved the Chiefs to the Cincinnati 36, and the Chiefs ran a couple of plays to bleed the clock for the big-legged Butker, who turned around and started walking off the field even before his kick went through the uprights.

Joe Burrow threw for 258 yards and two touchdowns, both to Andrei Iosivas, as the Bengals (0-2) came up empty against one of their biggest nemeses for the third straight time. That includes a loss to Kansas City in the AFC championship game.

Chamarri Conner returned a fumble 37 yards for a touchdown for the Chiefs, and big offensive tackle Wanya Morris — who had the penalty that nearly cost them in the final minute — had a touchdown reception on a day full of bizarre plays.

It was the second win for Kansas City decided on the final play after its 27-20 victory over Baltimore on opening night.

The Chiefs struggled in their first game with Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely, who had nine catches for 111 yards and a score. And with Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins absent with an ailing hamstring, Burrow leaned heavily on his own tight ends — Drew Sample, Mike Gesicki and rookie Erick All Jr. — to move an offense that never got going last weekend against New England.

Sample and Gesicki accounted for most of the yardage on an opening drive that produced a field goal. A few minutes later, after Mahomes was picked by Akeem Davis-Gaither, All's catch helped set up Iosivas' touchdown reception.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726444020143.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) scrambles as Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) and cornerback Dax Hill (23) defend during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) scrambles as Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) and cornerback Dax Hill (23) defend during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Harrison Butker kicked a 51-yard field goal as time expired and the Kansas City Chiefs, kept alive by a pass interference call on Bengals safety Daijahn Anthony on fourth down in the final minute, rallied to beat Cincinnati 26-25 on Sunday.Patrick Mahomes threw for 151 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, but it was his incomplete pass to Rashee Rice on fourth-and-16 from the Kansas City 35 that turned out to be decisive. Anthony arrived a split-second early and hit Rice from behind with his body, and flags flew with 38 seconds remaining as the crowd in Arrowhead Stadium erupted.The penalty came just after the Chiefs had a long gain on fourth down wiped out by a penalty of their own.The pass interference call moved the Chiefs to the Cincinnati 36, and the Chiefs ran a couple of plays to bleed the clock for the big-legged Butker, who turned around and started walking off the field even before his kick went through the uprights.Joe Burrow threw for 258 yards and two touchdowns, both to Andrei Iosivas, as the Bengals (0-2) came up empty against one of their biggest nemeses for the third straight time. That includes a loss to Kansas City in the AFC championship game.Chamarri Conner returned a fumble 37 yards for a touchdown for the Chiefs, and big offensive tackle Wanya Morris — who had the penalty that nearly cost them in the final minute — had a touchdown reception on a day full of bizarre plays.It was the second win for Kansas City decided on the final play after its 27-20 victory over Baltimore on opening night.The Chiefs struggled in their first game with Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely, who had nine catches for 111 yards and a score. And with Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins absent with an ailing hamstring, Burrow leaned heavily on his own tight ends — Drew Sample, Mike Gesicki and rookie Erick All Jr. — to move an offense that never got going last weekend against New England.Sample and Gesicki accounted for most of the yardage on an opening drive that produced a field goal. A few minutes later, after Mahomes was picked by Akeem Davis-Gaither, All's catch helped set up Iosivas' touchdown reception.Mahomes eventually atoned for the interception when he found Rice over the outstretched fingers of Cam Taylor-Britt for a tying 44-yard touchdown pass. But otherwise, Andy Reid's potent offense was stuck in neutral and trailed 16-10 at the half.All that and the hijinks were just beginning.The Chiefs pulled ahead early in the second half, when Mahomes popped a pass to his 310-pound tackle-eligible Morris for a touchdown. The Bengals answered on fourth-and-goal when Burrow connected with Iosivas for a second time, only to see Burrow get stripped a few minutes later and Conner return the fumble 37 yards for another touchdown.Evan McPherson's fourth field goal gave the Bengals a 25-23 lead with 5:12 to go, and their defense gave them the ball back. But the Chiefs forced a punt with 2:59 remaining, giving Mahomes and Co. the opportunity to decide the game.<h2>Injuries</h2>Bengals: DT B.J. Hill (hamstring) left in the second quarter. DT Sheldon Rankins (hamstring) left in the fourth.<h2>Up next</h2>Cincinnati returns home to play Washington on Sept. 23.Kansas City heads to Atlanta on Sunday night.