Who wins Sunflower Showdown? Two predictions for KU Jayhawks at K-State Wildcats
Another edition of the Sunflower Showdown is almost here.
The Kansas Jayhawks (2-5, 1-3 Big 12) will face the Kansas State Wildcats (6-1, 3-1 Big 12) at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
Here’s a closer look at Saturday’s Sunflower Showdown:
Kansas at No. 16 K-State: Game details
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Saturday
Where: Bill Snyder Family Stadium (Manhattan, Kansas)
TV: ESPN2
Radio: KCSP (610 AM), WHB (810 AM) in Kansas City and KFH (1240 AM and 97.5 FM) in Wichita
Betting line: K-State by 10 with an over/under of 55.5.
Kellis Robinett’s Prediction
K-State has won 15 straight against Kansas, and there is no reason to expect that streak to end Saturday.
The Wildcats are the better team, they are playing this game at home and they should be able to effectively run the ball with DJ Giddens and Dylan Edwards against a KU rush defense that has allowed 1,041 yards and six touchdowns on the ground this season.
That being said, I don’t expect this to be a cakewalk for Chris Klieman’s team.
The days of K-State winning this rivalry game simply by showing up are over.
Kansas is not your typical 2-5 team, and its record should add extra motivation for this contest. A win over K-State could salvage a disappointing season for the Jayhawks. They might also be getting K-State at an ideal time. The Jayhawks are coming off a bye and then a blowout win over Houston. They will enter this game confident and well rested. The Wildcats are fresh off a pair of exhausting road trips to Colorado and West Virginia.
If Jalon Daniels can make big plays with his arm and limit his turnovers he could be the latest quarterback to put up impressive numbers against a vulnerable K-State secondary.
But if K-State comes up with a few turnovers and shuts down the KU rushing attack, maybe this game will turn into a blowout. After all, the Wildcats have beaten the Jayhawks 47-27 and 55-14 at home under Klieman.
K-State is usually a good team to trust as a home favorite, as the Wildcats have gone 8-2 against the spread as home favorites over the past two seasons.
Still, I’ve got a feeling this will be the most competitive Sunflower Showdown game we have seen at Bill Snyder Family Stadium since the Wildcats needed a fourth-quarter comeback to beat the Jayhawks 21-17 in Snyder’s final year at K-State in 2018.
While it’s true things have not gone well for Kansas this season, this is not your average 2-5 team. The Jayhawks have turned losing close games into an art form, but they have been competitive. KU has possessed a second-half lead in all seven of its games and outscored its opponents by 45 points.
It’s hard to see the Wildcats winning by a huge margin against a rival that will throw everything it has into winning this game.
The most likely scenario: Kansas leads midway through the third quarter, but K-State makes winning plays late.
K-State 34, KU 28
Last week’s prediction: K-State 27, West Virginia 23
Actual score: K-State 45, West Virginia 18
Season record: 5-2
Season record ATS: 4-3
Shreyas Laddha’s Prediction
The stakes are this simple: KU has to go 4-1 (or better) over its last five games to make a bowl game.
So, KU’s rivalry game against KSU has even more meaning than usual for the Jayhawks.
This game will come down to two things: Can KU’s offense produce at the level it’s shown in the last few games, and can KU’s defense stop Kansas State from racking up yards on the ground via QB Avery Johnson and DJ Giddens?
KU has done an excellent job of not turning over the ball in recent weeks, so let’s see if that continues vs. the Wildcats.
While I expect a mostly competitive game, KU’s struggles against scrambling QBs this season — plus the fact that this is a road game — could be the Jayhawks’ undoing Saturday night.
Sorry, Jayhawks fans. I like K-State in this one.
K-State 35, KU 24
Last week’s prediction: KU 28, Houston 21
Actual score: Kansas 42, K-State 14
Season record: 3-4
Season record ATS: 4-3.
This story was originally published October 25, 2024 at 10:20 AM with the headline "Who wins Sunflower Showdown? Two predictions for KU Jayhawks at K-State Wildcats."