MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Deuce Vaughn ran for 121 yards and a touchdown, Sammy Wheeler had a touchdown catch along with a crucial fourth-down grab, and Kansas State beat mistake-prone West Virginia 34-17. 

Skylar Thompson had 138 yards passing for the Wildcats, who had lost five straight to the Mountaineers. West Virginia trimmed a 24-3 deficit to seven midway through the fourth quarter before the Wildcats pulled away. Jarret Doege had 268 yards passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions for West Virginia. Leddie Brown added 85 yards on the ground.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Deuce Vaughn ran for 121 yards and a touchdown, Sammy Wheeler had a touchdown catch along with a crucial fourth-down grab, and Kansas State beat mistake-prone West Virginia 34-17. Skylar Thompson had 138 yards passing for the Wildcats, who had lost five straight to the Mountaineers. West Virginia trimmed a 24-3 deficit to seven midway through the fourth quarter before the Wildcats pulled away. Jarret Doege had 268 yards passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions for West Virginia. Leddie Brown added 85 yards on the ground.

K-State defeats West Virginia

Kapaun Mount Carmel 38, Wichita Northwest 35

PREP FOOTBALL=Sectional=Class 6A=BV Northwest 56, Olathe North 27BV West 37, SM Northwest 34Derby 27, Lawrence Free State 21Lawrence 41, Manhattan 22Class 5A=Kapaun Mount Carmel 38, Wichita Northwest 35Maize 34, Hays 22Mill Valley 35, BV Southwest 7St. Thomas Aquinas 30, DeSoto 14Class 4A=Andover Central 48, Wamego 0Bishop Miege 21, Eudora 6Buhler 7, Mulvane 0St. James Academy 31, KC Piper 7Class 3A=Andale 54, Concordia 14Frontenac 42, Rock Creek 26Holton 36, Girard 0Southeast Saline 34, Cheney 28Class 2A=Beloit 32, Hillsboro 27Kingman 35, Hays-TMP-Marian 0Rossville 56, Riverton 14Silver Lake 33, Wellsville 27Class 1A=Centralia 53, Lyndon 22Inman 26, Conway Springs 13Olpe 28, Jefferson North 0Sedgwick 49, Smith Center 48Class 8M-I=Canton-Galva 52, Sedan 6Hill City 62, La Crosse 12Little River 38, Madison/Hamilton 32Meade 70, Goessel 20Class 8M-II=Axtell 62, Waverly 16Thunder Ridge 52, Lebo 18Victoria 46, Dighton 28Wheatland-Grinnell 46, South Barber 0

Friday night playoff football results

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — West Virginia coach Neal Brown made a very obvious observation about Kansas State this week.

“They're playing their best football of the year,” he said.

“It's a credit to their staff,” Brown said. “They went through a little downturn where they lost three, and they've been able to turn it around. Really their last two games, Kansas and TCU, they won decisively.”

Kansas State coach Chris Klieman acknowledged the pride he felt after a lopsided win over the Jayhawks made the Wildcats bowl eligible. But he also pointed out that there are three winnable games left this season, and finishing strong — beginning with the Mountaineers — is important for the Wildcats to feel good about what they've already accomplished.

“No question I’m happy, especially after starting 0-3 in conference play," he said. "Credit to our seniors. Credit to our leadership to say, ‘We’ve got to take more ownership and we have to hold each other more accountable so that we can be prepared and ready to play every Saturday.’ We’ve been able to do that.”

Kansas State won five straight in the series, including the first four as conference rivals. But the Mountaineers have now won six straight against the Wildcats with their last defeat coming Dec. 5, 2015, in Manhattan.

“It is definitely on our minds, on my mind,” Kansas State quarterback Skylar Thompson said. “It’s definitely been discussed in our team meetings and stuff like that. It’s something to use as some motivation.”

The Wildcats' Felix Anudike-Uzomah picked up his 11th sack of the season against Kansas to take a half-sack lead over Alabama's Will Anderson Jr. for most in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Anudike-Uzomah, who had four sacks against TCU, also leads the nation in forced fumbles after causing his fifth against the Jayhawks.

“He plays hard,” Browns aid. “You can try to chip him, you can try to double him. Some pass rushers, they get really frustrated. I haven’t seen the kid frustrated. He plays extremely, extremely hard.”

Kansas State kicker Taiten Winkel has left the team, Klieman said, after he had “an injury and didn't know if he could come back from that.” Winkel had been competing with Chris Tennant, who will now have the full-time job.

While the Wildcats are already bowl-eligible, the Mountaineers need to pick up two wins against Kansas State, Texas and Kansas to reach the six-win mark for the second straight year. It's not an insurmountable task, either. The Longhorns (4-5) and Jayhawks (1-8) have losing records and the three of them are 11-16 combined.

“With this bunch that we have right now, we’re week to week," Brown said. "I don’t have to talk to them about it. They know what it is. I just want us to play up to our capability. I just want us to play football the way it’s supposed to be played in all three phases. If we do that, then that takes care of itself.”

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — West Virginia coach Neal Brown made a very obvious observation about Kansas State this week.“They're playing their best football of the year,” he said.“It's a credit to their staff,” Brown said. “They went through a little downturn where they lost three, and they've been able to turn it around. Really their last two games, Kansas and TCU, they won decisively.”Kansas State coach Chris Klieman acknowledged the pride he felt after a lopsided win over the Jayhawks made the Wildcats bowl eligible. But he also pointed out that there are three winnable games left this season, and finishing strong — beginning with the Mountaineers — is important for the Wildcats to feel good about what they've already accomplished.“No question I’m happy, especially after starting 0-3 in conference play," he said. "Credit to our seniors. Credit to our leadership to say, ‘We’ve got to take more ownership and we have to hold each other more accountable so that we can be prepared and ready to play every Saturday.’ We’ve been able to do that.”SERIES HISTORYKansas State won five straight in the series, including the first four as conference rivals. But the Mountaineers have now won six straight against the Wildcats with their last defeat coming Dec. 5, 2015, in Manhattan.“It is definitely on our minds, on my mind,” Kansas State quarterback Skylar Thompson said. “It’s definitely been discussed in our team meetings and stuff like that. It’s something to use as some motivation.”KING FELIXThe Wildcats' Felix Anudike-Uzomah picked up his 11th sack of the season against Kansas to take a half-sack lead over Alabama's Will Anderson Jr. for most in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Anudike-Uzomah, who had four sacks against TCU, also leads the nation in forced fumbles after causing his fifth against the Jayhawks.“He plays hard,” Browns aid. “You can try to chip him, you can try to double him. Some pass rushers, they get really frustrated. I haven’t seen the kid frustrated. He plays extremely, extremely hard.”WINKLE RETIRESKansas State kicker Taiten Winkel has left the team, Klieman said, after he had “an injury and didn't know if he could come back from that.” Winkel had been competing with Chris Tennant, who will now have the full-time job.LET'S GO BOWLINGWhile the Wildcats are already bowl-eligible, the Mountaineers need to pick up two wins against Kansas State, Texas and Kansas to reach the six-win mark for the second straight year. It's not an insurmountable task, either. The Longhorns (4-5) and Jayhawks (1-8) have losing records and the three of them are 11-16 combined.“With this bunch that we have right now, we’re week to week," Brown said. "I don’t have to talk to them about it. They know what it is. I just want us to play up to our capability. I just want us to play football the way it’s supposed to be played in all three phases. If we do that, then that takes care of itself.”

K-State hosts West Virginia on Saturday

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - As football season nears its end and basketball season gears up, four Kansas cities have been ranked among the best in the nation for sports.

With many high school and college football teams gearing up for post-season games and basketball season upon us,&nbsp;<a href="http://wallethub.com/" target="_blank">WalletHub.com</a>&nbsp;says it released its report on<a href="https://wallethub.com/edu/best-sports-cities/15179" target="_blank">&nbsp;2021′s Best Sports Cities</a>. To decide which cities where the game is always on, it said it compared 392 small to large cities across five of the largest sports in the U.S. - football, basketball, hockey and soccer. Four cities in Kansas made the list.

While not technically in Kansas, Kansas City, Mo., was ranked the 21st best city in the nation for sports. The Missouri side of the city ranked 13th for football, 266th for basketball, 19th for baseball, 450th for hockey and 6th for soccer. The Kansas side of Kansas City ranked 358th with a rank of 450 for football, 450 for basketball, 450 for baseball, 450 for hockey and 19 for soccer.

Turning attention to Kansas’s college towns, Lawrence ranked 118th on the list with a rank of 234 for football, 31 for basketball, 193 for baseball, 450 for hockey and 219 for soccer. Manhattan ranked 163rd with a rank of 98 for football, 224 for basketball, 192 for baseball, 450 for hockey and 239 for soccer.

Lastly, Wichita ranked 285 overall with a rank of 450 for football, 278 for basketball, 109 for baseball, 450 for hockey and 450 for soccer.

By WIBWTOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - As football season nears its end and basketball season gears up, four Kansas cities have been ranked among the best in the nation for sports.With many high school and college football teams gearing up for post-season games and basketball season upon us,&nbsp;<a href="http://wallethub.com/" target="_blank">WalletHub.com</a>&nbsp;says it released its report on<a href="https://wallethub.com/edu/best-sports-cities/15179" target="_blank">&nbsp;2021′s Best Sports Cities</a>. To decide which cities where the game is always on, it said it compared 392 small to large cities across five of the largest sports in the U.S. - football, basketball, hockey and soccer. Four cities in Kansas made the list.While not technically in Kansas, Kansas City, Mo., was ranked the 21st best city in the nation for sports. The Missouri side of the city ranked 13th for football, 266th for basketball, 19th for baseball, 450th for hockey and 6th for soccer. The Kansas side of Kansas City ranked 358th with a rank of 450 for football, 450 for basketball, 450 for baseball, 450 for hockey and 19 for soccer.Turning attention to Kansas’s college towns, Lawrence ranked 118th on the list with a rank of 234 for football, 31 for basketball, 193 for baseball, 450 for hockey and 219 for soccer. Manhattan ranked 163rd with a rank of 98 for football, 224 for basketball, 192 for baseball, 450 for hockey and 239 for soccer.Lastly, Wichita ranked 285 overall with a rank of 450 for football, 278 for basketball, 109 for baseball, 450 for hockey and 450 for soccer.

Four Kansas cities are ranked among best sports cities

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Bruce Weber&nbsp;announced the signing of Kansas City area standout&nbsp;Taj Manning&nbsp;(Grandview, Mo./La Lumiere School [Ind.])&nbsp;to a National Letter of Intent on the first day of the Fall National Signing Period on Wednesday (November 10). He will be a freshman at K-State in the 2022-23 season.

A 6-foot-8, 215-pound power forward, Manning currently plays for prep school powerhouse La Lumiere School in La Porte, Indiana after standout high school careers at both Grandview and Bishop Miege High Schools. He is rated among the top 200 prospects nationally (No. 191 by&nbsp;247Sports), including the top-40 power forwards (No. 38 by&nbsp;247Sports). He is a consensus 3-star prospect by both&nbsp;247Sports&nbsp;and&nbsp;Rivals.

“We are really excited to welcome Taj and his family to K-State,” said Weber. “He is not just a great fit for what we were looking for in this recruiting class from a position standpoint, but just a great fit for our program.”

Manning transferred to the La Lumiere School after guiding Bishop Miege to a 22-1 overall record and their sixth Class 4A State Championship this past spring. The Stags dominated their competition, losing just one game all season (a 68-55 setback to Class 6A Blue Valley Northwest) and defeating their other 22 opponents by an average of 30.4 points per game. They won their five playoff games by an average of 42.6 points, including a 94-40 victory over Louisburg in the championship game. He registered a double-double in the state championship game, posting 18 points and grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636637146961.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Bruce Weber&nbsp;announced the signing of Kansas City area standout&nbsp;Taj Manning&nbsp;(Grandview, Mo./La Lumiere School [Ind.])&nbsp;to a National Letter of Intent on the first day of the Fall National Signing Period on Wednesday (November 10). He will be a freshman at K-State in the 2022-23 season.A 6-foot-8, 215-pound power forward, Manning currently plays for prep school powerhouse La Lumiere School in La Porte, Indiana after standout high school careers at both Grandview and Bishop Miege High Schools. He is rated among the top 200 prospects nationally (No. 191 by&nbsp;247Sports), including the top-40 power forwards (No. 38 by&nbsp;247Sports). He is a consensus 3-star prospect by both&nbsp;247Sports&nbsp;and&nbsp;Rivals.“We are really excited to welcome Taj and his family to K-State,” said Weber. “He is not just a great fit for what we were looking for in this recruiting class from a position standpoint, but just a great fit for our program.”Manning transferred to the La Lumiere School after guiding Bishop Miege to a 22-1 overall record and their sixth Class 4A State Championship this past spring. The Stags dominated their competition, losing just one game all season (a 68-55 setback to Class 6A Blue Valley Northwest) and defeating their other 22 opponents by an average of 30.4 points per game. They won their five playoff games by an average of 42.6 points, including a 94-40 victory over Louisburg in the championship game. He registered a double-double in the state championship game, posting 18 points and grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds.

K-State signs Taj Manning

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Nijel Pack scored 18 points, making four 3-pointers, Mark Smith added 12 points and Kansas State beat Florida A&amp;M 67-57 in a season opener for both teams. The Wildcats led by just three points at the break but held the Rattlers to 27 points in the second half. 

FAMU took a 43-42 lead, its last of the game, with 13:28 remaining. But Selton Miguel scored all 10 of his points during a 12-2 run for Kansas State. MJ Randolph scored 12 straight FAMU points, but he didn’t get much help as Kansas State held a double-digit lead for the final six minutes.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Nijel Pack scored 18 points, making four 3-pointers, Mark Smith added 12 points and Kansas State beat Florida A&amp;M 67-57 in a season opener for both teams. The Wildcats led by just three points at the break but held the Rattlers to 27 points in the second half. FAMU took a 43-42 lead, its last of the game, with 13:28 remaining. But Selton Miguel scored all 10 of his points during a 12-2 run for Kansas State. MJ Randolph scored 12 straight FAMU points, but he didn’t get much help as Kansas State held a double-digit lead for the final six minutes.

K-State defeats Florida A&M

By Ron Wilson, director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University&nbsp;

Let’s hit the hardwood. No, I’m not referring to chopping firewood for winter. &nbsp;

In this case, hardwood refers to the hardwood floor of old-time basketball gyms across Kansas. Today we’ll meet a Kansas author who has written a book about classic basketball gyms in towns small and large across the state.&nbsp;

Brian Stucky is a retired teacher, author and artist in Goessel. He grew up on a farm near Goessel and attended Liberty Rural Grade School. He credits his parents, Ransom and Mary Stucky, for spurring his interest in basketball.&nbsp;

“Dad taught us fundamentals and mom was our number one fan,” he said. The senior Ransom even made the all-conference team while playing for Bethel College in 1948.&nbsp;

Brian carried on his father’s interest in basketball. At Moundridge High School, Brian played on the school’s first state champion team in 1971. He went on to play at Bethel College himself, including the tournament team of the 1973 KCAC champions.&nbsp;

Brian pursued a long and successful career in teaching and coaching basketball, volleyball and track at high schools and junior highs in Buhler and Goessel before retiring. As a track coach, he coached 13 individual state champions and two AAU national champions. In 1984, he carried the Olympic torch in the torch relay.&nbsp;

Brian had great memories of the classic old basketball gyms of yesteryear. As schools modernized their facilities, Brian observed that some of these antique gyms were lost.&nbsp; He began a six-year journey around Kansas to find gyms that had been built before 1950 and that were in nearly original condition, and to photograph them with a related legendary old coach, player or personality.&nbsp;

In 2003, he published those stories and photos in a book titled “Hallowed Hardwood – Vintage Basketball Gyms of Kansas.” It is a collection of vignettes, each two pages with multiple photos of the gyms and the stories of the players, coaches and notable fans who participated in them. The book has been reprinted and revised twice since then.&nbsp;

“I had no idea I would catch lightning in a bottle like this,” Brian wrote. He received an award from the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association for preserving the history of the game of basketball.&nbsp;

The book includes stories of 25 small town gyms, 15 larger school gyms, five community buildings and six college gyms. Among those were stories of Roy Williams at Allen Fieldhouse and Ernie Barrett – known as Mr. K-State -- at Ahearn Fieldhouse.&nbsp;

The small town stories span the alphabet, from Appanoose to Zenith. They are the tales of championship teams, white-hot rivalries, dusty trophy cases and games played in cracker box gyms so small that the free throw circle overlaps half court. There are the antique gyms where a balcony hangs over the court and the wall is out of bounds.&nbsp;

There are also stories of the Tescott team that went undefeated in 1957, and Jackie Stiles setting the state scoring record at Claflin with her tenacious work ethic.&nbsp;

There’s the incredible tale of the coach at Clements in 1951 who disciplined his star player by making him sit out a game. The player’s father, who had recently gotten out of jail for murder, threatened to kill the coach if his son didn’t play. The coach stuck to his guns, so to speak, and benched the player when they played at rival Cedar Point.&nbsp;

Clements fans were so mad that they mobbed the coach as he left the gym. Just then, some other fans from Clements showed up with pitchforks and baseball bats to support the coach and escort him to safety. Brian Stucky wrote: “He was saved by peasants with pitchforks.”&nbsp;

These classic gyms are found in places as small as Plevna, population 98; Wallace, population 57; and Cedar Point, population 28 people.&nbsp; Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;

For more information or to order the book, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hallowedhardwood.com/" target="_blank">www.hallowedhardwood.com</a>.&nbsp;

Let’s hit the hardwood – not firewood for the winter, but the old hardwood floors where basketball was played a half-century ago. We commend Brian Stucky for making a difference by preserving and chronicling such history. As a play-by-play announcer would say after a made basket:&nbsp; “It’s good!”&nbsp;

By Ron Wilson, director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University&nbsp;Let’s hit the hardwood. No, I’m not referring to chopping firewood for winter. &nbsp;In this case, hardwood refers to the hardwood floor of old-time basketball gyms across Kansas. Today we’ll meet a Kansas author who has written a book about classic basketball gyms in towns small and large across the state.&nbsp;Brian Stucky is a retired teacher, author and artist in Goessel. He grew up on a farm near Goessel and attended Liberty Rural Grade School. He credits his parents, Ransom and Mary Stucky, for spurring his interest in basketball.&nbsp;“Dad taught us fundamentals and mom was our number one fan,” he said. The senior Ransom even made the all-conference team while playing for Bethel College in 1948.&nbsp;Brian carried on his father’s interest in basketball. At Moundridge High School, Brian played on the school’s first state champion team in 1971. He went on to play at Bethel College himself, including the tournament team of the 1973 KCAC champions.&nbsp;Brian pursued a long and successful career in teaching and coaching basketball, volleyball and track at high schools and junior highs in Buhler and Goessel before retiring. As a track coach, he coached 13 individual state champions and two AAU national champions. In 1984, he carried the Olympic torch in the torch relay.&nbsp;Brian had great memories of the classic old basketball gyms of yesteryear. As schools modernized their facilities, Brian observed that some of these antique gyms were lost.&nbsp; He began a six-year journey around Kansas to find gyms that had been built before 1950 and that were in nearly original condition, and to photograph them with a related legendary old coach, player or personality.&nbsp;In 2003, he published those stories and photos in a book titled “Hallowed Hardwood – Vintage Basketball Gyms of Kansas.” It is a collection of vignettes, each two pages with multiple photos of the gyms and the stories of the players, coaches and notable fans who participated in them. The book has been reprinted and revised twice since then.&nbsp;“I had no idea I would catch lightning in a bottle like this,” Brian wrote. He received an award from the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association for preserving the history of the game of basketball.&nbsp;The book includes stories of 25 small town gyms, 15 larger school gyms, five community buildings and six college gyms. Among those were stories of Roy Williams at Allen Fieldhouse and Ernie Barrett – known as Mr. K-State -- at Ahearn Fieldhouse.&nbsp;The small town stories span the alphabet, from Appanoose to Zenith. They are the tales of championship teams, white-hot rivalries, dusty trophy cases and games played in cracker box gyms so small that the free throw circle overlaps half court. There are the antique gyms where a balcony hangs over the court and the wall is out of bounds.&nbsp;There are also stories of the Tescott team that went undefeated in 1957, and Jackie Stiles setting the state scoring record at Claflin with her tenacious work ethic.&nbsp;There’s the incredible tale of the coach at Clements in 1951 who disciplined his star player by making him sit out a game. The player’s father, who had recently gotten out of jail for murder, threatened to kill the coach if his son didn’t play. The coach stuck to his guns, so to speak, and benched the player when they played at rival Cedar Point.&nbsp;Clements fans were so mad that they mobbed the coach as he left the gym. Just then, some other fans from Clements showed up with pitchforks and baseball bats to support the coach and escort him to safety. Brian Stucky wrote: “He was saved by peasants with pitchforks.”&nbsp;These classic gyms are found in places as small as Plevna, population 98; Wallace, population 57; and Cedar Point, population 28 people.&nbsp; Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;For more information or to order the book, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hallowedhardwood.com/" target="_blank">www.hallowedhardwood.com</a>.&nbsp;Let’s hit the hardwood – not firewood for the winter, but the old hardwood floors where basketball was played a half-century ago. We commend Brian Stucky for making a difference by preserving and chronicling such history. As a play-by-play announcer would say after a made basket:&nbsp; “It’s good!”&nbsp;

Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural:  Brian Stucky, Hallowed Hardwood 

NEW YORK (AP) — Ochai Agbaji scored a career-high 29 points and No. 3 Kansas beat Michigan State 87-74 at the Champions Classic on the opening night of college basketball. Remy Martin added 15 points and David McCormack had 10 for the Jayhawks, who returned four starters from last season’s squad that lost to USC in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks were missing forward Jalen Wilson, who was suspended last week for the first three regular season games after he was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving last month. A.J. Hoggard scored 17 points and Julius Marble added 13 for the Spartans.

NEW YORK (AP) — Ochai Agbaji scored a career-high 29 points and No. 3 Kansas beat Michigan State 87-74 at the Champions Classic on the opening night of college basketball. Remy Martin added 15 points and David McCormack had 10 for the Jayhawks, who returned four starters from last season’s squad that lost to USC in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks were missing forward Jalen Wilson, who was suspended last week for the first three regular season games after he was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving last month. A.J. Hoggard scored 17 points and Julius Marble added 13 for the Spartans.

Jayhawks top Michigan State

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Half of the 10 teams in the Big 12 already have the six wins needed to go to a bowl game. Kansas State and Iowa State joined the club last weekend. They joined fourth-ranked Oklahoma, which at 9-0 is eyeing a spot in the college football playoff, 10th-ranked Oklahoma State and No. 18 Baylor in ensuring they’ll be playing in the postseason. Four more could reach the six-win plateau and make nine of the 10 teams in the league eligible.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Half of the 10 teams in the Big 12 already have the six wins needed to go to a bowl game. Kansas State and Iowa State joined the club last weekend. They joined fourth-ranked Oklahoma, which at 9-0 is eyeing a spot in the college football playoff, 10th-ranked Oklahoma State and No. 18 Baylor in ensuring they’ll be playing in the postseason. Four more could reach the six-win plateau and make nine of the 10 teams in the league eligible.

Big 12 eyeing bowl eligible teams 

By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/11/07/six-man-football-offers-hope-for-kansas-schools-struggling-with-dwindling-participation-population/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — In 2019, Greeley County High
 School suffered its worst season in years, finishing winless and 
struggling week in and week out to field a complete team.

At the time, the school was playing 
eight-man football, but dwindling interest in trying out for football 
forced a remarkable seven forfeits throughout a nine-game schedule. In 
the two games they were able to play, they lost 44-0 against Rawlins 
County and 68-20 against Cheylin.&nbsp;

After conversations about the future 
of the program, the school made the move to six-man football last year. 
This year the team finished 2-5, and while the team may not be winning a
 lot, the players are having fun again.

“At least the kids are getting to 
play there, right?” said Greeley County High School athletic director 
Greg Cook. “It keeps interest in fall activities. It allows the kids to 
still play football and get all the benefits of being part of a team.”

High school football participation 
has steadily declined over the past decade as concerns around head 
trauma and other injuries escalate. Add that to the declining population
 in rural cities and towns, and many schools across Kansas are facing 
similar challenges to Greeley County.

Six-man football first popped up in 
Kansas during the 1960s but did not gain widespread traction and 
eventually disappeared. In 2014, faced with very few options to keep 
their program afloat, Weskan became the first Kansas team to play 
six-man since 2003.

Since then, the six-man ranks have 
risen to 15 schools operating under the Six-man Football Association. 
The association culminates each year with the Wild West Bowl state 
championship game in Dodge City.

The participating schools have 
primarily been in the Northwest and Southwest parts of Kansas. Burrton, 
in central Kansas, is the furthest eastern school, but that could soon 
change.

In September, the Kansas State High 
School Activities Association officially sanctioned six-man football 
following a unanimous vote of their board of directors. According to the
 association, 26 teams will play six-man next fall.

Those schools’ total enrollment for 
ninth, 10th and 11th grade must range from 19 to 55 students, although 
some in that range have chosen to play eight-man football. In addition 
to an official schedule and playoffs, Cook said the association’s 
sanction will help smaller schools like his.

“The schools that are borderline that
 are hanging on to eight-man — if they should happen to lose some 
students or have some small classes — it’ll be easier for them to move 
down to six-man,” he said.

Altoona-Midway, Chase, Chetopa, 
Ingalls, Southern Coffey County, Centre, Peabody-Burns, Southern Cloud, 
Tescott, Waverly, Wetmore and Triplains-Brewster will all be part of the
 newly sanctioned division next year, the state high school athletics 
association announced. Many of the schools switching to the six-man 
division hail from the eastern side of the state.&nbsp;

Those teams have a combined 19 wins 
and 72 losses this fall. Chase and Chetopa took forfeits because of low 
participation, and Centre was unable to field an eight-man team and 
played some six-man games.

Peabody-Burns was exploring a six-man move this summer. Only Waverly had a winning record last season.

“The game of football is great for 
kids, it’s great for communities and it is safer than it’s ever been,” 
said Mark Lentz, assistant executive director for the state High School 
Activities Association.

A full high school schedule is nine football games. Last year, six-man squads averaged 6.2 games.

In states like Colorado, Texas and 
Nebraska, the six-man modifications to the standard 11-man rules have 
resulted in high-scoring games. This trend has held true in Kansas so 
far.

The games are heavy on offense and, 
like eight-man football, can be extremely high scoring, with some games 
eclipsing 200 combined points scored. Besides the score and shorter 
field (80 yards vs the normal 100 yards) six-man is unique to both 
eight-person and 11-person football.&nbsp;

However, the aim of the game is still the same, Lentz said.

“Football is football,” he said. “It 
just looks a little bit different when you have six players on a side 
versus 11 but it’s still all about blocking and tackling and the 
fundamentals that you learn from playing a team sport.”

One noticeable rule change is that to
 advance the ball forward on a run play, the ball must be exchanged 
between players at least once. As a result, the running back will 
oftentimes receive the snap and immediately toss the ball to the 
quarterback, giving them the choice to either run or pass the ball.

Rather than the typical 10 yards needed for a first down, six-man football requires teams to advance the ball 15 yards.

Scoring is also unique, with extra 
points worth two when kicked as opposed to one. Field goals are worth 
more as well — four points earned during a successful kick versus the 
typical three.

The other big rule change: Everyone 
on the field is eligible to receive the ball. That includes the center. 
Though three players must be on the line of scrimmage on many calls the 
center will be the lone lineman — and the defense will still have to 
wonder if he’s going out to receive a pass.

“It’s taken me four years to finally 
figure out some of the little nuances about the game of six-man,” said 
Jon Schnable, football head coach and athletic director for Rolla High 
School. “At first, I thought if you have a big-sized team, you can get 
away with a lot of things, but if you look at the six-man schools, their
 kids’ size isn’t a priority, it’s speed. If you’ve got some speed on 
your team, you can win a lot of ballgames.

While the number of players and 
various rules may differ, advocates of the six-man variety will take 
what they can get, especially when participation numbers continue to 
drop across the country.

According to data from the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/">Aspen Institute</a> and the <a target="_blank" href="https://nfhs.org/">National Federation of State High School Associations</a>,
 from 2008-19 to 2018-19 the total number of youths aged 6 to 18 playing
 tackle football fell by more than 620,000. Participation nationwide now
 sits at just over 1 million high school players.

Over that same decade attendance at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncaa.org/championships/statistics/ncaa-football-attendance">college</a> and professional football also declined.

However, there is optimism among some
 that the annual declines in participation appear to be leveling off for
 now. While COVID-19 made data for 2020 difficult to collect, in 2019 
high school football participation only dropped by 2,489 students.

Previous years saw declines of 23,311, 20,540 and 30,829 students playing football.

“These (2019) numbers suggest to us 
that parents are appreciative of the risk minimization efforts that have
 been put in place,” said Karissa Niehoff, director of the National 
Federation of State High School Associations. “Every state has enacted 
rules that limit the amount of contact before the season and during 
practice, and every state has established concussion protocols and 
laws.”

Kansas has also seen the drop in 
participation level off recently with football participation hovering in
 the high 14,000-student range since 2016. In 2020, however, the state 
high school activates association recorded the first notable decrease in
 participation since that year.

Still, other research shows <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277953618307202">increasing parental concerns about concussion risks</a>. This raises concerns for future participation across the country and in Kansas.

For example, some have suggested implementing age-based restrictions on physical contact in the sport.

In a <a target="_blank" href="https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/143/5/e20182402?casa_token=1LUpwzsJF8YAAAAA%3AIoCBCMFs-5IuTjXhBPM5J-856x44gwgkAH0bpE87Wa07EiwZ-rBHOppsO-dK9xeibl-yl2YhsMif">2019 study of the favorability of an age cap</a>,
 several researchers wrote, “US parents are willing to accept age limits
 on tackling in youth football.” They added that the organizations 
responsible for shaping public discourse about the topic, like the 
American Academy of Pediatrics, “may find it useful to consider US 
parents’ attitudes regarding age limits on tackling, alongside research 
quantifying the risk of tackling, when they revisit this topic.”

As the first team to bring six-man football back to Kansas, Weskan has seen it evolve and grow over the years.

Brett Clow, athletic director and 
head coach of Weskan’s football team, said he expects six-man football’s
 growth to continue. Like any changes to a sport with deep roots in many
 communities across the state, six-man football has its doubters who 
believe only 11-man football to be “real football,” but Clow said with 
the sport under the pressure it is, six-man is an important alternative.

“When you look at… some of these 
small towns fighting to keep football, this is now another option,” he 
said. “If a school is thinking about it, I would only say how great it’s
 been for us and that it is worth at least giving it a shot.”

Clow also said he was excited to see 
the influx of new teams after the state association sanctioned the 
six-man games and hopes there could be as many as 40 such teams in the 
state one day.

The format, he said, can help schools
 that haven’t experienced much past success, like Natoma High School, 
which won the six-man state title this year after not having won a 
single playoff game for 47 years.

“It’s really cool for teams like that
 and schools like that to have success for the first time,” Clow said. 
“I think once people do see it and schools start participating in it, 
they’ll realize how much fun it is and that the kids really enjoy it.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636408798030.png" alt="Rolla High School Football players line up against Burton High School earlier this year in a six-man football game. The Kansas State High School Activities Association has officially sanctioned six-man games for 2022, which means a full slate of games and playoffs. (Submitted to Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rolla High School Football players line up against Burton High School earlier this year in a six-man football game. The Kansas State High School Activities Association has officially sanctioned six-man games for 2022, which means a full slate of games and playoffs. (Submitted to Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/11/07/six-man-football-offers-hope-for-kansas-schools-struggling-with-dwindling-participation-population/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — In 2019, Greeley County High
 School suffered its worst season in years, finishing winless and 
struggling week in and week out to field a complete team.At the time, the school was playing 
eight-man football, but dwindling interest in trying out for football 
forced a remarkable seven forfeits throughout a nine-game schedule. In 
the two games they were able to play, they lost 44-0 against Rawlins 
County and 68-20 against Cheylin.&nbsp;After conversations about the future 
of the program, the school made the move to six-man football last year. 
This year the team finished 2-5, and while the team may not be winning a
 lot, the players are having fun again.“At least the kids are getting to 
play there, right?” said Greeley County High School athletic director 
Greg Cook. “It keeps interest in fall activities. It allows the kids to 
still play football and get all the benefits of being part of a team.”High school football participation 
has steadily declined over the past decade as concerns around head 
trauma and other injuries escalate. Add that to the declining population
 in rural cities and towns, and many schools across Kansas are facing 
similar challenges to Greeley County.Six-man football first popped up in 
Kansas during the 1960s but did not gain widespread traction and 
eventually disappeared. In 2014, faced with very few options to keep 
their program afloat, Weskan became the first Kansas team to play 
six-man since 2003.Since then, the six-man ranks have 
risen to 15 schools operating under the Six-man Football Association. 
The association culminates each year with the Wild West Bowl state 
championship game in Dodge City.The participating schools have 
primarily been in the Northwest and Southwest parts of Kansas. Burrton, 
in central Kansas, is the furthest eastern school, but that could soon 
change.In September, the Kansas State High 
School Activities Association officially sanctioned six-man football 
following a unanimous vote of their board of directors. According to the
 association, 26 teams will play six-man next fall.Those schools’ total enrollment for 
ninth, 10th and 11th grade must range from 19 to 55 students, although 
some in that range have chosen to play eight-man football. In addition 
to an official schedule and playoffs, Cook said the association’s 
sanction will help smaller schools like his.“The schools that are borderline that
 are hanging on to eight-man — if they should happen to lose some 
students or have some small classes — it’ll be easier for them to move 
down to six-man,” he said.Altoona-Midway, Chase, Chetopa, 
Ingalls, Southern Coffey County, Centre, Peabody-Burns, Southern Cloud, 
Tescott, Waverly, Wetmore and Triplains-Brewster will all be part of the
 newly sanctioned division next year, the state high school athletics 
association announced. Many of the schools switching to the six-man 
division hail from the eastern side of the state.&nbsp;Those teams have a combined 19 wins 
and 72 losses this fall. Chase and Chetopa took forfeits because of low 
participation, and Centre was unable to field an eight-man team and 
played some six-man games.Peabody-Burns was exploring a six-man move this summer. Only Waverly had a winning record last season.“The game of football is great for 
kids, it’s great for communities and it is safer than it’s ever been,” 
said Mark Lentz, assistant executive director for the state High School 
Activities Association.A full high school schedule is nine football games. Last year, six-man squads averaged 6.2 games.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636408905030.png" alt=" Rolla High School football coach and athletic director Jon Schnable said he’s learned how the rules of six-man football prioritize speed over size in many instances. (Submitted to Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Rolla High School football coach and athletic director Jon Schnable said he’s learned how the rules of six-man football prioritize speed over size in many instances. (Submitted to Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Rule differences</h2>In states like Colorado, Texas and 
Nebraska, the six-man modifications to the standard 11-man rules have 
resulted in high-scoring games. This trend has held true in Kansas so 
far.The games are heavy on offense and, 
like eight-man football, can be extremely high scoring, with some games 
eclipsing 200 combined points scored. Besides the score and shorter 
field (80 yards vs the normal 100 yards) six-man is unique to both 
eight-person and 11-person football.&nbsp;However, the aim of the game is still the same, Lentz said.“Football is football,” he said. “It 
just looks a little bit different when you have six players on a side 
versus 11 but it’s still all about blocking and tackling and the 
fundamentals that you learn from playing a team sport.”One noticeable rule change is that to
 advance the ball forward on a run play, the ball must be exchanged 
between players at least once. As a result, the running back will 
oftentimes receive the snap and immediately toss the ball to the 
quarterback, giving them the choice to either run or pass the ball.Rather than the typical 10 yards needed for a first down, six-man football requires teams to advance the ball 15 yards.Scoring is also unique, with extra 
points worth two when kicked as opposed to one. Field goals are worth 
more as well — four points earned during a successful kick versus the 
typical three.The other big rule change: Everyone 
on the field is eligible to receive the ball. That includes the center. 
Though three players must be on the line of scrimmage on many calls the 
center will be the lone lineman — and the defense will still have to 
wonder if he’s going out to receive a pass.“It’s taken me four years to finally 
figure out some of the little nuances about the game of six-man,” said 
Jon Schnable, football head coach and athletic director for Rolla High 
School. “At first, I thought if you have a big-sized team, you can get 
away with a lot of things, but if you look at the six-man schools, their
 kids’ size isn’t a priority, it’s speed. If you’ve got some speed on 
your team, you can win a lot of ballgames.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636408949648.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Dwindling participation</h2>While the number of players and 
various rules may differ, advocates of the six-man variety will take 
what they can get, especially when participation numbers continue to 
drop across the country.According to data from the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/">Aspen Institute</a> and the <a target="_blank" href="https://nfhs.org/">National Federation of State High School Associations</a>,
 from 2008-19 to 2018-19 the total number of youths aged 6 to 18 playing
 tackle football fell by more than 620,000. Participation nationwide now
 sits at just over 1 million high school players.Over that same decade attendance at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncaa.org/championships/statistics/ncaa-football-attendance">college</a> and professional football also declined.However, there is optimism among some
 that the annual declines in participation appear to be leveling off for
 now. While COVID-19 made data for 2020 difficult to collect, in 2019 
high school football participation only dropped by 2,489 students.Previous years saw declines of 23,311, 20,540 and 30,829 students playing football.“These (2019) numbers suggest to us 
that parents are appreciative of the risk minimization efforts that have
 been put in place,” said Karissa Niehoff, director of the National 
Federation of State High School Associations. “Every state has enacted 
rules that limit the amount of contact before the season and during 
practice, and every state has established concussion protocols and 
laws.”Kansas has also seen the drop in 
participation level off recently with football participation hovering in
 the high 14,000-student range since 2016. In 2020, however, the state 
high school activates association recorded the first notable decrease in
 participation since that year.Still, other research shows <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277953618307202">increasing parental concerns about concussion risks</a>. This raises concerns for future participation across the country and in Kansas.For example, some have suggested implementing age-based restrictions on physical contact in the sport.In a <a target="_blank" href="https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/143/5/e20182402?casa_token=1LUpwzsJF8YAAAAA%3AIoCBCMFs-5IuTjXhBPM5J-856x44gwgkAH0bpE87Wa07EiwZ-rBHOppsO-dK9xeibl-yl2YhsMif">2019 study of the favorability of an age cap</a>,
 several researchers wrote, “US parents are willing to accept age limits
 on tackling in youth football.” They added that the organizations 
responsible for shaping public discourse about the topic, like the 
American Academy of Pediatrics, “may find it useful to consider US 
parents’ attitudes regarding age limits on tackling, alongside research 
quantifying the risk of tackling, when they revisit this topic.”<h2>‘Fighting to keep football’</h2>As the first team to bring six-man football back to Kansas, Weskan has seen it evolve and grow over the years.Brett Clow, athletic director and 
head coach of Weskan’s football team, said he expects six-man football’s
 growth to continue. Like any changes to a sport with deep roots in many
 communities across the state, six-man football has its doubters who 
believe only 11-man football to be “real football,” but Clow said with 
the sport under the pressure it is, six-man is an important alternative.“When you look at… some of these 
small towns fighting to keep football, this is now another option,” he 
said. “If a school is thinking about it, I would only say how great it’s
 been for us and that it is worth at least giving it a shot.”Clow also said he was excited to see 
the influx of new teams after the state association sanctioned the 
six-man games and hopes there could be as many as 40 such teams in the 
state one day.The format, he said, can help schools
 that haven’t experienced much past success, like Natoma High School, 
which won the six-man state title this year after not having won a 
single playoff game for 47 years.“It’s really cool for teams like that
 and schools like that to have success for the first time,” Clow said. 
“I think once people do see it and schools start participating in it, 
they’ll realize how much fun it is and that the kids really enjoy it.”

Six-man football offers hope for shrinking Kansas schools

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Big 12 Conference and FOX Sports announced Monday that Kansas State’s Senior Day contest against Baylor on November 20 will kick at 4:30 p.m., and be televised by FS1.

The FOX family of networks will televise the final four K-State games this year as FS1 had last week’s game at Kansas and this week’s game against West Virginia, while the Wildcats’ regular-season finale at Texas had previously been announced as an 11 a.m., game on FOX.

<a>Kansas State is looking to break a three-game skid to the Bears, which includes a three-point loss in 2018 and a one-point setback last year.</a>

The Wildcats take on West Virginia this Saturday at 11 a.m., inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Big 12 Conference and FOX Sports announced Monday that Kansas State’s Senior Day contest against Baylor on November 20 will kick at 4:30 p.m., and be televised by FS1.The FOX family of networks will televise the final four K-State games this year as FS1 had last week’s game at Kansas and this week’s game against West Virginia, while the Wildcats’ regular-season finale at Texas had previously been announced as an 11 a.m., game on FOX.<a>Kansas State is looking to break a three-game skid to the Bears, which includes a three-point loss in 2018 and a one-point setback last year.</a>The Wildcats take on West Virginia this Saturday at 11 a.m., inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

K-State’s Senior Day Contest Set for Afternoon Kick

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Green Bay Packers did all they could defensively to help out Jordan Love in his first career start. But their special teams were so abysmal in a 13-7 loss to the Chiefs that even Aaron Rodgers would have had a hard time bailing them out. Mason Crosby missed a field goal and had another one blocked. The Packers gave up the ball on a punt-return miscue, then nearly did it again later in the game. Love finished with 190 yards passing and an interception in his first start in place of Rodgers, who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Green Bay Packers did all they could defensively to help out Jordan Love in his first career start. But their special teams were so abysmal in a 13-7 loss to the Chiefs that even Aaron Rodgers would have had a hard time bailing them out. Mason Crosby missed a field goal and had another one blocked. The Packers gave up the ball on a punt-return miscue, then nearly did it again later in the game. Love finished with 190 yards passing and an interception in his first start in place of Rodgers, who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week.

Chiefs defeat the Packers

Deuce Vaughn rushed for 162 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-10 win by Kansas State ( 6-3 )&nbsp; over Kansas ( 1-8 ) on Saturday in Lawrence.&nbsp;

Skylar Thompson completed 19 of 24 passes for 244 yards in the contest, which saw Kansas State lead 21-3 at halftime. The win ensured that the Wildcats will be bowl eligible this season.

Deuce Vaughn rushed for 162 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-10 win by Kansas State ( 6-3 )&nbsp; over Kansas ( 1-8 ) on Saturday in Lawrence.&nbsp;Skylar Thompson completed 19 of 24 passes for 244 yards in the contest, which saw Kansas State lead 21-3 at halftime. The win ensured that the Wildcats will be bowl eligible this season.

Wildcats cruise by the Jayhawks

The Manhattan Indians held off Gardner-Edgerton 38-35 in the second round of the Class 6A football playoffs Friday night at Bishop Stadium.

Manhattan will advance to play the Lawrence Lions in round three of the playoffs next Friday night.

The Manhattan Indians held off Gardner-Edgerton 38-35 in the second round of the Class 6A football playoffs Friday night at Bishop Stadium.Manhattan will advance to play the Lawrence Lions in round three of the playoffs next Friday night.

Manhattan advances in the Class 6A playoffs

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Sophomore&nbsp;Selton Miguel&nbsp;led three Wildcats in double figures with a game-high 18 points, as Kansas State used a late first-half run to pull away from Pittsburg State, 78-59, in the team’s lone exhibition game on Thursday night before 5,180 fans at Bramlage Coliseum.

<a>With the win, K-State extends its winning streak in exhibition play at Bramlage Coliseum to 27 games, which dates to the second exhibition game of the 2003-04 season on November 15, 2003. The Wildcats are now a perfect 15-0 at home in exhibition play under head coach&nbsp;Bruce Weber, who is entering his 10th season in 2021-22.</a>

K-State was able to break open an early back-and-forth contest with a pivotal 10-1 run over a 3-minute span late in the first half. Moments after Pitt State tied the game at 18-all with just over 8 minutes to play before halftime, sophomore&nbsp;Ismael (Ish) Massoud&nbsp;ignited the 10-1 run with a pull-up jumper. It was followed by a 3-pointer from junior&nbsp;Markquis Nowell, layups by fifth-year senior&nbsp;Mark Smith&nbsp;and Miguel and a 3-pointer by fifth-year senior&nbsp;Mike McGuirl. In all, the Wildcats outscored the Gorillas, 19-8, to end the half to take a 37-26 lead at the break.

The momentum continued to start the second half, as K-State scored the first 6 points to push the advantage to 43-26 and force a Pitt State timeout with 17:39 remaining. The lead never fell below 12 points the rest of the way, ballooning to as many as 24 (73-49) after a dunk by freshman&nbsp;Logan Landers&nbsp;with 5:15 to play.

Miguel came off the bench to lead the Wildcats with a game-high 18 points on 6-of-9 field goals, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range, to go with 6 rebounds, 2 steals and an assist in nearly 24 minutes. He was joined in double figures by Landers, who had a near double-double with 11 points and 8 rebounds in his debut, and Massoud, the Wake Forest transfer, who posted 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting with 4 rebounds in nearly 29 minutes.

Smith had impressive all-around night in his first night in a Wildcat uniform, as he collected a game-high 13 rebounds, including 11 on the defense end, to go with team-highs in both assists (5) and steals (2) and 6 points.

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Sophomore&nbsp;Selton Miguel&nbsp;led three Wildcats in double figures with a game-high 18 points, as Kansas State used a late first-half run to pull away from Pittsburg State, 78-59, in the team’s lone exhibition game on Thursday night before 5,180 fans at Bramlage Coliseum.<a>With the win, K-State extends its winning streak in exhibition play at Bramlage Coliseum to 27 games, which dates to the second exhibition game of the 2003-04 season on November 15, 2003. The Wildcats are now a perfect 15-0 at home in exhibition play under head coach&nbsp;Bruce Weber, who is entering his 10th season in 2021-22.</a>K-State was able to break open an early back-and-forth contest with a pivotal 10-1 run over a 3-minute span late in the first half. Moments after Pitt State tied the game at 18-all with just over 8 minutes to play before halftime, sophomore&nbsp;Ismael (Ish) Massoud&nbsp;ignited the 10-1 run with a pull-up jumper. It was followed by a 3-pointer from junior&nbsp;Markquis Nowell, layups by fifth-year senior&nbsp;Mark Smith&nbsp;and Miguel and a 3-pointer by fifth-year senior&nbsp;Mike McGuirl. In all, the Wildcats outscored the Gorillas, 19-8, to end the half to take a 37-26 lead at the break.The momentum continued to start the second half, as K-State scored the first 6 points to push the advantage to 43-26 and force a Pitt State timeout with 17:39 remaining. The lead never fell below 12 points the rest of the way, ballooning to as many as 24 (73-49) after a dunk by freshman&nbsp;Logan Landers&nbsp;with 5:15 to play.Miguel came off the bench to lead the Wildcats with a game-high 18 points on 6-of-9 field goals, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range, to go with 6 rebounds, 2 steals and an assist in nearly 24 minutes. He was joined in double figures by Landers, who had a near double-double with 11 points and 8 rebounds in his debut, and Massoud, the Wake Forest transfer, who posted 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting with 4 rebounds in nearly 29 minutes.Smith had impressive all-around night in his first night in a Wildcat uniform, as he collected a game-high 13 rebounds, including 11 on the defense end, to go with team-highs in both assists (5) and steals (2) and 6 points.

K-State rolls past Pittsburg State

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Big 12 Conference and FOX announced Saturday night that the Sunflower Showdown between Kansas State and Kansas in Lawrence will kick off at 11 a.m., and will be televised by FS1.

The Wildcats have won each of the last 12 games dating back to 2009, while K-State is 25-5 against KU dating back to 1991. This will be the 111th&nbsp;all-time meeting between the Wildcats and Jayhawks which will be tied for the second-longest uninterrupted series in FBS history at the time.

Big 12 TV Selections for Saturday, November 6

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1635855723157.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Big 12 Conference and FOX announced Saturday night that the Sunflower Showdown between Kansas State and Kansas in Lawrence will kick off at 11 a.m., and will be televised by FS1.The Wildcats have won each of the last 12 games dating back to 2009, while K-State is 25-5 against KU dating back to 1991. This will be the 111th&nbsp;all-time meeting between the Wildcats and Jayhawks which will be tied for the second-longest uninterrupted series in FBS history at the time.Big 12 TV Selections for Saturday, November 6

Dillons Sunflower Showdown Set for Morning Kick

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– For the first time in two years, the Kansas State men’s basketball team held its annual media day in-person, as area media met with head coach&nbsp;Bruce Weber&nbsp;and players on Monday afternoon to discuss the fast-approaching 2021-22 season at the Ice Family Basketball Center.

The Wildcats play their lone exhibition game on Thursday night (November 4) at home against Pittsburg State at 7 p.m., CT before opening the regular season on Wednesday, November 10 against Florida A&amp;M at 7 p.m., CT.

Weber held his traditional press conference to start before media were able to talk 1-on-1 with players.

K-State returns four of its top-5 scorers, including senior&nbsp;Mike McGuirl&nbsp;and rising sophomores&nbsp;Davion Bradford,&nbsp;Selton Miguel&nbsp;and&nbsp;Nijel Pack. In all, the Wildcats return nine lettermen, including juniors&nbsp;Kaosi Ezeagu&nbsp;and&nbsp;Carlton Linguard, Jr., and sophomores&nbsp;Luke Kasubke&nbsp;and&nbsp;Seryee Lewis. Lewis will miss the upcoming season due to injury.

The team also added seven newcomers this offseason, including transfers&nbsp;Ismael (Ish) Massoud&nbsp;(Wake Forest),&nbsp;Markquis Nowell&nbsp;(Little Rock) and&nbsp;Mark Smith&nbsp;(Missouri) to go with freshmen&nbsp;Maximus Edwards&nbsp;and&nbsp;Logan Landers.

Season tickets as well as single game and mini-plans are currently on sale with the Wildcats slated to play 18 games at Bramlage Coliseum. Fans can purchase tickets in a variety of ways, including toll free at (800) 221.CATS (2287) and online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">www.kstatesports.com/tickets</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1635815530507.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– For the first time in two years, the Kansas State men’s basketball team held its annual media day in-person, as area media met with head coach&nbsp;Bruce Weber&nbsp;and players on Monday afternoon to discuss the fast-approaching 2021-22 season at the Ice Family Basketball Center.The Wildcats play their lone exhibition game on Thursday night (November 4) at home against Pittsburg State at 7 p.m., CT before opening the regular season on Wednesday, November 10 against Florida A&amp;M at 7 p.m., CT.Weber held his traditional press conference to start before media were able to talk 1-on-1 with players.K-State returns four of its top-5 scorers, including senior&nbsp;Mike McGuirl&nbsp;and rising sophomores&nbsp;Davion Bradford,&nbsp;Selton Miguel&nbsp;and&nbsp;Nijel Pack. In all, the Wildcats return nine lettermen, including juniors&nbsp;Kaosi Ezeagu&nbsp;and&nbsp;Carlton Linguard, Jr., and sophomores&nbsp;Luke Kasubke&nbsp;and&nbsp;Seryee Lewis. Lewis will miss the upcoming season due to injury.The team also added seven newcomers this offseason, including transfers&nbsp;Ismael (Ish) Massoud&nbsp;(Wake Forest),&nbsp;Markquis Nowell&nbsp;(Little Rock) and&nbsp;Mark Smith&nbsp;(Missouri) to go with freshmen&nbsp;Maximus Edwards&nbsp;and&nbsp;Logan Landers.Season tickets as well as single game and mini-plans are currently on sale with the Wildcats slated to play 18 games at Bramlage Coliseum. Fans can purchase tickets in a variety of ways, including toll free at (800) 221.CATS (2287) and online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">www.kstatesports.com/tickets</a>.

K-State men's basketball holds Media Day

MANHATTAN&nbsp;–&nbsp;Kansas State sophomore defensive end&nbsp;Felix Anudike-Uzomah&nbsp;has been named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week, the Walter Camp Football Foundation announced on Sunday.

He is the fifth Wildcat all time to be named a Walter Camp National Player of the Week and the first since Allen Chapman did so following a three-interception game against Oklahoma State in 2012.

Anudike-Uzomah registered four sacks in K-State’s 31-12 victory over TCU on Saturday to tie the school record originally set by Chris Johnson at Missouri in 2000. A product of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, Anudike-Uzomah totaled eight tackles and forced two fumbles. Two of his forces came on potential sacks, but since the ball was fumbled forward and beyond the original line of scrimmage, they were credited as rushes. If the ball had been recovered on TCU’s side of the line of scrimmage, those two would have been counted as sacks to give him six on the day, which would have tied an NCAA record and broken the Big 12 record.

Anudike-Uzomah ranks second in the nation this season in sacks (10.0) and forced fumbles (4), while he is 13th&nbsp;in tackles for loss (11.5). With four regular-season games remaining, Anudike-Uzomah is just 1.5 sacks shy of tying the school record for single-season sacks.

Kansas State travels to face Kansas in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown on Saturday inside Memorial Stadium in Lawrence. The game, which kicks at 11 a.m., will be televised by FS1.

–&nbsp;<a href="http://k-statesports.com/" target="_blank">k-statesports.com</a>&nbsp;–

MANHATTAN&nbsp;–&nbsp;Kansas State sophomore defensive end&nbsp;Felix Anudike-Uzomah&nbsp;has been named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week, the Walter Camp Football Foundation announced on Sunday.He is the fifth Wildcat all time to be named a Walter Camp National Player of the Week and the first since Allen Chapman did so following a three-interception game against Oklahoma State in 2012.Anudike-Uzomah registered four sacks in K-State’s 31-12 victory over TCU on Saturday to tie the school record originally set by Chris Johnson at Missouri in 2000. A product of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, Anudike-Uzomah totaled eight tackles and forced two fumbles. Two of his forces came on potential sacks, but since the ball was fumbled forward and beyond the original line of scrimmage, they were credited as rushes. If the ball had been recovered on TCU’s side of the line of scrimmage, those two would have been counted as sacks to give him six on the day, which would have tied an NCAA record and broken the Big 12 record.Anudike-Uzomah ranks second in the nation this season in sacks (10.0) and forced fumbles (4), while he is 13th&nbsp;in tackles for loss (11.5). With four regular-season games remaining, Anudike-Uzomah is just 1.5 sacks shy of tying the school record for single-season sacks.Kansas State travels to face Kansas in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown on Saturday inside Memorial Stadium in Lawrence. The game, which kicks at 11 a.m., will be televised by FS1.–&nbsp;<a href="http://k-statesports.com/" target="_blank">k-statesports.com</a>&nbsp;–

Anudike-Uzomah Walter Camp National Defensive Player of Week

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — TCU and football Gary Patterson have mutually agreed to immediately part ways. 

The announcement came Sunday night, a day after the Horned Frogs lost 31-12 at Kansas State, the 61-year-old Patterson's alma mater. They are 3-5 after their fifth loss in six games. 

Patterson leaves TCU with a 181-79 record in 21 seasons, including an undefeated 13-0 season in 2010 that was capped by a Rose Bowl victory.

 Former Minnesota coach Jerry Kill, who was the best man in Patterson's wedding and on his staff as an off-field special assistant, will be the interim head coach for the remainder of the season. Kill was the head coach at Emporia State University from 1999-2000.

The Horned Frogs host 14th-ranked Baylor on Saturday.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — TCU and football Gary Patterson have mutually agreed to immediately part ways. The announcement came Sunday night, a day after the Horned Frogs lost 31-12 at Kansas State, the 61-year-old Patterson's alma mater. They are 3-5 after their fifth loss in six games. Patterson leaves TCU with a 181-79 record in 21 seasons, including an undefeated 13-0 season in 2010 that was capped by a Rose Bowl victory.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635736223799.jpeg" alt="Interim Head Football Coach Jerry Kill. Photo courtesy TCU athletics" />
 <figcaption>Interim Head Football Coach Jerry Kill. Photo courtesy TCU athletics</figcaption>
 </figure> Former Minnesota coach Jerry Kill, who was the best man in Patterson's wedding and on his staff as an off-field special assistant, will be the interim head coach for the remainder of the season. Kill was the head coach at Emporia State University from 1999-2000.The Horned Frogs host 14th-ranked Baylor on Saturday.

Patterson and TCU agree to part ways; Kill named interim

MANHATTAN –&nbsp;K-State women’s basketball used a stifling defensive effort in the second quarter to build a healthy margin and open its exhibition schedule with a 68-39 win over Washburn on&nbsp; Bramlage Coliseum on Sunday afternoon.

“I was pleased with the energy of our team and I was pleased with the intentions of our team,” said K-State head coach Jeff Mittie about Sunday’s exhibition. “I was pleased, while we weren’t shooting the ball very well for most of the game, I thought our defense and the talk was really good and the things we have talked about not being tied to playing great, you know you need to be consistent. I thought our team really grew in that area, I think that's been something that people can make too much out of one game, one situation that's something I have seen consistently over 31 days, 30 practices and 1 game. This team I have seen if I have corrected them said, 'hey we're not where we need to be, we're drifting off,' they have come back very quickly, so I like that about this group.”

K-State held a nine-point lead after the first quarter, 19-10, as junior center Ayoka Lee tallied seven points and all 10 active Wildcats saw the floor.

Washburn closed the gap to six, 19-13, on a 3-pointer to open the second quarter. This would be Washburn’s first of only two made field goals in the quarter, as K-State held the Ichabods to a 15.4 percent (2-of-13) effort from the field in the second 10 minutes.

Following the Washburn 3-pointer, K-State used a 15-2 run over the remainder of the half with freshman Serena Sundell and Lee each scoring four points apiece to pace the Wildcats during the quarter. Lee finished the afternoon a rebound shy of a double-double, as she carded 17 points, nine rebounds and two blocks.

The Wildcats would outscore the Ichabods, 15-5, to build a 34-15 lead at the half.

The Wildcats improved its lead to 22, 47-25, at the end of the third quarter. Lee scored a pair of field goals, while sophomore Rebekah Dallinger added her only 3-pointer of the afternoon during the third stanza.

K-State closed the game on a high-note, outscoring Washburn, 21-14, in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats would build their largest lead of the day, 32, as Jada Moore scored K-State’s final six points of the game on drives to the rim.

As a team, K-State shot 40.9 percent (27-of-66) from the field including a 31.3 percent (5-of-16) effort from beyond the arc. Washburn ended the day at 26.4 percent (14-of-53) from the floor including a 13.3 percent (2-of-15) from 3-point range. K-State ended the game with a 48-33 advantage on the glass and blocked six shots while pocketing 11 steals.

K-State will end its exhibition slate on Friday as the Wildcats host Pittsburg State at 6:30 p.m. To purchase tickets, visit <a href="http://kstatesports.com/tickets">kstatesports.com/tickets</a> or call (800) 221-CATS.

Friday’s game will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and will be available on the K-State Sports Network and for free at <a href="http://kstatesports.com">kstatesports.com</a> and on the K-State Sports app.

– <a href="http://kstatesports.com">kstatesports.com</a> –

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635725823637.jpeg" alt="Image courtesy&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/">kstatesports.com</a>" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/">kstatesports.com</a></figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN –&nbsp;K-State women’s basketball used a stifling defensive effort in the second quarter to build a healthy margin and open its exhibition schedule with a 68-39 win over Washburn on&nbsp; Bramlage Coliseum on Sunday afternoon.“I was pleased with the energy of our team and I was pleased with the intentions of our team,” said K-State head coach Jeff Mittie about Sunday’s exhibition. “I was pleased, while we weren’t shooting the ball very well for most of the game, I thought our defense and the talk was really good and the things we have talked about not being tied to playing great, you know you need to be consistent. I thought our team really grew in that area, I think that's been something that people can make too much out of one game, one situation that's something I have seen consistently over 31 days, 30 practices and 1 game. This team I have seen if I have corrected them said, 'hey we're not where we need to be, we're drifting off,' they have come back very quickly, so I like that about this group.”K-State held a nine-point lead after the first quarter, 19-10, as junior center Ayoka Lee tallied seven points and all 10 active Wildcats saw the floor.Washburn closed the gap to six, 19-13, on a 3-pointer to open the second quarter. This would be Washburn’s first of only two made field goals in the quarter, as K-State held the Ichabods to a 15.4 percent (2-of-13) effort from the field in the second 10 minutes.Following the Washburn 3-pointer, K-State used a 15-2 run over the remainder of the half with freshman Serena Sundell and Lee each scoring four points apiece to pace the Wildcats during the quarter. Lee finished the afternoon a rebound shy of a double-double, as she carded 17 points, nine rebounds and two blocks.The Wildcats would outscore the Ichabods, 15-5, to build a 34-15 lead at the half.The Wildcats improved its lead to 22, 47-25, at the end of the third quarter. Lee scored a pair of field goals, while sophomore Rebekah Dallinger added her only 3-pointer of the afternoon during the third stanza.K-State closed the game on a high-note, outscoring Washburn, 21-14, in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats would build their largest lead of the day, 32, as Jada Moore scored K-State’s final six points of the game on drives to the rim.As a team, K-State shot 40.9 percent (27-of-66) from the field including a 31.3 percent (5-of-16) effort from beyond the arc. Washburn ended the day at 26.4 percent (14-of-53) from the floor including a 13.3 percent (2-of-15) from 3-point range. K-State ended the game with a 48-33 advantage on the glass and blocked six shots while pocketing 11 steals.K-State will end its exhibition slate on Friday as the Wildcats host Pittsburg State at 6:30 p.m. To purchase tickets, visit <a href="http://kstatesports.com/tickets">kstatesports.com/tickets</a> or call (800) 221-CATS.Friday’s game will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and will be available on the K-State Sports Network and for free at <a href="http://kstatesports.com">kstatesports.com</a> and on the K-State Sports app.– <a href="http://kstatesports.com">kstatesports.com</a> –

K-State women ease past Washburn in exhibition opener

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer

MANHATTAN (AP) — Kansas State's Felix Anudike-Uzomah matched the Football Bowl Subdivision record with six sacks and forced two fumbles against TCU on Saturday, leading the Wildcats to a 31-12 victory over the floundering Horned Frogs.

Anudike-Uzomah, whose safety last week against Texas Tech jumpstarted the Wildcats' comeback win, broke the school record of four sacks set by Chris Johnson against Missouri in 2000. Three other players in the NCAA's highest division also have had six, including longtime NFL star Elvis Dumervil with Louisville.

Skylar Thompson threw for 242 yards and a touchdown while also running for a score, and Deuce Vaughn added 109 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, as the Wildcats (5-3, 2-3 Big 12) beat TCU (3-5, 1-4) for the third straight time.

The Horned Frogs' Max Duggan was just 9 of 13 for 73 yards before getting benched in the third quarter. Kendre Miller ran for 102 yards on 14 carries, but most of his total came on a 61-yard scamper early in the game.

Tempers flared midway through the third quarter when the Horned Frogs' Josh Foster delivered a big hit on Thompson as he stepped out of bounds. Players from both teams joined the melee as TCU coaches tried in vain to intervene; two of their players and one from Kansas State were ejected for throwing punches.

The Horned Frogs' frustration probably stemmed from the fact that they actually drove inside the Kansas State 5 on three occasions — two times in the first half and one in the second — and came away with a total of three points.

The first drive reached the Kansas State 3 before Duggan threw a pass that went for a 4-yard loss and TCU had to kick a field goal. The second made the Kansas State 2 but, after three runs gained a single yard, it ended when Duggan threw his fourth-down pass out of the back of the end zone for an incompletion.

The silver lining for the Horned Frogs? They stuffed Vaughn on the next play for a safety.

Otherwise, the first half belonged to the Wildcats, who never punted in five possessions — though Thompson did throw a pick and a safety ended another. The other three ended with Thompson's TD run and Vaughn's two scores.

Vaughn's second came after the Wildcats marched 88 yards in the closing minutes of the first half. The big play was a 37-yard pass to Phillip Brooks that was initially ruled a touchdown, but officials spotted the ball just outside the goal line after a review. The change merely gave Vaughn a chance to somersault over the pile for a highlight-reel score.

The Horned Frogs, who benched Duggan for freshman Chandler Morris, marched deep into Kansas State territory again early in the second half. But an end-around pass on third down was incomplete and Anudike-Uzomah's fourth-down strip-sack of Morris was recovered by the Wildcats' Daniel Green in the end zone for a touchback.

Thompson hit Daniel Imatorbhebhe with a 73-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter to put the game away.

The Horned Frogs played without leading rusher Zach Evans, who sustained a turf toe injury Oct. 9 against Texas Tech. He missed TCU's game against Oklahoma before running for 62 yards in last week's loss to West Virginia, but showed up in Manhattan in a walking boot and watched from the sideline.

TCU was simply dominated at the line of scrimmage. Anudike-Uzomah wrecked the Horned Frogs' passing attack with his ability to get to the quarterback, and Kansas State routinely stuffed their running game at the line of scrimmage. 

Kansas State held the Red Raiders to 103 yards while keeping them out of the end zone in the second half last week, a sign their defense had stepped up. It took a giant lead with a dominant performance against the Horned Frogs.

TCU plays No. 16 Baylor next Saturday in its second home game in more than a month.

Kansas State heads down Interstate 70 next Saturday to face rival Kansas.

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterMANHATTAN (AP) — Kansas State's Felix Anudike-Uzomah matched the Football Bowl Subdivision record with six sacks and forced two fumbles against TCU on Saturday, leading the Wildcats to a 31-12 victory over the floundering Horned Frogs.Anudike-Uzomah, whose safety last week against Texas Tech jumpstarted the Wildcats' comeback win, broke the school record of four sacks set by Chris Johnson against Missouri in 2000. Three other players in the NCAA's highest division also have had six, including longtime NFL star Elvis Dumervil with Louisville.Skylar Thompson threw for 242 yards and a touchdown while also running for a score, and Deuce Vaughn added 109 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, as the Wildcats (5-3, 2-3 Big 12) beat TCU (3-5, 1-4) for the third straight time.The Horned Frogs' Max Duggan was just 9 of 13 for 73 yards before getting benched in the third quarter. Kendre Miller ran for 102 yards on 14 carries, but most of his total came on a 61-yard scamper early in the game.Tempers flared midway through the third quarter when the Horned Frogs' Josh Foster delivered a big hit on Thompson as he stepped out of bounds. Players from both teams joined the melee as TCU coaches tried in vain to intervene; two of their players and one from Kansas State were ejected for throwing punches.The Horned Frogs' frustration probably stemmed from the fact that they actually drove inside the Kansas State 5 on three occasions — two times in the first half and one in the second — and came away with a total of three points.The first drive reached the Kansas State 3 before Duggan threw a pass that went for a 4-yard loss and TCU had to kick a field goal. The second made the Kansas State 2 but, after three runs gained a single yard, it ended when Duggan threw his fourth-down pass out of the back of the end zone for an incompletion.The silver lining for the Horned Frogs? They stuffed Vaughn on the next play for a safety.Otherwise, the first half belonged to the Wildcats, who never punted in five possessions — though Thompson did throw a pick and a safety ended another. The other three ended with Thompson's TD run and Vaughn's two scores.Vaughn's second came after the Wildcats marched 88 yards in the closing minutes of the first half. The big play was a 37-yard pass to Phillip Brooks that was initially ruled a touchdown, but officials spotted the ball just outside the goal line after a review. The change merely gave Vaughn a chance to somersault over the pile for a highlight-reel score.The Horned Frogs, who benched Duggan for freshman Chandler Morris, marched deep into Kansas State territory again early in the second half. But an end-around pass on third down was incomplete and Anudike-Uzomah's fourth-down strip-sack of Morris was recovered by the Wildcats' Daniel Green in the end zone for a touchback.Thompson hit Daniel Imatorbhebhe with a 73-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter to put the game away.SIDELINED STARThe Horned Frogs played without leading rusher Zach Evans, who sustained a turf toe injury Oct. 9 against Texas Tech. He missed TCU's game against Oklahoma before running for 62 yards in last week's loss to West Virginia, but showed up in Manhattan in a walking boot and watched from the sideline.THE TAKEAWAYTCU was simply dominated at the line of scrimmage. Anudike-Uzomah wrecked the Horned Frogs' passing attack with his ability to get to the quarterback, and Kansas State routinely stuffed their running game at the line of scrimmage. Kansas State held the Red Raiders to 103 yards while keeping them out of the end zone in the second half last week, a sign their defense had stepped up. It took a giant lead with a dominant performance against the Horned Frogs.UP NEXTTCU plays No. 16 Baylor next Saturday in its second home game in more than a month.Kansas State heads down Interstate 70 next Saturday to face rival Kansas.

Anudike-Uzomah's 6 sacks lead K-State past TCU, 31-12

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State offensive coordinator&nbsp;Courtney Messingham&nbsp;and defensive coordinator&nbsp;Joe Klanderman&nbsp;met with members of the media on Thursday at the Vanier Family Football Complex, as the Wildcats are in their final preparations before hosting TCU. Links to video of both press conferences are above, and a complete transcript is below.

COURTNEY MESSINGHAM, OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

On if K-State stays with the passing game due to its recent efficiency...

“To a certain extent because we've talked about as a program, the more explosive plays you can get, the better opportunity you have. That being said, I still think we got to have good balance, but he is throwing it extremely well. He's been, two and three games now, getting more and more accurate, getting more and more comfortable, especially with his lower body. That obviously helps him throw it.”

On Texas Tech changing things against K-State to stop the run…

“They did more of a better job saying, ‘We're not going to allow Deuce (Vaughn) and Joe Ervin and some of those guys just hit some inside zone.’ So, I did feel like they were slanting an angling and a little bit more and in some run pressures. When that happens, obviously, we got to take advantage of throwing football, because not all Skylar’s (Thompson) balls were down the field. A lot of them were shorter to intermediate stuff that then people were able to get something more out of.”

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State offensive coordinator&nbsp;Courtney Messingham&nbsp;and defensive coordinator&nbsp;Joe Klanderman&nbsp;met with members of the media on Thursday at the Vanier Family Football Complex, as the Wildcats are in their final preparations before hosting TCU. Links to video of both press conferences are above, and a complete transcript is below.COURTNEY MESSINGHAM, OFFENSIVE COORDINATOROn if K-State stays with the passing game due to its recent efficiency...“To a certain extent because we've talked about as a program, the more explosive plays you can get, the better opportunity you have. That being said, I still think we got to have good balance, but he is throwing it extremely well. He's been, two and three games now, getting more and more accurate, getting more and more comfortable, especially with his lower body. That obviously helps him throw it.”On Texas Tech changing things against K-State to stop the run…“They did more of a better job saying, ‘We're not going to allow Deuce (Vaughn) and Joe Ervin and some of those guys just hit some inside zone.’ So, I did feel like they were slanting an angling and a little bit more and in some run pressures. When that happens, obviously, we got to take advantage of throwing football, because not all Skylar’s (Thompson) balls were down the field. A lot of them were shorter to intermediate stuff that then people were able to get something more out of.”On what West Virginia did last week against TCU’s defense...“Well, they did a couple things. They have some extremely explosive receivers that, a couple times, they just dumped a little hitch screen out there to them and a guy went and took it down to the one-yard line. The other thing they did, they got a little bit of quarterback run. Had a huge play coming out at like the minus seven or so and ran a power-read type play and the quarterback slid out the backdoor for about 60 (yards). They did a good job of mixing it up. Their quarterback, I thought, played well, but they ran the ball well. They got good running back – a couple of them, really – but No. 4, No. 24, are both really good running backs. They've got a lot of different weapons that we've got to try to do the same thing, meaning use your tight ends, use your wide outs, use your tailbacks because they used all three of them. Then, their quarterback used his feet a little bit. It was actually not what I consider their starter that the big run, but their backup.”On eliminating turnovers...“We keep talking about the fundamentals over and over again. Like I said before, I'm not going to harp on turnovers as much as every Monday when we get together as an offensive unit, we talk about, ‘Guys, we have to take care of the ball if we’re going to play complimentary football.’ No, unfortunately, we haven't yet, and we need to. As we keep going and we want to keep winning football games, we've got to win the explosives and we got to win the turnover battle.”JOE KLANDERMAN, DEFENSIVE COORDINATOROn TCU’s running backs...“​​The real deal, skill wise. These guys are as good as anybody in the league. I know I say that a lot. Maybe I get caught up in it. But you're not going to find a better tandem. Those guys are sensational. They've got people they can throw to on the outside, a bunch of them, and they’ve got a quarterback that can make things happen and orchestrate things. So, it’s going to be a challenge.”On what changed for the defense in the second half…“Nothing, we just executed better. We gave up a few bonehead things, I would say, in the first half. If you look at some of those things that happened on the first series, it wasn't anything that anybody was doing. We just weren't finishing the plays. We had five guys around that first one that scored and lost our leverage out there. That can't happen when you're playing good defense. In the second half, we just didn't make those technique errors. We didn't do anything drastically different schematically. There was no big Rocky Balboa speech. It was just the guys just started to do what they do, what they can do.”On if he knew how special Felix Anudike-Uzomah’s safety was right away or on film…“No, I realized how good of a play that was. That's something that we've been trying to get out of him a little bit is just knowing when you can take your shots. I think sometimes he plays it a little bit too conservatively for how good of a playmaker he is. That's just being a young guy and trying to be right all the time. That was one of the messages, it's one thing to be right and hope everybody else is right. It's another thing to take matters in your own hands once in a while and take shots, make plays and play fast. That was kind of the message last week. When we started to roll a little bit, that's what guys were doing.”On TCU quarterback Max Duggan…“He used to be just a really good athlete that played quarterback. Now, I think he’s a complete quarterback that has command of his offense. I’ve seen him throw field-side outs. I don’t recall that being in his arsenal in the past. I don’t see him making bad reads or mistakes with the football that he may have done in the past few years. I see, when things break down, it used to just be, option A, I’m taking off running. Now I see him continuing to keep his eyes down the field. He’s gotten better every time we face him, unfortunately.”On the big-play capability of the TCU offense…“Extremely. As I mentioned, I don't know if there's another team that has as many threats at every position as they do. Those tailbacks, even if you get hats to the deal, getting them to the ground is an issue and same thing with the receivers. You might have a hitch that gets caught in front of you. That should be a routine play, it's not going to be just that easy. We're still going to have to get those guys on the ground and run through our leverage.”