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Kansas State Football: Rivalry with KU non-existent over last decade

By Leigh Oleszczak

LAWRENCE, KS - OCTOBER 28: Kansas State Wildcats defensive back D.J. Reed (2) and Kansas State Wildcats defensive back Kendall Adams (21) tag team a Jayhawk during the game between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Kansas State Wildcats of Saturday October 28, 2017 at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, KS. (Photo by Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
LAWRENCE, KS - OCTOBER 28: Kansas State Wildcats defensive back D.J. Reed (2) and Kansas State Wildcats defensive back Kendall Adams (21) tag team a Jayhawk during the game between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Kansas State Wildcats of Saturday October 28, 2017 at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, KS. (Photo by Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Kansas State football welcomes in the Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday for this year’s Sunflower Showdown on the gridiron. There really hasn’t been a rivalry between the two over the last decade.

While this season hasn’t been great for Kansas State football, fans should be excited for this weekend’s game because more than likely, it’ll result in a K-State victory. The Wildcats host the Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday, which is nearly always a guaranteed victory.

As of Thursday evening, Kansas State is favored by ten and a half points, according to Odds Shark. KU is coming off a rough week where they not only got blown out, but their coach was fired as a result. It’s worth noting, however, that David Beaty will still be patrolling the sideline for the duration of Kansas’ season.

Going back to the rivalry (or lack thereof), the last time KU beat K-State in football was in 2008, back when Kansas was a respectable program. Since then, however, it’s been all K-State when it comes to the Sunflower Showdown. KU does hold the all-time advantage, but K-State was an awful program prior to Bill Snyder taking over, so that’s not really all that surprising.

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Not only has K-State had the edge in this rivalry over the last decade, but they normally blow out their in-state opponent. Last year’s ten point victory wasn’t a blowout, but the years prior to that saw K-State winning 51-13 (2014), 45-14 (2015), and 34-19 (2016).

This year’s match-up is interesting though, as neither team is very good. Both sit at 3-6 on the year and each have a 1-5 record in Big 12 play with K-State knocking off Oklahoma State and the Jayhawks upsetting TCU a few weeks ago.

Even with the rough year for the Wildcats, they’re the better program when it comes to football. Their coach is better, their players are (for the most part) better, and the fans actually show up to the games. It’s always been known that K-State owns the rivalry in football and Kansas owns the rivalry in basketball. There’s not much middle ground there and fans from both sides will admit that.

Hoops season will be a lot more interesting between these two, as Kansas State is primed for a big year on the court. The way that KU has handled the Wildcats in basketball is exactly how K-State has eliminated any chance of a rivalry between these two in football.

I will say this, however, and that’s if there was going to be a year for the Kansas Jayhawks to end their losing streak against their in-state rivals, it’d be this year. Kansas State is not the same team we’ve seen in years past and they’ve had more than their fair share of problems. Could KU take advantage and knock them off in 2018?

Until the Jayhawks do get a win against Kansas State, this will continue to be a basically non-existent rivalry in football.

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