Lawrence
The streak lives on.
Kansas State defeated rival Kansas 42-17 on Saturday at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium for its 17th straight win in the series.
The Wildcats haven’t lost to the Jayhawks since 2008, and KU football fans have got to be wondering when (and maybe even if) the streak will ever die.
K-State (4-4, 3-2 Big 12) overwhelmed KU (4-4, 2-3 Big 12) in every way. Avery Johnson completed 11 of 17 passes 231 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for two scores. The K-State defense stymied Jalon Daniels and held KU to just 247 total yards. Ralph Ortiz even scored a scoop-and-score touchdown on special teams.
It was a dominant effort from KSU coach Chris Klieman’s team.
Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson celebrates with fans after the Wildcats won their 17th straight game against Kansas at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Travis Heying The Wichita Eagle
Many expected this to be a highly contested Sunflower Showdown rivalry game, just like the last two — when KU pushed K-State to the final whistle. But this was a throwback win for K-State that saw the Wildcats win handily.
K-State will try to build off this result when the Wildcats next play against Texas Tech a week from now at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
Until then, here are takeaways from Saturday’s action:
K-State overcame bad weather to win the Sunflower Showdown
The Wildcats have not been good in bad weather lately.
K-State’s season-opening loss to Iowa State came in the rain. The Wildcats suffered a miserable loss against Houston in a monsoon last season. And who could forget the Farmageddon loss to Iowa State in a blizzard two years ago?
With that in mind, it felt like a bad omen for K-State when heavy rain began to fall just before kickoff Saturday.
And fans really began to worry when Bryce Noernberg lost a fumble on the opening kickoff, which led to a short touchdown run from KU quarterback Jalon Daniels.
But the Wildcats handled the elements well after that disappointing start. Ralph Ortiz took advantage of a fumbled punt from KU in the rain with a scoop-and-score touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder also pounced on a fumble from Daniels for an important turnover.
Ralph Ortiz #20 of the Kansas State Wildcats celebrates after recovering a fumble for a touchdown during the first half against the Kansas Jayhawks at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on October 25, 2025 in Lawrence, Kansas. Jay Biggerstaff Getty Images
Maybe those previous experiences in bad weather served as learning experiences for the Wildcats. They played well in bad weather in this game.
Avery Johnson looked comfortable throwing the ball and the K-State defense capitalized on KU miscues. For once, they looked comfortable in the rain.
The K-State defense was ready for Jalon Daniels
Jalon Daniels entered the weekend with some of the best statistics of any quarterback in the Big 12.
Even when the Jayhawks have lost this season, he has put up impressive numbers.
That was the case until he ran into a K-State defense that was ready to contain him.
The Wildcats made Daniels look human with a combination of unexpected blitzes, strong coverage and a steady pass rush.
Kansas State’s Daniel Cobbs grabs an interception during the third quarter of their game against Kansas at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Travis Heying The Wichita Eagle
He looked spooked on his way to completing 17 of 35 passes for 129 yards. He didn’t throw any touchdowns while turning it over twice, once on an interception and again on a fumble.
Daniels found some success as a rusher, but K-State had him running for his life in the pocket. It seemed like he lost confidence in his deep ball early on. He struggled the most in the second half.
The Wildcats were ready for him. So much so that backup Kansas QB Cole Ballard came in during the fourth quarter to try and finish out the game.
Avery Johnson to Jayce Brown is a dangerous combination
When K-State quarterback Avery Johnson connected with wide receiver Jayce Brown for a 78-yard touchdown late in the third quarter, it felt like this game was over.
Not only did the highlight play give the Wildcats a commanding 35-17 lead, it also demoralized the Jayhawks and their home crowd.
But it was not a new development for Brown or Johnson. They have been connecting for big plays all year.
Even though he wasn’t targeted all that often against KU, Brown still made the most of his opportunities by catching four passes for 160 yards and a touchdown.
Kansas State’s Avery Johnson scores a touchdown in the first quarter of the game against Kansas at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. Travis Heying The Wichita Eagle
He is one of the most dangerous deep threats in the Big 12, and he proved himself once again in a rivalry game against KU.
He helped Johnson have a big game. The junior from Wichita completed 11 of 17 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for two scores.
Johnson looked good on deep balls throughout the game, as he also connected with Jeron Tibbs for a touchdown in the first quarter.
He showed off his touch in a variety of ways against the Jayhawks. Sometimes that can feel easy for him when he has Brown as a receiver.
Desmond Purnell talked the talk. Then he walked the walk
K-State linebacker Desmond Purnell was so confident in his team going into this year’s edition of the Sunflower Showdown that he gave KU players some bulletin-board material before kickoff.
“They are very explosive,” Purnell said of the Jayhawks. “Really good offense, really good players, whole team, defense-wise, special teams-wise. But I feel like we’ve got better guys. I feel like we’re gonna go out there and dominate.”
No one can blame him now for making such a bold comment.
He talked the talk during the week. Then he walked the walk on Saturday.
Purnell had an excellent game for the K-State defense by making a game-high eight tackles, forcing a fumble and breaking up a pass.
K-State has bigger things to play for after this win
A bowl game no longer feels like a long shot for the Wildcats.
After a 1-3 start to the season, K-State is now two wins shy of bowl eligibility. And with Texas Tech next up on the schedule, the Wildcats can even dream a little bit about shaking up the Big 12 championship race.
Ralph Ortiz of the Kansas State Wildcats celebrates during the first half against the Kansas Jayhawks at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on October 25, 2025 in Lawrence, Kansas. Jay Biggerstaff Getty Images
If K-State keeps winning, the Wildcats can remain alive for the conference crown.
At the very least, K-State will be playing meaningful football in October and December. That is a win for this program after the way things looked in September.
This story was originally published October 25, 2025 at 2:15 PM.
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Kellis Robinett
The Wichita Eagle
Kellis Robinett covers Kansas State athletics for The Wichita Eagle and The Kansas City Star. A winner of more than a dozen national writing awards, he lives in Manhattan with his wife and four children.
