LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The last two coaches to face Kansas State have been let go almost immediately after they lost.
That’s probably not what Kansas coach Lance Leipold wants to hear.
In reality, Leipold is in his first year of arguably the biggest rebuild in college football, so his job with the Jayhawks is pretty safe regardless of what happens when they face the Wildcats in the Sunflower Showdown on Saturday.
But getting a win? Well, that would endear Leipold to a weary fanbase more than any of the four coaches before him.
“Hopefully there’s a lot of things that go into extra motivation and energy and enthusiasm about the opportunity,” Leipold said, “but as we continue to build our program, we want to make sure that we’re staying focused on the things that we need to, and that’s our daily preparation. There’s a lot that can be gained for a program like ours as we work to build this by playing well on Saturday.”
While it hardly carries the luster of the Iron Bowl or other big-time rivalries, the Kansas State-Kansas game is one of the longest running in college football. It started in 1902 and will be played for the 119th time on Saturday.
And given the state has only the two Division I football programs, and the only pro team — the Kansas City Chiefs — is just over the state line in Missouri, the game carries a lot of heft for those that call Kansas home.
“One of my favorite games at Kansas State was in 2019 when we played there. It’s a fun atmosphere, especially when the majority of the crowd was purple,” said Wildcats quarterback Skylar Thompson, who grew up in suburban Kansas City.
