It’s been a rough year for football in the state of Kansas. After reaching the Fiesta Bowl last season, the Kansas State Wildcats have taken a serious step back after losing numerous key players to graduation and the NFL. The Jayhawks, on the other hand, are experiencing another rough season and already have most in Lawrence in basketball mode.
Sunflower Showdown 2013: Kansas State vs. Kansas preview, TV time, odds and more
The Governor’s Cup will be up for grabs in Lawrence this weekend as the Jayhawks and Wildcats meet for their annual showdown.
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On Saturday, the two teams will battle for the Governor’s Cup. There won’t be a whole lot on the line other than bragging rights, though the heavily-favored Wildcats could help their bowl game résumé with a convincing win. Can Kansas’ seniors step up and pull a stunner to close out the season?
The numbers
Rankings and records: Kansas leads the all-time series 64-41-5, though Kansas State has won the last four meetings and has dominated the rivalry over the last two decades.
Vegas: The Wildcats come in as 16.5-point favorites.
Weather: It’ll be a chilly day for football in Lawrence with temperatures in the 40s at kickoff.
Three names to know
Jake Waters - It's been an up-and-down season for Kansas State's quarterback, but he's coming off a career day against Oklahoma in which he threw for 348 yards and three touchdowns.
Daniel Sams - Sams is the Wildcats' other quarterback, though he tends to run the football more times than not. He leads KSU with 791 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on 146 carries.
James Sims - KU will give the ball to Sims early and often. He’s rushed for 1,028 yards and seven touchdowns this season, emerging as one of the few offensive bright spots for the team.
Two things at stake
Kansas finally broke through with a conference win two weeks ago, but it’s still been a rough season. A win over the Wildcats would go a long way towards buying Charlie Weis one more year in Lawrence.
Kansas State is already bowl eligible, though a loss would drop them to 6-6 overall and would cloud their postseason picture a bit.
How to witness
TV: 12 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1
Further reading
For more on this game, check out Rock Chalk Talk and Bring On The Cats.
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