Kansas vs Kansas State on 11-18-2023

The Kansas vs Kansas State on 11-18-2023 could be the most anticipated match-up of the Sunflower Showdown. The #21 Kansas State Wildcats travel to Lawrence. There, they take on the #25 Kansas Jayhawks. This is the first time both teams rank since 1995. That is after Kansas squeaked by for the last College Football Playoff rankings spot. Kansas leads the all-time series 64-51-5. But the Wildcats have fought back, winning the previous 14 matchups. Kansas State’s dominance has run for over a decade. Still, the Wildcats are in a similar position as their cross-town rival, with both teams having a record of 7-3.

Kansas vs Kansas State on 11-18-2023 Highlights

• Learn about both teams’ unorthodox coaching hires.
• See how they both rebuilt.
• Find out about the key players and matchups.

Kansas Coach Carousel

Before 2021, there was little hope for the Kansas Football program. To give perspective, I will take you back to December 2009. Former head coach Mark Mangino resigned after seven years with the program. Look at before his resignation in 2021. The Jayhawks have hired five head coaches, with only one lasting more than two seasons. They have different backgrounds. Still, none of their coaches produced over three wins in the last 11 seasons. After firing another retread head coach, it was time for a change. Kansas needed a winner who was innovative and had a unique approach.

Struck Gold with Leipold

On April 21, 2021, Kansas hired Lance Leipold. It is okay if you have never heard of Leipold before last season. Most had not. He played for his alma mater, Wisconsin Whitewater, a Division III school. Soon after that ended, he jumped into coaching after his playing career ended at his. His experience grew with 20 years of positional coaching in the Midwest. With that, he was able to reconnect with Wisconsin Whitewater, this time as a head coach.

Six national championships later, Leipold took the Buffalo job in 2015. The first couple of seasons saw a slow start. After that, he led Buffalo to several division titles, bowl wins, a ten-win season, and a top-25 finish. This was enough to catch Kansas’ attention.

In the 2021 season opener

Leipold provided what Kansas fans had been looking for: hope. He beat South Dakota for the first win in 22 months. After the win, expected growing pains included eight straight losses. Near the end of the season, the game against Texas showed signs of life. They beat the Longhorns for only the second time and their first time on the road. This broke a streak of 18 straight Big 12, 20 FBS, and 56 road losses. Kansas kept that momentum. The following two seasons, Kansas:

• Started off 4-0.
• Hosted College Football Gameday last year.
• All that amid two straight bowl berths.

What Next After Bill Snyder

For Kansas State, there had been a lot less turnover in place. Before 2019, the Wildcats had three coaching changes since 1989. Of the three, two coaching stints involved Bill Synder. He could not seem to stay away from the program after a two-year absence. He was the Jim Boheim of College Football. After Snyder’s final announced retirement, Kansas State needed a new head coach. Kansas State was a program with high expectations, which meant they needed a champion.

Chris Klieman to the Rescue

In 2019, KSU hired Chris Klieman. He was fresh off four FCS championships in five years with North Dakota State. His only postseason loss came in the semifinals.

Klieman also turned North Dakota State into one of the best FCS NFL pipelines. He helped develop both Carson Wentz and Easton Stick in route to being NFL quarterbacks. He found Christian Watson, who later became a second-round receiver for the Green Bay Packers.

Klieman’s Cats

Unlike Leipold, Kleiman’s tenure as head coach showed results. He won eight games in his first season. He brought back life into the program after they only won five the previous year. For the next two seasons, Kleiman struggled to surpass his opening total of eight wins. 2022 was different. He led Kansas State to a 10-4 season that ended in the Sugar Bowl. Coaches from FCS and one from Division III were unknown a few years ago. They are now two of the most sought-after coaches in one of the busiest coaching cycles in recent memory.

Kansas vs Kansas State on 11-18-2023 Play Styles/Matchups

This should be a high-scoring matchup. Whoever wins will have to piece together which combination works at quarterback.

Quarterback Options

Let’s go back into the 2022 season. One of the most significant changes came from the quarterback room. It was not adding Adrian Martinez to the transfer portal. Kleiman promoted Collin Klein to offensive coordinator. Before that, Klein was quarterback coach and former 2012 Heisman finalist. Klein inherited a talented QB room led by a dual threat in Martinez and a pocket passer in Will Howard.

Most play-callers choose between preferred criteria. Examples include:

• Most Talented
• Most explosive
• Strongest Arm
• Most experience
• Etc.

Look At Martinez

Most of those point to Martinez. He is an experienced Nebraska transfer who played a similar style to his play-caller. What happens if there is not a clear-cut starter? Teams go into the season and usually make a decision within the first couple of games. The saying goes, if you have two quarterbacks, you have none. Klein was not like most play-callers. He experimented with playing both throughout the season. Martinez started the season. But it was clear after injuries and flashes of Howard that the latter was the future at the position. Howard finished the season with a Big 12 win over TCU. At that point, undefeated TCU went to the College Football Championship.

Kansas vs Kansas State on 11-18-2023
HoJo Howard or Johnson Plan

This season sees Martinez gone. Many expected Howard to remain the starter. Instead, Kansas State continued to experiment with the two-quarterback system. They subbed Howard out for a dual-threat option in freshmen Avery Johnson. While Johnson’s snaps have gone down recently, he was able to throw a touchdown last week. Look for the quarterback duo to get the ball to running backs DJ Giddens and Treshaun Ward. Also, look for wide receiver Phillip Brooks and Swiss army knife Ben Sinnot to be a factor.

Kansas Backfield

Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnick’s game plan didn’t include Kansas playing several quarterbacks. They were those expecting Jalon Daniels to be the starter. That is after his breakout performance last season. Due to his injury, the team relied on a different quarterback. That was Jason Bean. To his part, Bean has played well, but he is now questionable after an injury in the loss to Texas Tech. Cole Ballard, a freshman walk-on, finished the game, which explains their lack of depth. Despite the issues, never count out Kotelnick and his play-calling. It relies on athleticism and trickery. For Kansas, look for the following to be playmakers on the offense:

• Devin Neal
• Lawerence Arnold
• Quienten Skinner
• Mason Fairchild
• Luke Grim

Kansas vs Kansas State on 11-18-2023 – Who Will Win?

Who will win this year’s Sunflower Showdown? Find out with University Foot-ball.

Authored by Tarohn Finley