(Ames, IA) — It is one of the most underrated rivalries in college football — two agricultural heavy universities Iowa St and Kansas St. will face one other with a possible trip to the Big 12 Championship game on the line, coverage on KSOM.
With a win, the Cyclones can pretty much clinch a spot in the Big 12 title game. Arizona St. has their fate in their own hands as well as they battle arch-rival Arizona. A loss by one or both, will push Colorado in after their win over Oklahoma St. on Friday. BYU is part of a current 4 way tie for first place in the conference. The Wildcats are currently part of a logjam of teams that is 1 game back.
This rivalry has been played every year since 1917 making it the longest never interrupted series in FBS — the longest in college football overall is Lehigh and Lafayette, two FCS schools. The series is now in jeopardy because of the realignment in college football — in the expanded Big 12 and its scheduling rules, the game is not currently going to be played in 2027. Iowa St. leads the all-time series 53-50-4. The Wildcats had won 10 straight from 2008 to 2017 but Iowa St. has won 4 of their last 6 meetings. The visitor has won the last three games.
History is on the line for Iowa St. — the program has never won more than 9 games in a single season. A win over the Wildcats would be #10. The weather will be cold — the temperature at kickoff is expected to be 23 degrees. The two teams did play in a snowstorm a year ago in Manhattan — Abu Sama ran for 276 yards in a 42-35 Cyclone win.
For K-State, Sophomore QB Avery Johnson has thrown for 2,297 yards, 19 TD and 9 INT. Junior RB D.J. Giddens has been the Wildcats biggest offensive threat with 1,271 rushing yards which is 10th in the country. The Cyclones defense have struggled at times against the run — they have allowed 176 rushing yards a game which ranks around 90th in the country.
For the Cyclones, Rocco Becht has thrown a TD pass in 15-straight games … he’s just the fifth QB in school history to pass for 6,000 career yards … against Utah, Becht led the Cyclones on his third, fourth quarter game-winning drive … in his career, he’s rallied the Cyclones from a fourth quarter deficit four times. Becht has one of the best wide receiving duos in college football at his disposal in Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel … in eight of 11 games they have combined for at least 10 catches, 175 yards and a score, the most nationally by a set of teammates. Noel needs just 24 yards to surpass 1,000 this season, joining Higgins as the first set of Cyclone teammates to top the mark in the same season … they are one of just two pairs nationally with both players over 900 receiving yards this season (San Jose State).
Kansas St. 8-3 at Iowa St. 9-2, Kickoff 6:30 pm, Cyclones Pre Game at 4:30 on KSOM.
