Kansas State 35-24 Kansas (Oct 17, 2026) Final Score

Team pages: Kansas · Kansas State

Kansas2-424

Kansas State4-235Final

Sat, Oct 17 · Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan, Kan. · Crowd 51,961

Kansas State beat Kansas 35-24.

We had Kansas State favored. It won.

Next: Kansas vs Baylor, Sat Oct 24 · 1:00 PM ET · Kansas underdog by 3

Next: Kansas State at Arizona State, Sat Oct 24 · 3:45 PM ET · Kansas State favored by 3.5

Top comment in the game thread

first interception for KSU this season!

Q4 10:02 · r/CFB game thread · Sat, Oct 17

How it swung

The turning point: Marshall 12-yd TD pass to McMillan, Kansas goes ahead 14-7 (Q1, 4:21). Kansas State went from 61% to 38% to win. Fans right then: “That’s a weak call” r/CFB game thread

Before kickoff, our ratings gave Kansas State a 59% chance, and the closing betting line (Kansas State was a 3-point favorite) put it at 60%.

Kansas State came back from 10 down, at one point just a 22% chance in the first quarter.

Kansas led by 10, was as high as 78% in the first quarter, and still lost.

Kickoff return TD

Kansas · Q1 13:0417 unanswered

Kansas · Q1 4:21Safety

Kansas State · Q2 1:39

FinalKansas State 35-24 KansasKansas State wonMove across the chart, or tap a numbered swing, to see any play.

The two plays that swung it

1Q1 4:21Marshall 12-yd TD pass to McMillan, Kansas goes ahead 14-7Kansas State 61% → 38% (−23)
2Q3 6:32Jackson 8-yd TD run, Kansas State goes ahead 25-24Kansas State 45% → 65% (+20)

The two plays that swung it

1Q1 4:21Marshall 12-yd TD pass to McMillan, Kansas goes ahead 14-7Kansas 39% → 62% (+23)
2Q3 6:32Jackson 8-yd TD run, Kansas State goes ahead 25-24Kansas 55% → 35% (−20)

What fans said, play by play

The line in bold above each quote is written by our model from the thread’s comments and the play-by-play.

Q1 3:20Kansas fans celebrate Marshall's nullified touchdown as officials rule a holding penaltyWeak ass callr/CFB game threadThat’s a weak callr/CFB game thread
Q2 1:43Kansas punter Gill fumbles for a safety, cutting the lead to 17-15Damn I think I understand what Kansas fans have been trying to tell me all last week.r/CFB game threadGill has to be the worst punter in CFB.r/CFB game thread
Q4 10:02Marshall's pass intercepted by Bartley as Kansas State fans celebrate the turnoverQuoted at the top of the page.

Kansas State’s chance to win after every play.

How to read this chart

Starts from the pregame line (Kansas State -3), at 67% for Kansas State (the play-by-play feed's kickoff number, moved to match the line; our model's and the betting line's own numbers are in “The betting line, and the fans”). Dots are the biggest swings; ticks under the chart are scores. Outlined diamonds mark rare plays. Under the scores, r/CFB comments per minute from fans with a Kansas State or Kansas flair (456 and 368); both sides share one scale, regulation only. A gold diamond marks a play fans were reacting to.

Watch the plays

The bar and the arrow show Kansas State’s chance to win after each play; the logo is the team the play helped.

Every drive

Kansas State scored on 8 of its 13 drives; Kansas on 3 of its 11.

Kansas State’s drives are teal, Kansas’s amber. A line runs from where a drive started to where it ended; a filled dot means it scored.

From Kansas’s side

Kansas’s best moment: Marshall 12-yd TD pass to McMillan, Kansas goes ahead 14-7 (Q1 4:21). It lifted Kansas’s win chance by 23 points.

How Kansas fans took it: “I hate those purple bastards” r/CFB game thread

“Gonna enjoy this lead while it lasts”

A Kansas fan

How fans reacted

Quiet

The jump was quiet; the crowd was steady.

Box score

Kansas State 35, Kansas 24

Kansas State covered −3 by 8. The total, 59, went over 55.5.

Team totals	Kansas	Kansas State
Total yards	319	568
Passing	12 of 26, 151 yds	14 of 24, 209 yds
Rushing	34 for 168 yds	51 for 359 yds
First downs	18	25
Third down	3 of 11	6 of 13
Fourth down	1 of 3	0 of 2
Turnovers	1	1
Penalties	7 for 66 yds	5 for 55 yds
Time of possession	23:47	36:13

Kansas leaders

Passing Isaiah Marshall 12 of 26, 151 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing Isaiah Marshall 14 for 117 yds; Dylan Edwards 16 for 57 yds, 1 TD
Receiving Nik McMillan 5 for 55 yds, 1 TD; Leyton Cure 2 for 44 yds

Kansas State leaders

Passing Avery Johnson 14 of 24, 209 yds, 1 TD
Rushing Joe Jackson 27 for 159 yds, 1 TD; Avery Johnson 12 for 132 yds
Receiving Derrick Salley Jr. 2 for 70 yds; Jaron Tibbs 5 for 67 yds, 1 TD

No rain and calm

50° at kickoff · no rain recorded · wind 9 mph from the southwest, mostly at an angle to the field, gusts to 20

The usual here around this date is 62°, with about 7 in 10 games between 49° and 72°.

October game-day temperatures at Bill Snyder Family Stadium

Drag along the chart, or step through the game.

First quarter, 4:21 left11:33 a.m.

Kansas 14, Kansas State 7 · Kansas State 38% to win

no rain · wind 8 mph from the southwest, gusts to 18 · 53°

Marshall 12-yd TD pass to McMillan, Kansas goes ahead 14-7

Measured at Manhattan airport, 6.4 miles away. Wind and rain are airport readings near the stadium, not on the field. Game times come from the play-by-play, good to a minute or two. Source: National Weather Service, through the Iowa Environmental Mesonet. Field direction from OpenStreetMap contributors.

Before kickoff

Recent games, the series and the betting line below are as they stood going in; the season profile is the season so far.

This is Sunflower Showdown — see the full head-to-head history →

Recent games

Last three games

Kansas · 2-3

Rated 87th in our preseason ratings, 53rd now, up 34 spots.

1-2 in its last three — but nothing on this résumé beats a top-40 team yet.

L 24-41 @ UtahTop 25 #16 of 668

lost by 17 as a 15.5-point underdog

W 55-0 vs Middle Tennessee #151 of 668

won by 55 as a 21.5-point favorite

L 17-24 vs Arizona State #52 of 668

lost by 7 as a 5.5-point underdog

L 21-38 vs MissouriTop 25 #39 of 668

lost by 17 as a 4-point underdog

W 51-6 vs Long Island University #164 of 668

won by 45 as a 44.5-point favorite

Last three games

Kansas State · 3-2

Rated 32nd in our preseason ratings, 42nd now.

1-2 in its last three — but nothing on this résumé beats a top-40 team yet.

L 16-35 vs HoustonTop 25 #11 of 668

lost by 19 as a 2.5-point favorite

L 26-31 @ Cincinnati #95 of 668

lost by 5 as a 6-point favorite

W 31-20 vs Tulane #74 of 668

won by 11 as a 20.5-point favorite

W 34-7 vs Washington State #42 of 668

won by 27 as a 17.5-point favorite

W 71-3 vs Nicholls #158 of 668

won by 68 as a 41.5-point favorite

Week by week

Kansas State

Wk 1Wvs Nicholls71-3
Wk 2Wvs Washington State34-7
Wk 3Wvs Tulane31-20
Wk 4Lat Cincinnati26-31
Wk 6Lvs Houston16-35

Kansas

Wk 1Wvs Long Island University51-6
Wk 2Lvs Missouri21-38
Wk 3Lvs Arizona State17-24
Wk 5Wvs Middle Tennessee55-0
Wk 6Lat Utah24-41

Power rating by week

Kansas State is rated 1.8 points ahead as of week 6. Our power rating by week; higher is better.

Matchups

Biggest mismatch: Kansas’s explosive plays against Kansas State, 90 points

Each row ranks the two sides among all teams. The longer the line, the bigger the mismatch.

Kansas’s explosive plays against Kansas State’s defense
Kansas offense, 95th percentile · Kansas State defense, 5th
Kansas’s rushing EPA against Kansas State’s defense
Kansas offense, 68th percentile · Kansas State defense, 21st
Kansas’s success rate against Kansas State’s defense
Kansas offense, 62nd percentile · Kansas State defense, 88th

Season profile, all the rows

Season profile

KansasKansas State

EPA/play, offense

EPA/play, defense

Success rate, offense

Success rate, defense

Explosive-play rate, offense

Explosive-play rate, defense

Rush EPA, offense

Rush EPA, defense

Pass EPA, offense

Pass EPA, defense

The series

Kansas leads the series 65-53-5

123 meetings since 1902 · Kansas State has won the last 17

2025Kansas State 42-17
2024Kansas State 29-27
2023Kansas State 31-27
2022Kansas State 47-27
2021Kansas State 35-10

Each line is Kansas State’s chance to win through that meeting. Kansas State is 4-0 in the meetings since 2018 that were still close in the fourth quarter.

Line, fans and home field

The betting line, and the fans

Kansas State fans are feeling it more than most fanbases this week (74th among FBS fanbases), in line with the numbers.

Kansas State favored by 3 · Total 55.5

How games like this usually go

Kansas State by 3, and it went to form

Half of games8 in 10 gamesThis game

The band is where a favorite’s chance ran in the 252 games since 2025 with a favorite of under 3.5 points.

The market

The spread moved 4.5 points toward Kansas.

The total rose 1 point.

The books’ cut: 4.3%, the margin built into the odds

Home field

Kansas State is worth +5.3 points (±3.7) more at home than on the road since 2018 — top third of FBS, 72nd percentile.

65% at home, 44% on the road against FBS opponents (32-17 home, 18-23 away).

Our model gives every stadium the same flat 2.3-point home edge (why); the books use about 3. Against the closing line this stadium reads +3.2 at home vs. away over 98 games — inside the ±6.5 noise, so the flat number is the honest one here.

The visitors travel about 74 miles to get here.

Last meeting in our History pages

Kansas State 42, Kansas 17Oct 25, 2025

Our History pages cover 9 of their meetings since 2015.

Where next

Conference standings

Place in the conference, then conference record.

Kansas State15th0-2
Kansas13th0-2

Full Big 12 standings

Kansas State beats Kansas 35-24