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Grading Arizona football’s performance in loss at Kansas State

Published

2 years ago

September 14, 2024

Grading Arizona football’s performance in loss at Kansas State

Arizona suffered its first loss in the Brent Brennan era, falling 31-7 at Kansas State on Friday night. There were glimpses of strong play in every phase, but overall it was not enough to take on a very physical Kansas State team.

Check out how we graded each part of the Wildcats:

Offense: D-

The offense got out to a real strong start, marching 73 yards with Quali Conley finishing it off with a 1-yard touchdown run. It was his fourth on the season, and the drive also featured two third down conversions and a fourth down conversion.

From there the offense would struggle. They would go three and out on their next drive and after marching down the field again, Noah Fifita would throw a costly interception as the Wildcats were just outside of the red-zone.

Arizona would not find the end zone again as their drives went as follows: Punt, punt, punt, turnover on downs, turnover on downs, turnover on downs.

Fifita would finish 26 of 42 for 268 yards going along with the interception. Tetairoa McMillan finished as the leading receiver with 11 catches for 138 yards. Conley finished with 14 carries and 48 yards on the ground.

The offense also had six penalties for 45 yards.

Defense: C-

With a little bit of help from some Kansas State mistakes, the defense did keep Arizona within reach for most of the game. Some issues that still plague the defense are containment and tackling.

QB Avery Johnson ran for 110 yards on 17 carries, which made him the leading rusher for Kansas State. Missing tackles led to a lot of long plays for Kansas State, especially in the third quarter. Technique and being able to wrap up is something that is going to need to be fixed during the bye week.

Marquis Groves-Killebrew led the team in tackles with eight. Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei, Taye Brown, and Owen Goss all recorded sacks tonight.

Overall, the defense allowed 391 total yards and 21 first downs.

Special teams: D+

With Arizona not having Michael Salgado-Medina and Jordan Forbes able to go tonight, kicker Tyler Loop took on the punting duties. He punted four times with a long of 53 yards.

The big mistake given up on special teams was a 71-yard punt return from Dylan Edwards. It was a low kick from Loop, which allowed Edwards to turn the corner and use his speed to run away from the punt coverage.

Coaching: D

Brennan was introduced to Big 12 play tonight, and there is a lot to learn from this game moving forward.

Overall, it seemed like the team was motivated for the matchup and showed a lot of grit in the first half. When the game could’ve gotten away from them early, they stuck it to Kansas State to show that the Wildcats from Tucson were there to compete.

As the game progressed, the team seemed to lose confidence. A lot of frustration showed on the faces on both sides of the ball. However, no one was pointing fingers and they stuck with each other which is credit to the way Brennan has instilled that mindset into his team.

For the defense, there should have been some adjustment made to the quarterback runs and being able to keep containment. Defensive coordinator Duane Akina is going to have to address the issue of wrapping up and finishing tackles.

Many of Kansas State’s plays finished with their players earning extra yards, and falling forward. Kansas State only had three possessions where they did not score, with one being a missed field goal.

Offensive coordinator Dino Babers had the first drive of the game called to near perfection and it looked like Arizona had found its offense after the NAU game. However, as the game went on, the offense would sputter and it would struggle to stay ahead of the chains.

The only thing that seemed to be consistent was the Fifita to McMillan connection. Outside of that, the offense struggled to make plays and find a way to move the ball. It was also a full game of having a healthy offensive line, and it struggled to keep the quarterback protected.

The bye week comes at a good point for the Wildcats. Arizona needs the week to get healthy, figure out the offensive struggles, and find a way to sure up the tackling.

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Kansas

Kansas Basketball Makes the Cut for 5-Star SF Demarcus Henry

Published

16 hours ago

July 8, 2026

Press Room

Kansas Basketball Makes the Cut for 5-Star SF Demarcus Henry

One of the top prospects in the 2027 boys’ high school basketball recruiting class recently trimmed his list of suitors, and the Kansas Jayhawks find themselves firmly in the mix.

KU is one of eight schools to make the cut for 2027 five-star small forward Demarcus Henry, according to On3 National Basketball Reporter Joe Tipton. His list of eight includes some of the best programs in the country: Kansas, Ohio State, Kentucky, North Carolina, BYU, Arkansas, UConn, and Louisville.

The 6-foot-7 Charlotte, North Carolina, native is one of the best players in the 2027 class. He’s currently ranked as the No. 5 player overall and the No. 1 player at his position, according to the most recent On3.com 2027 player rankings.

As a junior this past year at Compass Prep High School in Chandler, Arizona, Henry averaged 15.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game as he helped lead his team to a 25-3 record.

He followed that up with an impressive performance at the NBPA Top 100 camp this summer, leading all attendees in scoring (20.0 points per game) and rebounding (9.3 rebounds per game). He was also a member of the 2026 USA Men’s U18 National Team that earned a silver medal at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup earlier this summer in León, Mexico.

When speaking about his game, Henry mentions his versatility and how he’s developed over the past year.

“I’m just very versatile,” Henry told Rivals in a previous interview. “I can play one through four and just help my teammates and hit shots and play defense. I watch a lot of KD (Kevin Durant) and Paul George. How they score it, and how they could shoot off the dribble, shoot off the catch. I’ve gotten tougher and just more aggressive when I transferred AZ Compass and just being able to get downhill, I feel like that’s really developed for me.”

When asked about what he’s looking for in a potential home at the college level, Henry says he wants to be challenged and grow his game for the NBA.

“What I’m looking for in school is someone that just pushes me to be better,” Henry said. “Help me grow into the person I know I can be and someone who will help me reach my potential. I want to play for a coach that will hold me accountable and help me make me uncomfortable and keep growing and keep getting better and just help me reach the NBA, which is my ultimate goal.”

Early Contenders

Right now the early favorite to land Henry may be the basketball program with the least amount of notoriety of the final eight schools – and that is Ohio State.

Henry has a lot of familial ties to the university as his older brother Chris Henry Jr. is a five-star incoming freshman wide receiver for the Buckeyes football team this year, and his older sister Seini Henry is a talented women’s basketball player at Ohio State.

He’s already taken an unofficial visit to the school and has also taken an unofficial visit to BYU. Thus far, they are the only schools to have received a visit.

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Kansas

Kansas City Royals news: MLB draft still coming into focus

Published

1 day ago

July 8, 2026

Press Room

Kansas City Royals news: MLB draft still coming into focus

The Royals have been linked to shortstop Jacob Lombard out of Gulliver Prep (Fla.) — if he makes it that far — left-hander Gio Rojas out of Stoneman Douglas (Fla.) HS, outfielder Eric Booth Jr. out of Oak Grove (Fla.) HS, UC Santa Barbara right-hander Jackson Flora and Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress, among others. Maybe they shake up the board and go with Huntington Beach (Calif.) HS left-hander/outfielder Jacob Grindlinger, who is just 17 years old after reclassifying for this year’s Draft and has legitimate upside as a two-way player. Grindlinger is No. 16 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 250 Draft prospects list and is rising on boards as Draft day nears.

Prep players usually mean a lot of upside but with more risk, while college players bring a higher floor and more experience — often with a chance to move quickly. Over the full Draft, the Royals are going to value both.

“There’s a good mix of high school and college,” Bridges said. “To tell you the truth, our range is pretty broad. There’s a clear-cut four players, five players in this Draft, and then believe it or not, where we’re picking, you can go a number of different directions. So we have a pretty good balance of what we’re looking at, both high school and college.”

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Kansas Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 winning numbers for July 7, 2026

Published

2 days ago

July 8, 2026

Press Room

The Kansas Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at July 7, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from July 7 drawing

02-31-35-36-63, Mega Ball: 12

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from July 7 drawing

Midday: 4-2-9

Evening: 2-7-9

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning 2 By 2 numbers from July 7 drawing

Red Balls: 07-26, White Balls: 12-18

Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from July 7 drawing

27-43-48-49-50, Bonus: 02

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Kansas Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at select Kansas Lottery offices.

By mail, send a winner claim form and your signed lottery ticket to:

Kansas Lottery Headquarters

128 N Kansas Avenue

Topeka, KS 66603-3638

(785) 296-5700

To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a claim form, and deliver the form along with your signed lottery ticket to Kansas Lottery headquarters. 128 N Kansas Avenue, Topeka, KS 66603-3638, (785) 296-5700. Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Kansas Lottery.

When are the Kansas Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3 Midday/Evening: 1:10 p.m. and 9:10 p.m. CT daily.
2 By 2: 9:30 p.m. CT daily.
Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Super Kansas Cash: 9:10 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Kansas editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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