Kansas

Kansas State football’s culture won out in comeback road victory over Tulane

Published

2 hours ago

September 8, 2024

Kansas State football’s culture won out in comeback road victory over Tulane

Kansas State’s football team lost its share of battles against Tulane, but ultimately it was the Wildcats who won the culture war.

At least that was K-State coach Chris Klieman’s explanation after the Wildcats were outplayed for most of the game Saturday before rallying for an improbable 34-27 victory over the Green Wave at Yulman Stadium in New Orleans.

“Great resolve by our guys,” Klieman said after the Wildcats came back from a 10-point halftime deficit to take the lead and then stopped sealed it with an end zone interception to end the game. “I told the guys at the end of the game, that was a culture win.

“Discipline, toughness, commitment, be selfless, and that’s what that was today. And we beat a good Tulane team, dang good Tulane team on the road. So happy to escape with a win.”

Culture clearly was the word of the day, because through the first half especially, Tulane (1-1) had its way with the Wildcats. The Green Wave made K-State look silly on defense, racking up 291 yards before intermission against a defense that allowed just 134 for the whole game to Tennessee-Martin the week prior.

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“We made some changes. It was really we were just beating ourselves,” said super-senior defensive end and team captain Brendan Mott. “K-State was beating K-State, and if we don’t make those errors and everybody does their job, we’re a really tough team to beat, and that’s something that we were preaching about at halftime.

“And man, we had a bunch of leaders on the whole team — o-line, safeties, d-line, linebacker everywhere. It wasn’t just one guy in that locker room at halftime that was saying something. And that really shows to our culture, and I think we came out in that second half and really made some changes and got after it.”

The defense, which didn’t keep Tulane on its own side of the field once in six first-half possessions, got three straight stops in the third quarter that allowed the Wildcats to come back and tie it at 20-20. It also created the two fourth-quarter turnovers that produced the game-winning touchdown with Austin Romaine’s strip sack and Jack Fabris’ 60-yard fumble return, and then iced it on VJ Payne’s end zone interception with five seconds remaining.

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The offense had 200 yards, two touchdowns and a field goal after intermission, with Avery Johnson completing 7 of 8 passes for 119 of his 181 yards. It was his 45-yard completion to running back DJ Giddens on a fourth down that finally got it tied at 20-20 late in the third quarter.

“We had a lot of guys step up and be vocal in the locker room and just challenge the rest of our team, and some guys stepped up and made bit plays and ultimately got us the win today,” Johnson said.

Giddens, who had another big game with 114 rushing yards and four catches for 63, said safety Marques Sigle and linebacker Austin Moore, both team captains, were particularly vocal during halftime.

“Marques Sigle, he was in my ear even before halftime,” Giddens said. “After halftime, he was pushing me to my limit. Austin Moore, when we first came in here, he got everybody’s mind right.”

And that, Klieman agreed, made all the difference. Especially with a team that did not fare well in close games last year, going 1-4 in one-possession contests.

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“I challenged the guys at halftime,” Kileman said. I’m not upset or anything, I just said we can play better. We can play better on both sides.

“And Marques Sigle, Avery, Hadley (Panzer), Austin Moore, some of the older guys and captains, they stepped up and it was player led.”

The fact that the players took control meant everything.

“Culture is holding each other accountable,” Klieman added. “And one of our awards we gave to Avery, and Avery gave it to Marques Sigle, because Marques Sigle challenged Avery and challenged his leadership.

“That’s awesome to see, because we have kids that are holding each other to the standard that they expect. That’s a culture.”

Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.

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Illinois’ Victory Against Kansas Should Bring Program Into National Spotlight

Published

9 hours ago

September 7, 2024

Press Room

Illinois’ Victory Against Kansas Should Bring Program Into National Spotlight

The Illinois Fighting Illini fans made sure to show support for the football team Saturday night.

In the first sellout at Memorial Stadium since 2016, the players did not disappoint.

The Illini defeated No. 19 Kansas 23-17, giving them their first victory against a ranked opponent in five years. They improved to 2-0, with a game next week against Central Michigan before opening Big Ten play the following week at Nebraska.

The Illini went ahead for good on a 1-yard touchdown run by Kaden Feagin with 9 minutes, 34 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. The defense responded by holding the Jayhawks to a three-and-out on the next possession. Quarterback Luke Altmyer sealed it with a completion to Zakhari Franklin on a 3rd-and-12.

The win allowed the Illini to avenge last year’s 34-23 loss to the Jayhawks in Lawrence, Kan. That was more than enough motivation, but the matchup drew national attention because of the circumstances.

Now, Illinois can start looking toward building on the momentum. It can set the tone for the season after a disappointing end a year ago.

The Illini can almost thank defensive Xavier Scott for single-handedly helping them to a 13-10 lead against Kansas at halftime.

Scott had two interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown to put the Illini ahead at halftime. The next step is the team hoping to build off one of the biggest wins in school history.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Illinois Fighting Illini On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Tulane Green Wave Drop 34-27 Heartbreaker to Kansas State Wildcats

Published

16 hours ago

September 7, 2024

Press Room

Tulane Green Wave Drop 34-27 Heartbreaker to Kansas State Wildcats

The Tulane Green Wave had their first real test of the season on Saturday morning as they took on the Top 25-ranked Kansas State Wildcats.

It was a heartbreaker as the Green Wave lost it late by a score of 34-27.

A late offensive pass interference call wiped away a would be game-tying touchdown and then led to Darian Mensah throwing an interception in the end zone which ended the game.

Mensah, despite the interception, once again backed up the Tulane coaching staff’s decision to name him the starting quarterback with another stellar performance.

He and Dontae Fleming made up for their missed connection a week ago with a 53-yard bomb that set up a Makhi Hughes touchdown run.

The redshirt freshman quarterback has exceeded all expectations through his first two games.

The broadcast team, mostly Louis Riddick, was drawing early comparisons to Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love before the game. Mensah’s performance during it only made that comparison seem stronger.

He was strong in the pocket, hit receivers in stride and threw into tight windows. It was exactly the type of performance as a passer that the Green Wave could have possibly hoped for.

The California native finished the day 19-29 through the air completing 342 yards with two touchdowns and the interception.

It’s hard to mention his performance in the game without bringing up the fumble touchdown that came while he was trying to extend a play rather than just going down.

While it’s not entirely his fault, a more veteran quarterback may have gone down to avoid something like that return happening.

The offensive line could not withstand the pass rush of Kansas State, something that the coaching staff is going to have to address in the coming weeks.

The Wildcats were able to come away with five sacks during this one, with a couple of them coming during crucial moments in the second half.

A holding call in the last two minutes of the game made things much harder as Mensah and the offense tried to tie the game late.

Heading into the matchup, a spotlight was focused on Hughes and how he would look after last week’s quiet game agains the Southeastern Louisiana Lions.

It was a much more eventful day for him this time around, walking away with 128 yards on 21 attempts and a touchdown on the ground. He also picked up 37 yards on 5 catches in the passing game.

The redshirt sophomore was one of the best running backs in the country a year ago and Tulane will need more performances like this in the future.

Overall, moral victories aren’t what Jon Sumrall and the coaching staff want, but they still played well against a tough opponent early on in his tenure.

There won’t be any breaks from the tension next week as the Green Wave will be traveling to take on the Oklahoma Sooners for another Top 25 opportunity.

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What time, TV channel is Kansas State vs Tulane football game on today? Free live stream, odds

Published

24 hours ago

September 7, 2024

Press Room

What time, TV channel is Kansas State vs Tulane football game on today? Free live stream, odds

The No. 18 ranked Kansas State Wildcats face the Tulane Green Wave hoping to avoid a hiccup on the road today, trying to climb the rankings with a win in Week2 of the 2024 college football season. This game kicks off at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 7 with a live broadcast on ESPN, and streaming live on demand.

• WATCH: Tulane vs. Kansas State live for FREE with Fubo (free trial), with Sling (cheapest streaming plans, $25 off your first month) or see more streaming options below.

What TV channel is the Kansas State vs. Tulane game on today?

When: Kickoff takes place at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET (11 a.m. CT) on Saturday, September 7

Where: Yulman Stadium | New Orleans, Louisiana

TV Channel: ESPN

How to watch live stream online: If you don’t have cable, you can still watch this game live for FREE with Fubo (free trial) or with DirecTV Stream (free trial). If you are out of free trials, the cheapest and best way to watch this game and more football this month is by signing up for Sling (promotional offers, cheapest streaming plans), which costs around $31 for the first month if you add the “Sports Extra” package that includes Big Ten Network, SEC Network and a few other sports channels. If you have a cable or satellite subscription already, you can watch the game on Watch ESPN or the ESPN app by signing in with your provider information.

What TV channel is ESPN on?

You can find out more about which channel ESPN is on in your area by using the channel finders here: Comcast Xfinity, DIRECTV, Dish, Verizon Fios, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice.