Kansas
Kansas State’s Defensive Coordinator Offers Praise for Arizona Star
Two of the top-20 teams in the country will battle it out on Friday night as the Kansas State Wildcats host the Arizona Wildcats.
Both teams enter this contest at 2-0, and while this isn’t a conference game due to the programs agreeing to this matchup before Arizona joined the Big 12, it should have major College Football Playoff implications.
If Arizona were to win this game, their resume would drastically improve.
Winning the Big 12 championship is the focus because the victor gets an automatic bid to the CFP, but due to how tough that is, they need to build their resume in regular-season games as well.
Similar to Arizona, Kansas State hasn’t exactly been dominant.
They beat UT Martin 41-6 and snuck out a win against a good Tulane team on the road.
However, their game against the Green Wave saw them trailing for much of it, and a few questionable calls helped Kansas State escape with the much needed win.
Looking at that game, there’s reason for optimism as Arizona heads into the contest.
Tulane’s quarterback Darian Mensah threw for 342 yards on just 19 completions. He also added two touchdowns to his state line.
With Noah Fifita under center and an explosive wide receiver in Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona should be able to get going offensively if last week is any indication on the state Kansas State’s defense.
They gave up multiple big plays, and K-State’s defensive coordinator, Joe Klanderman, addressed that potential issue.
“I think the big thing for us is you can’t give up explosive plays,” he said according to Heather Dinich of ESPN. “We gave up a ridiculous amount of yards, and 80% of those yards – I think more than that, actually – came off of 10 explosive plays.”
When asked about McMillan, he has some high praise.
“He’s different, he’s special,” Klanderman said. “His catch radius is as good as I’ve ever seen.”
Klanderman told reporters that he wants to make Arizona’s offense “one-dimensional,” highlighting the need to keep them from having big plays.
Their focus will be on Arizona beating them on the ground.
If they execute that game plan, Arizona could be in for a long night. This team is at its best when they make explosive plays in the passing game.
However, with the McMillan and Fifita duo, it’s almost impossible to slow them down that much. Perhaps McMillan won’t have a 300-yard game, but he could still put up 150-plus yards and multiple touchdowns, no matter the defense he faces.
It’s a big week for the future first-round pick, as impressing against a top-20 opponent would not only raise his draft stock, but it would also help his current program in their goal of winning a national championship.
Kansas
Kansas City, Kansas, becomes sister city to Concepción, Argentina, ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026
KSHB 41 reporter Fernanda Silva covers stories in the Northland, including Liberty. She also focuses on issues surrounding immigration. Share your story idea with Fernanda.
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Kansas City, Kansas, is now a sister city to Concepción, in the Tucumán province of Argentina.
The connection that carries deep personal meaning for members of the Kansas City area’s Argentinian community, with less than six weeks until Lionel Messi and their national team play at Kansas City Stadium (GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium).
Kansas City, Kansas, becomes sister city to Concepción, Argentina, ahead of World Cup
The official Sister Cities Agreement was signed Wednesday at Sporting Park, in a ceremony that also served as the kickoff of a broader cultural and economic initiative connecting Argentina and Kansas.
Federico Carmona has lived in the United States for more than two decades. He spent Wednesday afternoon cheering and smiling.
“This is my dream,” Carmona said.
For Carmona, the moment was personal — a merging of the two places he calls home.
KSHB/ Brian Luton
“This is a blessing,” Carmona said.
He continued, “Argentina is my heart. I was born in Argentina. I have so much passion for soccer. I used to play, my kids play. We never thought that Argentina was going to be in Kansas City. So that was a big, big surprise for us.”
Claudia Luna West, chair of the Sister Cities Association and a native of Concepción, Tucumán, was one of the driving forces behind the partnership.
“It means the world to me,” Luna West said.
KSHB/ Brian Luton
She described the pairing of the two cities as a natural collaboration — like the ingredients of a perfect recipe coming together.
“Everything collaborates to be this great thing,” Luna West said.
That recipe metaphor extended to food. The event featured the announcement of a partnership between Kansas BBQ Empanadas and Jack Stack BBQ — a culinary symbol of the two cultures meeting.
“Now, empanadas aren’t going to be just an ethnic food. They’re going to be a landmark of Kansas,” Luna West said.
Mayor/CEO of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and KCK, Christal Watson, said the designation reflects the city’s diversity and its ability to connect with the world.
KSHB
“I think it’s important that we set a global stage on how diverse we are and how beautifully, wonderfully made we are with all the different cultures,” Watson said.
Watson said shared experiences — including food — are what bring communities together.
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“Food is a common link. Those are the things that get us engaged… those are the things that help us grow and be a better community overall,” Watson said. “We already have a flavor going on.”
Jake Reid, president and CEO of Sporting Kansas City, said the timing of the sister city announcement — with the FIFA World Cup 2026 approaching — felt right.
KSHB/ Brian Luton
“We’ve been planning this for so long. I think to have it on the doorstep now and be probably a month out is becoming very real and exciting,” Reid said. “They’re meant to be from… kind of everything we’ve got going on right now, for sure.”
For Carmona, the day was a long time coming.
“We can’t wait for all this to happen,” Carmona said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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MANHATTAN — Kansas State will have a new kick returner come fall after Bryce Noernberg departed the team, and his dad used some colorful language in a Facebook post to announce it.
A K-State spokesperson confirmed that Noernberg left the team after the spring season. He returned 20 kicks over the last two seasons for an average of 27.8 yards per return. He scored one touchdown and also coughed up the ball multiple times.
In a Facebook post, Noernberg’s father, Scott, wrote that it had been an amazing few years in Manhattan, but then “Division I college football does what it does.”
“New head coach Colin (sic) Klein brought in all new coaches and players… paid them accordingly and (Noernberg) found himself at the bottom of the depth chart,” Scott Noernberg wrote. “Not wanting to start over again as a true walk-on freshman, he basically told them to kiss his ass!!
“Well done Bryce! I’m so proud that you stood up to the system! D1 athletics is in a very sad state, and it’s times like this that make you grow as a man!”
Also a wide receiver, Noernberg saw one offensive snap over his two seasons with the program. He was unlikely to find an offensive role for the Wildcats this year, considering the return of Jaron Tibbs and the additions of Josh Manning, Izaiah Williams, and Derrick Salley Jr. Other returning players, like Adonis Moise and Larry Porter IV, were also considered ahead of him.
His departure does leave a void at kick returner, which Noernberg wasn’t guaranteed to keep heading into the year.
Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at wwheeler@usatodayco.com
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — An interchange in Wichita is the most stressful off-ramp in Kansas, according to the results of a new poll.
The poll, by personal injury law firm Regan Zambri Long, asked 3,011 drivers across the United States what off-ramps are the most stressful.
Based on their results, Interstate 135 Exit 5B to Kellogg Avenue took the top spot in Kansas.
The poll said traffic often slows down at this interchange because it is where two major routes meet. Exiting vehicles have to merge and prepare for nearby exits on Kellogg, making speeds fluctuate.
Second place was Interstate 70 Exit 356 to Wanamaker Road in Topeka, and the third-most stressful off-ramp is Interstate 35 Exit 220 to 119th Street in Overland Park.
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