Kansas

No. 17 Kansas spoils senior night for No. 13 BYU with 3-1 upset

Published

1 year ago

November 18, 2023

No. 17 Kansas spoils senior night for No. 13 BYU with 3-1 upset

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PROVO — Friday night in the Smith Fieldhouse was supposed to be about celebrating a four-woman senior class of BYU women’s volleyball that includes the Cougars’ all-time assist leader in the rally scoring era in Whitney Bower.

But Kansas tried to make the matchup of two of the top-three teams in the Big 12 all about the visitors, as top-25 opponents tend to do.

Reagan Cooper poured in 25 kills, and Ayah Elnady added 18 kills as the 17th-ranked Jayhawks stunned No. 13 BYU 23-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-22 in front of a sold-out crowd of 4,412 fans at the Smith Fieldhouse.

On a night dedicated to the Cougars’ four seniors of Bower, Whitney McEwan-Llarenas, Aria McComber and Kamaile Hiapo, BYU was led by another massive performance by junior Erin Livingston, who had 21 kills and six digs.

Bower dished out 48 assists with nine digs and three blocks, and Mia Lee and McEwan-Llarenas each added 11 kills and four blocks for the Cougars, who got 12 digs and four assists from Hiapo and nine digs and five assists from McComber.

But it was Cooper, Elnady and an attack directed by Camryn Turner (49 assists) that snapped BYU’s four-match winning streak and handed the Cougars a fifth loss in conference play — the most since 2011, and as many as the past four seasons, combined.

Welcome to the Big 12, where four teams are ranked in the latest AVCA coaches top 25 and three more (Kansas State, Iowa State and TCU) are receiving votes.

“These are the matches you want to be in at the end of the year; they mean something, and we’re all fighting for seeding and for the tournament,” BYU coach Heather Olmstead said. “We’re just trying to control what we can control and play the best volleyball we can at the end of the year. I thought we played OK, but I think, ultimately, Kansas played better than us. I thought they served in, and our passing was good enough; we just needed to score in some other spots on the net and get them more pressure. We’ll learn from that next week as we go on the road and play two matches.”

Kansas women's volleyball celebrates a point against BYU, Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, at the Smith Fieldhouse in Provo. — Kansas women’s volleyball celebrates a point against BYU, Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, at the Smith Fieldhouse in Provo. (Photo: BYU Photo)

The loss could have costly implications on the Cougars’ NCAA Tournament hopes as both teams battled for a top-16 seed that would allow them to host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

But that’s also part of a move to a Power Five conference, where these kinds of games — especially in the final weeks of the regular season — mean so much more down the stretch. For Kansas, the chance to improve their resume with top-25 road win is too much to pass up.

BYU hopes the match, even in a loss, represents a similar rallying cry with the postseason so near.

“It definitely exposes your weaknesses, because they are such a good team. They came out firing on all cylinders,” Bower said. “If anything, it just makes us better moving forward. … Instead of playing someone that gives you more free balls, this team was hitting the 10-foot line. It’s definitely good preparation moving forward for the tournament.”

BYU’s attack was nearly flawless in the first set, hitting .424 and leading by as much as six before Kansas (20-5, 11-4 Big 12) rallied back with four blocks, tying the set three times in the final stages and taking the Jayhawks’ first lead at 23-22 on a kill by Elnady.

But Livingston, who had a match-high eight kills in the first set, put down back-to-back kills before BYU clinched the 25-23 lead with a 3-0 spurt capped by a block by Lee and Kate Prior.

Kansas used the momentum of a close loss to jump out to a 12-6 advantage early when Elnady rose high over the net for a putback blast in the second set.

The Jayhawks laid down nine kills before their first error and held the Cougars to .143 en route to a 22-15 lead. McEwan-Llarenas capped a 4-0 spurt to pull BYU within four, but Kansas evened the match with a 25-20 win on a kill by Cooper.

After trailing by as much as 11-6 early in the third set, the Jayhawks tied up the match three times before Mykayla Myers won a joust at the net to give Kansas a 21-20 edge. Cooper then finished off her 10th kill of the set as Kansas polished off a 25-23 win for a 2-1 lead.

Elnady capped a 4-0 run to lift Kansas to an 18-15 advantage as the Jayhawks tried to close out the match in a potentially decisive fourth set.

The Cougars fought back, scoring four in a row to tie the match at 20-all before the Jayhawks closed out the match.

BYU (22-6, 11-5 Big 12) wraps up the regular season with a pair of road matches at West Virginia and TCU before the NCAA selection draw Sunday, Nov. 26 at 4 p.m. MST on ESPN.

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Kansas State Alternate Uniforms In Rate Bowl Draw Mixed Reactions From Fans

Published

41 minutes ago

December 26, 2024

Press Room

Kansas State Alternate Uniforms In Rate Bowl Draw Mixed Reactions From Fans

The Kansas State Wildcats decided to switch things up a bit by wearing alternate uniforms for Thursday’s Rate Bowl against Rutgers in Phoenix.

The biggest difference was trading in silver for a white helmet. While most fans liked the look, there were some who weren’t impressed. They felt the Wildcats unis were fine as they were.

Kansas State is going to contend for a Big 12 title next year. Also, they should keep these unis.
— Jay Elliot Coburn (@JayCoburn816) December 26, 2024

I can’t lie, silver to white is pretty much negligible in my eyes, especially from a distance. Glad we let the seniors get what they want but it’s not significant or flashy enough for me to notice from a glance
— ArlynTheAwesome (@ArlynDaAwesome) December 26, 2024
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Many were more concerned with the Wildcats’ bad luck wearing new digs. They entered having lost the previous four games in a different uniform. It didn’t help K-State trailed 27-17 at halftime to make more fans dislike the new look.

Kansas State has one of the best uniforms in the sport with the silver pants and helmet. Why would you ever go away from that?
— Adam Drovetta (@ADrovetta) December 26, 2024

The normal home @KStateFB uniforms are so clean. Why would you change the silver to white for the bowl game?!?!
— Shawn Crull (@illini3sc) December 26, 2024

Here are some first-half highlights:

RUTGERS 27 – WILDCATS 17

Rutgers added to their lead with a field goal after picking off Wildcats quarterback Johnson.

RUTGERS 24 – WILDCATS 17

Raymond rushes for another touchdown with a 24-yard run to regain the lead.

RUTGERS 17 – WILDCATS 17

Jayce Brown’s 34-yard rush set up a Dylan Edwards touchdown reception. The offense gets creative utilizing receivers in the run game and the backs coming out the backfield.

RUTGERS 17 – WILDCATS 10

Running back Raymond’s 65-yard run sets up the score by Ja’shon Benjamin.

RUTGERS 10 – WILDCATS 10

The Scarlet Knight failed to capitalize on Ian Strong’s 60-yard reception, and instead have to settle for a field goal to start the second quarter.

RUTGERS 7 – WILDCATS 10

Avery Johnson caps off a Wildcats touchdown drive with a red zone rush. He connected with top receiver Jayce Brown.

RUTGERS 7 – WILDCATS 3

Rutgers running back Antwan Raymond put the Scarlet Knights up 7-3 midway through the first quarter. A few big runs by quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis highlighted the touchdown drive.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Kansas State Wildcats On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Kansas City Chief’s Hollywood Brown Has A Real Estate Investment Company And Wants to Empower Other Athletes To Invest

Published

9 hours ago

December 26, 2024

Press Room

Kansas City Chief’s Hollywood Brown Has A Real Estate Investment Company And Wants to Empower Other Athletes To Invest

The statistics aren’t kind. Eighty percent of pro athletes go broke soon after retiring. Kansas City Chiefs‘ Marquise “Hollywood” Brown will not be among them. Despite NFL stars’ eight-figure contracts, in most cases, their financial literacy does not match their salaries. Brown wants to change that.

“Players often leave their finances up to financial advisers who tend to invest in more traditional avenues, like stocks, because those methods also earn money for the advisers,” Brown told Mansion Global.

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“It hurts, seeing the stories of these guys who end up with nothing,” he said. “It’s a problem within the NFL, specifically for guys like myself who come from a background without a lot of money. We’re not educated on how to handle finances,” Brown, who has earned $25 million during a five-year career, continued.

The Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver, who was first drafted to the NFL in 2019 – first playing for the Arizona Cardinals and Baltimore Ravens before signing with the Chiefs this year – has cofounded Platinum Pro Capital, a private equity real estate firm with his wife, real estate influencer Zoei Brown. The firm has joined Jason Caraway of Island Sky Investments to educate professional athletes on the advantages of luxury real estate investing – in their case – in the Caribbean and other resort areas.

See Also: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — you can become an investor for $0.80 per share today.

According to Bloomberg, the company has backed an oceanfront luxury condo development in the U.S. Virgin Islands, is renovating a resort in Grand Bahama Island and is planning other projects in South Florida and Costa Rica.

Player investors are not urged to buy high-end rental properties from Brown’s company. Rather, they invest in his fund passively for returns on their money and the option to stay in vacation properties for free during the off-season.

“A lot of guys in our field, they like luxurious things, they are drawn to attractive places,” Brown said. “And a lot of us travel in the offseason, so instead of having a traditional house, they are drawn to places that feel like a vacation. That’s appealing to guys. I feel like it creates a sense of unity. So, owning property on Caribbean islands saves money in the long term because that’s where everybody wants to travel in the offseason. It really caught the eye of a lot of people.”

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How to Watch Kansas State vs. Rutgers: Rate Bowl Time, TV Channel, Live Stream – December 26, 2024

Published

17 hours ago

December 26, 2024

Press Room

Data Skrive

Avery Johnson and the Kansas State Wildcats and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights will meet for the Rate Bowl on December 26, 2024, with kickoff at 5:30 p.m. ET, airing on ESPN.

You should check out ESPN in order to watch this matchup.

Keep up with college football all season on FOX Sports.

USMNT goal filled weekend: Weston McKennie, Malik Tillman, Johnny Cardoso & more! | SOTU

Alexi Lalas and David Mosse broke down the United States Men’s National Team’s goal-filled weekend, where Weston McKennie, Malik Tillman, Johnny Cardoso, and Brenden Aaronson scored for their respective clubs. The guys are excited, as the USMNT players continue to stack strong performances one after another in Europe.

Learn more about the Kansas State Wildcats and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

How to Watch Kansas State vs. Rutgers

When: Thursday, December 26, 2024 at 5:30 p.m. ET
Location: Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona
Live Box Score: FOX Sports

Kansas State’s 2024 Schedule

Date	Opponent	Score
8/31/2024	vs. Tennessee-Martin	W 41-6
9/7/2024	at Tulane	W 34-27
9/13/2024	vs. Arizona	W 31-7
9/21/2024	at BYU	L 38-9
9/28/2024	vs. Oklahoma State	W 42-20
10/12/2024	at Colorado	W 31-28
10/19/2024	at West Virginia	W 45-18
10/26/2024	vs. Kansas	W 29-27
11/2/2024	at Houston	L 24-19
11/16/2024	vs. Arizona State	L 24-14
11/23/2024	vs. Cincinnati	W 41-15
11/30/2024	at Iowa State	L 29-21
12/26/2024	vs. Rutgers	–

Kansas State 2024 Stats & Insights

Kansas State is compiling 417.3 yards per game on offense (42nd in the FBS), and rank 38th on defense, yielding 338.6 yards allowed per game.
Kansas State is compiling 212.8 passing yards per game on offense, which ranks them 84th in the FBS. The defense ranks 78th, giving up 223.7 passing yards per contest.
The Wildcats are totaling 29.8 points per game on offense this year (50th in the FBS), and they are giving up 21.9 points per game (35th) on the defensive side of the ball.
The Wildcats have the 34th-ranked defense this season in terms of rushing yards (128 rushing yards allowed per game), and they’ve been better on the other side of the ball, ranking 16th-best with 204.5 rushing yards per game.
Kansas State ranks 75th in third-down efficiency (39.6%) on offense and 50th in third-down conversion rate allowed (36.7%) on defense this year.
With 14 forced turnovers (90th in the FBS) against 15 turnovers committed (40th in the FBS), the Wildcats’ -1 turnover margin ranks 65th in college football.

Kansas State 2024 Key Players

Name	Position	Stats
Avery Johnson	QB	2,517 YDS (59.1%) / 22 TD / 9 INT 548 RUSH YDS / 6 RUSH TD / 45.7 RUSH YPG
DJ Giddens	RB	1,343 YDS / 7 TD / 111.9 YPG / 6.6 YPC 21 REC / 258 REC YDS / 1 REC TD / 21.5 REC YPG
Jayce Brown	WR	42 REC / 763 YDS / 5 TD / 63.6 YPG
Dylan Edwards	RB	350 YDS / 3 TD / 31.8 YPG / 6.3 YPC 17 REC / 106 REC YDS / 1 REC TD / 10.6 REC YPG
Austin Romaine	LB	72 TKL / 4 TFL / 2 SACK
Brendan Mott	DL	37 TKL / 7 TFL / 8.5 SACK / 1 INT
Desmond Purnell	LB	35 TKL / 7 TFL / 3.5 SACK
Marques Sigle	DB	42 TKL / 4 TFL / 3 INT / 3 PD

Rutgers’ 2024 Schedule

Date	Opponent	Score
8/29/2024	vs. Howard	W 44-7
9/7/2024	vs. Akron	W 49-17
9/21/2024	at Virginia Tech	W 26-23
9/27/2024	vs. Washington	W 21-18
10/5/2024	at Nebraska	L 14-7
10/12/2024	vs. Wisconsin	L 42-7
10/19/2024	vs. UCLA	L 35-32
10/25/2024	at USC	L 42-20
11/9/2024	vs. Minnesota	W 26-19
11/16/2024	at Maryland	W 31-17
11/23/2024	vs. Illinois	L 38-31
11/30/2024	at Michigan State	W 41-14
12/26/2024	vs. Kansas State	–

Rutgers 2024 Stats & Insights

Rutgers ranks 72nd with 381.2 total yards per game on offense, and it ranks 83rd with 382.4 total yards allowed per game on the defensive side of the ball.
Rutgers ranks 92nd in the FBS with 204.9 passing yards per contest on offense, and it ranks 95th with 234.1 passing yards given up per game on the defensive side of the ball.
In terms of points scored the Scarlet Knights rank 70th in the FBS (27.9 points per game), and they are 57th defensively (23.8 points allowed per contest).
The Scarlet Knights are putting up 176.3 rushing yards per game on offense this season (46th-ranked). Meanwhile, they are allowing 148.3 rushing yards per game (67th-ranked) on defense.
Rutgers is putting up a 42.9% third-down conversion rate on offense this season (40th-ranked). Meanwhile, it is surrendering a 41.8% third-down rate (91st-ranked) on defense.
After forcing 12 turnovers (109th in the FBS) and turning the ball over eight times (second in the FBS) this season, the Scarlet Knights own the 44th-ranked turnover margin of +4.

Rutgers 2024 Key Players

Name	Position	Stats
Kyle Monangai	RB	1,279 YDS / 13 TD / 116.3 YPG / 5 YPC 14 REC / 75 REC YDS / 1 REC TD / 7.5 REC YPG
Athan Kaliakmanis	QB	2,459 YDS (54.8%) / 17 TD / 6 INT 233 RUSH YDS / 3 RUSH TD / 19.4 RUSH YPG
Dymere Miller	WR	57 REC / 731 YDS / 4 TD / 60.9 YPG
Ian Strong	WR	37 REC / 563 YDS / 5 TD / 46.9 YPG
Dariel Djabome	LB	90 TKL / 5 TFL / 2 SACK
Shaquan Loyal	DB	64 TKL / 3 TFL / 2 INT / 3 PD
Michael Dixon	DB	54 TKL / 0 TFL / 1 INT / 1 PD
Desmond Igbinosun	DB	55 TKL / 3 TFL