Recap: Kansas State football holds off KU in Sunflower Showdown, 47-27

MANHATTAN — Kansas State beat Kansas for the 14th straight time and secured a place in next week's Big 12 championship game with a 47-27 victory on Saturday in the Sunflower Showdown at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

The Wildcats fill face unbeaten TCU in the championship game at 11 a.m. next Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Kansas State finished with 443 yards total offense against KU, with Will Howard throwing for 213 yards, all in the first half. Deuce Vaughn rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown and caught two passes for 82 yards.

For KU, Jalon Daniels completed 20 of 32 passes for 168 yards and rushed for 51 yards. Devin Neal ran for 59 yards to lead the Jayhawks, who had 307 total yards.

Kansas State scores again on DJ Giddens run

Kansas State all but wraps it up with an 85-yard drive, all on the ground, as DJ Giddens scores on a 5-yard run with 4:30 left. Will Howard has yet to complete a pass in the second half after throwing for 213 yards in the first.

Ty Zentner extends K-State lead with field goal

Kansas State failed to make Kansas pay significantly for Malik Knowles' 69-yard kickoff return after a first and goal at the Jayhawk 9.

But Ty Zentner was good on a 27-yard field goal to remain perfect on the season and the Wildcats lead 40-27 with 11 minutes left.

Kansas cuts into lead with 16-play drive

Jalon Daniels scores on a 1-yard run to trim K-State's lead to 37-27 with 13:39 left, but is hurt and has to come off. Jason Bean's two-point conversion throw to Mason Fairchild is dropped to keep it a two-possession game.

The scoring drive covered 75 yards in 16 plays.

Kansas State one quarter away

Kansas State scored the only points of the third quarter and takes a 37-21 lead to the fourth, but Kansas is driving.

The Jayhawks will have first down at the Wildcat 19-yard line when play resumes.

Deuce Vaughn extends K-State lead to 37-21

After plowing into the line on three straight plays after a first and goal at the Kansas 3-yard line, Deuce Vaughn takes a pitch to the left and walks into the end zone from 1 yard out on fourth down to give K-State a 37-2 leads with 6:59 left in the third quarter.

The eight-play scoring drive was set up when Drake Cheatum forced a fumble and Des Purnell recovered at the Kansas 38-yard line.

Kansas State with precarious 30-21 halftime lead

The final five minutes of the first half were sloppy for both teams, especially the offenses.

Kansas State had the ball close to the red zone with under 1:30 left, only to lose the ball when Kansas' Lonnie Phelps stripped Will Howard from behind and Caleb Sampson recovered.

Kansas State leads 30-21 at the break.

K-State has 270 yards total offense, with Howard completing 11 of 19 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns. The Wildcats had just 57 yards on the ground, with Deuce Vaughn gaining 53 yards on eight carries. Vaughn also caught two passes for 82 yards.

For KU, which has 211 yards total offense, Jalon Daniels is 13 of 19 passing for 113 yards and has rushed for 40 yards, with Devin Neal carrying nine times for 39 yards and two touchdowns.

Kansas with yet another 75-yard drive

Devin Neal scores his second touchdown, on a 3-yard run, and Kansas cuts to K-State lead to 30-21 with 4:57 left in the half.

It was the third 75-yard scoring drive for the Jayhawks, who went over 200 yards total offense on the play.

Phillip Brooks in the scoring column for K-State

Will Howard hits an open Phillip Brooks in the front left side of the end zone for 14 yards and a score. The 92-yard drive included an 80-yard pass play to Deuce Vaughn.

Howard now 10 of 15 passing for 189 yards and the Wildcats have 242 yards total offense with 9:09 left in the half.

Kansas with another scoring drive

Kansas State puts together its second 75-yard scoring drive of the game and cuts the Kansas lead to 23-14 on Devin Neal's 11-yard run. The drive took 11 plays and 4:41 off the clock.

Kansas State takes 23-7 lead to second quarter

It was a productive first quarter for Kansas State, which lead 23-7 as we head to the second. The Wildcats had 150 yards total offense in the period.

K-State makes Jayhawks pay twice

After getting a safety, Kansas State got the ball back on a free kick and made the Jayhawks pay again, driving 61 yards in nine plays to go up 23-7 on a 4-yard Malik Knowles run.

It was the second rushing touchdown for wide receiver Knowles.

A disastrous possession for KU

Kansas, which drove 75 yards on its first possession, went backwards on the next one, resulting in a safety when right tackle Bryce Cabeldue was called for holding, a safety.

Kansas State leads 16-7 with 4:11 left in the first quarter and gets the ball back at its 39-yard line.

Will Howard TD pass puts K-State back in front

Will Howard finds a wide open Sammy Wheeler at the 5-yard line and he walks into the end zone to complete a 42-yard pass play and K-State goes up 14-7 with 5:06 left in the first quarter.

KU drives 75 yards and we're tied at 7-7

After gifting K-State an opening score, Kansas drives 75 yards in nine plays to tie the game on a 12-yard Torry Lochlin run. The drive to 5 minutes, 16 seconds off the clock.

Kansas miscue leads to K-State score

Kansas came up with a defensive stop to start the game, but before the Jayhawks could celebrate, K-State was in the end zone.

Jayhawk return man O.J. Burroughs signaled for a fair catch and had to retreat to field Ty Zentner's 55-yard punt. He dropped the ball and Ekow Boye-Doe recovered for K-State at the KU 5-yard line.

On the next play, Malik Knowles ran 5 yards for the touchdown and K-State is up 7-0 with 13:05 left in the first.

KU wins the toss and defers

Kansas wins the coin toss and defers, which means K-State will get the ball to start the Sunflower Showdown.

CFL rookie of the year Dalton Schoen brings on the Cats

Former K-State receiver Dalton Schoen, who was Candadian Football League rookie of the year with the Winnipeg Blue Bomber this season, opened the K-State locker room door to "bring on the Cats."

Wet weather in Manhattan

Weather conditions 10 minutes before kickoff are 45 degrees with a light rain and a north wind at 4 mph.

It's senior night at Kansas State

K-State just 28 seniors before the game, though a number of them are eligible to return in 2023, thanks to the an extra year granted by the NCAA in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The five-year super-seniors certain to be making their final home appearance are safety Drake Cheatum, offensive lineman Dawson Delforge, safety Josh Hayes, nose guard Robert Hentz, nose guard Eli Huggins, quarterback Adrian Martinez, safety Cincere Mason, wide receiver Kade Warner and kicker Ty Zentner.

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.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Recap: K-State football takes down KU 47-27 in Sunflower Showdown