The Kansas City Royals continued their activity after the conclusion of the MLB Winter Meetings, making a trade Saturday evening with the Milwaukee Brewers in their mission to upgrade their outfield and bullpen.&nbsp;

The Royals&nbsp;acquired switch hitting outfielder Isaac Collins and right-handed reliever Nick Mears from the Brewers, sending lefty reliever Angel Zerpa to Milwaukee, sources told MLB.com.&nbsp;&nbsp;The trade has not been confirmed by the clubs.

While Collins played a majority of his games in left field for the Brewers last season, utility player may be a better label for Collins, who also saw time at third base and second base. The 28-year-old was fourth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting after posting a slash line of .263/.368/.411 with a 118 OPS+, nine home runs and 54 RBIs.

The Royals have been scouring both the free-agent and trade markets for outfielders. They came to an agreement on a one-year deal with outfielder Lane Thomas on Thursday, a deal that’s not official yet. Collins fits the bill of what they’ve been looking for, especially as someone who can move around the field.&nbsp; Collins also fits the Royals’ type as a hitter, making solid contact and not missing much, with just an 18.4% chase rate last season and 22.5% whiff rate.

Mears, meanwhile, has some big stuff and posted a 3.49 ERA across 56 2/3 innings in 2025, with just 13 walks and 46 strikeouts.&nbsp;&nbsp;The 29-year-old logged a 33.5% chase rate in 2025 -- a number that ranked in MLB’s 93rd percentile, per Statcast.&nbsp;

Collins is not eligible for salary arbitration until 2028 and will be under club control until 2031. Mears meanwhile is arbitration eligible this year and can be a free agent following the 2027 season.

Zerpa had stretches of elite appearances over the past five seasons. He spent all of 2025 in the big leagues and posted a 4.18 ERA across a career-high 64 2/3 innings.&nbsp;

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765679716693.jpeg" alt="Isaac Collins/ Photo courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors on X" />
 <figcaption>Isaac Collins/ Photo courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors on X</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKEThe Kansas City Royals continued their activity after the conclusion of the MLB Winter Meetings, making a trade Saturday evening with the Milwaukee Brewers in their mission to upgrade their outfield and bullpen.&nbsp;The Royals&nbsp;acquired switch hitting outfielder Isaac Collins and right-handed reliever Nick Mears from the Brewers, sending lefty reliever Angel Zerpa to Milwaukee, sources told MLB.com.&nbsp;&nbsp;The trade has not been confirmed by the clubs.While Collins played a majority of his games in left field for the Brewers last season, utility player may be a better label for Collins, who also saw time at third base and second base. The 28-year-old was fourth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting after posting a slash line of .263/.368/.411 with a 118 OPS+, nine home runs and 54 RBIs.The Royals have been scouring both the free-agent and trade markets for outfielders. They came to an agreement on a one-year deal with outfielder Lane Thomas on Thursday, a deal that’s not official yet. Collins fits the bill of what they’ve been looking for, especially as someone who can move around the field.&nbsp; Collins also fits the Royals’ type as a hitter, making solid contact and not missing much, with just an 18.4% chase rate last season and 22.5% whiff rate.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765680164851.jpeg" alt="Nick Mears/Photo courtesy of Brew Crew Scoop on X" />
 <figcaption>Nick Mears/Photo courtesy of Brew Crew Scoop on X</figcaption>
 </figure>Mears, meanwhile, has some big stuff and posted a 3.49 ERA across 56 2/3 innings in 2025, with just 13 walks and 46 strikeouts.&nbsp;&nbsp;The 29-year-old logged a 33.5% chase rate in 2025 -- a number that ranked in MLB’s 93rd percentile, per Statcast.&nbsp;Collins is not eligible for salary arbitration until 2028 and will be under club control until 2031. Mears meanwhile is arbitration eligible this year and can be a free agent following the 2027 season.Zerpa had stretches of elite appearances over the past five seasons. He spent all of 2025 in the big leagues and posted a 4.18 ERA across a career-high 64 2/3 innings.&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

Royals send Zerpa to Brewers, acquire more outfield help in Collins

A 10 year long agreement with Children's Mercy has come to an end and Sporting Kansas City will have to once again rename it's stadium.

Children’s Mercy confirmed in a news release on Friday that it would no longer be the team’s health care and sports medicine partner.

“As our 10-year naming partnership comes to a close, we want to express our heartfelt appreciation to the Sporting Kansas City organization, its players and staff, and the fans who have embraced Children’s Mercy as part of the team’s story. From player visits that brought joy to our patients, to collaborative efforts that elevated awareness for children’s health, this partnership has been a meaningful part of our journey,” the release read.

Reports show that Children’s Mercy Park will be renamed ahead of the KC2026 World Cup. The Sporting KC Training Facility will serve as a team base camp for at least one club during the World Cup.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Additionally, Sporting KC’s kits will now feature their new partner, Saint Luke’s Health System. The team showed off those kits were&nbsp; at a news conference today.

“Our two organizations have deep roots in Kansas City, and we are excited to join together to make a difference in local communities across the area through this partnership,” said Jake Reid, President and CEO of Sporting Kansas City during the news conference. “Saint Luke’s is an industry leader in many facets including patient experience, which aligns perfectly with our core values and focus on the experience for all our fans. We look forward to teaming up on impactful initiatives that will support Saint Luke’s patients and staff as well as Sporting Kansas City players and fans as we approach an incredibly exciting year for our sport and our region in 2026.”

Sporting Kansas City will kick off the 2026 Major League Soccer campaign on February 21st during MLS Is Back Weekend with the team’s first of 34 regular season games. Led by Designated Players Dejan Joveljic and Manu Garcia, Sporting Kansas City will also compete in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2026 after reaching the tournament final in 2024 and previously winning U.S. Soccer’s club championship four times.

By MATT PIKEA 10 year long agreement with Children's Mercy has come to an end and Sporting Kansas City will have to once again rename it's stadium.Children’s Mercy confirmed in a news release on Friday that it would no longer be the team’s health care and sports medicine partner.“As our 10-year naming partnership comes to a close, we want to express our heartfelt appreciation to the Sporting Kansas City organization, its players and staff, and the fans who have embraced Children’s Mercy as part of the team’s story. From player visits that brought joy to our patients, to collaborative efforts that elevated awareness for children’s health, this partnership has been a meaningful part of our journey,” the release read.Reports show that Children’s Mercy Park will be renamed ahead of the KC2026 World Cup. The Sporting KC Training Facility will serve as a team base camp for at least one club during the World Cup.&nbsp;&nbsp;Additionally, Sporting KC’s kits will now feature their new partner, Saint Luke’s Health System. The team showed off those kits were&nbsp; at a news conference today.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765582305320.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy of Sporting Kansas City" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of Sporting Kansas City</figcaption>
 </figure>“Our two organizations have deep roots in Kansas City, and we are excited to join together to make a difference in local communities across the area through this partnership,” said Jake Reid, President and CEO of Sporting Kansas City during the news conference. “Saint Luke’s is an industry leader in many facets including patient experience, which aligns perfectly with our core values and focus on the experience for all our fans. We look forward to teaming up on impactful initiatives that will support Saint Luke’s patients and staff as well as Sporting Kansas City players and fans as we approach an incredibly exciting year for our sport and our region in 2026.”Sporting Kansas City will kick off the 2026 Major League Soccer campaign on February 21st during MLS Is Back Weekend with the team’s first of 34 regular season games. Led by Designated Players Dejan Joveljic and Manu Garcia, Sporting Kansas City will also compete in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2026 after reaching the tournament final in 2024 and previously winning U.S. Soccer’s club championship four times.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

Sporting KC to rename stadium as agreement with Children's Mercy ends

Coming off an All Star campaign in one of the best season's of his career at third base, the Kansas City Royals have signed Maikel Garcia to a five year contract extension according to reports.&nbsp;

The five year extension secures the Royals future with Garcia through 2030 with a club option in 2031, according to&nbsp;a source telling MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.&nbsp;&nbsp;If the 2031 club option is picked up, Garcia's extension bought out two years of his free agency.&nbsp;&nbsp;The club has not confirmed.

The 25 year old&nbsp;Garcia earned his first career All-Star berth and Gold Glove Award, playing alongside shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who signed a 14-year extension in Spring Training of 2024.&nbsp; Garcia produced career highs in home runs with (16), RBIs (74) and OPS (.800) and played sterling defense at the hot corner, committing just seven errors for a .980 fielding percentage across 1,144 2/3 innings.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750338876368.jpeg" alt="Maikel Garcia/ File photo" />
 <figcaption>Maikel Garcia/ File photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKEComing off an All Star campaign in one of the best season's of his career at third base, the Kansas City Royals have signed Maikel Garcia to a five year contract extension according to reports.&nbsp;The five year extension secures the Royals future with Garcia through 2030 with a club option in 2031, according to&nbsp;a source telling MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.&nbsp;&nbsp;If the 2031 club option is picked up, Garcia's extension bought out two years of his free agency.&nbsp;&nbsp;The club has not confirmed.The 25 year old&nbsp;Garcia earned his first career All-Star berth and Gold Glove Award, playing alongside shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who signed a 14-year extension in Spring Training of 2024.&nbsp; Garcia produced career highs in home runs with (16), RBIs (74) and OPS (.800) and played sterling defense at the hot corner, committing just seven errors for a .980 fielding percentage across 1,144 2/3 innings.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

Royals secure future with Maikel Garcia signed to five year extension

After leaving Orlando at the conclusion of the MLB Winter Meetings, the Kansas City Royals have taken a step in addressing their need to add outfield depth this offseason.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Royals have agreed to a one-year, $5.25 million deal with veteran outfielder Lane Thomas, sources told MLB.com on Thursday night.&nbsp; The club has not confirmed the contract, which is pending a physical and includes $1 million in incentives. 

The Royals are at 38 players on their 40-man roster, so a corresponding move is not needed.&nbsp; Thomas spent the last year and a half with the Guardians and went through several ups and downs. 

After joining Cleveland in a Trade Deadline deal with the Nationals in 2024, the Royals expressed interest in adding him then too, the outfielder batted .148 in his first 29 games for Cleveland. But he turned it on in September, with a .560 slugging percentage, and Thomas’ grand slam in Game 5 of the ALDS against Detroit and Tarik Skubal helped send the Guardians to the ALCS. 

There, Thomas’ double preceded a game-tying home run by Jhonkensy Noel in the bottom of the ninth in Game 3 against the Yankees, which the Guardians won in 10 innings.&nbsp;&nbsp;After that uneven 2024, Thomas was limited to 39 games and 125 at-bats for the Guardians in 2025, mostly due to a lingering case of plantar fasciitis in his right foot, which required surgery in September. And before that, Thomas missed a month with a right wrist bone bruise after he was hit by a pitch on the right wrist in Cleveland’s home opener. When healthy enough to play, Thomas batted just .160 with a .518 OPS and six extra-base hits.

The 30-year-old Thomas is a buy-low bounceback candidate and a right-handed hitter who can play center field, all items the Royals were searching for when looking at the free-agent market for outfielders who can provide some length to the bottom of their lineup. They missed out on re-signing Mike Yastrzemski, who inked a two-year, $23 million contract with the Braves on Wednesday, but had a list of free agents to continue to go after when they left the Winter Meetings.

Defensively, Thomas has seen time at all three outfield positions, including 276 starts in right field and 170 in center. In his last full season in 2024, he showed limited range but an elite arm. The Royals could use him as a right-handed option in center field when lefty Kyle Isbel sits, or in right field if lefty Jac Caglianone is not playing. There’s lots of opportunity in left field right now, too; the Royals plan to have Michael Massey split time between second base and left field in 2026.

The biggest question is if Thomas can recapture the form he showed in 2023, when he hit 28 homers and stole 20 bases for Washington, to go with a .783 OPS and 3.3 WAR. Even if not, he can still provide value against left-handed pitchers, against whom he has a career .292/.359/.500 slash line.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765501145656.jpeg" alt="The Kansas City Royals addressed their need in the outfield, signing former St. Louis Cardinal and Cleveland Guardian Lane Thomas to a one year deal on Thursday night/ Photo courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors on X" />
 <figcaption>The Kansas City Royals addressed their need in the outfield, signing former St. Louis Cardinal and Cleveland Guardian Lane Thomas to a one year deal on Thursday night/ Photo courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors on X</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKEAfter leaving Orlando at the conclusion of the MLB Winter Meetings, the Kansas City Royals have taken a step in addressing their need to add outfield depth this offseason.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Royals have agreed to a one-year, $5.25 million deal with veteran outfielder Lane Thomas, sources told MLB.com on Thursday night.&nbsp; The club has not confirmed the contract, which is pending a physical and includes $1 million in incentives. The Royals are at 38 players on their 40-man roster, so a corresponding move is not needed.&nbsp; Thomas spent the last year and a half with the Guardians and went through several ups and downs. After joining Cleveland in a Trade Deadline deal with the Nationals in 2024, the Royals expressed interest in adding him then too, the outfielder batted .148 in his first 29 games for Cleveland. But he turned it on in September, with a .560 slugging percentage, and Thomas’ grand slam in Game 5 of the ALDS against Detroit and Tarik Skubal helped send the Guardians to the ALCS. <div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">You might remember Lane Thomas for his grand slam off Skubal in the 2024 ALDS. Only played in 39 games last year, but slashed .237/.309/.400 with an OPS+ of 100 in 130 games in 2024. Good defender who can play all three OF spots. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Royals?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Royals</a> <a href="https://t.co/tdfQLS6tC2">pic.twitter.com/tdfQLS6tC2</a>&mdash; Jack Johnson (@JohnyJ_15) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnyJ_15/status/1999264831845859434?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>There, Thomas’ double preceded a game-tying home run by Jhonkensy Noel in the bottom of the ninth in Game 3 against the Yankees, which the Guardians won in 10 innings.&nbsp;&nbsp;After that uneven 2024, Thomas was limited to 39 games and 125 at-bats for the Guardians in 2025, mostly due to a lingering case of plantar fasciitis in his right foot, which required surgery in September. And before that, Thomas missed a month with a right wrist bone bruise after he was hit by a pitch on the right wrist in Cleveland’s home opener. When healthy enough to play, Thomas batted just .160 with a .518 OPS and six extra-base hits.The 30-year-old Thomas is a buy-low bounceback candidate and a right-handed hitter who can play center field, all items the Royals were searching for when looking at the free-agent market for outfielders who can provide some length to the bottom of their lineup. They missed out on re-signing Mike Yastrzemski, who inked a two-year, $23 million contract with the Braves on Wednesday, but had a list of free agents to continue to go after when they left the Winter Meetings.Defensively, Thomas has seen time at all three outfield positions, including 276 starts in right field and 170 in center. In his last full season in 2024, he showed limited range but an elite arm. The Royals could use him as a right-handed option in center field when lefty Kyle Isbel sits, or in right field if lefty Jac Caglianone is not playing. There’s lots of opportunity in left field right now, too; the Royals plan to have Michael Massey split time between second base and left field in 2026.The biggest question is if Thomas can recapture the form he showed in 2023, when he hit 28 homers and stole 20 bases for Washington, to go with a .783 OPS and 3.3 WAR. Even if not, he can still provide value against left-handed pitchers, against whom he has a career .292/.359/.500 slash line.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

Royals add to outfield signing former Cardinal Lane Thomas

The Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals both got reprieve from the rumors swirling around both teams during the MLB Winter Meetings, learning where they will be picking next summer in the 2026 MLB Draft during All Star Weekend.&nbsp;

For the first time, the Royals were big winners in the MLB's lottery system, as they were awarded the number six pick in the 2026 MLB Draft.&nbsp;&nbsp;Kansas City entered the day with 13th best odds at landing top pick in the draft, a 0.8% chance. If the Royals hadn’t gotten a lottery pick, they would have picked 16th.

Non-lottery picks are determined by inverse order of the teams’ regular-season records, and there were three teams, the Angels, Rockies and Nationals, that weren’t eligible for the lottery this year.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Royals have selected sixth two other times in their history, including Zack Greinke in 2002 and Caglianone in 2024.

With the Draft Lottery completed, the Draft order is set. In addition to No. 6, the Royals will also have a Competitive Balance A pick next year at No. 30. The 2026 Draft will be held July 12 in Philadelphia as part of All-Star festivities, and the White Sox will be making the number one overall pick.

The Cardinals&nbsp;drew the #13 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft.&nbsp;&nbsp;St. Louis went into Tuesday with MLB’s eighth-best odds for the top pick, 2.35%, but they dropped below the Rockies and Nationals. It is the second time in three seasons the Cards fell below their slot in the odds. In 2023, they fell from the fifth-best odds to number seven where they landed infielder JJ Wetherholt.

The Draft Lottery was a reprieve from the numerous trade talks the Cards front office have had with other teams interested in dealing for their established veterans. Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras are the biggest names possibly on the move, but standout utility fielder Brendan Donovan has drawn interest from 18 MLB teams, per a source. 

The Mariners, Royals, Astros and Rays have been the most aggressive suitors, per that same source, but the Cardinals want to be diligent in dealing to make sure they extract the maximum prospect capital in return for their lone All-Star in 2025.&nbsp;&nbsp;Not far behind Donovan, in terms of interest from other clubs, is lefty reliever JoJo Romero, who is drawing interest from the Yankees, Rays, Astros, Tigers and D-backs, per a source.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765387555016.jpeg" alt="The Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals learned their slot in the 2026 MLB Draft during Tuesday's MLB Draft Lottery during the MLB Winter Meetings/ Photo courtesy of X" />
 <figcaption>The Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals learned their slot in the 2026 MLB Draft during Tuesday's MLB Draft Lottery during the MLB Winter Meetings/ Photo courtesy of X</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKEThe Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals both got reprieve from the rumors swirling around both teams during the MLB Winter Meetings, learning where they will be picking next summer in the 2026 MLB Draft during All Star Weekend.&nbsp;For the first time, the Royals were big winners in the MLB's lottery system, as they were awarded the number six pick in the 2026 MLB Draft.&nbsp;&nbsp;Kansas City entered the day with 13th best odds at landing top pick in the draft, a 0.8% chance. If the Royals hadn’t gotten a lottery pick, they would have picked 16th.Non-lottery picks are determined by inverse order of the teams’ regular-season records, and there were three teams, the Angels, Rockies and Nationals, that weren’t eligible for the lottery this year.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Royals have selected sixth two other times in their history, including Zack Greinke in 2002 and Caglianone in 2024.With the Draft Lottery completed, the Draft order is set. In addition to No. 6, the Royals will also have a Competitive Balance A pick next year at No. 30. The 2026 Draft will be held July 12 in Philadelphia as part of All-Star festivities, and the White Sox will be making the number one overall pick.The Cardinals&nbsp;drew the #13 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft.&nbsp;&nbsp;St. Louis went into Tuesday with MLB’s eighth-best odds for the top pick, 2.35%, but they dropped below the Rockies and Nationals. It is the second time in three seasons the Cards fell below their slot in the odds. In 2023, they fell from the fifth-best odds to number seven where they landed infielder JJ Wetherholt.The Draft Lottery was a reprieve from the numerous trade talks the Cards front office have had with other teams interested in dealing for their established veterans. Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras are the biggest names possibly on the move, but standout utility fielder Brendan Donovan has drawn interest from 18 MLB teams, per a source. The Mariners, Royals, Astros and Rays have been the most aggressive suitors, per that same source, but the Cardinals want to be diligent in dealing to make sure they extract the maximum prospect capital in return for their lone All-Star in 2025.&nbsp;&nbsp;Not far behind Donovan, in terms of interest from other clubs, is lefty reliever JoJo Romero, who is drawing interest from the Yankees, Rays, Astros, Tigers and D-backs, per a source.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

Royals and Cardinals learn their slot in the 2026 MLB Draft

While there is still a chance, the lights are beginning to dim on the Kansas City Chiefs making an 11th consecutive trip to the playoffs after a series of miscues led to a 20-10 loss the Houston Texans on Sunday Night Football.

&nbsp;Some odds have the Chiefs chances as low as 12% to make the playoffs, others are around 16%, but most are below the 20% chance mark.&nbsp; Despite the low odds, defensive tackle Chris Jones says they still have an opportunity, even if it is a slim opportunity

"Still got an opportunity, and we've got to finish strong, no matter what we've got to finish strong to put ourself in a position to be able to get in the playoffs if that opportunity presents itself," Jones says during his postgame press conference.&nbsp; "So, for us the door is still open, it might be a 10% chance, it might be a 5% chance, but as long as we've got an opportunity and a chance, then we still can control that and finish strong and let the cards fall where they fall."

Head Coach Andy Reid says the message to the team after the loss is that it's never over

"You keep battling, I've been doing this a long time, seen some things, so you keep going," Reid says.

The loss did end Kansas City's streak of nine consecutive AFC West titles, the second longest streak in NFL history.&nbsp; &nbsp;With a run of success close to ending, linebacker Nick Bolton says the team needs to respond to this loss by controlling the controllable.&nbsp;

"We've got four weeks left, one week at a time, we need some help from other people but my mindset is put our best foot forward and take care of what we can control," Bolton says in the locker room.

Leo Chenal echoes that sentiment, saying now it's all up to them.

"Message is go out and play top level football as best you can, with the best effort you can, at the highest level you can regardless," Chenal explains.&nbsp; "Whatever happens, we better be out there playing our hardest, especially now, it's not in our hands but we better be playing our hardest."

The Chiefs fell behind 10-0 at the halftime break thanks to a 35 yard field goal by Ka'imi Fairbairn and a nine yard touchdown pass from CJ Stroud to Woody Marks.&nbsp; On the first play of the game, an already thin offensive line for Kansas City got thinner, as Wanya Morris exited the game with a knee injury.&nbsp; Also in the first quarter, cornerback Trent McDuffie suffered a knee injury that put him out of the game.&nbsp;

Despite the injuries, and some miscues in the first half including an interception and a missed field goal, the Chiefs came back to tie the game in the third quarter.&nbsp; Kareem Hunt rushed in from two yards out on a 4th and 1 play to cut the lead to three early in the quarter, and then near the end of the frame Harrison Butker hit a 36 yard field goal to tie the game heading into the final quarter.&nbsp;

But after a quarter of execution to tie the game, things fell apart in the fourth for Kansas City.&nbsp; Patrick Mahomes threw his second interception of the game early in the quarter, which did turn into a punt from Houston, but then a turnover on downs from the Chiefs gave the Texans the chance to score the go ahead touchdown on a five yard run by Dare Ogunbowale.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Trailing by a touchdown, Kansas City turned the ball over on downs again, and Houston would end up punting the ball back, but again Mahomes threw an interception, the ball bouncing off the hands of Travis Kelce and into linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair.&nbsp; Fairbairn knocked through a 28 yard field goal to put the Texans up by two scores with 30 seconds remaining, and after three plays with no timeouts from the Chiefs, the game came to an end.&nbsp;

Mahomes was 14-of-33 through the air for 160 yards with three interceptions, adding seven rushes for 59 yards.&nbsp; Hunt rushed 12 times for 30 yards and the score.&nbsp; Xavier Worthy had three catches for 59 yards, while Rashee Rice was the leading receiver with four catches for 34 yards.&nbsp;

The Chiefs will host the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday in an AFC West battle with a lot on the line.  A loss in that matchup, and their run to the AFC playoffs could come to an end.&nbsp; Kickoff will be at noon with an 11am pregame on Q Country (92.7FM).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765164441878.png" alt="The Kansas City Chiefs defense stepped up in the second half, but the offense failed to execute and saw their playoff hopes dwindle more with a 20-10 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday Night Football/ File photo" />
 <figcaption>The Kansas City Chiefs defense stepped up in the second half, but the offense failed to execute and saw their playoff hopes dwindle more with a 20-10 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday Night Football/ File photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKEWhile there is still a chance, the lights are beginning to dim on the Kansas City Chiefs making an 11th consecutive trip to the playoffs after a series of miscues led to a 20-10 loss the Houston Texans on Sunday Night Football.&nbsp;Some odds have the Chiefs chances as low as 12% to make the playoffs, others are around 16%, but most are below the 20% chance mark.&nbsp; Despite the low odds, defensive tackle Chris Jones says they still have an opportunity, even if it is a slim opportunity"Still got an opportunity, and we've got to finish strong, no matter what we've got to finish strong to put ourself in a position to be able to get in the playoffs if that opportunity presents itself," Jones says during his postgame press conference.&nbsp; "So, for us the door is still open, it might be a 10% chance, it might be a 5% chance, but as long as we've got an opportunity and a chance, then we still can control that and finish strong and let the cards fall where they fall."Head Coach Andy Reid says the message to the team after the loss is that it's never over"You keep battling, I've been doing this a long time, seen some things, so you keep going," Reid says.The loss did end Kansas City's streak of nine consecutive AFC West titles, the second longest streak in NFL history.&nbsp; &nbsp;With a run of success close to ending, linebacker Nick Bolton says the team needs to respond to this loss by controlling the controllable.&nbsp;"We've got four weeks left, one week at a time, we need some help from other people but my mindset is put our best foot forward and take care of what we can control," Bolton says in the locker room.Leo Chenal echoes that sentiment, saying now it's all up to them."Message is go out and play top level football as best you can, with the best effort you can, at the highest level you can regardless," Chenal explains.&nbsp; "Whatever happens, we better be out there playing our hardest, especially now, it's not in our hands but we better be playing our hardest."The Chiefs fell behind 10-0 at the halftime break thanks to a 35 yard field goal by Ka'imi Fairbairn and a nine yard touchdown pass from CJ Stroud to Woody Marks.&nbsp; On the first play of the game, an already thin offensive line for Kansas City got thinner, as Wanya Morris exited the game with a knee injury.&nbsp; Also in the first quarter, cornerback Trent McDuffie suffered a knee injury that put him out of the game.&nbsp;Despite the injuries, and some miscues in the first half including an interception and a missed field goal, the Chiefs came back to tie the game in the third quarter.&nbsp; Kareem Hunt rushed in from two yards out on a 4th and 1 play to cut the lead to three early in the quarter, and then near the end of the frame Harrison Butker hit a 36 yard field goal to tie the game heading into the final quarter.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">KAREEM MUSCLES IT IN 💪<a href="https://twitter.com/Kareemhunt7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Kareemhunt7</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ProBowlVote?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ProBowlVote</a> <a href="https://t.co/t5eFX8Kees">pic.twitter.com/t5eFX8Kees</a>&mdash; Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1997866525181809078?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>But after a quarter of execution to tie the game, things fell apart in the fourth for Kansas City.&nbsp; Patrick Mahomes threw his second interception of the game early in the quarter, which did turn into a punt from Houston, but then a turnover on downs from the Chiefs gave the Texans the chance to score the go ahead touchdown on a five yard run by Dare Ogunbowale.&nbsp;&nbsp;Trailing by a touchdown, Kansas City turned the ball over on downs again, and Houston would end up punting the ball back, but again Mahomes threw an interception, the ball bouncing off the hands of Travis Kelce and into linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair.&nbsp; Fairbairn knocked through a 28 yard field goal to put the Texans up by two scores with 30 seconds remaining, and after three plays with no timeouts from the Chiefs, the game came to an end.&nbsp;Mahomes was 14-of-33 through the air for 160 yards with three interceptions, adding seven rushes for 59 yards.&nbsp; Hunt rushed 12 times for 30 yards and the score.&nbsp; Xavier Worthy had three catches for 59 yards, while Rashee Rice was the leading receiver with four catches for 34 yards.&nbsp;The Chiefs will host the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday in an AFC West battle with a lot on the line. A loss in that matchup, and their run to the AFC playoffs could come to an end.&nbsp; Kickoff will be at noon with an 11am pregame on Q Country (92.7FM).You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

Chiefs fail to execute and fall to Texans 20-10 making playoff hopes dwindle more

As promised, 14 of the best football teams from around the state of Missouri came to St. Joseph and put on seven great football games at Spratt Memorial Stadium at Missouri Western Stadium over the last three days.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The MSHSAA Show Me Bowl wrapped up on Saturday, with action from Classes 2, 4, and 6.&nbsp; The seven games over the three days of the event drew in several football fans from around the St. Joseph area, as well as several fans that followed their teams from all across the state, as far as the southwest part.&nbsp;

The action started on Thursday with the 8-man championship game between two teams from northwest Missouri, the Worth County Tigers and the Rock Port Blue Jays.&nbsp; A rematch of week one in the regular season, in which Rock Port won, Worth County came out on top 56-46, earning their first state title since 2017.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On Friday, the odd classes battled.&nbsp; Class 3 took the field first with the Seneca Indians and Lift for Life Academy Hawks.&nbsp; The Indians held the lead throughout a tough battle, earning a 33-26 win, and their first state title since 1995 in their third consecutive trip to the championship game.&nbsp; Northwest Missouri featured again in the second game of Friday, with the Putnam County Midgets taking on the Tipton Cardinals.&nbsp; The Cardinals held the Midgets scoreless in the second half on way to a 39-14 win, for their first state championship in their first ever trip to the state title game.

Friday wrapped up with what may have been the best game of the weekend, again featuring northwest Missouri as the Platte County Pirates faced the Carthage Tigers.&nbsp; The two teams battled, the Pirates leading 21-7 at one point, before going to halftime tied at 21, ending up needing overtime for a 34-28 win for Platte County.&nbsp; It was the Pirates second consecutive state title.&nbsp; Also in the game, senior and Northwest Missouri State commit Adam Gisler ran for a 98 yard touchdown, which is the longest in MSHSAA Show Me Bowl history.

Saturday opened with the Class 4 championship game between the Kearney Bulldogs and the Hannibal Pirates.&nbsp; The Bulldogs retook the lead midway through the fourth quarter, winning 21-14 to take home another championship, after last winning one in 2023.&nbsp; The Class 2 championship between the Blair Oaks Falcons and St. Pius X Lancers of Festus was controlled by the Falcons from the opening quarter, scoring 31 in the second quarter, on way to a 59-0 win for their second consecutive championship.&nbsp;

Closing out the championships was another classic, between the Lee's Summit Tigers and the Nixa Eagles.&nbsp; Nixa led 28-21 at the halftime break, and both teams battled back and forth through the second half before the Tigers came away with a 41-37 win, earning their first state title in the programs history.&nbsp; In the game, standout running back Preston Hatfield had 457 rushing yards with four touchdowns, far surpassing the record held by Kyren Williams set in 2018 of 298 yards.

By MATT PIKEAs promised, 14 of the best football teams from around the state of Missouri came to St. Joseph and put on seven great football games at Spratt Memorial Stadium at Missouri Western Stadium over the last three days.&nbsp;&nbsp;The MSHSAA Show Me Bowl wrapped up on Saturday, with action from Classes 2, 4, and 6.&nbsp; The seven games over the three days of the event drew in several football fans from around the St. Joseph area, as well as several fans that followed their teams from all across the state, as far as the southwest part.&nbsp;The action started on Thursday with the 8-man championship game between two teams from northwest Missouri, the Worth County Tigers and the Rock Port Blue Jays.&nbsp; A rematch of week one in the regular season, in which Rock Port won, Worth County came out on top 56-46, earning their first state title since 2017.&nbsp;&nbsp;On Friday, the odd classes battled.&nbsp; Class 3 took the field first with the Seneca Indians and Lift for Life Academy Hawks.&nbsp; The Indians held the lead throughout a tough battle, earning a 33-26 win, and their first state title since 1995 in their third consecutive trip to the championship game.&nbsp; Northwest Missouri featured again in the second game of Friday, with the Putnam County Midgets taking on the Tipton Cardinals.&nbsp; The Cardinals held the Midgets scoreless in the second half on way to a 39-14 win, for their first state championship in their first ever trip to the state title game.Friday wrapped up with what may have been the best game of the weekend, again featuring northwest Missouri as the Platte County Pirates faced the Carthage Tigers.&nbsp; The two teams battled, the Pirates leading 21-7 at one point, before going to halftime tied at 21, ending up needing overtime for a 34-28 win for Platte County.&nbsp; It was the Pirates second consecutive state title.&nbsp; Also in the game, senior and Northwest Missouri State commit Adam Gisler ran for a 98 yard touchdown, which is the longest in MSHSAA Show Me Bowl history.Saturday opened with the Class 4 championship game between the Kearney Bulldogs and the Hannibal Pirates.&nbsp; The Bulldogs retook the lead midway through the fourth quarter, winning 21-14 to take home another championship, after last winning one in 2023.&nbsp; The Class 2 championship between the Blair Oaks Falcons and St. Pius X Lancers of Festus was controlled by the Falcons from the opening quarter, scoring 31 in the second quarter, on way to a 59-0 win for their second consecutive championship.&nbsp;Closing out the championships was another classic, between the Lee's Summit Tigers and the Nixa Eagles.&nbsp; Nixa led 28-21 at the halftime break, and both teams battled back and forth through the second half before the Tigers came away with a 41-37 win, earning their first state title in the programs history.&nbsp; In the game, standout running back Preston Hatfield had 457 rushing yards with four touchdowns, far surpassing the record held by Kyren Williams set in 2018 of 298 yards.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

MSHSAA High School football championships wrap up in St. Joseph

Collin Klein called it a "Dream Come True" as he was introduced to a cheering crowd as the new head football coach at Kansas State University on Friday.

Klein spoke in front of an audience at the Morgan Family Arena on the K-State campus. He praised the Kansas State football competitive spirit, touched on the physicality of the game., the need for resilience to adversity and steps necessary to excel. He was presented with a&nbsp; jersey bearing the number 7.

Klein pledged that K-State will be aggressive in moving the program forward, will play hard and with a schematic advantage.&nbsp; "I love challenges" and noted that&nbsp; he wants to take the program where it hasn't been before."

Collin Klein recruited many of the Wildcat players during an earlier stint as the offensive coordinator at Kansas State. He succeeds Chris Kleiman, who is retiring after seven years as the head coach.&nbsp;

Klein is the 36th head football coach in KSU history. He returns to Kansas State after two years as the offensive coordinator for Texas A&amp;M, and will continue to also serve in that capacity for the Aggies during the upcoming college football playoffs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764990688574.png" alt="Photo K-State Athletic" />
 <figcaption>Photo K-State Athletic</figcaption>
 </figure>Collin Klein called it a "Dream Come True" as he was introduced to a cheering crowd as the new head football coach at Kansas State University on Friday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Introducing the 36th head coach in program history, <a href="https://twitter.com/CK_KleinCollin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CK_KleinCollin</a> <a href="https://t.co/na02g1Oi6T">pic.twitter.com/na02g1Oi6T</a>&mdash; K-State Football (@KStateFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/KStateFB/status/1997099888291545307?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Klein spoke in front of an audience at the Morgan Family Arena on the K-State campus. He praised the Kansas State football competitive spirit, touched on the physicality of the game., the need for resilience to adversity and steps necessary to excel. He was presented with a&nbsp; jersey bearing the number 7.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Family first <a href="https://t.co/nqPrmp7bob">pic.twitter.com/nqPrmp7bob</a>&mdash; K-State Football (@KStateFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/KStateFB/status/1997042597248839970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Klein pledged that K-State will be aggressive in moving the program forward, will play hard and with a schematic advantage.&nbsp; "I love challenges" and noted that&nbsp; he wants to take the program where it hasn't been before."Collin Klein recruited many of the Wildcat players during an earlier stint as the offensive coordinator at Kansas State. He succeeds Chris Kleiman, who is retiring after seven years as the head coach.&nbsp;Klein is the 36th head football coach in KSU history. He returns to Kansas State after two years as the offensive coordinator for Texas A&amp;M, and will continue to also serve in that capacity for the Aggies during the upcoming college football playoffs.

🏈 Collin Klein introduced as the new K-State head football coach

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– One of the greatest players in school history will return to lead the Wildcats on the sidelines, as Collin Klein has been named the next head football coach at Kansas State, athletics director&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff-directory/gene-taylor/1">Gene Taylor</a>&nbsp;announced Thursday.

A 2012 Heisman Trophy finalist and member of K-State Football's Ring of Honor, Klein is now in his 12th year in coaching, nine of which have come at K-State.

Klein will be introduced to the public Friday in a welcome event at Morgan Family Arena. Doors open at 3 p.m., with the ceremony beginning at 4 p.m. It will also be streamed live on ESPN+."We are excited to welcome one of our all-time greats back home to Manhattan," Taylor said.

"Collin is a tremendous leader who cares deeply about his players. The grit, toughness and aggression he displayed as a player still fuels him today as a coach, and he is determined to carry on the tremendous success this program has achieved.

As we know, college football has changed, and I am confident that Collin is ready to embrace this new model while maintaining the culture that we know as K-State Football.

Welcome home, Collin, Shalin, Beric, Rhett, Trek and Briar."

Klein, the 36th head football coach in school history, has agreed to a five-year contract with an average base salary of $4.3 million to lead his alma mater.

He served as K-State's offensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023 and currently serves as the offensive coordinator at Texas A&amp;M, a role that he will continue in during the Aggies' postseason run."My family and I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to come home," Klein said.

"Thank you to President Linton and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff-directory/gene-taylor/1">Gene Taylor</a>&nbsp;for believing in us to lead the Cats into a new era. The position of Head Coach at Kansas State has a long legacy of service, hard work, determination, and competitive greatness that I am honored to carry forward.

This is Family business, and we cannot wait to get to work!

"The first K-State alum to serve as head football coach since Ellis Rainsberger from 1975-77,&nbsp; Klein helped the Wildcats to 51 wins and five bowl appearances during his tenure as a full-time assistant coach.

He helped guide Kansas State to a 19-8 mark and a Big 12 Championship during his two-year run as offensive coordinator.His first full season as K-State offensive coordinator in 2022 was a success as he led an offense that ranked in the top 10 in school history in 11 categories, including ranking second in offensive yards (5,863) and plays (958), fourth in rushing yards (2,916) and fifth in yards per game (418.8).

The Wildcats finished the 2022 season with 421.6 total yards per game – their most since 2014 – while their 32.3 points per game were the most by the squad since 2017. K-State improved its production in Klein's second season at the offensive controls, as its 37.1 points per game ranked 10th nationally and sixth in school history, while it was the highest average by a K-State team since Klein's senior season of 2012 (38.9 points per game).

Kansas State produced 445.2 total yards per game in 2023 to rank second in school history.In Klein's offense, running back Deuce Vaughn became the second player in school history to twice earn Consensus All-America honors, while Cooper Beebe became the first offensive lineman in school history to earn Consensus All-America honors.

Prior to serving as K-State's offensive coordinator, Klein was the Wildcats' quarterbacks coach in 2017, 2019 and 2021, while he was a co-offensive coordinator in 2018.

He earned his first full-time coaching position tutoring the quarterbacks at Northern Iowa in 2016, which was just a year hiatus from Manhattan as he worked as an assistant director of recruiting and defensive quality control coach for the Wildcats in 2014 and an offensive graduate assistant in 2015.

The 2012 Johnny Unitas Award winner, Klein finished his K-State career ranking in the school's top 10 in 34 different game, season and career record categories. He was the first quarterback from a Power 5 school since 1998 to rush for at least 20 touchdowns and pass for 10 scores in consecutive seasons by doing so in 2011 and 2012.

Klein led the Wildcats to a combined 21-5 record as the starting quarterback in 2011 and 2012, which culminated with a No. 1 national ranking, Big 12 Championship and Fiesta Bowl berth in 2012.

Serving as the offensive coordinator at Texas A&amp;M the last two seasons, Klein has helped the Aggies to an 11-1 record this season and a possible berth into the College Football Playoff, which will be announced on Sunday.

This season, Texas A&amp;M holds an 11-1 record as the Aggies rank in the top 30 nationally in scoring offense (16th; 36.3 points per game), total offense (20th; 454.4 yards per game), rushing offense (26th; 192.7 yards per game), passing offense (32nd; 261.8 yards per game), tackles for loss allowed (1st; 2.83 per game), fourth down percentage (2nd; 75.0%), sacks allowed (11th; 1.00 per game), passing yards per completion (11th; 14.09), time of possession (15th; 32:24) and first downs (29th; 272).

Texas A&amp;M has hit the 400-yard mark in total offense 10 times in 12 games thus far in 2025.A 2025 Broyles Award Semifinalist, Klein has guided Aggie quarterback Marcel Reed to top-15 individual marks this season in passing yards per completion (7th; 14.03), points responsible for (13th; 186) and passing touchdowns (14th; 25).

In his first season at Texas A&amp;M in 2024, Klein helped guide the Aggies to a 5-0 start in SEC play, marking the program's best start in SEC action and its best conference start since 1998. Texas A&amp;M boasted the No. 2 rushing offense in the SEC, ranking 26th nationally (195.5 yards per game), and the offensive line ranked 10th in the country by allowing just 51.0 tackles for loss on the year.

Klein obtained his undergraduate degree from K-State in December 2011 in business financial services and controllership, while he received his master's degree in academic advising in December 2019. He is married to the former Shalin Spani, a former Wildcat women's basketball player. The couple has three sons, Beric, Rhett and Trek, and one daughter, Briar.

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Believe it, Coach <a href="https://t.co/MpF2E7zSOc">pic.twitter.com/MpF2E7zSOc</a>&mdash; K-State Football (@KStateFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/KStateFB/status/1997000680867836339?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Back like he never left <a href="https://t.co/cB2e91xezJ">pic.twitter.com/cB2e91xezJ</a>&mdash; K-State Football (@KStateFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/KStateFB/status/1996990122017825082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">A message from <a href="https://twitter.com/CK_KleinCollin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CK_KleinCollin</a> <a href="https://t.co/ef3FwC2pES">pic.twitter.com/ef3FwC2pES</a>&mdash; K-State Football (@KStateFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/KStateFB/status/1996779764246630534?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– One of the greatest players in school history will return to lead the Wildcats on the sidelines, as Collin Klein has been named the next head football coach at Kansas State, athletics director&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff-directory/gene-taylor/1">Gene Taylor</a>&nbsp;announced Thursday.A 2012 Heisman Trophy finalist and member of K-State Football's Ring of Honor, Klein is now in his 12th year in coaching, nine of which have come at K-State.Klein will be introduced to the public Friday in a welcome event at Morgan Family Arena. Doors open at 3 p.m., with the ceremony beginning at 4 p.m. It will also be streamed live on ESPN+."We are excited to welcome one of our all-time greats back home to Manhattan," Taylor said."Collin is a tremendous leader who cares deeply about his players. The grit, toughness and aggression he displayed as a player still fuels him today as a coach, and he is determined to carry on the tremendous success this program has achieved.As we know, college football has changed, and I am confident that Collin is ready to embrace this new model while maintaining the culture that we know as K-State Football.Welcome home, Collin, Shalin, Beric, Rhett, Trek and Briar."Klein, the 36th head football coach in school history, has agreed to a five-year contract with an average base salary of $4.3 million to lead his alma mater.He served as K-State's offensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023 and currently serves as the offensive coordinator at Texas A&amp;M, a role that he will continue in during the Aggies' postseason run."My family and I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to come home," Klein said."Thank you to President Linton and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff-directory/gene-taylor/1">Gene Taylor</a>&nbsp;for believing in us to lead the Cats into a new era. The position of Head Coach at Kansas State has a long legacy of service, hard work, determination, and competitive greatness that I am honored to carry forward.This is Family business, and we cannot wait to get to work!"The first K-State alum to serve as head football coach since Ellis Rainsberger from 1975-77,&nbsp; Klein helped the Wildcats to 51 wins and five bowl appearances during his tenure as a full-time assistant coach.He helped guide Kansas State to a 19-8 mark and a Big 12 Championship during his two-year run as offensive coordinator.His first full season as K-State offensive coordinator in 2022 was a success as he led an offense that ranked in the top 10 in school history in 11 categories, including ranking second in offensive yards (5,863) and plays (958), fourth in rushing yards (2,916) and fifth in yards per game (418.8).The Wildcats finished the 2022 season with 421.6 total yards per game – their most since 2014 – while their 32.3 points per game were the most by the squad since 2017. K-State improved its production in Klein's second season at the offensive controls, as its 37.1 points per game ranked 10th nationally and sixth in school history, while it was the highest average by a K-State team since Klein's senior season of 2012 (38.9 points per game).Kansas State produced 445.2 total yards per game in 2023 to rank second in school history.In Klein's offense, running back Deuce Vaughn became the second player in school history to twice earn Consensus All-America honors, while Cooper Beebe became the first offensive lineman in school history to earn Consensus All-America honors.Prior to serving as K-State's offensive coordinator, Klein was the Wildcats' quarterbacks coach in 2017, 2019 and 2021, while he was a co-offensive coordinator in 2018.He earned his first full-time coaching position tutoring the quarterbacks at Northern Iowa in 2016, which was just a year hiatus from Manhattan as he worked as an assistant director of recruiting and defensive quality control coach for the Wildcats in 2014 and an offensive graduate assistant in 2015.The 2012 Johnny Unitas Award winner, Klein finished his K-State career ranking in the school's top 10 in 34 different game, season and career record categories. He was the first quarterback from a Power 5 school since 1998 to rush for at least 20 touchdowns and pass for 10 scores in consecutive seasons by doing so in 2011 and 2012.Klein led the Wildcats to a combined 21-5 record as the starting quarterback in 2011 and 2012, which culminated with a No. 1 national ranking, Big 12 Championship and Fiesta Bowl berth in 2012.Serving as the offensive coordinator at Texas A&amp;M the last two seasons, Klein has helped the Aggies to an 11-1 record this season and a possible berth into the College Football Playoff, which will be announced on Sunday.This season, Texas A&amp;M holds an 11-1 record as the Aggies rank in the top 30 nationally in scoring offense (16th; 36.3 points per game), total offense (20th; 454.4 yards per game), rushing offense (26th; 192.7 yards per game), passing offense (32nd; 261.8 yards per game), tackles for loss allowed (1st; 2.83 per game), fourth down percentage (2nd; 75.0%), sacks allowed (11th; 1.00 per game), passing yards per completion (11th; 14.09), time of possession (15th; 32:24) and first downs (29th; 272).Texas A&amp;M has hit the 400-yard mark in total offense 10 times in 12 games thus far in 2025.A 2025 Broyles Award Semifinalist, Klein has guided Aggie quarterback Marcel Reed to top-15 individual marks this season in passing yards per completion (7th; 14.03), points responsible for (13th; 186) and passing touchdowns (14th; 25).In his first season at Texas A&amp;M in 2024, Klein helped guide the Aggies to a 5-0 start in SEC play, marking the program's best start in SEC action and its best conference start since 1998. Texas A&amp;M boasted the No. 2 rushing offense in the SEC, ranking 26th nationally (195.5 yards per game), and the offensive line ranked 10th in the country by allowing just 51.0 tackles for loss on the year.Klein obtained his undergraduate degree from K-State in December 2011 in business financial services and controllership, while he received his master's degree in academic advising in December 2019. He is married to the former Shalin Spani, a former Wildcat women's basketball player. The couple has three sons, Beric, Rhett and Trek, and one daughter, Briar.

Back like he never left: Colin Klein and family arrive in Manhattan 

Redemption.  That's a word to highlight Worth County's 56-46 win over the Rock Port Blue Jays in the 8-man championship game at Spratt Stadium. 

The Tigers redeemed not only a week one loss to the Blue Jays, but also redeemed for a group of six seniors and 11 juniors, a heartreaking loss in the 2023 championship game. 

Head Coach Jon Adwell credits his group for being gritty, and says it feels good to win this after being so close the last four years

"They've been right on the cusp of being able to break through to get this, and they want it, they want it and they want it bad, and it's good to be on the other side isn't it Bo?" Adwell says during the postgame press conference, joking with Junior tight end Bo Collins.&nbsp;

Senior Lucas Frisch, who was a sophomore the last time Worth County competed for a championship, says winning this means everything

"To work since fourth grade, work your butt off, try your hardest, and finally get it done especially on your last game, it means a lot," Frisch says.

Collins, a freshman on that same team. shared the sentiment after the Tigers lost the championship on costly mistakes, which Collins says was heartbreaking for him and the team.

"I think that was represented, and man I think you've seen how hard we worked after having lost that state game, and we got another chance and we got it done this time," Collins says.

The state championship is the first since 2017 for Worth County and the eighth in program history, tying them for the most in 8-man football with Mound City.

The game started off the weekend of state championships in St. Joseph at Spratt Stadium with a bang.&nbsp; After a turnover on downs to start the game by Worth County, Rock Port scored the opening touchdown on a one yard run by Brock Holmes.&nbsp; The Tigers answered immediately though, Frisch rushing for a 14 yard touchdown, and quarterback Hayden Sanders converting the two point try to put Worth County ahead 8-6.&nbsp;

The Tigers held that lead into the second quarter, but the Blue Jays took the lead back early in the frame as Jack Meyerkorth rushed for an eight yard score.&nbsp; Worth County answered with a drive that took nearly five minutes, Sanders connecting with Caleb New for a touchdown, but failing the two point conversion.&nbsp; It looked like the Tigers would take a lead into halftime, but Meyerkorth hauled in a pass on the right sideline, cut all the way across the field, and with no time remaining scored, with Holmes converting the two point try, for a 20-14 Rock Port lead at halftime.

Then came a wild third quarter.&nbsp; After a miskick, the Blue Jays started the second half in Worth County territory.&nbsp; Rock Port took a two possession lead as Meyerkorth leaped over his defender to bring in a 29 yard touchdown, Holmes again converting the two point try.&nbsp; One play after the ensuing kickoff, Jude Archer made it a one possession game running for a 59 yard touchdown for Worth Countym converting the two point pass to New.&nbsp; 

An apparent missed fumble, turned into a 42 yard touchdown run from Holmes for Rock Port, the two point conversion failed.&nbsp; But again, one play after the kickoff, Archer broke free through the middle, this time for a 53 yard touchdown run, this time Sanders pass to New on the two point try falling incomplete.&nbsp; Holmes found the endzone one more time in the quarter, on a three yard run, again failing the two point try, again the score was answered by the Tigers, Frisch scoring on a five yard run.&nbsp; The Tigers took the lead to end the quarter, Brayden Stevens scoring in one play on a 16 yard run, with the two point pass to Collins good, for a 42-40 lead.&nbsp;

After the 48 point third quarter, the fourth was a little more tame, starting first with Worth County extending the lead to two possessions for the first time in their favor, a two yard run by Archer, converting the two point pass to Frisch.&nbsp; The Blue Jays cut back into the lead to stay close Holmes scoring on an 18 yard run, the two point pass good to Jadyn Geib.&nbsp; Late in the quarter though, after a 10 play drive that used just over four minutes, Sanders threw a touchdown to New for the 56-46 lead.&nbsp;&nbsp;

At the end of the game, with Rock Port needing to score to stay in striking distance, the kickoff by Frisch would be recovered by Archer at the Rock Port 20 yard line.&nbsp; Sanders knelt out the remaining time and the Tigers celebrated with big hugs from Adwell.

For Worth County, Sanders was an efficient 6 of 6 passing for 107 yards with two touchdowns.&nbsp; Archer ran 13 times for 152 yards with three scores, while Sanders ran 17 times for 56 yards. New had three catches for 40 yards and the two touchdowns.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On the other side for Rock Port, Westyn Amthor was 8 of 10 for 120 yards with two touchdowns.&nbsp; Holmes ran 36 times for 165 yards with four touchdowns, bringing his season total to 2,943 yards with 61 touchdowns.&nbsp; Meyerkorth hauled in every pass, with nine catches for 124 yards and two scores.

Both teams finish the season with a 13-1 record.&nbsp; Rock Port graduates four seniors, while Worth County graduates six.&nbsp; They meet again in week one of the 2026 season at Rock Port on August 28th.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764918496147.jpeg" alt="Seniors Brayden Stevens (20),&nbsp;Sawyer Thurman (11),&nbsp;Lucas Frisch (21), and&nbsp;Brayden Murphy celebrate after Worth County defeated Rock Port 56-46 for the Tigers first state title since 2017/ Photo courtesy of Clifton Grooms" />
 <figcaption>Seniors Brayden Stevens (20),&nbsp;Sawyer Thurman (11),&nbsp;Lucas Frisch (21), and&nbsp;Brayden Murphy celebrate after Worth County defeated Rock Port 56-46 for the Tigers first state title since 2017/ Photo courtesy of Clifton Grooms</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKERedemption. That's a word to highlight Worth County's 56-46 win over the Rock Port Blue Jays in the 8-man championship game at Spratt Stadium. The Tigers redeemed not only a week one loss to the Blue Jays, but also redeemed for a group of six seniors and 11 juniors, a heartreaking loss in the 2023 championship game. Head Coach Jon Adwell credits his group for being gritty, and says it feels good to win this after being so close the last four years"They've been right on the cusp of being able to break through to get this, and they want it, they want it and they want it bad, and it's good to be on the other side isn't it Bo?" Adwell says during the postgame press conference, joking with Junior tight end Bo Collins.&nbsp;"That's right," Collins adds.Senior Lucas Frisch, who was a sophomore the last time Worth County competed for a championship, says winning this means everything"To work since fourth grade, work your butt off, try your hardest, and finally get it done especially on your last game, it means a lot," Frisch says.Collins, a freshman on that same team. shared the sentiment after the Tigers lost the championship on costly mistakes, which Collins says was heartbreaking for him and the team."I think that was represented, and man I think you've seen how hard we worked after having lost that state game, and we got another chance and we got it done this time," Collins says.The state championship is the first since 2017 for Worth County and the eighth in program history, tying them for the most in 8-man football with Mound City.The game started off the weekend of state championships in St. Joseph at Spratt Stadium with a bang.&nbsp; After a turnover on downs to start the game by Worth County, Rock Port scored the opening touchdown on a one yard run by Brock Holmes.&nbsp; The Tigers answered immediately though, Frisch rushing for a 14 yard touchdown, and quarterback Hayden Sanders converting the two point try to put Worth County ahead 8-6.&nbsp;The Tigers held that lead into the second quarter, but the Blue Jays took the lead back early in the frame as Jack Meyerkorth rushed for an eight yard score.&nbsp; Worth County answered with a drive that took nearly five minutes, Sanders connecting with Caleb New for a touchdown, but failing the two point conversion.&nbsp; It looked like the Tigers would take a lead into halftime, but Meyerkorth hauled in a pass on the right sideline, cut all the way across the field, and with no time remaining scored, with Holmes converting the two point try, for a 20-14 Rock Port lead at halftime.Then came a wild third quarter.&nbsp; After a miskick, the Blue Jays started the second half in Worth County territory.&nbsp; Rock Port took a two possession lead as Meyerkorth leaped over his defender to bring in a 29 yard touchdown, Holmes again converting the two point try.&nbsp; One play after the ensuing kickoff, Jude Archer made it a one possession game running for a 59 yard touchdown for Worth Countym converting the two point pass to New.&nbsp; An apparent missed fumble, turned into a 42 yard touchdown run from Holmes for Rock Port, the two point conversion failed.&nbsp; But again, one play after the kickoff, Archer broke free through the middle, this time for a 53 yard touchdown run, this time Sanders pass to New on the two point try falling incomplete.&nbsp; Holmes found the endzone one more time in the quarter, on a three yard run, again failing the two point try, again the score was answered by the Tigers, Frisch scoring on a five yard run.&nbsp; The Tigers took the lead to end the quarter, Brayden Stevens scoring in one play on a 16 yard run, with the two point pass to Collins good, for a 42-40 lead.&nbsp;After the 48 point third quarter, the fourth was a little more tame, starting first with Worth County extending the lead to two possessions for the first time in their favor, a two yard run by Archer, converting the two point pass to Frisch.&nbsp; The Blue Jays cut back into the lead to stay close Holmes scoring on an 18 yard run, the two point pass good to Jadyn Geib.&nbsp; Late in the quarter though, after a 10 play drive that used just over four minutes, Sanders threw a touchdown to New for the 56-46 lead.&nbsp;&nbsp;At the end of the game, with Rock Port needing to score to stay in striking distance, the kickoff by Frisch would be recovered by Archer at the Rock Port 20 yard line.&nbsp; Sanders knelt out the remaining time and the Tigers celebrated with big hugs from Adwell.For Worth County, Sanders was an efficient 6 of 6 passing for 107 yards with two touchdowns.&nbsp; Archer ran 13 times for 152 yards with three scores, while Sanders ran 17 times for 56 yards. New had three catches for 40 yards and the two touchdowns.&nbsp;&nbsp;On the other side for Rock Port, Westyn Amthor was 8 of 10 for 120 yards with two touchdowns.&nbsp; Holmes ran 36 times for 165 yards with four touchdowns, bringing his season total to 2,943 yards with 61 touchdowns.&nbsp; Meyerkorth hauled in every pass, with nine catches for 124 yards and two scores.Both teams finish the season with a 13-1 record.&nbsp; Rock Port graduates four seniors, while Worth County graduates six.&nbsp; They meet again in week one of the 2026 season at Rock Port on August 28th.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

Worth County gets redemption to bring home first state title since 2017

A 2012 Heisman Trophy finalist and member of K-State Football's Ring of Honor, Klein is now in his 12th year in coaching, nine of which have come at K-State. 

Klein will be introduced to the public Friday in a welcome event at Morgan Family Arena. Doors open at 3 p.m., with the ceremony beginning at 4 p.m. It will also be streamed live on ESPN+."We are excited to welcome one of our all-time greats back home to Manhattan," Taylor said. 

"Collin is a tremendous leader who cares deeply about his players. The grit, toughness and aggression he displayed as a player still fuels him today as a coach, and he is determined to carry on the tremendous success this program has achieved. 

As we know, college football has changed, and I am confident that Collin is ready to embrace this new model while maintaining the culture that we know as K-State Football. 

Klein, the 36th head football coach in school history, has agreed to a five-year contract with an average base salary of $4.3 million to lead his alma mater. 

He served as K-State's offensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023 and currently serves as the offensive coordinator at Texas A&amp;M, a role that he will continue in during the Aggies' postseason run."My family and I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to come home," Klein said. 

"Thank you to President Linton and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff-directory/gene-taylor/1">Gene Taylor</a>&nbsp;for believing in us to lead the Cats into a new era. The position of Head Coach at Kansas State has a long legacy of service, hard work, determination, and competitive greatness that I am honored to carry forward.

"The first K-State alum to serve as head football coach since Ellis Rainsberger from 1975-77,&nbsp; Klein helped the Wildcats to 51 wins and five bowl appearances during his tenure as a full-time assistant coach. 

The Wildcats finished the 2022 season with 421.6 total yards per game – their most since 2014 – while their 32.3 points per game were the most by the squad since 2017. K-State improved its production in Klein's second season at the offensive controls, as its 37.1 points per game ranked 10th nationally and sixth in school history, while it was the highest average by a K-State team since Klein's senior season of 2012 (38.9 points per game). 

Prior to serving as K-State's offensive coordinator, Klein was the Wildcats' quarterbacks coach in 2017, 2019 and 2021, while he was a co-offensive coordinator in 2018. 

Serving as the offensive coordinator at Texas A&amp;M the last two seasons, Klein has helped the Aggies to an 11-1 record this season and a possible berth into the College Football Playoff, which will be announced on Sunday. 

This season, Texas A&amp;M holds an 11-1 record as the Aggies rank in the top 30 nationally in scoring offense (16th; 36.3 points per game), total offense (20th; 454.4 yards per game), rushing offense (26th; 192.7 yards per game), passing offense (32nd; 261.8 yards per game), tackles for loss allowed (1st; 2.83 per game), fourth down percentage (2nd; 75.0%), sacks allowed (11th; 1.00 per game), passing yards per completion (11th; 14.09), time of possession (15th; 32:24) and first downs (29th; 272). 

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Got our guy. <a href="https://t.co/noyv4A8z7B">pic.twitter.com/noyv4A8z7B</a>&mdash; K-State Football (@KStateFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/KStateFB/status/1996758932828967155?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– One of the greatest players in school history will return to lead the Wildcats on the sidelines, as Collin Klein has been named the next head football coach at Kansas State, athletics director&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff-directory/gene-taylor/1">Gene Taylor</a>&nbsp;announced Thursday.A 2012 Heisman Trophy finalist and member of K-State Football's Ring of Honor, Klein is now in his 12th year in coaching, nine of which have come at K-State. Klein will be introduced to the public Friday in a welcome event at Morgan Family Arena. Doors open at 3 p.m., with the ceremony beginning at 4 p.m. It will also be streamed live on ESPN+."We are excited to welcome one of our all-time greats back home to Manhattan," Taylor said. "Collin is a tremendous leader who cares deeply about his players. The grit, toughness and aggression he displayed as a player still fuels him today as a coach, and he is determined to carry on the tremendous success this program has achieved. As we know, college football has changed, and I am confident that Collin is ready to embrace this new model while maintaining the culture that we know as K-State Football. Welcome home, Collin, Shalin, Beric, Rhett, Trek and Briar."Klein, the 36th head football coach in school history, has agreed to a five-year contract with an average base salary of $4.3 million to lead his alma mater. He served as K-State's offensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023 and currently serves as the offensive coordinator at Texas A&amp;M, a role that he will continue in during the Aggies' postseason run."My family and I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to come home," Klein said. "Thank you to President Linton and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff-directory/gene-taylor/1">Gene Taylor</a>&nbsp;for believing in us to lead the Cats into a new era. The position of Head Coach at Kansas State has a long legacy of service, hard work, determination, and competitive greatness that I am honored to carry forward. This is Family business, and we cannot wait to get to work!"The first K-State alum to serve as head football coach since Ellis Rainsberger from 1975-77,&nbsp; Klein helped the Wildcats to 51 wins and five bowl appearances during his tenure as a full-time assistant coach. He helped guide Kansas State to a 19-8 mark and a Big 12 Championship during his two-year run as offensive coordinator.His first full season as K-State offensive coordinator in 2022 was a success as he led an offense that ranked in the top 10 in school history in 11 categories, including ranking second in offensive yards (5,863) and plays (958), fourth in rushing yards (2,916) and fifth in yards per game (418.8).The Wildcats finished the 2022 season with 421.6 total yards per game – their most since 2014 – while their 32.3 points per game were the most by the squad since 2017. K-State improved its production in Klein's second season at the offensive controls, as its 37.1 points per game ranked 10th nationally and sixth in school history, while it was the highest average by a K-State team since Klein's senior season of 2012 (38.9 points per game). Kansas State produced 445.2 total yards per game in 2023 to rank second in school history.In Klein's offense, running back Deuce Vaughn became the second player in school history to twice earn Consensus All-America honors, while Cooper Beebe became the first offensive lineman in school history to earn Consensus All-America honors.Prior to serving as K-State's offensive coordinator, Klein was the Wildcats' quarterbacks coach in 2017, 2019 and 2021, while he was a co-offensive coordinator in 2018. He earned his first full-time coaching position tutoring the quarterbacks at Northern Iowa in 2016, which was just a year hiatus from Manhattan as he worked as an assistant director of recruiting and defensive quality control coach for the Wildcats in 2014 and an offensive graduate assistant in 2015.The 2012 Johnny Unitas Award winner, Klein finished his K-State career ranking in the school's top 10 in 34 different game, season and career record categories. He was the first quarterback from a Power 5 school since 1998 to rush for at least 20 touchdowns and pass for 10 scores in consecutive seasons by doing so in 2011 and 2012.Klein led the Wildcats to a combined 21-5 record as the starting quarterback in 2011 and 2012, which culminated with a No. 1 national ranking, Big 12 Championship and Fiesta Bowl berth in 2012.Serving as the offensive coordinator at Texas A&amp;M the last two seasons, Klein has helped the Aggies to an 11-1 record this season and a possible berth into the College Football Playoff, which will be announced on Sunday. This season, Texas A&amp;M holds an 11-1 record as the Aggies rank in the top 30 nationally in scoring offense (16th; 36.3 points per game), total offense (20th; 454.4 yards per game), rushing offense (26th; 192.7 yards per game), passing offense (32nd; 261.8 yards per game), tackles for loss allowed (1st; 2.83 per game), fourth down percentage (2nd; 75.0%), sacks allowed (11th; 1.00 per game), passing yards per completion (11th; 14.09), time of possession (15th; 32:24) and first downs (29th; 272). Texas A&amp;M has hit the 400-yard mark in total offense 10 times in 12 games thus far in 2025.A 2025 Broyles Award Semifinalist, Klein has guided Aggie quarterback Marcel Reed to top-15 individual marks this season in passing yards per completion (7th; 14.03), points responsible for (13th; 186) and passing touchdowns (14th; 25).In his first season at Texas A&amp;M in 2024, Klein helped guide the Aggies to a 5-0 start in SEC play, marking the program's best start in SEC action and its best conference start since 1998. Texas A&amp;M boasted the No. 2 rushing offense in the SEC, ranking 26th nationally (195.5 yards per game), and the offensive line ranked 10th in the country by allowing just 51.0 tackles for loss on the year.Klein obtained his undergraduate degree from K-State in December 2011 in business financial services and controllership, while he received his master's degree in academic advising in December 2019. He is married to the former Shalin Spani, a former Wildcat women's basketball player. The couple has three sons, Beric, Rhett and Trek, and one daughter, Briar.

K-State confirms return of Colin Klein as head coach of the 'Cats

Join us live from Missouri Western State University at Spratt Memorial Stadium as the Rock Port Blue Jays take on the Worth County Tigers in an 8-man championship matchup.&nbsp;

The matchup features two premiere teams from northwest Missouri, with Rock Port coming in undefeated at 13-0, champions of the 275 Conference, and Worth County at 12-1, champions of the GRC with their only loss coming to Rock Port in week one of the regular season.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Matt Pike and Nathan Stuedle will have the call from Spratt Stadium.&nbsp; Kickoff is at 7pm.&nbsp; Our pregame will begin at 6 pm.

By MATT PIKEJoin us live from Missouri Western State University at Spratt Memorial Stadium as the Rock Port Blue Jays take on the Worth County Tigers in an 8-man championship matchup.&nbsp;The matchup features two premiere teams from northwest Missouri, with Rock Port coming in undefeated at 13-0, champions of the 275 Conference, and Worth County at 12-1, champions of the GRC with their only loss coming to Rock Port in week one of the regular season.&nbsp;&nbsp;Matt Pike and Nathan Stuedle will have the call from Spratt Stadium.&nbsp; Kickoff is at 7pm.&nbsp; Our pregame will begin at 6 pm.<div><iframe src="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/SJPOST" width="100%" height="400" style="border:1px solid black;">
</iframe></div>

LIVE: Rock Port takes on Worth County in 8-man High School championship

By Anthony Gorges JC/Little Apple Post

Kansas State Athletics announced on Wednesday that head football coach Chris Klieman was retiring. Klieman, who has spent seven years with the school and is 58 years old, stated that for the first time, he’s putting his family first and looks forward to spending more time with them moving forward. K-State held a press conference at the Vanier Family Football Complex on Wednesday afternoon where Klieman and Athletics Director Gene Taylor spoke about Klieman’s decision.

A full room of media and K-State staff gave Coach Klieman a round of applause as he made his way to the podium. Klieman began his press conference by thanking everyone for being there. “It just goes to show me that the good guys win,” Kansas State head football coach Chris Klieman said. “Doing things the right way, doing it with class and doing it with integrity is the right way. Guys, that’s the K-State way.”

Klieman said despite it being an emotional day, “I am at peace.” He noted that colleagues, former players, and parents of current players reached out to him and congratulated him and his wife, Rhonda. Klieman stated one of the reasons he was in the business of coaching was to have that kind of impact.

Chris Klieman previously served as head coach at North Dakota State before coming to Kansas State to lead the Wildcats. He held many other coaching positions after spending more than thirty years as a coach. “I am one of the lucky ones,” Klieman said. He pointed out that he spent fifteen years at his last two stops and noted that is very rare in the coaching profession. Current Kansas State Athletic Director (AD) Gene Taylor previously served as AD at North Dakota State and was the one who hired Klieman to be a head coach at both schools. Klieman expressed his thanks and gratitude to Taylor at the press conference.

Speaking about his twelve years as a head coach (five at NDSU and seven at K-State), Klieman said, “I am damn proud of the body of work that all of us put together.” He stated that he was up for the challenge of following in the footsteps of legendary K-State coach Bill Snyder, and said, “I think we did a pretty damn good job here.” Klieman closed out the press conference by thanking everyone “for allowing the Kliemans to come into Manhattan and build something here.” As Klieman left the press conference, he and Director of Athletics Gene Taylor shared a hug.

*Highlights for Klieman at K-State include winning the 2022 Big 12 Championship, winning eight or more games for four straight years, and qualifying for a bowl game in six out of seven years. (The only year KSU did not make a bowl game was during the 2020 COVID season.)

K-State Athletic Director Gene Taylor spoke after Klieman officially announced his retirement. Taylor was passionate that changes need to be made in the current era of college athletics. Taylor, a very close friend of Klieman, was very emotional when speaking to the media. “You just saw one of the greatest guys in this industry walk out of this room and retire from coaching, from the business that he loves,” Taylor said. He continued, “What really pisses me off is he is doing it because of where we are in this industry.” Taylor is referring to the new era of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) and the transfer portal, among other issues as well. “If we don’t get this thing fixed, and I am a part of that, as is every other AD in the country and conference commissioners, more really, really good guys like Chris Klieman are going to walk away from this business.”

When asked about the timeline of events and when he knew Klieman would retire, Gene Taylor said they met on Monday, where Klieman expressed he needed a few days to think about what he wanted to do. Taylor admitted he was somewhat caught off guard by the retirement talks because he thought they were meeting to discuss the bowl game and potential coaching/staffing changes.

Klieman told Taylor Wednesday morning he was going to retire, and Taylor admitted he had been emotional all day since their discussion. When asked about if Klieman would coach the bowl game, he said it is still being determined. He said he plans to meet with the players on Thursday and discuss it.

As for the rumors and speculation about a new head coach being named, Gene Taylor said at the press conference that he had not had any conversations prior to that moment. He said with the current landscape, the process will certainly move fast, but he wanted to wait and be respectful to Coach Klieman and let him announce his retirement before anything was officially done.

Lastly, Gene Taylor was very complimentary of Klieman’s seven-year run leading the Wildcats and thanked him for what he gave to the Kansas State program.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764815483798.jpeg" alt="Chris Klieman officially announcing his retirement at a press conference on Wednesday in the Vanier Family Football Complex.-photo photo" />
 <figcaption>Chris Klieman officially announcing his retirement at a press conference on Wednesday in the Vanier Family Football Complex.-photo photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By Anthony Gorges JC/Little Apple PostKansas State Athletics announced on Wednesday that head football coach Chris Klieman was retiring. Klieman, who has spent seven years with the school and is 58 years old, stated that for the first time, he’s putting his family first and looks forward to spending more time with them moving forward. K-State held a press conference at the Vanier Family Football Complex on Wednesday afternoon where Klieman and Athletics Director Gene Taylor spoke about Klieman’s decision.A full room of media and K-State staff gave Coach Klieman a round of applause as he made his way to the podium. Klieman began his press conference by thanking everyone for being there. “It just goes to show me that the good guys win,” Kansas State head football coach Chris Klieman said. “Doing things the right way, doing it with class and doing it with integrity is the right way. Guys, that’s the K-State way.”Klieman said despite it being an emotional day, “I am at peace.” He noted that colleagues, former players, and parents of current players reached out to him and congratulated him and his wife, Rhonda. Klieman stated one of the reasons he was in the business of coaching was to have that kind of impact.Chris Klieman previously served as head coach at North Dakota State before coming to Kansas State to lead the Wildcats. He held many other coaching positions after spending more than thirty years as a coach. “I am one of the lucky ones,” Klieman said. He pointed out that he spent fifteen years at his last two stops and noted that is very rare in the coaching profession. Current Kansas State Athletic Director (AD) Gene Taylor previously served as AD at North Dakota State and was the one who hired Klieman to be a head coach at both schools. Klieman expressed his thanks and gratitude to Taylor at the press conference.Speaking about his twelve years as a head coach (five at NDSU and seven at K-State), Klieman said, “I am damn proud of the body of work that all of us put together.” He stated that he was up for the challenge of following in the footsteps of legendary K-State coach Bill Snyder, and said, “I think we did a pretty damn good job here.” Klieman closed out the press conference by thanking everyone “for allowing the Kliemans to come into Manhattan and build something here.” As Klieman left the press conference, he and Director of Athletics Gene Taylor shared a hug.*Highlights for Klieman at K-State include winning the 2022 Big 12 Championship, winning eight or more games for four straight years, and qualifying for a bowl game in six out of seven years. (The only year KSU did not make a bowl game was during the 2020 COVID season.)<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764817709243.jpeg" alt="Gene Taylor speaking at Klieman's retirement press conference.-Post photo&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Gene Taylor speaking at Klieman's retirement press conference.-Post photo&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>K-State Athletic Director Gene Taylor spoke after Klieman officially announced his retirement. Taylor was passionate that changes need to be made in the current era of college athletics. Taylor, a very close friend of Klieman, was very emotional when speaking to the media. “You just saw one of the greatest guys in this industry walk out of this room and retire from coaching, from the business that he loves,” Taylor said. He continued, “What really pisses me off is he is doing it because of where we are in this industry.” Taylor is referring to the new era of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) and the transfer portal, among other issues as well. “If we don’t get this thing fixed, and I am a part of that, as is every other AD in the country and conference commissioners, more really, really good guys like Chris Klieman are going to walk away from this business.”When asked about the timeline of events and when he knew Klieman would retire, Gene Taylor said they met on Monday, where Klieman expressed he needed a few days to think about what he wanted to do. Taylor admitted he was somewhat caught off guard by the retirement talks because he thought they were meeting to discuss the bowl game and potential coaching/staffing changes.Klieman told Taylor Wednesday morning he was going to retire, and Taylor admitted he had been emotional all day since their discussion. When asked about if Klieman would coach the bowl game, he said it is still being determined. He said he plans to meet with the players on Thursday and discuss it.As for the rumors and speculation about a new head coach being named, Gene Taylor said at the press conference that he had not had any conversations prior to that moment. He said with the current landscape, the process will certainly move fast, but he wanted to wait and be respectful to Coach Klieman and let him announce his retirement before anything was officially done.Lastly, Gene Taylor was very complimentary of Klieman’s seven-year run leading the Wildcats and thanked him for what he gave to the Kansas State program.

K-State’s Chris Klieman and AD Gene Taylor discuss Klieman's decision to retire

The Kansas State Wildcats are preparing for a coaching transition as head coach Chris Kleiman is getting ready to retire at the end of the season following the teams bowl game.

&nbsp;According to multiple reports. current Texas A&amp;M offensive coordinator Collin Klein, the former Wildcats quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist, will be hired as his successor.&nbsp; Klieman, who has led Kansas State since 2019 and is under contract through 2032, has not formally announced a decision.

Klieman guided Kansas State to a Big 12 Championship in 2022 and reestablished the program as a consistent conference contender following the retirement of longtime coach Bill Snyder. With a 54-34 record, Klieman owns one of the strongest winning percentages in school history, trailing only Snyder, who closed his second tenure with a 215-117 mark before stepping down in 2018.

Klein, currently the offensive coordinator for Texas A&amp;M, has emerged as the overwhelming favorite to take over, though he would stay with the Aggies through their College Football Playoff run, according to ESPN. He spent five seasons on Klieman's staff, including two as offensive coordinator, before departing for College Station ahead of the 2024 season.&nbsp;

Kansas State will hold a press conference today at 4 p.m

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764779529711.jpeg" alt="Chris Kleiman/ Courtesy Photo from X" />
 <figcaption>Chris Kleiman/ Courtesy Photo from X</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKEThe Kansas State Wildcats are preparing for a coaching transition as head coach Chris Kleiman is getting ready to retire at the end of the season following the teams bowl game.&nbsp;According to multiple reports. current Texas A&amp;M offensive coordinator Collin Klein, the former Wildcats quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist, will be hired as his successor.&nbsp; Klieman, who has led Kansas State since 2019 and is under contract through 2032, has not formally announced a decision.Klieman guided Kansas State to a Big 12 Championship in 2022 and reestablished the program as a consistent conference contender following the retirement of longtime coach Bill Snyder. With a 54-34 record, Klieman owns one of the strongest winning percentages in school history, trailing only Snyder, who closed his second tenure with a 215-117 mark before stepping down in 2018.Klein, currently the offensive coordinator for Texas A&amp;M, has emerged as the overwhelming favorite to take over, though he would stay with the Aggies through their College Football Playoff run, according to ESPN. He spent five seasons on Klieman's staff, including two as offensive coordinator, before departing for College Station ahead of the 2024 season.&nbsp;Kansas State will hold a press conference today at 4 p.m<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764779470984.jpeg" alt="Colin Klein/ Courtesy Photo from X" />
 <figcaption>Colin Klein/ Courtesy Photo from X</figcaption>
 </figure>

K State coach Klieman to retire, former coordinator Klein set to be named replacement

Mizzou runs all over Arkansas for 4th straight Battle Line rivalry victory

 Ahmad Hardy ran for 149 yards and a touchdown while Jamal Roberts ran for another 100 yards and a score to lead Missouri to a 31-17 win over Arkansas in the regular season finale rivalry battle between the teams.

Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz, an Arkansas native, had previously been bandied as a potential candidate for the Razorbacks’ open head-coaching job. He signed an extension to stay at Missouri earlier in the week and beat Arkansas in a rivalry game for the fourth straight season.

The Tigers opened the scoring in the first quarter as Roberts rushed for his score, a four yard touchdown, but the Razorbacks tied the game up with a 16 yard touchdown pass from K.J Green to O'Mega Blake.&nbsp; Arkansas took the lead in the second quarter after the ball slipped from Beau Pribula’s hands as he cocked his arm to pass. Linebacker Bradley Shaw grabbed the fumble and returned it 32 yards to give Arkansas a 14-7 lead.

But Pribula, who threw for just 25 yards on 4-of-7 passing, but gained 78 yards on 16 carries, picked up Missouri’s second-quarter touchdown that tied the game at 14, an 11 yard touchdown run.&nbsp; A 28 yard field goal from Razorbacks kicker Scott Starzyk with 11 seconds in the half, gave Arkansas the 17-14 lead at the halftime break.

After halftime, it was all Missouri.&nbsp; Hardy, who entered the game third in FBS in yards rushing, gave the Tigers&nbsp; the lead, 20-17, on a 53-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Missouri added a 41 yard field goal from Oliver Robbins and a 67-yard punt-return touchdown from Kevin Coleman Jr. in the fourth quarter to go ahead by two scores.&nbsp; Roberts two point conversion run sealed the game.

Missouri’s 322 yards rushing marked the second-highest total for the Tigers this season and the most in an SEC game.&nbsp; On a day with little passing, Brett Norfleet led the receivers with two catches for 13 yards.

Missouri has firmly established themselves in the second tier of the SEC under Drinkwitz. Missouri’s eight regular-season wins provided the third winning season in a row, marking the first time that’s happened for the team since 2009-11.

Missouri (8-4, 4-4 SEC) now waits on its bowl destination.

Ravens advance with second half comeback over Campbellsville

The #5 seeded Benedictine Ravens completed a double-digit comeback to advance in the NAIA Football Championship Series with a 21-17 win over #12 seeded Campbellsville University Tigers.

The Ravens trailed 17-7 at half, but outscored the Tigers 14-0 in the second half to earn the win.

Benedictine thwarted the Tigers opening drive of the game when Isaiah Hasten picked off a Campbellsville pass in the end zone. After the teams traded punts, the Ravens put together a scoring drive that concluded with a one yard touchdown run from Dalton Witherspoon. The Ravens took a 7-0 lead after one quarter of play.

Campbellsville drove into Benedictine territory late in the first quarter and answered on the second play of the second quarter, leveling the score on a two yard run from Tre' Bass.&nbsp; The Ravens drove into Tigers territory on their ensuing drive, but Jaquon Coulter returned an interception 80 yards to give the visitors the lead&nbsp; After a turnover on downs by Benedictine, Colin Fratus connected on a 41-yard field goal with under a minute to play before half to give Campbellsville a 17-7 lead heading into the halftime break.

The turning point in the second half came on a special teams play midway through the third quarter. Ben Gilliland knifed through the Tigers line to block a punt, then recovered the ball in the end zone to pull the Ravens to within three points.&nbsp; The teams&nbsp; then traded empty possessions until Benedictine took over at their own 42-yard line with 8:38 to play in the game. 

Three rushes by Xavier Ugorji and a Tigers penalty put the Ravens at the Tigers 17-yard line. Dalton Witherspoon handled the rest, rushing for a 17-yard touchdown, his second of the day, to put the Ravens up 21-17 with 6:41 to play.&nbsp; The Tigers methodically drove down the field on the ensuing drive, eating five minutes off the clock while driving to the Ravens 33-yard line. Then, on the 12th play of the drive, Isaac Lopez sank into coverage and intercepted the Campbellsville pass to seal the win for the Ravens.

Witherspoon and Ugorji combined to rush for 233 yards – Ugorji with 123 yards and Witherspoon with 110 yards and two scores.&nbsp; Jackson Dooley was 8 of 19 through the air for 95 yards with an interception.&nbsp;&nbsp;Joseph Lagafuaina had four catches for 51 yards.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Benedictine will now hit the road for the Quarterfinals of the NAIA Football Championship Series on Saturday against #4 seeded Friends University in Wichita.&nbsp; Kickoff will be at 1pm.

Wildcats bowl eligible after Jackson's three score day against Colorado

 Joe Jackson rushed for 142 yards and three touchdowns as Kansas State defeated Colorado 24-14 and earned bowl eligibility for the fifth straight season on a cold and blustery day. The game-time temperature was 32 degrees with a wind chill of 24.

K-State used nearly half the first quarter to take a lead on a four yard touchdown run by Jackson.&nbsp; The teams wound up going to halftime tied, after the Buffaloes scored late in the second quarter, a one yard rushing touchdown from Micah Welch.&nbsp; After one rush, the clock ran out and the teams went to the halftime break tied 7-7.

Jackson scored his second touchdown of the day from one yard out with 4:32 left in the third quarter to give the Wildcats the lead back. The score capped a 56-yard drive.&nbsp; Kansas State made it a two-score game with a 35-yard field goal by Luis Rodriguez. The Wildcats stalled at the Colorado 19-yard line, but they burned 6:43 off the clock.

Welch's second rushing touchdown of the game capped a nine-play, 75-yard drive and brought the Buffaloes to within three points.&nbsp; But Jackson's third touchdown, a 17-yard scamper with 2:34 left, extended the lead to 10 points, sealing the game.

Quarterback Avery Johnson was 10-of-17 for 115 yards in difficult conditions for Kansas State.&nbsp; Jaron Tibbs was the leading receiver with four catches for 55 yards.

&nbsp;Kansas State (6-6, 5-4 Big 12) will now await a bowl invitation.

Jayhawks miss out on bowl as season ends at hands of #13 Utah

Devon Dampier threw for 253 yards and three touchdowns, Elijah Davis returned an interception 97 yards for another score, and #13 Utah came from behind to beat Kansas 31-21 on Friday.

Larry Simmons caught two touchdown passes, Wayshon Parker ran for 95 yards and Utah picked off Jalon Daniels three times in the final game of his college career, helping the Utes reach the 10-win mark for the third time in the last five years.&nbsp;Utah won despite allowing 290 yards rushing, one week after beating Kansas State after allowing 472 on the ground.

Utah looked as if it might turn Senior Day into a rout in the opening minutes, but the Kansas defense, which had let Leipold's team down so often this season, finally seemed to find its fight. The Jayhawks bottled up the Utes, who had been averaging 279.6 yards on the ground, and early on Dampier was having little success through the air, twice misfiring on fourth-down attempts.

Dillon Curtis hit a 34 yard field goal for the Utes to open the scoring, before Daniel Hishaw Jr put Kansas ahead with a seven yard touchdown run in the second quarter.&nbsp; Dampier threw a 58 yard touchdown pass on the ensuing drive though to JJ Buchanan and Utah led just 10-7 at the halftime break in a game it desperately needed to win.

The Jayhawks briefly pulled ahead after the break, when Utah coach Kyle Whittingham went for it on fourth down rather than kick a field goal on a cold, blustery day. Kansas made a stop, drove 67 yards, and Daniels' scoring sneak gave them a 14-10 advantage.&nbsp; But the momentum swung for good on his two red-zone blunders early in the fourth quarter.

First, Daniels was picked off while trying to throw the ball out of the end zone, and Utah needed just four plays to go 80 yards for a go-ahead touchdown, a 28 yard pass from Dampier to Simmons. Then, after Kansas marched downfield again, Daniels was picked off by Davis near the goal line, and the junior cornerback returned it 97 yards to give the Utes a 24-14 lead with 7:52 remaining.

Kansas did cut the lead to three points, as Daniels connected with Leyton Cure on a 21 yard touchdown pass.&nbsp; But Utah put the game away for good on Simmons second touchdown catch, a 48 yard throw from Dampier for the final score of the game.

Daniels finished with 187 yards passing and a touchdown, and also rushed for a score, though his turnovers led to a smattering of boos from Kansas fans, many of whom have endured the QB's highs and lows over the past six seasons.&nbsp; Hishaw Jr. had 107 yards rushing and a touchdown for the Jayhawks. Leshon Williams ran for 104.&nbsp;&nbsp;Emmanuel Henderson Jr. had three catches for 113 yards.

Kansas (5-7, 3-6 Big 12) started the season 4-2 before a loss to Texas Tech. It wound up losing five of its last six games. The Jayhawks now watch bowl season on TV for the second straight year

Huskers dominated by border rival Iowa for 10th time in 11 meetings

Mark Gronowski rushed for two touchdowns and passed for a third, Kamari Moulton ran for 93 yards and two scores, and Iowa spoiled Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson's career game with a 40-16 victory.

The Hawkeyes broke open what was a one-point game late in the second quarter with three touchdowns and a safety and they shut out the Cornhuskers in the second half. They took home the Heroes Trophy after their 10th win in 11 meetings with their border rival.

Johnson had 177 of his career-high 217 yards for Nebraska (7-5, 4-5) in the first half, and he matched his career high with 29 carries.&nbsp; It was Johnson's eighth 100-yard game of the season and fifth straight. He broke a career-long 70-yard run on the Huskers' first possession.&nbsp; However, he was limited to 40 yards on 10 carries in the second half.

The temperature was 26 degrees at kickoff, and intermittent light snow fell in the first half.&nbsp; The teams were tied at the end of the first quarter, Johnson opening the scoring with a one yard touchdown run, before the Hawkeyes took the lead scoring on back-to-back possessions, first cutting into the lead on a 41 yard field goal from Drew Stevens, before taking the lead on a 35 yard passing touchdown from Gronowski to DJ Vonnahme.&nbsp; Kyle Cunanan tied the game late in the quarter with a 31 yard feld goal

By MATT PIKEMizzou runs all over Arkansas for 4th straight Battle Line rivalry victory<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764491274037.jpeg" alt="Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz rides off on the Battle Line rivalry trophy after Mizzou defeated Arkansas 31-17 on Saturday/ Photo courtesy of Mizzou Football on X" />
 <figcaption>Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz rides off on the Battle Line rivalry trophy after Mizzou defeated Arkansas 31-17 on Saturday/ Photo courtesy of Mizzou Football on X</figcaption>
 </figure> Ahmad Hardy ran for 149 yards and a touchdown while Jamal Roberts ran for another 100 yards and a score to lead Missouri to a 31-17 win over Arkansas in the regular season finale rivalry battle between the teams.Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz, an Arkansas native, had previously been bandied as a potential candidate for the Razorbacks’ open head-coaching job. He signed an extension to stay at Missouri earlier in the week and beat Arkansas in a rivalry game for the fourth straight season.The Tigers opened the scoring in the first quarter as Roberts rushed for his score, a four yard touchdown, but the Razorbacks tied the game up with a 16 yard touchdown pass from K.J Green to O'Mega Blake.&nbsp; Arkansas took the lead in the second quarter after the ball slipped from Beau Pribula’s hands as he cocked his arm to pass. Linebacker Bradley Shaw grabbed the fumble and returned it 32 yards to give Arkansas a 14-7 lead.But Pribula, who threw for just 25 yards on 4-of-7 passing, but gained 78 yards on 16 carries, picked up Missouri’s second-quarter touchdown that tied the game at 14, an 11 yard touchdown run.&nbsp; A 28 yard field goal from Razorbacks kicker Scott Starzyk with 11 seconds in the half, gave Arkansas the 17-14 lead at the halftime break.After halftime, it was all Missouri.&nbsp; Hardy, who entered the game third in FBS in yards rushing, gave the Tigers&nbsp; the lead, 20-17, on a 53-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Missouri added a 41 yard field goal from Oliver Robbins and a 67-yard punt-return touchdown from Kevin Coleman Jr. in the fourth quarter to go ahead by two scores.&nbsp; Roberts two point conversion run sealed the game.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🤯 <a href="https://twitter.com/Ahmadhardy29?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Ahmadhardy29</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MIZ?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MIZ</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/STP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#STP</a> <a href="https://t.co/6OXIqVlTSW">https://t.co/6OXIqVlTSW</a> <a href="https://t.co/FHlh9mGmkM">pic.twitter.com/FHlh9mGmkM</a>&mdash; Mizzou Football (@MizzouFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/MizzouFootball/status/1994899421168111692?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Missouri’s 322 yards rushing marked the second-highest total for the Tigers this season and the most in an SEC game.&nbsp; On a day with little passing, Brett Norfleet led the receivers with two catches for 13 yards.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Just different 🤷‍♂️ <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinLamarCole1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KevinLamarCole1</a> Kevin Coleman Jr. takes it back for a 67-yard punt return!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MIZ?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MIZ</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/STP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#STP</a> <a href="https://t.co/KDof54TIAv">https://t.co/KDof54TIAv</a> <a href="https://t.co/FQEgx3ofNB">pic.twitter.com/FQEgx3ofNB</a>&mdash; Mizzou Football (@MizzouFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/MizzouFootball/status/1994913035996057790?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Missouri has firmly established themselves in the second tier of the SEC under Drinkwitz. Missouri’s eight regular-season wins provided the third winning season in a row, marking the first time that’s happened for the team since 2009-11.Missouri (8-4, 4-4 SEC) now waits on its bowl destination.Ravens advance with second half comeback over Campbellsville<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764492706412.jpeg" alt="Dalton Witherspoon (33) rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns as Benedictine scored 14 unanswered points in the second half in a 21-17 comeback win over Campbellsville/ Photo courtesy of Anna Zacharias- Benedictine Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Dalton Witherspoon (33) rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns as Benedictine scored 14 unanswered points in the second half in a 21-17 comeback win over Campbellsville/ Photo courtesy of Anna Zacharias- Benedictine Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>The #5 seeded Benedictine Ravens completed a double-digit comeback to advance in the NAIA Football Championship Series with a 21-17 win over #12 seeded Campbellsville University Tigers.The Ravens trailed 17-7 at half, but outscored the Tigers 14-0 in the second half to earn the win.Benedictine thwarted the Tigers opening drive of the game when Isaiah Hasten picked off a Campbellsville pass in the end zone. After the teams traded punts, the Ravens put together a scoring drive that concluded with a one yard touchdown run from Dalton Witherspoon. The Ravens took a 7-0 lead after one quarter of play.Campbellsville drove into Benedictine territory late in the first quarter and answered on the second play of the second quarter, leveling the score on a two yard run from Tre' Bass.&nbsp; The Ravens drove into Tigers territory on their ensuing drive, but Jaquon Coulter returned an interception 80 yards to give the visitors the lead&nbsp; After a turnover on downs by Benedictine, Colin Fratus connected on a 41-yard field goal with under a minute to play before half to give Campbellsville a 17-7 lead heading into the halftime break.The turning point in the second half came on a special teams play midway through the third quarter. Ben Gilliland knifed through the Tigers line to block a punt, then recovered the ball in the end zone to pull the Ravens to within three points.&nbsp; The teams&nbsp; then traded empty possessions until Benedictine took over at their own 42-yard line with 8:38 to play in the game. Three rushes by Xavier Ugorji and a Tigers penalty put the Ravens at the Tigers 17-yard line. Dalton Witherspoon handled the rest, rushing for a 17-yard touchdown, his second of the day, to put the Ravens up 21-17 with 6:41 to play.&nbsp; The Tigers methodically drove down the field on the ensuing drive, eating five minutes off the clock while driving to the Ravens 33-yard line. Then, on the 12th play of the drive, Isaac Lopez sank into coverage and intercepted the Campbellsville pass to seal the win for the Ravens.Witherspoon and Ugorji combined to rush for 233 yards – Ugorji with 123 yards and Witherspoon with 110 yards and two scores.&nbsp; Jackson Dooley was 8 of 19 through the air for 95 yards with an interception.&nbsp;&nbsp;Joseph Lagafuaina had four catches for 51 yards.&nbsp;&nbsp;Benedictine will now hit the road for the Quarterfinals of the NAIA Football Championship Series on Saturday against #4 seeded Friends University in Wichita.&nbsp; Kickoff will be at 1pm.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wxeai113M_w?si=52HX1MxINWXStqMF" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Wildcats bowl eligible after Jackson's three score day against Colorado<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764494589276.jpeg" alt="Avery Johnson hands the ball off to Joe Jackson before he rushes for a touchdown.&nbsp; Jackson had another big day on the ground, running for 142 yards and three touchdowns/ Photo courtesy of K State Football on X" />
 <figcaption>Avery Johnson hands the ball off to Joe Jackson before he rushes for a touchdown.&nbsp; Jackson had another big day on the ground, running for 142 yards and three touchdowns/ Photo courtesy of K State Football on X</figcaption>
 </figure> Joe Jackson rushed for 142 yards and three touchdowns as Kansas State defeated Colorado 24-14 and earned bowl eligibility for the fifth straight season on a cold and blustery day. The game-time temperature was 32 degrees with a wind chill of 24.K-State used nearly half the first quarter to take a lead on a four yard touchdown run by Jackson.&nbsp; The teams wound up going to halftime tied, after the Buffaloes scored late in the second quarter, a one yard rushing touchdown from Micah Welch.&nbsp; After one rush, the clock ran out and the teams went to the halftime break tied 7-7.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">TOUCHDOWN WILDCATS 🙌<a href="https://twitter.com/KStateFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KStateFB</a> is on the board first! <a href="https://t.co/r5nwvxXHqw">pic.twitter.com/r5nwvxXHqw</a>&mdash; FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) <a href="https://twitter.com/CFBONFOX/status/1994817613076328881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Jackson scored his second touchdown of the day from one yard out with 4:32 left in the third quarter to give the Wildcats the lead back. The score capped a 56-yard drive.&nbsp; Kansas State made it a two-score game with a 35-yard field goal by Luis Rodriguez. The Wildcats stalled at the Colorado 19-yard line, but they burned 6:43 off the clock.Welch's second rushing touchdown of the game capped a nine-play, 75-yard drive and brought the Buffaloes to within three points.&nbsp; But Jackson's third touchdown, a 17-yard scamper with 2:34 left, extended the lead to 10 points, sealing the game.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">JOE JACKSON REFUSED TO GO DOWN ‼️ He dives into the end zone for his THIRD <a href="https://twitter.com/KStateFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KStateFB</a> TD of the game 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/gqLrxoTglY">pic.twitter.com/gqLrxoTglY</a>&mdash; FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) <a href="https://twitter.com/CFBONFOX/status/1994857144903242064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Quarterback Avery Johnson was 10-of-17 for 115 yards in difficult conditions for Kansas State.&nbsp; Jaron Tibbs was the leading receiver with four catches for 55 yards.&nbsp;Kansas State (6-6, 5-4 Big 12) will now await a bowl invitation.Jayhawks miss out on bowl as season ends at hands of #13 Utah<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764495964100.jpeg" alt="Daniel Hishaw Jr. ran for 107 yards and a touchdown as the Jayhawks season came to an end in a 31-21 loss to #13 Utah/ Photo courtesy of Kansas Football on X" />
 <figcaption>Daniel Hishaw Jr. ran for 107 yards and a touchdown as the Jayhawks season came to an end in a 31-21 loss to #13 Utah/ Photo courtesy of Kansas Football on X</figcaption>
 </figure>Devon Dampier threw for 253 yards and three touchdowns, Elijah Davis returned an interception 97 yards for another score, and #13 Utah came from behind to beat Kansas 31-21 on Friday.Larry Simmons caught two touchdown passes, Wayshon Parker ran for 95 yards and Utah picked off Jalon Daniels three times in the final game of his college career, helping the Utes reach the 10-win mark for the third time in the last five years.&nbsp;Utah won despite allowing 290 yards rushing, one week after beating Kansas State after allowing 472 on the ground.Utah looked as if it might turn Senior Day into a rout in the opening minutes, but the Kansas defense, which had let Leipold's team down so often this season, finally seemed to find its fight. The Jayhawks bottled up the Utes, who had been averaging 279.6 yards on the ground, and early on Dampier was having little success through the air, twice misfiring on fourth-down attempts.Dillon Curtis hit a 34 yard field goal for the Utes to open the scoring, before Daniel Hishaw Jr put Kansas ahead with a seven yard touchdown run in the second quarter.&nbsp; Dampier threw a 58 yard touchdown pass on the ensuing drive though to JJ Buchanan and Utah led just 10-7 at the halftime break in a game it desperately needed to win.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/DeuceHishaw?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DeuceHishaw</a> is THE MAN <a href="https://t.co/9hmJhcSQpn">https://t.co/9hmJhcSQpn</a> <a href="https://t.co/zBVIzIy8xJ">pic.twitter.com/zBVIzIy8xJ</a>&mdash; Kansas Football (@KU_Football) <a href="https://twitter.com/KU_Football/status/1994463166839812369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Jayhawks briefly pulled ahead after the break, when Utah coach Kyle Whittingham went for it on fourth down rather than kick a field goal on a cold, blustery day. Kansas made a stop, drove 67 yards, and Daniels' scoring sneak gave them a 14-10 advantage.&nbsp; But the momentum swung for good on his two red-zone blunders early in the fourth quarter.First, Daniels was picked off while trying to throw the ball out of the end zone, and Utah needed just four plays to go 80 yards for a go-ahead touchdown, a 28 yard pass from Dampier to Simmons. Then, after Kansas marched downfield again, Daniels was picked off by Davis near the goal line, and the junior cornerback returned it 97 yards to give the Utes a 24-14 lead with 7:52 remaining.Kansas did cut the lead to three points, as Daniels connected with Leyton Cure on a 21 yard touchdown pass.&nbsp; But Utah put the game away for good on Simmons second touchdown catch, a 48 yard throw from Dampier for the final score of the game.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/gzwfa0JRif">https://t.co/gzwfa0JRif</a> <a href="https://t.co/0LwoEGkCHs">pic.twitter.com/0LwoEGkCHs</a>&mdash; Kansas Football (@KU_Football) <a href="https://twitter.com/KU_Football/status/1994497835749052571?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Daniels finished with 187 yards passing and a touchdown, and also rushed for a score, though his turnovers led to a smattering of boos from Kansas fans, many of whom have endured the QB's highs and lows over the past six seasons.&nbsp; Hishaw Jr. had 107 yards rushing and a touchdown for the Jayhawks. Leshon Williams ran for 104.&nbsp;&nbsp;Emmanuel Henderson Jr. had three catches for 113 yards.Kansas (5-7, 3-6 Big 12) started the season 4-2 before a loss to Texas Tech. It wound up losing five of its last six games. The Jayhawks now watch bowl season on TV for the second straight yearHuskers dominated by border rival Iowa for 10th time in 11 meetings<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764498019450.jpeg" alt="Emmett Johnson posted his eighth 100 yard rushing game of the season, running for 217 yards and a touchdown, but Iowa dominated beating Nebraska 40-17 in the border rivalry matchup/ Photo courtesy of Nebraska Football on X" />
 <figcaption>Emmett Johnson posted his eighth 100 yard rushing game of the season, running for 217 yards and a touchdown, but Iowa dominated beating Nebraska 40-17 in the border rivalry matchup/ Photo courtesy of Nebraska Football on X</figcaption>
 </figure>Mark Gronowski rushed for two touchdowns and passed for a third, Kamari Moulton ran for 93 yards and two scores, and Iowa spoiled Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson's career game with a 40-16 victory.The Hawkeyes broke open what was a one-point game late in the second quarter with three touchdowns and a safety and they shut out the Cornhuskers in the second half. They took home the Heroes Trophy after their 10th win in 11 meetings with their border rival.Johnson had 177 of his career-high 217 yards for Nebraska (7-5, 4-5) in the first half, and he matched his career high with 29 carries.&nbsp; It was Johnson's eighth 100-yard game of the season and fifth straight. He broke a career-long 70-yard run on the Huskers' first possession.&nbsp; However, he was limited to 40 yards on 10 carries in the second half.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">⚡️💰<a href="https://t.co/FzWw0LN7bf">pic.twitter.com/FzWw0LN7bf</a>&mdash; Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/HuskerFootball/status/1994457131840311807?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The temperature was 26 degrees at kickoff, and intermittent light snow fell in the first half.&nbsp; The teams were tied at the end of the first quarter, Johnson opening the scoring with a one yard touchdown run, before the Hawkeyes took the lead scoring on back-to-back possessions, first cutting into the lead on a 41 yard field goal from Drew Stevens, before taking the lead on a 35 yard passing touchdown from Gronowski to DJ Vonnahme.&nbsp; Kyle Cunanan tied the game late in the quarter with a 31 yard feld goalCunanan knocked through another field goal in the second quarter, from 29 yards out, to put the Huskers ahead.&nbsp; Moulton's first touchdown of the game gave Iowa the lead back though, running in from three yards out.&nbsp; After Cunanan hit a 35 yard field goal to cut the lead to one, the Hawkeyes started taking control when Gronowski scored from the one yard in the final minute of the half, putting Iowa ahead 24-16 at the halftime break.The Hawkeyes recorded a safety early in the third quarter when Jacory Barney muffed a punt and the Huskers’ Jamir Conn recovered it in the end zone. Touchdown runs of six yards by Gronowski and one yard by Moulton made it a 24-point game and sent many of the fans home early in the fourth quarter.Nebraska freshman TJ Lateef, making his third start in place of the injured Dylan Raiola and first at Memorial Stadium, played most of the game with a tight hamstring and was just 9 of 24 for 69 yards.&nbsp; Johnson, on top of being the leading rusher, was the leading receiver with two catches for 22 yards.&nbsp;&nbsp;Luke Lindenmeyer had two catches for 20 yards and Dane Key had three catches for 16 yards.Both teams wait to find out their bowl destinations next SundayYou can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

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