Game Preview: KU vs Kansas State

Series: KU 64-36-5
Time: Saturday, Nov. 1 - 11:30 a.m. (CT)
Venue: Kivisto Field - Memorial Stadium (50,071)
Location: Lawrence, Kansas
TV: FSKC
Line: KU (-10)

Recent History (KSU 7-3)
1998 KSU 54, KU 6
1999 KSU 50, KU 9
2000 KSU 52, KU 13
2001 KSU 40, KU 6
2002 KSU 64, KU 0
2003 KSU 42, KU 6
2004 KU 31, KSU 28
2005 KSU 12, KU 3
2006 KU 39, KSU 20
2007 KU 30, KSU 24

Rock Chalk Roundtable 5 -- KSU Week

Hawk Digest KSU Preseason Preview

Kansas Football Notes PDF (KSU Week) 

The Scene
It won't be on Tuesday night, but on Saturday morning Kansas will be a battleground state. KU earned respect back in this series by winning three of the last four, but they can really put a stranglehold on the rivalry by winning three straight.

The Key
Everyone is saying turnovers, so I'll go with that as well for starters. KU has to force turnovers. Josh Freeman isn't going to offer them up. The Jayhawks need to get nasty on defense again and start hitting. When this game is over, your individual opponents better have had a miserable day. Make a hit on every play because you only get to play in this series once a year. The other thing I would like to mention is that KU cannot let KSU run. I know it seems like a non-concern, but you've seen the past few weeks how rough it is on our D when the secondary has to think about the run. Guys have got to make the tackle at the line of scrimmage. It sounds scary, but we need to get ahead in this game and force KSU into the pass game. We need them to be one dimensional.

The Motivation
This game is another home opportunity to gain bowl eligibility -- which would mean that KU has been bowl eligible four straight seasons. One of the top goals this season has been back-to-back bowls for the first time in school history. That helps build a program and the experts say six wins will get the Jayhawks to the postseason. Plus, check out this fun fact -- do you remember the last time KU had four seasons in a row with six wins? If you do, congrats on surviving the great depression -- it was a nice little streak from 1902-1906 (also did it 1895-1899). Good times. Glen Mason almost had five years but he put a 5-7 record right in the middle in 1993 when we played FSU at the Meadowlands and at Michigan State (also lost 20-21 to NU that year).

"It is big because it is a North team that we are competing against for the North title. When you play against a team that is in the same side as you in the conference it makes the game a little bit bigger. It's a big game from that perspective, it is a big game because it is K-State, and so this game does have a lot of implications that make it that much more exciting."

--Todd Reesing on the North race