Courtney Gilbert&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;5,332&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Eric Coffman&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;3,998

Kathy Tremont&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;1,441

Alex Tyson&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;1,313

Keith Ascher&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;1,781

17th District Kansas Senate - Geary, Morris, Lyon counties

Mike Argabright&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 5,543, 1,985, 7,244 -- Total 14,772

Lillian Lingenfelter&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 3,468, 710, 5,314 -- Total 9, 492

68th District Kansas House - Geary, Morris, Riley&nbsp; counties

Nathan Butler&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;1,844 ,&nbsp; 1,877, 576 -- Total 4, 297

Michael Seymour&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 791, 838, 291 -- Total 1,920

65th District Kansas House - Geary County

Shawn Chauncey&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;3, 408

Lorraine Ceniceros&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 2,552

43.60% of the registered voters cast ballots. There are 706 provisional ballots, these will be canvassed on Friday, Nov. 15 at 9:00 a.m.&nbsp;

Unofficial Geary County General Election Results

GEARY COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating a death that occurred at the Northeast Kansas Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Junction City, according to a media release from the agency.

The KBI was contacted on Tuesday to investigate the death of a 17-year-old boy from Dodge City. The teen had been at the detention facility since early August as a result of a child in need of care case. KBI agents responded to the facility to investigate.

By statute, the KBI investigates the deaths of prisoners in the custody of Kansas jails and prisons, and juveniles in state, county, or city custody, unless the person who dies is being regularly attended by a physician, or the death is ruled natural by autopsy.

The investigation indicates that personnel found the 17-year-old unresponsive around 6:50 a.m., and began life-saving measures. Geary County EMS responded and continued resuscitation efforts during transport to a local hospital. He was pronounced deceased by medical personnel around 7:40 a.m. An autopsy is scheduled. The investigation is ongoing.

KBI: Teen in custody of Regional Juvenile Detention Center dies

Following Tuesday's election there have been questions about what is a provisional ballot and the process involved with them. There are 706 provisional ballots that will have to be reviewed during the canvass of the votes on Nov. 15.

County Clerk Courtney Gilbert released an explanation on the process.

Provisional ballot process

The Geary County 4-H Foundation is hosting a soup supper and bingo night, Sunday, November 10, starting at 5:30 p.m. at the 4-H/Sr. Citizens Center, 1025 South Spring Valley Road in Junction City.&nbsp; 

The Foundation is a not for profit organization for the purpose of supporting and promoting the 4-H program in Geary County.&nbsp; Chili, chicken noodle soup, crackers, carrots, and cinnamon rolls will be available for a donation starting at 5:30pm.&nbsp; Bingo will start about 6:15pm with a nominal charge for bingo cards and prizes for the winners.&nbsp; 

For more information about this event or the Geary County 4-H Foundation, contact Ginger Kopfer at the Geary County Extension Office, 785-238-4161.

Geary County 4-H Foundation Soup Supper and Bingo Night   

Fort Riley’s Hiring and Education Fair will take place Thursday, Nov. 7, at Riley’s Community Center, 446 Seitz Avenue, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event is free to attend and open to all active duty Soldiers, family members, veterans, retirees, Department of Defense civilians, and community members.

The event will feature schools from around the United States, regional and local employers, KANSASWORKS, education counselors, financial aid advisors, Transition Assistance Program counselors and many other organizations. More than 75 exhibitors will be on-site.

For more information contact Fort Riley Education Services at 785-239-6481 or the Transition Assistance Program at 785-239-2193.

Visitors to Fort Riley who don’t have a Department of Defense identification card can apply for a pass online. Go to home.army.mil/riley and click on the Accessing Fort Riley link. Visitors can also apply for a pass at the visitor control center near the Henry gate, Exit 301 off I-70. You can learn more about access to Fort Riley by calling 785-239-2982.

Fort Riley will hold Hiring and Education Fair on Thursday

The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) is moving closer to launching the Kansas Home Rebates Program, an initiative aimed at helping Kansas households lower energy costs and improve home comfort. With funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, this program will provide $105.6 million to support energy savings for low- to moderate-income households in Kansas.

The KCC has partnered with <a href="https://www.horne.com/">HORNE</a>, a nationally recognized professional services firm, to assist with program design, application development, and implementation. To ensure the Home Rebates Program meets the needs of Kansas residents, the KCC is scheduling engagement sessions with stakeholders, including Kansas utility companies, contractors, other state agencies, and the community.

To make rebates available, the program’s design and applications must be approved by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The KCC is working toward a submission deadline of January 31, 2025, with rebate funding expected to be accessible to Kansas households later in 2025, following DOE approval.

In the meantime, Kansans are encouraged to visit the <a href="https://kcc.ks.gov/">KCC website</a> for information on participating in engagement sessions, learning more about the Home Rebates Program, tracking program updates, and finding answers to frequently asked questions.

For additional details on how the Kansas Home Rebates Program can benefit you and your household, stay tuned to updates from the KCC.

KCC prepares for Home Rebates program launch in Kansas, seeks public input

MANHATTAN– Law enforcement are investigating deadly stabbing in Manhattan and have made an arrest.

Just after 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a report of a stabbing in the 3000 block of Arbor Drive in Manhattan, according to a media release from the Riley County Police Department.

Officers located Tabatha Deer, 24, of Mountain Home, Arkansas, who had sustained multiple stab wounds. EMS transported Deer to Ascension Via Christi Hospital for treatment. She was later airlifted to Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka, where she succumbed to her injuries.

The suspect, Hunter Smith, 24, of Manhattan, was apprehended at the scene yesterday and taken into custody before being transported to Stormont Vail Hospital for treatment of his injuries. On Wednesday, Smith was formally arrested on requested charges of first-degree murder, with bond set at $1 million.

RCPD: Woman injured in knife attack has died

Recent Booking Activity for the Geary County Detention Center. All persons included in this post are innocent of crimes until proven guilty in a court of law.

Bonds have been posted. Photos are unavailable.

Joshua Sample, Theft-All other, arrested 11/05

Brett Williams, Transporting an open container, Driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol, arrested 11/05

Geary County Booking Photos Nov. 6

43.60% of the registered voters went to the polls in Geary County for the general election. Winners in some of the local races are undetermined at this point. The canvass of the votes will be held at 9.m. Nov. 15. There are 706 provisional ballots to be reviewed.

County Clerk Courtney Gilbert: "I believe the closer races, for example Commissioner District 2 and Sheriff, we really won’t know ‘for sure’ who the winner is until after the canvas."

In the Second District County Commission race Kathy Tremont has received 1,441 votes so far compared to 1,313 for Alex Tyson. In the race for Sheriff Nathan Boeckman has received 4,352 votes while Eric Coffman has received 3,998.

General Election assessment for Geary County

RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement&nbsp;are investigating a stabbing incident in the 3000 block of Arbor Drive in Manhattan, according to a social media report from the Riley County Police Department.

 One victim was transported to Via Christi for treatment of injuries. The suspect is in custody and also receiving treatment for his injuries. There is no current threat to public safety.

The RCPD released no additional details. Check the for more information as it becomes available.

RCPD: Stabbing victim hospitalized, suspect in custody

Zachary Olson,&nbsp;Failure to appear, arrested 10/31

Samoht Thomas, Operate a motor vehicle without a valid license, arrested 10/31

Amanda Headlee,&nbsp;Failure to appear, arrested 10/31

Marcus Jackson, Abuse of a child, Knowingly inflict cruel and inhuman corporal punishment, child &gt;6 years old &lt; 18 years old, arrested 11/01

Patricia Purcell, Interference with LEO, Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body, Possession of controlled substance, arrested 11/01

Anthony Henderson, Harass by telecom device, Phone call with intent to abuse/threaten/harass, Intimidation of a witness or victim, Prevent reporting of victimization, Criminal damage to property without consent (value &lt; $1,000), Criminal restraint, Domestic battery, rude physical contact with family member or dating relationship, arrested 11/01

Cassandra Shubert, Failure to appear, DUI-Liquor/Drugs, arrested 11/01

Manuel Villareal, DUI-Liquor or drugs, Transporting of alcoholic beverage, Driver's license without valid DL, arrested 11/01

Kodi Arnold, Failure to appear, arrested 11/01

Mark Hecker,&nbsp;Failure to appear, arrested 11/01

Shannon Flynn, No driver's license in possession, Listening or talking on a wireless communication device while driving, DUI-Liquor/Drugs, arrested 11/02

Osvaldo Bigas Jr, Driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol, arrested 11/02

Shanyia Everette, Domestic battery, arrested 11/02

Jamie Andrus, Cruelty to animals, Abandon without provisions for care, arrested 11/02

Jaisen Morris, Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, arrested 11/03

Candelario Abimael, Failure to appear, arrested 11/03

Travis Golden Jr, Criminal damage to property without consent (value &lt;1,000), Aggravated domestic battery, choke in rude manner, family member/dating relationship, arrested 11/03

Santez White, Failure to appear, arrested 11/04

David Snider, Outside warrant, arrested 11/04

Geary County Booking Photos Nov. 1-5

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — David N’Guessan scored 21 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to lead Kansas State to an 89-65 victory over New Orleans on Tuesday night in a season opener for both teams.

Max Jones added 19 points and five assists and Brendan Hausen scored 15 points for Kansas State. The pair each made four of the Wildcats' 13 3-pointers. N’Guessan finished 10-of-14 shooting from the field.

Jah Short scored 19 points to lead New Orleans. James White added 14 points and Dae Dae Hunter had 10.

New Orleans jumped out to a 25-15 lead midway through the first half before the Wildcats surged to a 60-32 advantage at the break. Hausen and Jones each hit three 3-pointers and scored 12 points in the first half. N’Guessan added 11 points and 11 rebounds.

It was just the second meeting between the teams. The Wildcats posted a 62-47 win on Dec. 4, 1999. K-State is 13-1 against the Southland Conference, including 12-0 at home.

It was New Orleans' coach Stacy Hollowell's first game at the helm. Hollowell, the 13th head coach in Privateer history, spent last season at Texas Southern as an assistant under Johnny Jones.

🏀 N’Guessan scores 21 points to lead Kansas State over New Orleans

USD 475 has announced that Junction City High School freshman Linden Pickler claimed the 2024 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KSHSAA?__cft__[0]=AZUmXyVn_xdpkBFTme3QIpuK8l1oUnol778IZYWMXM7vR4HdPi_he_JnMlkASk6wtlvN3vdW3D8rQVyNJxG5td7lXhvJrSaAWpXqqRQV0z-TBzfgcyYdtbU0UjSckbhDSMSGItoOMfuO2VROR2kbyFhoxmY-SE9gEvsh1q4nQ8tIUxvy_hI1YVNYbZHG850LU2w&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Kansas State High School Activities Association</a> Class 6A Girls Cross Country Championship on Saturday at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence. Pickler clocked a blistering time of 18:37.27 to cross the finish line in first place and bring home the programs first girls state title in school history.

&nbsp;Sophomore Anna Fontaine followed in eighth place out of 100 competitors with a time of 19:13.73, while Brittney Dibben wrapped-up competition 47th overall. 

On the boys’ side, the Blue Jays just missed capturing a team title, earning Class 6A State Runner-Up honors with 101 points. Ethan Fontaine led JCHS by finishing 16th overall with a time of 16:28.03, while Anthony Testa placed No. 20, clocking a time of 16:33.81. Other notables included William Dee and Everett Pickler finishing 27th and 28th overall, respectively.&nbsp;

JCHS shines in cross country, Linden Pickler takes first

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs coach Andy Reid watched as the Buccaneers drove down the field in the final minute of regulation, and Baker Mayfield threw a touchdown pass that put Tampa Bay within a 2-point conversion of ending Kansas City's perfect start to the season.

Bucs coach Todd Bowles admitted to giving “very minor” thought to going for 2 before kicking the extra point that sent the game to overtime.

“I'm glad he didn't,” Reid said with a smile.

That's because the Chiefs won the ensuing coin toss, and Patrick Mahomes capped a big day —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ctinsider.com/sports/article/chiefs-lose-mecole-hardman-to-shoulder-injury-in-19887630.php">291 yards passing and three touchdowns on a gimpy ankle</a>&nbsp;— by going 5 for 5 on the only drive of overtime. Kareem Hunt finished it off, along with his 106-yard rushing performance, by plunging into the end zone from 2 yards out to give Kansas City a 30-24 victory on Monday night.

“Everybody had a piece of this,” Reid said.

DeAndre Hopkins had eight catches for 86 yards and two TDs. Travis Kelce had 14 catches for 100 yards with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-taylor-swift-kansas-city-1aca48cb971d6d232186c5d73a2c4244">Taylor Swift watching from a suite</a>. And a defense missing a couple of key players to injuries held Mayfield to 200 yards passing and two touchdowns, and shut down a Tampa Bay running game that managed just 95 yards.

The result was familiar: The Chiefs won their 14th straight dating to last season, the longest streak since Carolina started 14-0 in 2014, and they became just the sixth Super Bowl champ to start 8-0 the following season. They also have won their last eight games when trailing in the second half, including the postseason.

The Buccaneers had their chance when Mayfield hit Ryan Miller in the end zone with 27 seconds to go. But rather than go for the win, Bowles decided to kick the extra point — and Bucs ended up losing for the fourth time in five games.

“We’ve got guys who are not going to quit fighting to the end,” Tampa Bay wide receiver Sterling Shepard said. “I’m really proud of the group and the way everybody fought. We’ve just got to clean up some little stuff. And that’s what this league is all about.”

It was a memorable first half for two players who'd been waiting to play in Arrowhead Stadium.

The Bucs' Rachaad White grew up about 10 minutes away in a tough part of Kansas City, but his family could never afford a ticket for him to see a game. He wound up taking a circuitous path through Division II Nebraska-Kearney and a California junior college to Arizona State, where he eventually became of a third-round pick of Tampa Bay in the 2022 draft.

Two year later, White finally got into Arrowhead — and the end zone. He punctuated&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1853616868726358412">his 7-yard scoring run</a>&nbsp;in the second quarter, which gave the Bucs a 7-3 lead, by nearly tossing the football all the way into the second deck.

“I can’t even count right now,” White said, when asked how many friends and family were watching from those stands.

Then it was Hopkins' turn in his first home game since arriving in Kansas City from a trade with the Titans.

The three-time All-Pro, who already had caught four passes at that point, reeled in a third-down heave from Mahomes amid triple coverage for a 35-yard gain that put the Chiefs inside the Tampa Bay 5. Three plays later, Mahomes found him in the back of the end zone, and Hopkins celebrated his first TD with the Chiefs with a dance from “Remember the Titans.”

“That's one of my favorite movies," he said. “I knew if I got in the end zone I was going to remember the Titans.”

Tampa Bay tried to seize control with consecutive scoring drives to start the second half. The first ended with a TD pass to Cade Otton, the latest tight end to shred the Chiefs, and Chase McLaughlin's 47-yard field goal gave the Bucs a 17-10 lead.

The Chiefs answered in the fourth quarter, though. Mahomes marched them through the driving rain 70 yards for the tying touchdown pass, which he delivered to Samaje Perine while landing awkwardly and tweaking his left ankle, and then threw a laser to Hopkins on third-and-goal from the Buccaneers 5 to give Kansas City the lead.

Mahomes said later the ankle injury scared him more than hurt him. He was checked in the sideline tent but was quickly back to throwing balls in an effort to stay loose, and he never gave Reid an opportunity to pull him from the game.

“You feel the pain and that scares you,” Mahomes said, “because I've dealt with ankles before. But I just kind of laid there and as time went on the pain subsided. I just kind of got to it, and got moving again and felt comfortable going out there.”

Tampa Bay promptly went three-and-out after Kansas City took the lead, but its defense got the ball right back, and this time Mayfield calmly led his team down the field. His capped the drive with a touchdown toss to Miller — his first career TD catch — with 27 seconds to go, and Tampa Bay elected to play for overtime.

It wound up being a decision the Buccaneers would regret.

Buccaneers: LB Yaya Diaby (chest) briefly left the game. CB Josh Hayes (calf) dealt with cramps in the second half.

Chiefs: WR Mecole Hardman (shoulder) and DE George Karlaftis (hip) were hurt but returned to the game.

🏈 Hunt scores TD in overtime as Chiefs beat Buccaneers 

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Zeke Mayo, a grad transfer from South Dakota State, had 19 points in his Kansas debut and the top-ranked Jayhawks beat Howard 87-57 on Monday night in the season-opener for both teams.

Kansas led 46-19 at halftime and its biggest lead was 38 points.

The game was the second annual McClendon Classic, named in honor of Kansas graduate and Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame honoree John McClendon.

Kansas (1-0) used the game as a tune-up before a top-10 showdown with North Carolina on Friday night. The Jayhawks had 10 players score, with three in double-figures. Hunter Dickinson, who missed Kansas' scrimmage and exhibition games, had 16 points and six rebounds, and Flory Bidunga added 13 points and a game-high eight rebounds.

Blake Harper had 16 points to lead Howard.

Howard: The Bison will take away plenty from the contest, mostly measured in guaranteed money they received from Kansas.

Kansas: The Jayhawks won their 52nd consecutive home opener, dating back to the final 10 years of Ted Owens’ career, through five years under Larry Brown, 15 under Roy Williams and 22 straight under Bill Self.

After falling behind 4-3 early, the Jayhawks used a 12-3 run to eliminate any thoughts of a Howard victory. Howard went almost nine minutes without a field goal, missing 10 straight shot attempts as Kansas methodically pulled away.

Howard shot just 24.1 percent (7 for 29) in the first half.

Howard visits Missouri on Friday, while Kansas hosts No. 9 North Carolina.

🏀 Mayo scores 19 as No. 1 Kansas beats Howard in season-opener

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–</a>&nbsp;The Big 12 Conference and its television partners announced Monday that Kansas State’s November 16 home game against new conference member Arizona State will kick at either 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. on a network to be announced. This will be the Wildcats’ seventh game this year to kick at 6 p.m. local time, including the fourth in the last five games.

K-State’s November 16 Game vs. Arizona State to Kick at Night

HOUSTON (AP) — Zeon Chriss threw for 103 yards and a touchdown without an incompletion as Houston rallied in fourth quarter to beat No. 17 Kansas State 24-19 on Saturday.

Trailing 19-10 to start the fourth quarter, Chriss threw a 1-yard touchdown to Maliq Carr with 11 minutes left. After forcing a punt, Chriss rushed for a 41-yard touchdown with 2:31 to go.

Chriss, who finished 11 of 11, also rushed for 75 yards and caught a pass for eight yards.

“We’ve experienced a lot (of adversity) this season,” Chriss said. “We were trying to be positive about it, and trust in the defense. The defense told us ‘We got y’all,’ and we got them.”

Linebacker Michael Batton intercepted Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson on the next drive.

After Houston (4-5, 3-3 Big 12) was forced to punt with 40 seconds left, the Wildcats drove to the Cougars’ 39 with 4 seconds left, but Johnson’s heave was knocked out of the end zone.

“We didn’t play a perfect game, but we played well enough to win, and that’s what matters,” Houston coach Willie Fritz said.

The win was Houston’s first win over a ranked team since beating No. 19 SMU 44-37 on Oct. 30, 2021.

“They’re going to start believing,” Fritz said about Houston’s second straight one-possession win. “We got to keep going.”

The loss snapped Kansas State’s four-game winning streak.

Wildcats coach Chris Klieman said his team didn’t play “with good enough fundamentals and techniques" and pointed to Kansas State’s inability to run the ball, as they finished with 89 yards rushing.

“We weren’t running the ball a lick,” Klieman said. “Our inability to rush the football makes it harder to throw.”

Johnson finished 23 of 39 for 238 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions and found Keagan Johnson for a 7-yard touchdown pass with nine seconds left in the first half to give the Wildcats (7-2, 4-2) a 16-10 halftime lead. Johnson finished with 76 yards receiving.

“It just felt like we were flat offensively,” Avery Johnson said. “We couldn’t get anything going. We stalled a lot in the second half. We didn’t really play collectively as well as we wanted to.”

DJ Giddens rushed for 50 yards and a touchdown as Kansas State outgained the Cougars 327-232.

“I don’t want to take anything away from them, but I feel like the words to describe it was we let it slip away,” Keagan Johnson said. “They’re a good team. They played better today. It comes down to that. We didn’t execute when we needed to.”

The game was delayed 55 minutes to start because of lightning.

Kansas State: The loss hurts the chances of the Wildcats making the Big 12 championship and the College Football Playoff.

Houston: The Cougars finished 3 for 3 in the red zone after struggling last week against Utah.

Kansas State could potentially drop out of the rankings after the loss.

Kansas State hosts Arizona State on Nov. 16, while Houston plays at Arizona on Nov. 15.

🏈 Houston scores twice in 4th quarter to beat Kansas State

The Junction City Blue Jays beat the Topeka Trojans 47-14 on Friday night at Blue Jay Stadium.

After Junction City fumbled the opening kickoff, the Topeka Trojans connected on a 29-yard field goal to lead 3-0. After a back-and-forth first quarter that featured several turnovers, the Blue Jays led 7-3 at the end of one, thanks to a 43-yard touchdown connection between junior quarterback Conrad Gomez and junior wide receiver JaMarcus Vornes.

After Topeka senior Jaden Norman connected on a 27-yard field goal to cut the Blue Jay lead to 7-6, Junction City junior running back Justice Fonoti had a three-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 14-6. Junction City senior kicker Ethan Hileman connected on two field goals late in the first half to give the Blue Jays a 20-6 halftime lead. 

Topeka High punted on its first possession of the second half, and Junction City junior Lovell Autry had an 89-yard punt return for a touchdown that gave the Blue Jays a 27-6 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, the Trojans fumbled, and three plays later, the Blue Jays were back in the endzone on a two-yard quarterback sneak for a touchdown. At this point, Junction City led 34-6 and cruised to a 47-14 victory in round one of the playoffs.

The Blue Jays will now travel to Derby, the number one seed in class 6A West, next Friday night for the second round of the playoffs.

Blue Jays blowout Trojans for round one playoff win

Postseason football has arrived, and the Junction City Blue Jays will host a familiar foe in round one.

Junction City will host the Topeka Trojans. The Blue Jays are the eighth seed, while the Trojans are the ninth seed.

The two Centennial league teams met three weeks ago, with Junction City winning 50-21 in the first meeting.

Kickoff will be at 7:00 on Friday night at Blue Jay Stadium.

You can hear the game on 107.9 FM/1420 KJCK Radio or by clicking <a href="https://streamdb9web.securenetsystems.net/cirrusencore/KJCKAM">here</a>.

Blue Jays host Topeka Trojans in round 1 of playoffs

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=23672&amp;type=Archive">Watch Conor Riley’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=23673&amp;type=Archive">Watch Joe Klanderman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/coordinator-press-conference-october-31-2024/4917">Listen on Wildcats Uncut</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EumD2G5yXNgLSarXhsUzllnCQ7-ea9GjrtXuVomWN3U/edit#gid=0">Media Download</a>

<a target="_blank" href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EumD2G5yXNgLSarXhsUzllnCQ7-ea9GjrtXuVomWN3U/edit#gid=0"></a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State offensive coordinator&nbsp;Conor Riley&nbsp;and defensive coordinator&nbsp;Joe Klanderman&nbsp;met with members of the media on Thursday at the Vanier Family Football Complex prior to Kansas State’s game on Saturday at Houston. Links to video and audio of both press conferences are above, and a transcript of select quotes are below.

CONOR RILEY, OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

On what needs to happen to have the run game ramp back up…

“Consistency. That's probably the biggest issue I see, is where we're at consistently. You keep things in relative terms. I think last week we may have averaged 5.9 yards per carry, and you take out the three kneel downs, and it goes up to 6.5, and you take out the two sacks, it goes up to 7.5. But, there's explosives, and what's happening, what we've talked about is that there have been those instances where a lot of times it's good defense, and credit KU on them. Sometimes it's not a great calling on a particular pressure, whatever the case might be, and that's part of it. Then part of it, we got to do a better job of staying on and finishing. So, I think it's collective responsibility on my part, not only as one calling the plays, but then it's on them for doing their job. Then, it's on me of not saying, ‘Okay, hey, does this concept confuse with this concept? Hey, this call, we want to leave the ID right here, but then, if they do this, then we got to push it.’ So, is there too much confusion and not allowing those guys to play fast? So that's probably the biggest part of it, but relatively speaking, right now it's keep things in perspective as well.”

On if there is an effort to get Dylan Edwards more touches…

“Yeah, there’s always a plan that we have for him. We still have to go through a progression, and we may do our best as an offensive staff to design some to say, ‘Hey, it's going to go here, it's going to go there.’ Then a defensive look changes. Maybe something else changes, maybe that changes. One thing that we've recognized is everybody knows where he's at on field when he’s on the football field. So, every week you've got to try to find ways to get him the ball, but the other guy is pretty good as well. This past week we did, as you guys could see, we did have a couple more designed quarterback runs in some situations, and that's real as well. So, part of it is, yeah, we do need to find a way to get the ball a little bit more.”

On what makes Houston’s defense good…

“Number one, you look at their coaching staff and their head coach. Their head coach, obviously we competed against here in 2022. I can go back to when I was coaching football at Nebraska Omaha in the Division II ranks, and he was at Central Missouri. One thing that has not changed in 20 years is guys who are physical, guys who are well coached, and guys who run to the football. So, you look at them from a scope of a record, no different than last week's opponent, and that's right now what the Big 12 is. KU, our last opponent, got after them. Well, I think there might have been four or five turnovers in that particular game that helped them, and credit KU, they made some great plays. But you look at their front seven, they're thick, they're active, they’re well coached. They run to the football, they get off blocks, and they present significant challenges for an offense Houston.’

“they do a good job of going into multiple fronts. They really do. They'll stem in and out of those multiple fronts. Front or not front, you still need the players in order to play a particular front. They've got the personnel, and they've got the players and the schemes that do make it a little bit challenging. So, we've got a plan, and just like every single week, we'll have to adjust that plan – against Colorado, we had to adjust a little bit of the plan, against West Virginia, we had to adjust a little bit of our plan, and then obviously against KU there towards the latter part of it, there were some adjustments. Some of those adjustments weren't executed extremely well, and that falls directly on my shoulders, but I know that we're going to have to play a little bit of that game because there's too much respect I have for that coaching staff.”

On who has emerged as a leader on the offensive line…

“It's still Taylor Poitier and Hadley Panzer. Those are the two biggest leaders that we've had. I mentioned Taylor because he's really becoming more and more vocal, and I think that his play is backing that up. Hadley's always been that leader. He's going out there, he's busting his rear end. Hadley came out of that West Virginia game, and my plan going into the Kansas game was you saw Andrew Leingang go in for a series there in the first half. I was playing on getting Hadley probably a couple other series off, and what he told me was, ‘I'm not coming out of this game.’ For a Kansas kid, that goes a long way. So, those are the guys to me that are a lot of leaders.”

JOE KLANDERMAN, DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

On if he expects Houston to run the ball a lot…

“Everybody's got their own recipe to win, and I think that their recipe is play good defense and try to control the ball, limit possessions, limit plays. So, if they're able to turn out first downs like they did against Utah and keep their offense off the field and keep it a manageable game, they probably figured that at the end of the day they can be within striking distance, and hope the team craps the bed, so to speak. So, I think that's kind of been their formula offensively and seems like they're picking up a little theme with it.”

On if Houston’s two quarterbacks are similar…

“We’ve got a lot of experience with Donovan Smith, both at (Texas) Tech and then at Houston last year. So, I have a lot of respect for him as a thrower and as a runner. That was something that always scared us in the past with him. So, he's a good player. I think we know what we're seeing there. It's interesting to see. I don't think their styles are that much different where it’s two drastically different things for us, but they are both good players.”

On taking on another running quarterback…

“It’s a heck of a stretch we've had against these guys, about the four best in the country. Last week we had a couple of errors with contain, and it cost us in a couple instances, especially early in the game on third down. Our guys are very aware of it, and we're coaching the heck out of it. They know, but it's just sometimes you get out there in the heat and things happen. Sometimes it’s scenarios that are boneheaded and sometimes the scenarios that just come up because they come up. So, all we do is talk about it and hope that they are aware of it when the moment comes.”

On what makes VJ Payne an effective blitzer…

“I think, one is he studies. He times things up really well. That's part of it, especially coming from where he's coming from. It's one thing if you're a linebacker and you're coming from linebacker depth. It's another thing if you're coming from 10 to 12 yards away. You have to have an element of timing. There's some blitzes that we've designed here in the past that kids have come clean but didn't get there because they just didn't get there. They didn't get it blocked, they didn't time it up well enough to get there. So, we kind of have some parameters that we talk about with where we want them to be when the ball is snapped, and, boy, was he there a couple times we called his number last week.”

On if he rewatches VJ Payne’s final defensive play against Kansas…

“That's something that's fun to watch, and I see that frequently. I don't know that everybody gets a chance to see that.&nbsp; He's a 22-plus mile per hour guy, and sometimes within a game you don't get opportunities to hit that just because you're working in small spaces or whatever. So, for him to hit that in that little amount of space on a blitz, 21 whatever it was, is incredible. He was flying.”

On what makes defensive tackle Damian Ilalio a great player…

“Just because he's solid, he doesn't make mistakes. It's hard to find a lot of flaws with what he's doing. Great understanding of what we're doing, great understanding what an offense is doing. For example, a couple weeks ago when we played West Virginia, screens were an issue for us against Colorado. We kind of figured that that was going to be in West Virginia's plan. Sure enough, it was. I think he had three TFLs on screens. He has just great feel for the game. I think that comes with maturity, experience and reps.”

Associate Athletics Director for Communications

   K-State Coordinators Discuss Contest at Houston

NEW YORK (AP) — You gotta hand it to Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

And not just because the Yankees certainly did.

When New York let LA back into World Series Game 5, the Dodgers did what they’ve done all year — kept on going.

After taking advantage of three miscues to erase a five-run, fifth-inning deficit during one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-series-yankees-errors-ff3ca215e6064c1983e4cce4f41a97e0">most memorable midgame meltdowns in baseball history</a>, the Dodgers used eighth-inning sacrifice flies from Gavin Lux and Mookie Betts to beat New York 7-6 on Wednesday night.

"In spring training this is what we said we were going to do and we did it,” Betts proclaimed, champagne stinging his eyes.

Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning for New York. Alex Verdugo’s RBI single&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8475f75a8d70496adacb51f7b18cc9bf">chased Jack Flaherty in the second</a>, and Giancarlo Stanton’s third-inning homer against Ryan Brasier built a 5-0 Yankees lead.

In the dugout, the Dodgers remained focused.

“We were like just get one, chip away, chip away,” Freeman said.

Errors by Judge in center and Anthony Volpe at shortstop, combined with pitcher Gerrit Cole failing to cover first on Betts' grounder, helped Los Angeles score five unearned runs in the fifth.

Of the 234 teams to trail by five or more runs in a Series game, the Dodgers became just the seventh to win.

“This is going to sting forever,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I'm heartbroken.”

After Stanton’s sixth-inning sacrifice fly put the Yankees back ahead 6-5, the Dodgers loaded the bases against loser Tommy Kahnle in the eighth before the sacrifice flies off Luke Weaver.

Judge doubled off winner Blake Treinen with one out in the bottom half and Chisholm walked. Manager Dave Roberts walked to the mound with Treinen at 37 pitches.

“I looked in his eyes. I said how you feeling? How much more you got?" Roberts recalled. “He said: `I want it.' I trust him.”

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