LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas State running back Deuce Vaughn rushed for a career-high 162 yards and 3 touchdowns, Skylar Thompson passed for 244 yards and one score, and the Wildcats continued their domination over Kansas in a 35-10 victory to gain bowl eligibility Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence.
“This is big time,” Vaughn said. “We control our own destiny. We have three games left before we get into that bowl game but to be able to clinch that is big time for our program.”
Vaughn had 69 rushing yards and 1 touchdown before he took a handoff and raced down the sideline 80 yards for the longest rush of his career just 15 seconds into the third quarter. He finished with 11 carries and averaged 14.7 yards per rushing attempt, the third highest average in school history. He had runs of 29, 10, 19 and 15 yards over the first two quarters, as the Wildcats raced out to a 21-3 lead at halftime.
The Wildcats scored touchdowns on three of their first four possessions and the game was never in doubt.
“Excited for our team and excited for K-State nation,” K-State head coach Chris Klieman said. “This one means a lot to our state and a ton to the almost 60 kids on our team from the state of Kansas. I couldn’t be any happier with how our guy started the first half and the second half.”
The 5-foot-6, 173-pound Vaughn finished with 232 total yards — he also had 6 catches for 70 yards — and his rushing total was the most since Alex Barnes had 250 yards at Baylor in 2018. Vaughn’s previous high for rushing was 127 yards earlier in the season against Nevada.
Vaughn gained 200 total yards before the Jayhawks took their first snap of the second half. He entered the day ranked third in the nation in career all-purpose yards at 126.44 per game and ranked second in the nation among running backs with 785 receiving yards since 2020.
“As an offense, we were clicking really well,” Vaughn said. “We came to the sideline and said, ‘We can do a lot against these guys.’ It’s one of those things where you’re running and it’s like you’re in autopilot. That’s what today was like. It was a really good feeling.”
K-State improved to 6-3 overall and 3-3 in the Big 12 Conference by winning its third straight game, and its 13th straight over the Jayhawks. It marks the longest winning streak by either team in series that featured its 119th all-time meeting Saturday.
“Obviously, it wasn’t perfect, but you play in a rivalry game and win it as many times as K-State has there’s some anxiety to it,” Klieman said, “and our guys had great focus.”
Thompson commanded an offense that rolled to 499 total yards while he continued to extend the best stretch of his career. Thompson completed 19 of 24 passes for 244 yards and 1 touchdown, including a 68-yard scoring strike to wide receiver Malik Knowles for the Wildcats’ second touchdown of the first quarter.
“We started off fast,” said Knowles, who had 3 catches for 94 yards and 1 touchdown. “In a few games, we started off slow. We came out firing on all cylinders.”