Following a second-straight road conference win, 16th-ranked Kansas State returns home for the first time in a month as the Wildcats host in-state rival KU in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown. The sold-out game, which starts at 7 p.m., will be shown nationally on ESPN2 with Roy Philpott (play-by-play), Sam Acho (analyst) and Taylor Davis (sidelines) on the call.
Quarterback Avery Johnson is set to make his ninth career start and has thrown for 1,401 yards and 14 touchdowns on 111-of-178 aim while adding 306 rushing yards and two TDs. He is one of only seven quarterbacks in the country and the only Big 12 signal caller with at least 1,400 passing yards and 300 rushing yards this season and is coming off a career-best 298 yards through the air at West Virginia.
Junior running back DJ Giddens has rushed for 843 yards and four touchdowns on 127 carries to go along with 11 receptions for 182 yards and another score. Giddens ranks 10th nationally by averaging 120.4 rushing yards per game, while he is seventh in the nation in scrimmage yards per game (146.4). Giddens has averaged 6.6 yards per rush this season, which ranks 14th in the country.
Kansas State has nine players with 20 or more tackles this season, led by linebacker Austin Romaine, whose 51 tackles are tied for 11th in the Big 12. Senior defensive end Brendan Mott has 8.5 TFLs and 7.0 sacks, the latter ranking seventh in the nation. Five Wildcats have carded an interception this season in VJ Payne (2), Jacob Parrish, Marques Sigle (2), Jack Fabris and Keenan Garber.
Chris Tennant has been true on 10-of-12 field goals with his only misses coming from distances of 48 and 53 yards. Simon McClannan has averaged 42.5 yards per punt this season to rank fourth in the Big 12, while his nine punts that have ended inside the opponent 20-yard line are tied for third in the league. Dylan Edwards enters the game ranked 12th nationally with a 14.1-yard punt return average.