After Two Straight Losses, Kansas State Wildcats Turn Attention To Rival Kansas

The Kansas State Wildcats are coming off the most disappointing loss of the Collin Klein era. 

But there is good news. 

The Wildcats have no time to sulk after Saturday's 35-16 loss to the Houston Cougars. They now must turn the focus to playing against the rival Kansas Jayhawks in the annual Sunflower Showdown.  

That is the best thing that could have happened for the Wildcats according to quarterback Avery Johnson. 

“Yeah, I think them being the next opponent definitely helps because of the rivalry and the hatred that everybody here has for KU," Johnson said.

This is a different feeling after what the Wildcats had to endure following their first loss of the season. After falling to the Cincinnati Bearcats in the Big 12 opener two weeks ago at Nippert Stadium, the Wildcats had a bye week. That was tough for Klein and the players because they had so many days to think about the loss. 

This time, K-State just has a few days to ponder before getting back on the field. Even though the Jayhawks are 2-3, this is expected to be a tough game. Kansas is coming off a tough 41-23 loss to the Utah Utes. The Jayhakws had nothing to hang their heads about. They were never out of this game. The Utes were unable to put things away until the fourth quarter. 

The fact the Jayhawks played so well against the 5-0 Utes, who are among the favorites to win the Big 12 this season, should make the Wildcats take this game seriously. The Wildcats have the last 17 games in the series, but this may be the Jayhawks best chance to break the streak. 

So you'd have to call this a must-win for Klein in his first year. A loss to the Jayhawks could hurt his rating among the fans. Even though it's early, Klein needs to keep the fan base happy because of this two-game losing streak. 

Despite the early-season struggles, the Wildcats could still make this a special season. They have a very favorable schedule because they don't play the Utes, BYU Cougars or Texas Tech Red Raiders, who are generally considered the top three teams in the conference. They also have the majority of their tough games at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. 

But it first must start with a victory against the Jayhawks. If not, this could be a long and painful season for Klein in his first year in charge.