LINCOLN, NEB. ? It used to be that Nebraska victories over Kansas State were as certain as the leaves changing colors in October.

To Cornhusker fans, the series has violated the law of nature in recent years.

The Huskers go into today’s game having lost three straight times in Manhattan. They’ve lost four of the last six meetings, including 49-13 two years ago and 38-9 last year in the worst home loss since 1958.

“They’ve been beating up on us,” linebacker Ira Cooper said. “We have to find a way to win.”

The Huskers had no problem winning for most of three decades against the Wildcats. They strung together 29 straight wins in the series from 1969 to 1997.

But the Wildcats have wrested control of the series since, and they used last year’s win in Lincoln as a springboard to the Big 12 Conference championship.

Many Nebraska fans took umbrage at Kansas State piling on the points against defensive reserves late in the game. Defensive coordinator Bo Pelini, now at Oklahoma, shouted an obscenity at Wildcats coach Bill Snyder as time expired.

Quarterback Joe Dailey, who saw mop-up duty in that game, said he and his teammates would like to return the favor.

“We don’t go out there just to win by a touchdown. We go out to win by as many touchdowns as we can,” Dailey said. “Teams like to stick it us, we like to stick it to them.”

Nebraska head coach Bill Callahan, right, congratulates left tackle Mike Erickson, (78) and right guard Jake Andersen as they come off the field against Baylor in this file photo from Oct. 16. The Huskers will take on Kansas State today in the resumption of a rivalry that has favored the Wildcats of late.

Offensive lineman Jake Andersen said he’s letting bygones be bygones.

“You can’t talk about revenge. It really doesn’t do you any good,” Andersen said. “What happened, happened last season. We have to worry about this season and handle our business. … We respect them, and I hope they respect us, because they should.”

First-year coach Bill Callahan said he had followed the Nebraska-Kansas State series from afar for many years.

“I know the level of competition between the two schools,” he said.

But Callahan shies from talk about the game’s rivalry status.

“This is a fresh start,” he said. “It’s a divisional game, it’s important, and it has implications for a potential bowl scenario.”

The Huskers (4-2, 2-1 Big 12) control their destiny in the North Division. They share the division lead with Missouri. Kansas State (2-4, 0-3) is in jeopardy of not being bowl eligible for the first time in 12 years.

“Watching the film, and looking at the record, their record is not indicative of their performance,” Callahan said.