Manhattan ? Imagine how livid you’d be if your life revolved around your college football team and that team, on a very big Saturday against its in-state rival, did the following:

¢ Was tagged for 73 yards in rushing losses.

¢ Was penalized 94 yards.

¢ Averaged 2.6 yards per play on offense and 0.8 yards per rush.

¢ Had just 182 yards in total offense.

¢ Scored just three points in the first three quarters, the field goal coming after a “drive” of minus-seven yards on four plays.

¢ Suffered the humiliation of getting into a fourth-and-40 situation.

Yes, sir, the home team laid an egg, all right, and walked away with the Governor’s Cup nonetheless, defeating Kansas University, 12-3, Saturday afternoon, to the delight of the purple sellout at KSU Stadium.

The governor might want to think about changing the name of that thing to the Tin Cup. Beggars for victory can’t choose the means.

The not-as-powerful-as-they-used-to-be ‘Cats need not apologize. They sent their passionate supporters home happy. Correction: The KU offense sent them home happy.

Watching the Jayhawks (3-2 overall, 0-2 Big 12 Conference) raises an interesting question: If the KU defense scrimmaged the offense and the defense was not allowed to run any offensive plays, other than using a field-goal kicker, who would win the game?

Answer: They’d play to a scoreless tie until the defense, needing to attend a meeting, vacated the field. Six or eight plays and three or four quarterbacks later, the offense would win with an uncontested touchdown.

The offense was that putrid, the defense that dominant, aggressive, violent – take your pick, they all apply to a unit that deserves so much better. The Jayhawks managed just eight first downs, and K-State possessed the ball 38 minutes, compared to 22 for KU.

Understandably, KU coach Mark Mangino was furious with Brian Luke for checking into an option play twice in two weeks, both plays resulting in turnovers. Still, if Kerry Meier isn’t an option, Mangino needs to go with Luke and stay with him.

Instead, Mangino started the game with Adam Barmann, who gave a typical Adam Barmann performance (3-for-8, 17 yards), which is why Mangino went back to Luke. Next, Mangino went to Marcus Herford, who teamed with Charles Gordon on a nifty trick play for a 24-yard completion from Gordon to Herford. Then, get this, Mangino went back to Barmann. Why? Not because he anticipated the passing-challenged junior fumbling the ball away 15 yards shy of the end zone.

Mangino returned to Luke, continuing his quest for the mistake-free quarterback. When such a QB is born, let us know.

• 6Sports video: Jayhawks fall to Wildcats
• Hear Mark: Kansas State postgame
• Photo Gallery: KU vs. Kansas State
• Get the stats: KU vs. Kansas State box score
• Oh, no! No ‘O’
• Snyder: Defenses dandy
• Keegan: Shuffling QBs bad for KU
• Riled Reid sparks Kansas defense
• Notebook
• How they scored

“To blame it on the quarterbacks is not fair,” Mangino said.

True. The receivers deserve some blame, and so does the coach for not picking a quarterback not named Barmann and sticking with him through his mistakes.

“Just have to keep the faith in them,” Mangino said of the quarterbacks. “We’re not giving up on any players. We’re going to find a way on offense to do it.”

Failing to settle on one quarterback is a vote of no-confidence in all the quarterbacks, which is no way to show faith.

– Sports editor Tom Keegan can be reached at 832-7147