From the Associated Press

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — The question was: How good is unbeaten Kansas, with its colossal stats compiled against four cupcakes?

The answer: Good enough to become the first Kansas team in 18 years to win in the Little Apple.

Todd Reesing threw for 267 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Jayhawks to a 30-24 victory Saturday over No. 24 Kansas State, a week after the Wildcats won at Texas.

“We’re the first Kansas team to win here since 1989,” Reesing said. “So that in itself should prove to anyone who was doubting us before the game that we are for real.”

Kansas (5-0, 1-0 Big 12) overcame some potentially ruinous mistakes and struck for a quick TD just 65 seconds after giving up the lead in the fourth quarter. With their first road win over a ranked team since 1995, they’ve started a season 5-0 for just the third time in 39 years .

“This was a great team effort,” Kansas coach Mark Mangino said. “The kids hung together on the sideline, the coaches stayed calm, we stayed with the game plan and good things happened.”

Reesing, who had thrown for 1,119 yards and 11 touchdowns in his first four games, hit Dexton Fields with a 30-yard scoring pass for a 27-24 lead with 6:27 left in the game.

The Wildcats (3-2, 1-1) had capitalized on Fields’ mistake and taken the lead on a halfback option pass about a minute earlier.

Minutes after Kansas took the lead, Kendrick Harper, who missed the first four games with an injury, intercepted Josh Freeman’s pass on the 26 and Scott Webb converted it into a 24-yard field goal with 2:21 remaining.

Freeman, Kansas State’s 6-foot-6 sophomore, outgained the 5-foor-9 Reesing, hitting 31 of 48 passes for a career-high 305 yards and one TD. But he was also intercepted three times, the last by Aqib Talib, Kansas’ two-way star, with 1:12 to play.

“We had an opportunity to win the game at the end with a two-minute drive. We did not do so,” Kansas State coach Ron Prince said. “That’s one of those situations where you’re the head football coach and that’s your responsibility, so that’s my deal, and we should’ve been able to perform in that situation and we did not.”

Talib, beaten on a 68-yard touchdown pass by Jordy Nelson in the first quarter, got his payback just before halftime when he was left uncovered and caught a 5-yard touchdown that tied it 14-14 at halftime. It was the sixth consecutive game the all-Big 12 cornerback had scored a touchdown.

“That’s the kind of game that we would have given away last year,” said Talib. “This year we have more experience. We have the confidence at the end of the game.”

Nelson, who came into the game with 42 catches for 497 yards and was the Big 12 offensive player of the week after the Texas win, caught 10 balls for 137 yards and a TD in Kansas State’s first game as a ranked team in three years.

Working against Talib, he made two outstanding catches on the 11-play, 80-yard drive that Leon Patton capped with a 6-yard run for a 14-7 Kansas State lead.

“Jordy Nelson is one of the top four or five receivers I’ve seen play in this league,” Mangino said. “He has all the tools you want.”

Kansas State caught a huge break late in the fourth when the ball bounced off Fields, soared about 20 feet into the air and was cradled by Chris Carney for his second interception on the Kansas 16.

After converting on fourth-and-inches to the 5, Freeman handed off to Patton, who pulled up and found Deon Murphy alone in the end zone for a 24-21 lead with 7:32 left.

Fields made up for his mistake by shaking free of a tackler and speeding 30 yards for the go-ahead score.

“I knew I was going to get another chance,” said Fields. “It felt great.”

The Jayhawks got their first touchdown on Kansas State’s home field since 1999 when Jake Sharp, apparently stopped for a short gain, burst out of a gang of tacklers and sped 20 yards to make it 7-7.

Kansas went ahead 21-14 when Reesing connected with Dezmon Briscoe for a 28-yard touchdown pass.

The Wildcats pulled to 21-17 on Brooks Rossman’s 32-yard field goal in the final seconds of the third quarter.

The Jayhawks had averaged more than 550 yards and 53 points while crushing Central Michigan, Southeast Louisiana, Toledo and Florida International, a nonconference schedule that left many wondering if Kansas was to be taken seriously.

“We’re going to have some fun and enjoy this,” fullback Brandon McAnderson said. “It feels great. I don’t remember feeling like this at any other time in my career. It’s the best.”

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Final, KU wins 30-24

Josh Freeman ran out after out after out on three straight plays to set K-State up at its own 49-yard line, hitting Daniel Gonzalez twice and Deon Murphy once.

On second-and-10, Derrell Stuckey made a great tackle on James Johnson to hold a short pass to a two-yard gain. An incompletion over the middle on third-and-eight was the result of Justin Thornton breaking up a pass for Jordy Nelson. Aqib Talib picked off a fourth-and-eight pass to seal the deal with 1:12 to go.

Todd Reesing finished 22-of-35 for 267 yards and three touchdowns to combat his three interceptions.

Josh Freeman was picked off three times by KU for the second straight year, finishing with 31 completions and 305 yards passing.

Jordy Nelson had a game-high 10 catches for 137 yards and a touchdown. For KU, Dexton Fields had 78 yards on six catches, and what will go down as the game-winning touchdown.

KU held K-State to just 53 yards on the ground, while both Jake Sharp and Brandon McAnderson pushed close to the 100-yard mark.

KU, now 5-0 overall and 1-0 in the Big 12, returns to action next Saturday with a home date against Baylor. Kickoff is set for 11:30 a.m.

2:21, fourth quarter, KU leads 30-24

KU’s defense got its big break of the second half, as Kendrick Harper, playing in his first game of the year, picked off a Josh Freeman pass and was taken down at the KSU 26, giving KU a prime opportunity to grind the clock to its end.

On third down inside the K-State 10, Derek Fine had an unfortunate drop in the back of the end zone, leaving KU to kick a field goal and give K-State one last chance to drive down for the win.

4:32, fourth quarter, KU leads 27-24

KU’s defense got its big break of the second half, as Kendrick Harper, playing in his first game of the year, picked off a Josh Freeman pass and was taken down at the KSU 26, giving KU a prime opportunity to grind the clock to its end.

6:27, fourth quarter, KU leads 27-24

KU went right to the air on first down of its next possession. Todd Reesing hit Dexton Fields down the sideline for 33 yards, and followed it with a first down strike over the middle to Derek Fine to put the ball at the KSU 30.

The word of the drive wound up being ‘redemption,’ as Dexton Fields then took a 30-yard catch down the middle of the field and strolled in for a touchdown. A bad snap on the extra point attempt, though, kept the score at 27-24, with KSU within tying range. Fields has six catches for 78 yards and a score.

7:32, fourth quarter, KSU leads 24-21

K-State got the ball right back thanks to a fortunate bounce going the Cats’ way. On first down, Todd Reesing fired a short pass for Dexton Fields, but the ball ricocheted off Fields’ facemask, fluttered in the air and was hauled down by Chris Carney, setting KSU up at the KU 16-yard line.

A throw to Mastrud and a five-yard encroachment call helped lead to a first-and-goal at the KU six-yard line for KSU.

K-State then ran a trick play, as Leon Patton rolled right and threw a five-yard touchdown toss over the top to Deon Murphy. The extra point -put the Wildcats up 24-21 with 7:32 to play.

8:57, fourth quarter, KU leads 21-17

Josh Freeman made a huge third down connection with Deon Murphy on K-State’s next possession to give the Cats a first down.

After a near-pick by Aqib Talib, another third down play, KU stuffed the Wildcats short on a pass play over the middle. K-State had no choice but to punt the ball. This time it was Dezmon Briscoe back to make the fair catch for KU at his own 14-yard line.

11:42, fourth quarter, KU leads 21-17

After an incomplete pass tipped by Ian Campbell at the line to start the third quarter, Brandon McAnderson made another lengthy tote, this time putting the ball at the K-State 42 for a first down.

Jake Sharp took a carry for no gain on first down, and it was followed by KU opening up the Kerry Meier package, as Reesing struck him over the middle for a 16-yard gain to the K-State 25. Sharp then went for four yards to the 21.

On third-and-four, Reesing slipped a short dump to McAnderson, whoset up a fourth-and-one at the 16, leaving KU with a decision to make. It required KU’s first timeout of the second half to be made.

KU opted to go for it, which in hindsight may have been the wrong path, as Jake Sharp was tripped up at the line of scrimmage on a pitch play to the right.

End third quarter, KU leads 21-17

KU’s running game continued to improve as the game wore on, as a pair of Brandon McAnderson runs took the ball from the KU 17 to the KU 45 to end the third quarter.

McAnderson has 49 yards on six carries, while Jake Sharp has 13 carries for 71 yards.

:50, third quarter, KU leads 21-17

KU’s momentum translated to the defensive side of the football momentarily, as a John Larson sack was the key to another three-and-out for the Wildcats. But K-State got a huge break when Dakota Lewis was called for roughing the kicker on fourth down, and the Cats got the ball back at their own 39. A play later, Freeman hit Deon Murphy for another first down.

Freeman then went right down the middle for Jeron Mastrud for a 24-yard game on a skying catch to put the ball at the KU 25.

KSU then went to the ground attack, picking up a first down to the KU 14.

On a reverse play on first down from there, Aqib Talib made an excellent defensive play, leaping over Josh Freeman’s attempted block and sticking Murphy out of bounds. After a no-gainer on second down, James McClinton stuffed James Johnson in the backfield for a huge stop. Brooks Rossman came out to hit a 32-yard field goal.

6:59, third quarter, KU leads 21-14

K-State went three-and-out for the second straight drive to open the second half. After Freeman overshot Nelson on the sideline on first down, a pair of James Johnson runs netted about a yard total, and a punt sailing out of the end zone gave KU the ball at its own 20-yard line with 10:34 to play in the third quarter.

KU went right to Jake Sharp, trying to keep the ball on the ground rather than combat the wind blowing in from the South. Sharp’s first two runs netted nine yards, and on third-and-one, Reesing absorbed a Marcus Watts shot to the back just after finding Marcus Henry for a 12-yard gain over the middle.

KU took a shot downfield on the next play, as Reesing aired one out for Dezmon Briscoe, who had a step down the seam. The ball went incomplete, though. On the next snap, Reesing hit Dexton Fields for 17 more yards over the middle to set KU up at the K-State 42.

Reesing earned another first down two plays later. After a five-yard run by Sharp, he hit Derek Fine for the third time, and the senior tight end scooted inside the 30 to the 28. Briscoe then redeemed himself on a quick slant, which he took for 28 yards down the left hash for a touchdown, giving KU a 21-14 lead with 6:59 left in the first quarter.

12:01, third quarter, game tied 14-14

K-State took the opening kick in the second half and returned it to its own 24-yard line.

Things went south for the Wildcats in the early going. First Josh Freeman was forced into throwing a pass away, and Alesana Alesana followed it with his third penalty of the game, this time of the five-yard variety on a false start call. After a 10-yard completion to Jordy Nelson, an incompletion to Deon Murphy gave the ball back to KU with a punt. KU took over at its own 19.

KU’s drive started promising with a 10-yard run by Jake Sharp, but it stalled out three plays later when Ian Campbell boosted his season sack total to 2.5 with an eight-yard takedown of Todd Reesing. Kyle Tucker had to punt into the wind for the fourth time, and again it set KSU up with favorable field position at its own 45-yard line.

Halftime, game tied 14-14

Todd Reesing rebounded somewhat from a bad first quarter to go into the half 12-of-20 with 112 yards and a late touchdown paired with his second and third picks of the season. Josh Freeman was a little more consistent, going 16-of-21 with 189 yards, a score and an interception.

Jordy Nelson was by far the first half’s brightest star, catching six balls for the Wildcats for 116 yards and an impressive 68-yard score on a fade and sprint against Aqib Talib. Dezmon Briscoe led KU with 39 yards on three catches, including two tough grabs over the middle. Jake Sharp is the game’s leading rusher with 45 yards and a touchdown on eight carries.

:11, second quarter, game tied 14-14

KU’s defense got its first big break of the day, as Caleb Blakesley tipped up a Josh Freeman pass and Russell Brorsen, a former tight end, caught it at the K-State 45. On first down, however, Todd Reesing was rushed by a pair of K-State defenders, and it was jarred loose. Adrian Mayes, though, fell on the ball right in front of him.

On second-and-16, Reesing hit Dezmon Briscoe for his third catch of the game and a gain of 14. Reesing then struck Derek Fine on a quick out for the first down at the KSU 33.

On first down, Reesing flipped a short pass to Brandon McAnderson, who shot to the outside and pushed the ball inside the 10 to the nine-yard line and out of bounds with :26 left.

On first-and-goal, Reesing again went to McAnderson, who was trapped in the middle of the field at the five yard line, forcing KU into calling its final timeout.

On the next play, though, Reesing threw short and left to a wide open Aqib Talib in the end zone, giving Talib a touchdown in six straight games dating back to the end of the 2006 season.

2:20, second quarter, KSU leads 14-7

KU needed early noise to respond to KSU’s score, and on third-and-five, after short runs by Sharp and Reesing, the sophomore QB found Dezmon Briscoe over the middle for his first catch of the day, setting KU up at its own 46-yard line. He then found Briscoe again on a pass he bobbled and double-caught for a second straight first down.

The momentum was cut short on an underthrown pass for Derek Fine, as Byron Garvin snagged it in space, and a five-yard return set KSU up at its own 32 with 2:20 left in the first half.

3:52, second quarter, KSU leads 14-7

K-State’s Jordy Nelson came back with a 15-yard catch while toeing the sideline, putting him over 100 yards receiving on the day with just five grabs. He has 11 yards, to be exact.

Set up with a first-and-10 at the KU 43-yard line, KU’s run defense pushed Leon Patton back for a loss of a yard. But Deon Murphy then got on the board with his second catch, as Freeman rolled out and again slipped a ball up over Aqib Talib. This time, it put the ball at the KU 27.

Following a nine-yard completion to Jeron Mastrud, James Johnson lost three yards, putting K-State with a crucial third-and-four. But matched up on Aqib Talib again, Jordy Nelson made a nine-yard grab in front of him, making it first-and-10 at the KU 16.

The entire team was lifted by Nelson’s heroics on the drive, as James Johnson pushed a pile to the six-yard line, forcing a second-and-short. A play later, Leon Patton pushed a modest pile forward, striking paydirt with a six-yard run in response to KU’s first score of the day.

9:11, second quarter, game tied 7-7

KU went right to Jake Sharp, who on a tough run picked up six yards up the middle. That was followed by a no gainer, setting up third-and-four for KU. Todd Reesing this time tucked it and ran up the middle for a 10-yard gain to put KU at its own 30-yard line.

Todd Reesing again tried to air it out on first-and-10 following a timeout, but his pass over the middle for Marcus Henry was dropped at midfield. He followed it, though, by hitting Derek Fine for the first time on the day for a 17-yard gain to the KU 47. Brandon McAnderson added a three-yard run on first down to put the ball exactly at midfield.

McAnderson’s second straight run netted four more yards, setting up a third-and-three.

Reesing game KU its third first down of the drive by hitting Henry on a cross over the middle for 12 yards. Following that was a Jake Sharp pitch in which he scooted easily by Andrew Erker for a 14-yard gain, putting KU at the KSU 20-yard line.

Sharp then ended the drive with KU’s first touchdown in Manhattan in eight years on a 20-yard gain in which he slipped through a trio of Wildcat defenders to silence the KSU crowd.

Scott Webb’s extra point tied the gamge, 7-7.

13:41, second quarter, KSU leads 7-0

K-State was thwarted by another penalty on the offensive line. This time, a holding call on second-and-10 amde it second-and-20. Followed by Joe Mortensen smacking Leon Patton for a four-yard loss on a screen pass, KU’s defense again pushed the ball out of dangerous territory.

For the second straight drive, a third-and-long catch by Jordy Nelson just wasn’t enough, and this time, Raimond Pendleton hauled in a fair catch at the KU 14, setting up the Jayhawks’ first possession of the second quarter.

:16, first quarter, KSU leads 7-0

K-State’s next drive started with an incompletion and then a three-yard gain on a short dump to Nelson. Though the gain was negated, as Alesana Alesana was flagged on his second personal foul call of the game, making it a second-and-25 situation for the Cats at their own 19.

On third-and-19, Freeman hit Jordy Nelson, but he was swarmed by a trio of Jayhawks, led by Sadiq Muhammed, and forced a punt. Raimond Pendleton called for a fair catch again, this time inside his own five, and again failed to haul it in, letting it bounce through the end zone for a touchback.

KU only gained four yards on two carries, and Todd Reesing was swarmed in the backfield and was forced to throw the ball away on third down. A 28-yard Tucker punt gave KSU the ball at its own 48.

3:38, first quarter, KSU leads 7-0

After a three-and-out which garnered negative yards, Kyle Tucker’s first punt of the day was a dude, setting K-State up at its own 45-yard line.

K-State’s offensive possession started well. After a Josh Freeman incompletion, James Johnson took a couple of carries down to the KU 31-yard line. Set up with a third-and-five on the 26, James McClinton forced Freeman into an awkward underhanded throw which fell incomplete past the outstretched mitts of Johnson. A missed 44-yard field goal by Brooks Rossman gave KU a first-and-10 from its own 26. Rossman’s kick was long enough, but clanked off the left upright near the flag on top.

After a four-yard run by Jake Sharp on first down, Reesing fired two incomplete passes to Derek Fine, forcing KU to punt yet again.

Another wobbly Tucker punt was fielded by KSU at its own 34-yard line.

8:48, first quarter, KSU leads 7-0

KU still kept Meier and Reesing in the game, but this time it was Meier executing the quick kick. The ball was tipped at the line and died at the KSU 32-yard line.

It took one play for KSU to open things up, with Aqib Talib getting torched down the sideline on a fade route thrown to Jordy Nelson, who scooted easily down the sideline for a 68-yard score.

9:10, first quarter, game tied 0-0

Brandon McAnderson picked up three yards on a first down run, and it was followed by Reesing hitting Dexton Fields for eight yards, giving KU the game’s first first down.

McAnderson picked up the momentum on an inside give, going for 11 yards and another fresh set of downs, followed by a Todd Reesing seven-yard scramble.

The momentum took a hit, though, when a first down run by Jake Sharp was brought back due to a chop block call on Chet Hartley on the right side of the line.

On second-and-18, a swing pass on the left to Jake Sharp netted nine yards, setting up a big third down for KU at its own 32. Todd Reesing dropped back into a nice pocket, but he threw a dangerous ball into double coverage which was tipped away by Chris Carney.

KU played a little trickery on fourth-and-nine, putting Kerry Meier at quarterback and splitting Reesing out wide, and the tactic worked, as K-State blew a timeout before KU had the chance to quick kick.

12:15, first quarter, game tied 0-0

KU took the ball at its own 20 after Jared Parker’s kick sailed through the end zone.

The Jayhawks attempted to throw K-State off the scent right away, putting Kerry Meier and Aqib Talib both out at wide receiver. On the first snap, Reesing underthrew a pass down the seam for Talib, and it was picked by Greg Gaskins.

On KSU’s first play, Josh Freeman hit Daniel Gonzalez for a first down gain, but a personal foul call on Alesana Alesana resulted in a 15-yard penalty for the Cats, making it first-and-25.

Freeman then hit James Johnson for a four-yard gain, and was tripped up by Chris harris on second down while tucking and running to his left, setting up a thrd-and-16.

Freeman hit Jordy Nelson on third down, but the gain was minimal, forcing KSU to punt from midfield. Raimond Pendleton muffed a fair catch, but pounced on it at the 10-yard line.

Pregame

A week of build-up, trash talk and analysis culminates today on a hot, sunny Saturday afternoon in Manhattan as KU and K-State lock up for the annual Sunflower Showdown – the most anticipated edition of the rivalry since 1995 when both squads entered as ranked teams.

KU takes its undefeated, yet untested resume into Bill Snyder Family Stadium today for an 11 a.m. kickoff against No. 24 Kansas State, entering with a 3-1 record and fresh off of a 41-21 upset victory of then-No. 7 Texas down in Austin.

The game is undoubtedly the toughest test yet for Kansas, which before its bye week last Saturday had slain four straight non-conference opponents by a combined tally of 214-23. Though on top of this being the best team KU will face to date, it will be the first time in Todd Reesing’s young career that he has started a game on the road. He couldn’t ask for a more hostile environment, either. Through four games, the savvy sophomore gunslinger has completed 73 of 125 pass attempts, good for 1,199 yards and 11 touchdowns as opposed to just one pick.

While KU’s offense has been wide open and filled with highlight reel content, Kansas State has gotten by so far with a fast, aggressive defense and an offense which keeps things simple for sophomore quarterback Josh Freeman. Freeman had a nightmarish first go-around against KU in 2006, throwing three interceptions and losing three fumbles in a 39-20 loss in Lawrence. But this season, he has completed 61.8 percent of his passes in an attack which keeps things short and simple. Look for him to get the ball to senior receiver Jordy Nelson a ton. The former walk-on from Riley, Kan., already has 42 receptions this year, and is the reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week. K-State also boasts last week’s Big 12 Defensive POW honoree in junior defensive end Ian Campbell, who anchors a quick, attack-minded front three.

KU leads the all-time series against K-State, 63-36-5, but has not won in Manhattan since 1989. In other words, they’ve had eight consecutive unsuccessful tries in the Little Apple.