Kansas State quarterback Jake Waters is sacked by TCU defensive end James McFarland in this photo from Nov. 8 in Fort Worth, Texas. Kansas University needs to keep Waters bottled up Saturday to stand a chance in the Sunflower Showdown.

Kansas Jayhawks (3-8 overall, 1-7 Big 12) at No. 11 Kansas State Wildcats (8-2 overall, 6-1 Big 12)

3 p.m., Bill Snyder Family Stadium – Game-time forecast: 63 degrees, Sunny, Winds 9 mph from the south – TV: FOX Sports 1

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Keys for Kansas

Kansas State quarterback Jake Waters is sacked by TCU defensive end James McFarland in this photo from Nov. 8 in Fort Worth, Texas. Kansas University needs to keep Waters bottled up Saturday to stand a chance in the Sunflower Showdown.

1 . Watch Jake Waters in the run game

Kansas University interim head coach Clint Bowen said one of the things that makes K-State quarterback Jake Waters so dangerous is that he’s a real part of the Wildcats’ run game, just as nearly every quarterback under Snyder since Chad May has been during the past couple of decades. Like Colin Klein before him, Waters is a tough, physical runner who has good vision and runs smart. What makes him so tough to bottle up, though, is that K-State has a number of different ways to run him. They run zone read, they run option, and they call power, counter and zone runs in which the quarterback and tailback are equally likely to get the ball. On top of that, K-State uses its fullback to give Waters room, and he often has the option to throw even when it looks like a run is called.

2 . Time for mistake-free football

That’s true most games, but it’s particularly true in this one because the odds are so low that the Wildcats will make a mistake of their own and give a team a chance to atone for one of its missteps. KU quarterback Michael Cummings said ball security and execution were the biggest key for the offense this week, and co-offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau said the Jayhawks cannot give the very tough and talented K-State defense any help or it could be a long day. “They’re not gonna get tricked. They’re not gonna get fooled. They’re very sound,” Kiesau said of the KSU defense. “They just wait and they wait and they wait and they wait, and then when you make a mistake, they capitalize on it.”

3 . Offense has to bounce back

It was a miserable day in Norman, Oklahoma, last week for the Kansas offense, with poor execution, awful weather and a little bad luck all responsible for the 103-yard day. In the two games prior to that, KU had racked up 30-plus points and 400-plus yards in a victory over Iowa State and a near-upset of No. 5 TCU. The Jayhawks should have De’Andre Mann back in the huddle, so that could help Corey Avery and the run game. But the only way KU figures to have a shot in this one is if Cummings gets the time to work down the field to Nick Harwell, Nigel King and Jimmay Mundine, weapons who played a huge role in those ISU and TCU outings but were virtually non-existent against OU. A favorable weather forecast should eliminate one of the issues from a week ago, so now it just comes down to execution and the play of the offensive line, which has been a key all season long.

Mega Matchup: KU cornerback JaCorey Shepherd vs. K-State WR Tyler Lockett

These guys are two of the best at their positions in the Big 12 Conference, and they appear to be looking forward to the matchup. Shepherd, who has had an All-Big 12 season and ranks in a tie for third nationally with 18 passes defended, said the key to slowing down Lockett (1,074 yards and 6 TDs on 70 receptions) was never to take a step off. Shepherd said DBs have to be locked in to every move the talented KSU wideout makes and are best served keeping everything in front of them. Shepherd has fared well against some of the top receivers in the Big 12 this season, but many of them were bigger burners. At 5-foot-11, 170 pounds, Lockett’s athleticism and wiggle make him tough to check, even for those able to run step-for-step with him.

5 Questions with Interim head coach Clint Bowen

1 . The KU-K-State football series has been pretty streaky for the past couple of decades. Only twice since 1990 have the teams traded off victories in back-to-back years. Any reason why?

“I think prior to (KSU) coach (Bill) Snyder getting there, K-State was similar to us in that quite a few different guys had taken the helm. I think any time you have stability in a program, that gives you a better chance of success, so I think if I had any reason why, it would probably be just a lack of stability at the head-coaching position.”

Kansas interim head coach Clint Bowen applauds a Jayhawk touchdown against Texas Tech during the third quarter on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2014 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas.

2 . What’s one of your favorite memories from the Sunflower Showdown?

“The ’92 game (31-7, KU) was such a great game for us. That’s the game that playing DB we might as well have not even been there because Gilbert (Brown) and Chris Maumalanga and Kyle Moore and those guys were sacking the quarterback at an alarming rate. Being in the back end of that game was pretty boring.”

3 . Do you think this rivalry is a little more meaningful to the Kansas kids on both rosters?

“I believe it is. I think that Kansas kids are a little bit more in tune to the rivalry. They grew up hearing the same things that I hear, that your buddies are K-State fans, and they’ve got their comments, so it builds in you a little bit more as a Kansas kid. I think if you’re a Kansas player on either one of these rosters and you have to go home to a town where there’s going to be people that you’re going to see that have their opinions on which side they like, I think it definitely does mean a little bit more to a Kansas kid.”

4 . Have the Kansans on your roster have a bigger role in addressing the team this week?

“We always keep it open. Anytime one of our players wants to stand up and say something, it could be any one of them. Doesn’t have to be a Kansas guy. I always want them to take ownership in their team and feel that they have that role.”

5 . What do you hope people remember about your time as KU’s interim football coach?

“I guess the big thing to me is that it’s always about the team. It’s always about KU. It’s about KU football, and it’s about our players and our program and the people that support us. That’s what I buy into. That’s what I believe. That’s what I was taught from my high school through Glen Mason and beyond. It’s about the team, and that’s the way it’ll always be.”

Jayhawk Pulse

Their bowl hopes are gone, they’re coming off an embarrassing outing at Oklahoma in which the defense gave up an NCAA single-game rushing record, and many of the coaches and players in this week’s game will never suit up for the Jayhawks again after today. You’d never know those facts from talking to the players leading up to this year’s Sunflower Showdown. For starters, pride means an awful lot to these guys, and that might be the biggest thing on the line against the Wildcats today. In addition, the seniors have a chance to cap an otherwise rough career with the feel-good moment of all feel-good moments, and interim coach Clint Bowen gets one more opportunity to make his case for the head-coaching job. As senior offensive lineman Pat Lewandowski said earlier this week, “It all comes down to this.” The rest of the country or conference might not know it, but, clearly, there’s still plenty at stake in this one.

Tale of the Tape

KU run game vs. KSU run D – advantage K-State

KU pass game vs. KSU pass D – advantage K-State

KSU run game vs. KU run D – advantage K-State

KSU pass game vs. KU pass D – Push

Special teams – advantage K-State