When David Beaty sat down and began examining video of rival Kansas State in preparation for today’s Sunflower Showdown, the first-year Kansas University football coach thought the Wildcats epitomized a typical Bill Snyder-coached team.

While the Wildcats (4-6 overall, 1-6 Big 12) have had their issues and aren’t winning at the same clip as previous Snyder rosters headed into today’s game at Memorial Stadium (3 p.m. kickoff, FOX Sports 1), Beaty could tell even in losses K-State had mental toughness.

“Those dudes are resilient,” said Beaty, whose Jayhawks are 0-8 in the Big 12 and winless through 11 games. “They keep playing and they’re right there at the end of every game they’re playing this year.”

K-State lost by two at Oklahoma State, and by seven to both TCU and Baylor. Last week, against Iowa State, the Wildcats overcame a 21-point second-half deficit to beat the Cyclones, 38-35.

“It’s coming down to the wire, it looks like they might be out of it and then, man, those dudes just keep playing,” Beaty marveled. “They keep finding a way to get there in the fourth quarter and give themselves a chance to win. They keep finding a way to manufacture points and they get stops when they need them late in the game.”

In five of K-State’s six Big 12 losses — excluding an atypical 55-0 home loss to Oklahoma — the Wildcats were within a score of their opponent late in the game. They led in the fourth quarter against OSU and TCU, and had the ball with a chance to tie the game in losses to Texas, Baylor and Texas Tech.

Cordial rival

A Garland, Texas, native who has spent most of his professional coaching career in his home state, with some stints at KU sprinkled in (assistant jobs in 2008-09 and 2011), Beaty hasn’t spent a lot of time around Snyder, the savior of K-State football, now in his 24th season as head coach.

Snyder, 191-100-1 in his career, has run into Beaty more often during the past year, though. Beaty said they often are together at coaching conventions or events. The mastermind from Manhattan, according to Beaty, has been both helpful and encouraging in those encounters.

“The thing that I love about Coach is he loves the state of Kansas. He does. And he wants these programs to be good. He really does,” Beaty said. “He’s done a tremendous job at his place. He’s been very helpful to me. Any time I’ve asked for anything he’s always been right there to help.”

History lessons

About to lead KU into its annual rivalry game for the first time as head coach, Beaty said part of his job this week entailed ensuring all of his players understand the significance of the rivalry.

“Not just the record that it sits at right now,” Beaty said, “but the recent history, the history that dates back several decades ago, the people have come before them, and what it’s meant to them.”

To pull that off, Beaty had different assistants and staff members speak to the team each day and share what beating K-State means to them. On Monday, defensive coordinator Clint Bowen led things off. Later in the week, linebackers coach Kevin Kane and some graduate assistants — Connor Embree and James Holt played at KU — helped out. Beaty said running backs coach Reggie Mitchell, currently in his second long stay as a KU assistant, also spoke to the players about the rivalry.

Goodman dreams of TD

On the bus ride over to last week’s KU-West Virginia game, Beaty asked senior defensive end Ben Goodman whether he had ever taken the ball into the end zone for KU.

“Well, I had a dream about you scoring a touchdown,” Goodman related of Beaty’s follow-up to the question.

Goodman, who has 126 total tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks and one interception in his career never has scored a TD. The Beaumont, Texas, native revealed he scored in his final high school game for West Brook.

Oh, and he has some ideas about crossing the goal line against K-State.

“I’ve been asking for a package, but they still haven’t put it in yet,” a smiling Goodman said of a cameo on offense.

The 6-foot-3, 253-pound defender claimed he could play tight end.

“I’m thinking about the little motion guy in the backfield,” Goodman said, laughing, “act like I’m gonna block a D-end, slip out for a pass. That’s what I was thinking.”

He added, without an ounce of seriousness: “I’m probably the best catcher on the team.”

Disappointing offense

Scoreless in last week’s blowout loss to West Virginia and held to a single TD in four other Big 12 losses this season, KU’s offense remains a work in progress, even though the season ends today.

Senior Kansas receiver Tre’ Parmalee said the Jayhawks just have to keep laying the foundation for better versions of the “Air Raid” offense in future seasons.

“It gets frustrating at times, but it’s the first year of this new system,” said Parmalee, who last scored a TD on Oct. 17, against Texas Tech. “And everybody’s still learning the ins and outs of it — even the new coaches, and the players. We’re all trying to bring it together as one. It’ll get going.”

One’s better than none

Obviously, today is KU’s last chance to win a game in 2015. Sophomore tight end Ben Johnson said that knowledge generates positivity among the Jayhawks, rather than casting a negative cloud over them.

“There’s definitely a lot more energy this week,” Johnson said. “It’s a big rivalry game. But at the same time you’ve gotta prepare.”

Sophomore linebacker Joe Dineen added KU’s seniors aren’t the only ones who need a victory against K-State.

“It would be huge,” Dineen, a Lawrence native, said of KU pulling off the upset. “Going into the offseason and everything, just for morale of the team and for momentum going into winter conditioning, spring ball, summer workouts and camp next year and next season, it’d be huge.”

Last call for Bob Davis

Radio play-by-play announcer Bob Davis, who announced earlier this week he’ll retire at the completion of the KU men’s basketball season, will call his final Kansas football game today.

Beaty called working with Davis an honor.

“Just that voice. I know all of us have been in a car and you turn on that radio and his voice comes ringing through,” Beaty said, “and it’s just such a familiar voice. Man, what a great career he’s had.”