Kansas punter Matthew Gill (99) loses the ball out of bounds for a Kansas State safety after being hit by Kansas State cornerback Nick McClellan (34) after bobbling the snap during the second quarter on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Photo by Nick Krug/Special to the Journal-World

MANHATTAN — Even after squandering one of its largest leads in the 18-year duration of its Sunflower Showdown losing streak — 10 points — the Kansas football team still had a chance to surge ahead of Kansas State late on Saturday afternoon when was trailing by just one point.

But Isaiah Marshall threw a pivotal end-zone interception early in the fourth quarter, Joe Jackson ran for 64 yards on the next play and KU never scored again. The Wildcats proceeded to salt away a 35-24 victory at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

K-State ran for 359 yards, including 159 for the running back Jackson and 132 for quarterback Avery Johnson. Marshall threw for one touchdown and ran for another, but had two additional rushing touchdowns called back due to penalties.

Former Wildcat Dylan Edwards ran for 57 yards and a touchdown in his return to Manhattan.

The Kansas defense proved quite susceptible to the quarterback run game early, allowing a 59-yard scramble to Johnson. Johnson was injured on the play, but Rodney Fields Jr. scored a touchdown on the next snap.

Bryson Hayes returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a score, his first career touchdown.

Johnson returned immediately and lofted a 45-yard pass to Derrick Salley Jr., but KU held inside its own red zone, forcing a turnover on downs when Corey Gordon made contact with Josh Manning to prevent a completion at the 1-yard line.

Edwards touched the ball on six of KU’s first seven plays, and Marshall added a 25-yard scramble before fitting in a 12-yard touchdown on a contested catch by Nik McMillan.

K-State tight end Linkon Cure fumbled to put KU back in business. Marshall’s immediate touchdown run was called back due to a holding penalty on Cam Pickett, and the Jayhawks settled for a 31-yard field goal by Martin Connington to go up 17-7.

The Wildcats swiftly crossed midfield again and got a boost from a pass-interference penalty on Roman Pearson, but opted for their own field goal after Pearson successfully defended a fade route.

K-State forced KU’s first punt and again picked up two quick first downs, but a 5-yard loss on a rush by Johnson put the Wildcats behind the sticks and Rodriguez hit a second field goal, this time from 51 yards, to make it 17-13.

The Wildcats reached KU’s 40-yard line, but the Jayhawks got enough pressure to force a third-and-3 incompletion by Johnson, and K-State opted to punt shortly before the two-minute warning.

That decision paid off because KU went basically nowhere before Matt Gill mishandled a snap in the end zone, resulting in a safety. K-State returned the ensuing kick to its own 49-yard line, then converted a third-and-13, then went ahead on a third field goal by Rodriguez shortly before halftime.

The Jayhawks had just four yards in the second quarter, but they quickly exceeded that on a promising opening drive of the second half. Marshall threw two 22-yard passes to Leyton Cure and also ran for 11 yards on a fourth-and-2 at the edge of field goal range. Edwards scored the touchdown to restore KU’s lead.

KU’s defense, however, put up minimal resistance against the Wildcats’ rushing attack, and Johnson hit Jaron Tibbs for 11 yards on a key third-and-8 to set up a goal-to-go situation. Jackson immediately punched it in, and Rodriguez’s extra point made it 25-24.

KU punted immediately and then, with the Wildcats holding the ball with the lead for the first time, allowed a 29-yard reception by Tibbs that more than canceled out an early holding penalty. Jackson carried the ball seven straight times, but on the seventh Kevin Oatis held him up at the 1-yard line on fourth-and-goal.

Eamon Smalls and David Santiago wrestled Jackson down on the first play of the first quarter, maintaining the one-point deficit and giving KU a chance to turn momentum back in its favor. A pass-interference penalty on Donovan McIntosh got the Jayhawks out of the shadow of their own end zone, and that was the boost they needed to put together a drive into K-State territory.

But after a pair of scrambles moved KU into the red zone, Marshall threw into double coverage and was intercepted in the end zone by Logan Bartley. It was K-State’s first interception of the season. Jackson immediately broke away on the next play to set up a touchdown pass by Johnson.

Marshall broke away for another touchdown, but an offensive facemask penalty on Amir Herring both nullified it and put KU in a third-and-26, which resulted in a punt.

The Wildcats were able to drain several minutes off the clock before Johnson scrambled for 37 yards and an essentially game-sealing third-down conversion. Rodriguez hit his fifth field goal short afterward.

KU fell to 2-4 (0-3 Big 12) and will host Baylor next Saturday.

How they scored

First quarter

13:17 — Rodney Fields Jr. 4-yard run. Luis Rodriguez PAT good. Five plays, 75 yards, 1:43 TOP. KSU 7, KU 0.

13:08 — Bryson Hayes 95-yard kickoff return. Martin Connington PAT good. KSU 7, KU 7.

4:22 — Nik McMillan 12-yard pass from Isaiah Marshall. Connington PAT good. Thirteen plays, 88 yards, 5:03 TOP. KU 14, KSU 7.

0:53 — Connington 31-yard field goal good. Five plays, 14 yards, 2:29 TOP. KU 17, KSU 7.

Second quarter

11:50 — Rodriguez 22-yard field goal. Nine plays, 71 yards, 3:56 TOP. KU 17, KSU 10.

6:57 — Rodriguez 51-yard field goal. Seven plays, 32 yards, 3:27 TOP. KU 17, KSU 13.

1:43 — Safety (Matt Gill fumble). KU 17, KSU 15.

0:24 — Rodriguez 28-yard field goal. Eight plays, 41 yards, 1:09 TOP. KSU 18, KU 17.

Third quarter

11:05 — Dylan Edwards 3-yard run. Connington PAT good. Nine plays, 75 yards, 3:55 TOP. KU 24, KSU 18.

6:32 — Joe Jackson 8-yard run. Rodriguez PAT good. Nine plays, 65 yards, 4:33 TOP. KSU 25, KU 24.

Fourth quarter

8:28 — Jaron Tibbs 9-yard pass from Avery Johnson. Rodriguez PAT good. Four plays, 84 yards, 1:25 TOP. KSU 32, KU 24.

1:56 — Rodriguez 33-yard field goal. Eleven plays, 63 yards, 5:10 TOP. KSU 35, KU 24.

Box score