Tag: Kansas

BYU football with chance to show growth against resurgent Kansas | News, Sports, Jobs

BYU defenders tackle Kansas running back Devin Neal during the Big 12 game against Kansas at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas, on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023.

BYU sophomore wide receiver Chase Roberts catches a pass during the Big 12 game against Kansas at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas, on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023.

BYU and Kansas players line up for a play during the Big 12 game at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas, on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023.

BYU senior running back Deion Smith gets tackled during the Big 12 game against Kansas at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas, on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

BYU defenders tackle Kansas running back Devin Neal during the Big 12 game against Kansas at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas, on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023.

Don’t expect BYU football players and coaches to have forgotten last year’s 38-27 loss at Kansas.

Now the Cougars want payback.

“We are excited because we know it didn’t go our way last year,” BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said earlier this week. “We know we can play better than what we did against them. We are excited for that opportunity to play them again at our house. A lot of their guys are back, so the matchup is going to be awesome.”

BYU faced the Jayhawks in its very first Big 12 game. The Cougars came in 3-0 record with a win at Arkansas, but struggled against the physicality of Kansas and couldn’t keep up.

But that was then and this is now, according to BYU senior receiver Darius Lassiter.

Courtesy BYU Photo

BYU sophomore wide receiver Chase Roberts catches a pass during the Big 12 game against Kansas at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas, on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023.

“I really think it’s that we can match the intensity of the Big 12 now,” Lassiter said. “Last year, our first game, just being [in Lawrence], we kind of came out flat. We know that if you do that in this league, that it can kind of get you behind and get you clawing from behind.

“That’s what you don’t want to do, because in this league there’s a lot of offenses that can score a lot of points, so you don’t want to play catch up. I feel like we just learned from our mistakes last year, and that kind of just put us in a position that we are in now.”

Cougar sophomore linebacker Harrison Taggart talked about how BYU realized last year just how competitive conference games would be and now they are prepared.

“Every single week is, in my opinion, a big game,” Taggart said. “The Big 12 is an amazing conference, and we’ve seen that. We’ve seen that last year. We’ve seen that this year. There’s tons of talent in the Big 12.”

He credited Kansas for giving the Cougars that “Big 12 awakening” and said that now gives BYU a “little bit of a chip on our shoulder.”

Courtesy BYU Photo

BYU and Kansas players line up for a play during the Big 12 game at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas, on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023.

The Cougars have applied the lessons from their first season in the league and turned it into a 9-0 record overall (6-0 in conference play) and a No. 6 ranking in the latest College Football Playoff rankings.

Kansas, on the other hand, came into 2024 with some high expectations, only to lose six games by a combined 30 points (five by six points or fewer).

But the Jayhawks are coming in off their most complete game of the season, a 45-36 win over then-No. 17-ranked Iowa State.

“Kansas has a lot to prove and had a great game last week,” Sitake said. “They have a ton of talent and are well-coached. Their football IQ is impressive. They are playing well right now. I have to get these guys ready to play this weekend.”

Leading the way has been the Kansas offense, which has scored at least 27 points in its last six games.

Courtesy BYU Photo

BYU senior running back Deion Smith gets tackled during the Big 12 game against Kansas at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas, on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023.

“Their offense is really dynamic,” Taggart said. “They have a bunch of weapons, whether it’s through the quarterback, the receiver, their running back is really good as well. I think their O-line is really good as well. Overall, they’re a well put together team, and just shutting down their weapons, playing how we’ve been playing ball, and getting the ball back to our offense will be really important for this week.”

Leading the way is Jayhawk junior quarterback Jalon Daniels, a dual-threat athlete who can be a game-changer, but Sitake agreed that Kansas has a lot of weapons.

“He’s gifted,” Sitake said. “He can run and he can throw. He’s a veteran. It’s a difficult matchup. Their running back is back too. He is one of the premier running backs, and there are so many all over this conference. They don’t get enough credit for their defense either. We saw that last week. I am looking forward to the matchup. We want to play our best game of the year this weekend. We can be more efficient and it starts with today and today’s practice.”

In addition, BYU will once again be welcoming former offensive line and offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes back to Provo. Grimes is the offensive coordinator for the Jayhawks and is part of a solid staff that Kansas head coach Lance Leipold has assembled, according to Sitake.

“We have tons of respect for Kansas and their coaching staff,” Sitake said. “I have so much respect for Lance as a leader. He is an amazing man and coach. Just like they did last week, they can get up on you and beat a ranked team. Nothing is easy in this conference. We don’t anticipate it to be easy. In order for things to go our way, we have to play at our best no matter what game it is.”

BYU senior offensive lineman Connor Pay said the Cougars know this will be a test, but they have every reason to be confident as well.

“They’re good but on the flip side, we’re good too,” Pays said. “That’s what we’re focused on. A lot of the mistakes and challenges we’ve run into this season have been self-inflicted. If we make those mistakes, they’ll take advantage of it. So we’ve got to tighten up.”

No. 6 BYU vs. Kansas

TIME: 8:15 p.m. MT

TV: ESPN

WHERE: LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo

THE WORD: This will be the third meeting between BYU and Kansas with the Jayhawks winning both previous meetings … Kansas won the last matchup, beating the Cougars 38-27 in Lawrence in 2023 … The two teams have never played in Provo, as the other meeting took in the 1992 Aloha Bowl in Hawai’i (a 23-20 Jayhawk win) … BYU leads the Big 12 and is No. 2 nationally in the ESPN Football Power Index strength of record metrics. The Cougars have wins over two teams currently ranked in the Top 25 and are one of four unbeaten teams remaining in the FBS.

Copyright © Daily Herald | www.heraldextra.com | 1200 Towne Centre Blvd. STE 1058, Provo, UT 84601

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November 16, 2024
2025’s top guard Darryn Peterson set to choose from Kansas, Kansas State, Ohio State and USC on CBS Sports HQ

Darryn Peterson, the top-ranked guard in the class of 2025, is all set to decide between Kansas, Kansas State, Ohio State and USC this Friday.

A 6-foot-5 guard from Ohio who is playing his senior season at Napa (Calif.) Prolific Prep, Peterson’s decision will be carried live on CBS Sports HQ, the CBS Sports app and the 247Sports YouTube Channel at 9 pm ET/6 pm PT.

Peterson has taken official visits to each of his four finalists. Peterson visited Kansas on June 23, USC on Aug. 2, Ohio State on Aug. 30 and Kansas State on Sept. 27.

Peterson is ranked No. 3 overall in the 2025 class and is considered the No. 1 combo guard in the class.

Earlier this week Buckeyes head coach Jake Diebler visited with Peterson’s family while USC head coach Eric Musselman was in on Tuesday. Jayhawks head coach Bill Self was expected to be the last coach to visit with Peterson and his family when he dropped by on Wednesday night.

A high-profile recruitment, Peterson is one of many top-ranked prospects in the 2025 class nearing a decision. Cameron Boozer and Cayden Boozer, ranked No. 2 and No. 21 overall, came off the board on Oct. 11 and committed to Duke.

247Sports National Basketball Analyst Travis Branham provided an update with intel on many of the remaining uncommitted prospects in the 2025 class including AJ Dybantsa, Nate Ament, Koa Peat, Caleb Wilson, Brayden Burries, Chris Cenac, Meelek Thomas, Shelton Henderson, and many more.

247Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein provides this scouting report on Peterson:

Peterson is a big guard with good positional size, length, and strength. He’s 6-foot-5, with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, and a cut-up and defined frame. What differentiates him most though is an effortless ability to score and make plays from a variety of spots on the floor, all within the flow of the game.

Peterson is extremely versatile. He’s a true combo guard who is equally effective playing on or off the ball. He has natural poise as a handler with now only rare moments when he can be rattled by pressure from smaller guards. He’s also a true multi-level scorer who can simultaneously see the floor, make reads, and pass well. He has a very smooth pull-up game, can overpower most opposing guards off the dribble, take smaller defenders into the post, and also thrive in ball-screens. His understanding of how to get to his spots is second to none and that’s why he’s such an efficient scorer, even in high volume, especially inside the arc (24 points per game in 3SSB play on 50% shooting from the floor and 57% on two-point field goals). He also has good natural instincts and has already developed an NBA caliber intellect when it comes to drawing fouls and getting easy points at the free-throw line.

While he was nearly a 90% shooter at the free-throw line, he was just under 31% from behind the arc. He has a mechanically clean and projectable stroke, but is still working to become a more consistent three-point shooter, particularly off the catch. He’s a good athlete, but doesn’t necessarily have overwhelming or dynamic pop when attempting to separate or explode at the rim. He plays with a ton of on-ball volume right now, and will inevitably have to learn to play less with the ball in his hands at the next level, even as a primary playmaker.

Peterson is a solid and competitive on-ball defender with very good playmaking metrics off the ball as well (3.4 stocks per game). He is also an elite perimeter rebounder (7.4 per game) with the size, strength, and length to eventually be a multi-positional defender.

Overall, there’s just not another guard in the country right now who can match Peterson’s combination of size, length, strength, real functional versatility, and effortless ability to get to his spots that can make the game look easy at times.

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October 31, 2024
Regional Sports (10/29): Kansas State’s Carter named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week | National

(KMAland) — Regional sports news updates are posted throughout the day. Continue to refresh for all of the latest from regional schools listed below.

Great Plains Athletic Conference

-Volleyball Players of the Week: https://gpac.prestosports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/releases/20241028vcyp88

-Women’s Soccer Players of the Week: https://gpac.prestosports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/releases/20241028v9ipto

-Men’s Soccer Players of the Week: https://gpac.prestosports.com/sports/msoc/2024-25/releases/20241028v7j7c5

Iowa State

-Rocco Becht on Davey O’Brien Class of 2024 List: https://cyclones.com/news/2024/10/29/football-becht-named-to-davey-o-brien-qb-class-of-2024.aspx

-Rachel Van Gorp named Big 12 Rookie the Week: https://cyclones.com/news/2024/10/29/volleyball-van-gorp-named-big-12-rookie-of-the-week.aspx

-Big 12 announces 2025 softball slate: https://cyclones.com/news/2024/10/29/softball-big-12-announces-2025-conference-slate.aspx

Iowa

Northern Iowa

-Men’s XC projected to finish 6th at MVC, women 7th: https://unipanthers.com/sports/2024/8/19/2024-mvc-xc-championships

Drake

Iowa Western

Southwestern

Graceland

Nebraska

-Hannah Kono fires career best in Florida: https://huskers.com/news/2024/10/29/kono-fires-career-best-in-florida

Creighton

-Lauren Jensen on Ann Meyers Drysdale Watch List: https://gocreighton.com/news/2024/10/29/womens-basketball-jensen-earns-spot-on-ann-myers-drysdale-preseason-watch-list.aspx

Omaha

Peru State

Northwest Missouri State

Missouri

Kansas City

-Men’s hoops 22nd in Mid-Major Top 25: https://kcroos.com/news/2024/10/29/mens-basketball-kansas-city-ranked-22-in-college-insider-mid-major-preseason-poll

Kansas

-Zeke Mayo on Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Watch List: https://kuathletics.com/news/2024/10/29/mens-basketball-mayo-named-to-jerry-west-shooting-guard-of-the-year-watch-list.aspx

Kansas State

-Women’s basketball ranked No. 12 in CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Preseason Poll: https://unipanthers.com/news/2024/10/29/womens-basketball-uni-ranked-12th-in-collegeinsider-com-womens-mid-major-preseason-poll

-Aliyah Carter named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week: https://www.kstatesports.com/news/2024/10/29/volleyball-carter-named-big-12-offensive-player-of-the-week

-Avery Johnson on Davey O’Brien Class of 2024 List:https://www.kstatesports.com/news/2024/10/29/football-johnson-named-to-davey-o-brien-awards-qb-class-of-2024

-Jazmin Brown named to All-Big 12 Soccer Second Team: https://www.kstatesports.com/news/2024/10/29/soccer-k-states-brown-named-to-2024-all-big-12-second-team

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October 29, 2024
1980 U.S. Olympian Ron Neugent Inducted into Kansas Sports Hall of Fame
1980 Olympian Ron Neugent was among 12 athletes inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame during a ceremony held in Topeka on Sunday, Oct. 13.

Neugent was a standout swimmer at the University of Kansas, setting five program records and a pair of Big Eight Records during his time with the Jayhawks.

The other 11 athletes inducted alongside Neugent in the Class of 2024 include Dave Bingham (baseball coach), Mark Mangino (football coach), Kelly Rankin (baseball/track & field), Scott Russell (track & field) and Mark Turgeon (basketball), all of whom have ties to Kansas University, as well as Erik Kynard (track & field), Melvin Lister (track & field), Kevin Saunders (Paralympian), Will Shields (football), Sean Snyder (football) and Annette Wiles (basketball).

Altogether, this group is comprised of seven individuals who have ties to Olympic and Paralympic competition, including an Olympic gold medalist (Kynard) and a Paralympic medalist and the only American to be named a head track and field starter for two Olympic Games (Rankin). The group also includes national champion coaches, collegiate champions and All-Americans, and American-record holders.

In a press release for the ceremony, Kansas Sports Hall of Fame Chairman Jim Dunning, Jr. said “This is an accomplished group and one the Hall of Fame is extremely proud to recognize. They bring a considerable diversity of backgrounds and talents to the Hall. In this an Olympic year, I believe it is wonderful to shine a light on seven inductees with Olympic connections.”

With his induction, Neugent joins the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame alongside six other swimmers and swimming coaches. Some of Neugent’s most notable achievements in the pool include:
- Neugent swam for the Wichita Swim Club in High School and was one of the top ranked youth swimmers nationally. Club was founded by KSHOF inductee and former Kansas track Coach Bob Timmons.
- Over the course of two years at Kansas, Neugent set five school and two Big Eight records and won two Big Eight individual titles. His mark in the 1650 freestyle still ranks as one of the best at KU and in Big Eight history.
- He transferred to KU from SMU, where he earned All-America honors by finishing 11th in the 1650 freestyle at the NCAA Championships. He also finished second in the 1650 freestyle at the Southwest Conference Championships.
- He was a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic team and the 1981 U.S. National team that traveled to Moscow.
- In 1979, he gained national recognition when he won the 1500-meter freestyle at the World University Games.
- On Sept. 5, 1982, he set an American record for a 25-meter pool in the 1500-meter freestyle (15:01.77).
- Neugent has 15 top 10 U.S. Masters Swimming all-time performances.
- He served on the U.S. Olympic Committee Board of Directors and Athletes Advisory Council and was a former Vice-President of United States Swimming.
In addition to these athletic achievements, Neugent was a committed champion for KU’s men’s swimming and diving team when it was cut alongside men’s tennis in 2001.

In 2002, Neugent gave an eloquent testimony before the Title IX Opportunity in Athletics Commission in response to the University of Kansas, the University of Nebraska, and Iowa State University all cutting their men’s swimming and diving programs at the start of the 2001-2002 season.
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October 16, 2024
Kansas State at Colorado Big-12 Football – Boulder Daily Camera

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Colorado’s Will Sheppard, right, tries to escape from Kansas State’s Justice James at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo., on Oct. 12, 2024.(Cliff Grassmick/Staff Photographer)

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Marci Harris, Special to the Herald

BYU players celebrated with freshman defensive back Tommy Prassus after he returned a fumble for a touchdown during the Big 12 game against Kansas State at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.

In front of a boisterous crowd of more than 64,000 fans, BYU football introduced this generation of Kansas State football players to LaVell Edwards Stadium.

Their ears may still be ringing long after the Wildcats return to Manhattan, Kansas.

It certainly wasn’t the trip No. 13-ranked Kansas State expected.

The Cougars blitzed the visiting Wildcats, scoring 31 points in a span of less than six-and-a-half minutes of game time. That turned a 6-0 deficit into a 31-6 lead for BYU, eventually resulting in the shockingly easy 38-9 Cougar victory.

“That stretch was an absolute whirlwind,” BYU senior defensive lineman Tyler Batty said. “That was a ton of fun. It was guys building off of each other’s momentum, guys not getting down on themselves. We were down 6-0 and guys were saying that we were going to fight, that we were going to slug this thing out. We weren’t giving in. We were going to wait for those opportunities and when they happened, we were going to capitalize.”

That was precisely what the Cougars did, although the start of the game-changing stretch wasn’t ideal for the home team.

BYU had a promising offensive drive backed up by a big sack and the Cougars had to settle for a 31-yard field goal by junior kicker Will Ferrin with 2:10 left in the first half, which cut KSU’s lead in half.

But BYU was just getting started.

On the ensuing Wildcat possession, Kansas State junior running back DJ Giddens took a handoff on a third-and-2 from the KSU 33-yard line. He tried to spin up field to get the necessary yardage, only to have Cougar junior linebacker Jack Kelly knock the ball free.

BYU quickly converged and Batty could see that Cougar freshman defensive back Tommy Prassus had a huge opportunity.

“I was right there scraping over to the ball just to see it pop out right and start rolling,” Batty said. “I’m running behind Tommy as fast as I can and I’m yelling at him, ‘Pick it up! Pick it up!’ Typically when a ball comes out, you dive on it, but we had enough space and I had enough vision behind him.”

Batty, however, realized that his efforts to communicate the situation to Prassus likely weren’t effective.

“I don’t even think he heard me because the stadium was going crazy,” Batty said. “But he scooped it and we got the right blocks and got down the sideline. I was super excited for Tommy again. He stepped up when his number was called.”

Prassus had a convoy as he carried the ball down the sideline toward the end zone that included Kelly and sophomore linebacker Harrison Taggart as the BYU crowd went wild.

“You couldn’t even hear,” Taggart said. “I was running down the field with Jack (Kelly) to the end zone and we were like six inches apart. We couldn’t even hear each other talk. Momentum is a huge part of the game and the BYU ROC kept that momentum going.”

Prasses’s 30-yard scoop-and-score TD gave the Cougars their first lead with 1:08 left in the second quarter, but BYU had two more big plays to make before halftime.

The first came two plays later when Batty made a diving interception on an overthrown screen pass, the first of his career.

“I was just dropping into coverage and I saw that it was a screen pass,” Batty said. “We were bringing a little bit of pressure and it got there. The QB didn’t throw a very accurate pass and it ended up right in my lap.”

BYU once again had the ball deep in Kansas State territory and two plays later, Cougar junior quarterback Jake Retzlaff hit junior receiver Chase Roberts in the corner of the end zone for a 23-yard score and give the home team the shocking 17-6 lead at the break.

The Wildcats looked to change things around when they got the ball to start the second half, but the BYU onslaught continued when Taggart got into the passing lane and snagged another Cougar pick.

“I dropped over my guy, who was running the bender,” Taggart said. “I saw (KSU quarterback Avery Johnson) get flushed from the pocket and throw it. I finally made the catch and went right back down the sideline.”

His 15-yard return gave the BYU offense the ball at the Wildcat 27-yard line and the Cougars capitalized.

BYU freshman running back Sione I. Moa broke free around the right side for a 24-yard gain, setting up Retzlaff’s 3-yard strike to senior wide receiver Darius Lassiter to extend the lead.

The home team, however, had one more dazzling play to cap the surge — and it was both the luckiest and the most exciting of the bunch.

The Cougars forced Kansas State to punt for the only time in the game, only to see BYU sophomore returner Parker Kingston misjudge the catch.

It appeared to brush his hand and bounce toward the Cougar goal line, and the Wildcat coverage team raced in pursuit as it sensed a chance to swing the momentum back the other direction.

But Kingston was able to scoop it up at the 10-yard line, step through a couple of diving tackles as he retreated to the 3-yard line, then break free as he raced toward the far sideline.

BYU had kept the defense on the field to prevent a fake attempt, but the Cougar players managed to run enough interference for Kingston to have a lane all the way to the end zone for a highlight-reel 90-yard punt return touchdown.

“I was thinking that he was going to fair catch it, but I turned around and I saw it hit the ground,” Glasker said. “I was just trying to find the first guy that I could block. Then we saw an open lane and he came up the sideline. From there it was basically just celebrating the end zone.”

The clock read 10:45 in the third quarter, meaning all 31 BYU points had come in a span of 6:25 of game time.

But BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said the team wasn’t surprised to put together that type of dominating stretch.

“That’s kind of what we plan on happening,” Sitake said. “This defense with Jay hill and the defensive staff, they can create some chaos. And I’m glad that it showed up tonight against a ranked team that was heavily favored against us even though we were at home.

“We can just keep pushing along and grind it out, and good things will happen for us. I was really happy with the way it worked out, but that’s what they’re supposed to do, to create momentum and help us win the game.”

The visitors did get one more field goal but BYU answered with a powerful 21-yard touchdown run from Moa to cap the scoring and keep Kansas State from dreaming of a comeback.

The Cougars all said that the home crowd deserved plenty of credit for disrupting the Wildcats and keeping BYU rolling.

“They were huge,” Glasker said. “I love playing in front of our home crowd, just because we get that 12th man. It’s always a fun time having that big crowd.”

It was Kansas State’s fourth trip to Provo and its fourth loss. It was also the fourth time that the Wildcats failed to reach double digits when facing BYU on the road, having lost 21-3 in 1965, 32-9 in 1972 and 39-0 in 1977.

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Tag: Kansas

BYU football with chance to show growth against resurgent Kansas | News, Sports, Jobs

No. 6 BYU vs. Kansas

2025’s top guard Darryn Peterson set to choose from Kansas, Kansas State, Ohio State and USC on CBS Sports HQ

Regional Sports (10/29): Kansas State’s Carter named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week | National

1980 U.S. Olympian Ron Neugent Inducted into Kansas Sports Hall of Fame

Kansas State at Colorado Big-12 Football – Boulder Daily Camera

Deafening: Mid-game blitz sparks BYU football to impressive win over No. 13 Kansas State | News, Sports, Jobs

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