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Kansas State Wildcats
File:KSUWildcats logo.png
First season1893
Head coach
3rd season, 16–16 (.500)
StadiumBill Snyder Family Stadium
(capacity: 52,200)
Field surfaceFieldTurf
LocationManhattan, Kansas
DivisionNorth
All-time record442–584–41 (.433)
Bowl record6–7 (.462)
Conference titles2, (1934, 2003)
Consensus All-Americans34
ColorsPurple and White
   
Fight songWildcat Victory
MascotWillie The Wildcat
Marching bandPride Of Wildcat Land
Major RivalsKansas Jayhawks (Governor s Cup)
WebsiteK-State Sports

The Kansas State Wildcats football program (variously "K-State" or "KSU") is the intercollegiate football program of the Kansas State University Wildcats. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the North Division of the Big 12 Conference. The current head coach is Ron Prince.

The team plays in Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium in Manhattan, Kansas. The KSU Marching Band, also known as the Pride of Wildcat Land, performs at all home games and bowl games.

History

Kansas State's football team began play in 1893. The first game on Thanksgiving Day was against St. Mary's Academy; K.S.A.C. won 18-10.[1] The team experienced its first sustained success in the 1920s and 1930s. Elden Auker was part of a group of excellent athletes that attended Kansas State around the time of the Great Depression, which also included Ralph Graham, Henry Cronkite, George Maddox and Elmer Hackney. On the football field, these athletes were coupled with a series of Hall of Fame coaches. The first of these coaches was Z.G. Clevenger, who arrived in 1916, when Kansas State essentially swapped head coaches with the University of Tennessee. Clevenger is today in the College Football Hall of Fame for his playing abilities, but he is also recognized as a brilliant coach and administrator. Clevenger was followed as football coach in 1920 by Charles Bachman, who stayed until 1927, and earned his way into the College Football Hall of Fame with his coaching prowess. Bachman is also responsible for permanently endowing Kansas State’s sports teams with the nickname of "Wildcats." His successor, Alvin "Bo" McMillin, the coach from 1928-33, is also in the College Football Hall of Fame as a player, but he too was a brilliant coach who, after leaving Kansas State, was recognized as national collegiate coach of the year and then served as head coach for two NFL teams. After McMillin left, Kansas State hired Lynn "Pappy" Waldorf, who would also subsequently be enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach.

With this combination, Kansas State found a rare sustained stretch of success on the football field. In 1931 the football team was on track for a potential bid to the Rose Bowl, the sole bowl game in the country at the time, until Ralph Graham was injured. In 1934 Kansas State won its first conference football championship. That same year, the New York Times referred to Kansas State "an established Middle Western leader."[2] But then Coach Waldorf abruptly left, and the winning stopped – Kansas State would not win its second conference football title until 2003.

Despite these shining moments in the 1920s and 1930s, by the 1980s the school was known as one of the worst programs in the NCAA. K-State was the first NCAA team to lose 500 games. Everything changed in 1989, when the athletic department hired Bill Snyder to replace Stan Parrish as head coach. Snyder led Kansas State as one of only 6 schools in history to have gone to 11 straight bowl games. The streak started in the 1993 season and extended through the 2003 season. As of October 19, 2008, the Wildcats are 56-51 when playing on television.

Recent Records

Below is the recent records for Kansas State University. Bill Snyder coached the Wildcats from 1989-2005. Ron Prince took the helm to start the 2006 season.

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs Coaches# AP°
Kansas State (Big Eight Conference/Big 12 Conference) (1989–2008)
1989 Kansas State 1-10 0-7 8th
1990 Kansas State 5-6 2-5 6th
1991 Kansas State 7-4 4-3 4th
1992 Kansas State 5-6 2-5 T-6th
1993 Kansas State 9-2-1 4-2-1 3rd W 52-17 Copper Bowl 18 20
1994 Kansas State 9-3 5-2 3rd L 7-12 Aloha Bowl 16 19
1995 Kansas State 10-2 5-2 T-2nd W 54-21 Holiday Bowl 6 7
1996 Kansas State 9-3 6-2 3rd (North)^ L 15-19 Cotton Bowl 17 17
1997 Kansas State 11-1 7-1 2nd (North) W 35-18 Fiesta Bowl 7 8
1998 Kansas State 11-2 8-0 1st (North) L 34-37 Alamo Bowl 9 10
1999 Kansas State 11-1 7-1 T-1st (North) W 24-20 Holiday Bowl 6 6
2000 Kansas State 11-3 6-2 T-1st (North) W 35-21 Cotton Bowl 8 9
2001 Kansas State 6-6 3-5 T-4th (North) L 3-26 Insight.com Bowl
2002 Kansas State 11-2 6-2 2nd (North) W 34-27 Holiday Bowl 6 7
2003 Kansas State 11-4 6-2 1st (Overall) L 28-35 Fiesta Bowl† 13 14
2004 Kansas State 4-7 2-6 5th (North)
2005 Kansas State 5-6 2-6 5th (North)
2006 Kansas State 7–6 4–4 T-2nd (North) L Texas Bowl
2007 Kansas State 5–7 3–5 4th (North)
2008 Kansas State 4–3 1–2 T-2nd (North)
Total: 152-85-1
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

Bill Snyder era

Snyder took over a program that had won only 299 games and lost 510 games in 93 years of play, but presided over one of the most successful rebuilding projects in the history of college athletics.

In 1991, Snyder's Wildcats finished 7-4 and narrowly missed receiving the school's second bowl bid ever. The team also finished with a winning record in conference play for only the third time since winning the conference title in 1934.

In Snyder's fifth season in 1993, Kansas State posted the first victory in a bowl game in school history. Success and high rankings continued over the next decade, including six top-ten finishes in the AP Poll and a perfect (11-0) regular season in 1998 (before stumbling in the Big 12 Championship Game). As the team improved, recruiting also improved, and Snyder was able to bring in athletes such as quarterback Michael Bishop, the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 1998, and running back Darren Sproles, who in 2003 led the nation in rushing and holds the current Big 12 all-purpose yards record for a career. The run of success culminated in a Big 12 Conference championship in 2003 with a 35-7 victory over the #1 ranked Oklahoma. (The 69 years since the last conference title in 1934 was the longest span between football titles in Division I history.)

In his 17 years as head coach at K-State, Snyder won 136 games – as many as his predecessors had won from 1935 to 1988 – and led Kansas State to eleven consecutive bowl games (1993-2003), including six wins. Snyder's legacy at K-State also includes winning or sharing four Big 12 North titles (1998, 1999 (Tie), 2000, 2003).

In 1998, Snyder was recognized as the National Coach of the Year by the Associated Press and the Walter Camp Football Foundation, and was awarded the Bear Bryant Award and the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award. Coach Snyder was also selected Big Eight Conference Coach of the Year by the Associated Press three times (1990, 1991 and 1993), joining Bob Devaney as the only two men in Big Eight history to be named Coach of the Year three times in a four-year period. Snyder was named Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year twice, in 1998 (Associated Press, coaches) and 2002 (coaches).

The winning attitude under former coach Snyder was represented by a stylized wildcat, called the "Powercat" (shown at top), that was added to the football team's uniforms in 1989. The emblem became so popular that by the late 1990s it had essentially replaced "Willie the Wildcat," a character designed by art department students in the late 1950s.

Snyder retired following the 2005 season, and on December 5, 2005, Ron Prince was named the new head coach. Prince was formerly an assistant coach and offensive line coach at the University of Virginia.

Ron Prince era

On December 5, 2005, Ron Prince was hired as the 31st head football coach of the Kansas State Wildcats.

In 2006, Prince's first year at the helm of the Wildcats, he led Kansas State to a 7-6 record and the team's first winning season since 2003. The signature win of the regular season was a 45-42 upset victory over #4-ranked University of Texas on November 11, 2006. Kansas State finished the season with a 37-10 loss to the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers University in the inaugural Texas Bowl on December 28, 2006.

Josh Freeman uses all of his 6'6 frame to pass over the Texas line

In 2007, the Wildcats compiled a 5-7 record in the 2007 season. Coach Prince got the team off to a quick start, with a 3-1 record and a #24 ranking in the AP Poll after four weeks – the first ranking for Kansas State since the 2004 season. This start included another victory against a top 10-ranked Texas team, this time by 20 points.[3] However, in the next five games, the team alternated wins and losses. In the fifth game of the season, the Wildcat team was upset 30-24 by its cross-state opponents, the University of Kansas, and fell from the Top 25.[4] The following week, Kansas State defeated the University of Colorado 47-20 and reentered the poll at number 25. K-State fell from the Top 25 permanently the next week after a 41-39 loss to the Oklahoma State Cowboys, despite quarterback Josh Freeman having a career day, throwing for 404 yards and three touchdown passes to Jordy Nelson. A win against the Baylor Bears and four losses followed to close out the season.

2008, is Ron Prince's third season at Kansas State. Prince signed 19 junior college transfers during the 2008 recruiting class. According to Rivals.com, Kansas State's class ranks number 27 in the nation. Prince brought in a total of 32 recruits, tied for fourth-most in the country. Only Army, Troy, and Miami had more recruits. (Alabama also brought in 32 recruits)

Rivalries

Kansas State vs. Kansas (The Governor's Cup)

Dating back to the beginnings of Kansas State and Kansas football, neither one had sustained excellence. They both had their moments but football did not really take center stage until 1991 when legendary Head Coach Bill Snyder gained his first win against the Jayhawks. Over the next 12 years Kansas would only beat the Wildcats once in 1992. Kansas State lead by Bill Snyder would enter the Top 25 consistently, travel to 11 consecutive bowl games, and win the 2003 Big 12 Championship Game, until KU finally won in a home game in 2004. After several decades of being the Big 12 (Big 8) doormat Kansas began fielding much stronger teams putting a jolt of electricity into the rivalry. The two bitter rivals compete annually in the Governor's Cup

Kansas State vs. Nebraska

Kansas had lost 29 consecutive games to Nebraska until November 14, 1998 when the #1 Wildcats finally beat #11 Nebraska 40-30. The Wildcats would then beat Nebraska in 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2004. The Wildcats and Cornhuskers consistently competed for the Big 12 north championship in the 1990's and early 2000's.

Players

National award winners

Kansas State players and coaches have won the following national awards:

Heisman Trophy history:

Former Wildcats Currently in the NFL

22 former Wildcats are currently playing in the NFL. [5]

Notable former Wildcats

David Allen, Jonathan Beasley, Monty Beisel, Michael Bishop, Josh Buhl, Jerametrius Butler, Chris Canty, Rock Cartwright, Tim Colston, Jarrod Cooper, Henry Cronkite, Lynn Dickey, Zac Diles, Demarcus Faggins, Mario Fatafehi, Yamon Figurs, Martin Gramatica, Steve Grogan, Ray Hahn, Joe Hall, Darren Howard, Kevin Huntley, Jeff Kelly, Ben Leber, Nick Leckey, Ryan Lilja, Aaron Lockett, Kevin Lockett, George Maddox, Chad May, Darnell McDonald, Jon McGraw, Damion McIntosh, Shad Meier, Jamie Mendez, Quincy Morgan, Frank Murphy, Jordy Nelson, Terence Newman, Terry Pierce, Thomas Randolph, Jamie Rheem, Joe Rheem, Ell Roberson, Josh Scobey, Clarence Scott , Mark Simoneau, Sean Snyder, Gary Spani*, Darren Sproles, Veryl Switzer, Taco Wallace, Rashad Washington [6]

Bold represents that the player was an All-American

Gary Spani is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame

Individual records

Kansas State records, as of October 23, 2008[7]

Passing

  • Yards (Game): 489, Chad May (vs. Nebraska, 1993)
  • Yards (Season): 3,353, Josh Freeman (2007)
  • Yards (Career): 6,879, Josh Freeman (2006-Present)


Rushing

  • Yards (Game): 292, Darren Sproles (vs. Louisiana-Lafeyette, 2004)
  • Yards (Sesaon): 1,986, Darren Sproles (2003)
  • Yards (Career): 4,979, Darren Sproles (2001-2004)

Receiving

  • Yards (Game): 206, Darnell McDonald (vs. Syracuse, 1997)
  • Yards (Season): 1,606, Jordy Nelson (2007)
  • Yards (Career): 3,032, Kevin Lockett (1993-1996)
  • Receptions (Game): 13, Michael Smith (vs. Missouri, 1989)
  • Receptions (Season): 122, Jordy Nelson (2007)
  • Receptions (Career): 217, Kevin Lockett (1993-1996)


Defensive

  • Sacks (Game): 4, Chris Johnson (vs. Missouri, 2000)
  • Sacks (Season): 11.5, Nyle Wiren (1996), Ian Campbell, 2006
  • Sacks (Career): 29.5, Darren Howard (1996-1999)
  • Interceptions (Game): 4, Jamie Mendez (vs. Temple, 1992)
  • Interceptions (Season): 8, Chris Canty (1995)
  • Interceptions (Career): 15, Jamie Mendez (1990-1993)
  • Tackles (Game): 28, Danny Lankas (vs. Missouri, 1967)
  • Tackles (Season): 184, Josh Buhl (2003)
  • Tackles (Career): 543, Gary Spani (1974-1977)

All-time records versus conferences

  • Records using conference alignment at time of game; as of October 19, 2008.[8]

Current Division I conferences

Conference Wins Losses Ties
Atlantic Coast Conference 1 1 0
Big East Conference 4 5 0
Big Ten Conference 5 21 0
Big 12 Conference 61 38 0
Big West Conference 10 2 0
Conference USA 3 0 0
Mid-American Conference 6 3 0
Missouri Valley Conference* 22 20 1
Pacific-10 Conference 6 7 0
Southeastern Conference 3 11 0
Sun Belt Conference 8 0 0
Western Athletic Conference 13 12 0
* Following the split of the Big Six Conference in 1928.

Defunct conferences

Conference Wins Losses Ties
Big Eight Conference 127 350 21
Border Conference 0 8 1
Mountain States Conference 6 8 0
Southern Conference 1 1 0
Southwest Conference 7 13 0

Bowl games

Kansas State has participated in 13 bowl games, with an overall record of 6-7. Kansas State had a streak of 11 straight bowl appearances that lasted from the 1993 season to the 2003 season.

Not included in this tally of bowl games is Kansas State's first "post-season" game, played in 1931 against Wichita State as a fundraiser during the Great Depression.[9] Kansas State won that game 20-6. Also not included is the 1992 Coca-Cola Classic game played in Tokyo, Japan against Nebraska as it is considered a regular season game.[10]

Date Result Bowl Opponent Score Head Coach
12/11/1982 L Independence Bowl Wisconsin 14 - 3 Jim Dickey
12/29/1993 W Copper Bowl Wyoming 52 - 7 Bill Snyder
12/25/1994 L Aloha Bowl Boston College 12 - 7 Bill Snyder
12/29/1995 W Holiday Bowl Colorado State 54 - 21 Bill Snyder
01/01/1997 L Cotton Bowl BYU 19 - 15 Bill Snyder
12/31/1997 W Fiesta Bowl Syracuse 35 - 18 Bill Snyder
12/29/1998 L Alamo Bowl Purdue 37 - 34 Bill Snyder
12/29/1999 W Holiday Bowl Washington 24 - 20 Bill Snyder
01/01/2001 W Cotton Bowl Tennessee 35 - 21 Bill Snyder
12/29/2001 L Insight.com Bowl Syracuse 26 - 3 Bill Snyder
12/27/2002 W Holiday Bowl Arizona State 34 - 27 Bill Snyder
01/02/2004 L Fiesta Bowl Ohio State 35 - 28 Bill Snyder
12/28/2006 L Texas Bowl Rutgers 37 - 10 Ron Prince

Conference membership history

References

  • Fitzgerald, Tim. (2001) Wildcat Gridiron Guide: Past & Present Stories About K-State Football (ISBN 0-9703458-0-1)
  • Stallard, Mark (2000). Wildcats to Powercats: K-State Football Facts and Trivia (ISBN 1-58497-004-9)
  1. ^ Kansas State University: A Pictorial History, 1863-1963 (Manhattan, KS: Kansas State University), 1962.
  2. ^ "Manhattan In Tie With Kansas State". The New York Times. October 7, 1934.
  3. ^ NCAA Football - Kansas State Wildcats/Texas Longhorns Recap Saturday September 29, 2007 - Yahoo! Sports
  4. ^ KUsports.com - Big win in Little Apple!
  5. ^ Wildcats in the NFL
  6. ^ Wildcats in the Pros - Kansas State University Wildcats Official Athletics Site
  7. ^ Kansas State Football Records
  8. ^ Kansas State game-by-game history
  9. ^ College Football in Kansas, by Harold C. Evans, Kansas Historical Quarterly, August, 1940
  10. ^ Kansas State Game by Game Results
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