John Hubert enjoys strong season for Kansas State offense

Kansas State Wildcats running back John Hubert is off to a stellar start to the year for coach Bill Snyder's team.

2012 Big 12 Football Standings: Kansas State, West Virginia lead Big 12

After thrashing the Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday, the Kansas State Wildcats find themselves atop the Big 12 standings, with a 2-0 record.

NCAA football rankings, Week 7: Kansas State moves up 3 spots to No. 5

The polls were thrown into chaos after a number of upsets inside the top 10. Kansas State was a beneficiary, moving up three spots to No. 5 in the latest Coaches Poll.

College Football Rankings: Florida, West Virginia jump Kansas State in AP Top 25

Kansas State is jumped by West Virginia, Florida in this week's AP Top 25.

Kansas vs. Kansas State 2012: Second half explosion leads Wildcats to huge win over Jayhawks

Kansas State struggled in the first half against in-state rival Kansas before pulling away for a 56-16 win over the Jayhawks.

College Football Rankings: Will Kansas State join top 5 after LSU, Florida State upsets?

With another Sunday comes another round of college football rankings -- both the USA Today/Coaches poll and the Associated Press poll. That means that the Kansas State Wildcats will be movin' on up, as they say, in the rankings with another win while others like LSU and Florida State take a dive due to upsets.

The Wildcats dominated their in-state rival Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday in the 110th Sunflower Showdown. It should be enough to move them up in the rankings, but will it move them into the top five? That will be the question facing doubters on the national level when analyzing Kansas State's football program.

LSU lost to Florida and Florida State was upset by North Carolina State. Both programs were immediately ahead of K-State, but it's also possible for higher profile programs like Florida and West Virginia to overtake K-State and make the top five instead. It will be interesting to see.

The Big 12 gauntlet will eventually place K-State among the top programs in the country if the Wildcats can stay afloat. Then again, it might be that very schedule that brings them down in the end.

For now the question facing voters is simple: Is Bill Snyder's team one of the five best in the country? We will find out that perception soon enough.

Kansas vs. Kansas State final score: Wildcats pounce on Jayhawks for 56-16 victory

The Kansas Jayhawks had no answer for the Kansas State Wildcats on Saturday. The Wildcats ran away to a 56-16 win in the Sunflower Showdown.

Kansas vs. Kansas State score update: Wildcats lead Jayhawks after 3 quarters, 49-16

No. 7 Kansas State dominated the third quarter of Saturday's game in Manhattan, Kan., and the Wildcats now hold a 33-point lead over Kansas.

Kansas vs. Kansas State score update: Wildcats lead Jayhawks at halftime, 21-14

The Kansas State Wildcats hold a 21-14 lead over the Kansas Jayhawks at halftime in Manhattan, Kan. Kansas State blew a golden opportunity to go up by two touchdowns after cornerback Nigel Malone intercepted a pass and ran it back to the Kansas 5-yard line with 16 seconds left in the half, but the Wildcats were unable to get into the end zone after burning their last timeout on the first play of the final series.

Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein scored on a 1-yard run to break a 14-14 tie just over five minutes into the second quarter. He had a chance at another touchdown run on the final play of the half, but he came up just short and the Wildcats were unable to get off another snap. Klein also threw a touchdown pass in the quarter, connecting with Tyler Lockett for a 34-yard score.

Meanwhile, Kansas quarterback Dayne Crist completed 11-of-16 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown in the half. Crist and the Jayhawks matched Kansas State's high-powered offense punch-for-punch in the opening half, outgaining the Wildcats, 245 yards to 214. However, Kansas failed at an opportunity to put more points on the board late in the half, as Ron Doherty missed a short field goal.

Kansas State starting running back John Hubert scored on a 20-yard run in the first quarter, and racked up 42 yards on three carries before leaving the game with an undisclosed injury. He went into the locker room early in the second quarter, but was seen back on the sideline minutes later. On the other side of the ball, Kansas running back James Sims ran 16 times for 73 yards and a score.

Kansas vs. Kansas State score update: Jayhawks and Wildcats knotted up, 7-7

The 110th Sunflower Showdown is knotted up at the end of the first quarter, 7-7 in Manhattan.

After holding the Kansas State Wildcats to a three and out, the Kansas Jayhawks struck first, putting together a 12-play, 83-yard drive that resulted in Dayne Crist's pass to Tony Pierson in the flat, who used a couple of blocks to take the ball 19 yards into the end zone.

The Wildcats responded quickly, as a John Hubert 20-yard touchdown run capped a six-play, 75-yard drive. The Wildcats looked like they had Kansas set up for a three and out until the Jayhawks faked the punt as Ron Doherty ran the ball 13 yards for a first down. The Jayhawks ended the quarter in the red zone looking to tack seven more points on the board.

The play of Pierson, who has six catches for 63 yards to pace the Jayhawks, has been the difference early in the game.

Kansas vs. Kansas State 2012: Game time, TV schedule, odds and more

Game time, TV schedule and more for Saturday's Kansas vs. Kansas State Sunflower Showdown

Sunflower Showdown 2012: Kansas State favored by 23.5 points over Kansas

Kansas State is a hefty 23.5-point favorite over in-state rival Kansas in the Sunflower Showdown.

Charlie Weis upset with Kansas student newspaper comic

The presumable offense was an illustration on the cover of The University Daily Kansas that featured a very large and muscular Wildcat holding a goal post that had a small, helmet-wearing Jayhawk clinging on.

Big 12 predictions: Texas vs. West Virginia in a roundup of top-10 teams

It is still very early in the season, but this weekend's matchup between Texas and West Virginia is one of the top games of the 2012 season in the Big 12.

Bill Snyder compliments Charlie Weis as a 'fine, fine coach'

Bill Snyder thinks highly of Charlie Weis

Charlie Weis: 'There's no blaring weakness' with Kansas State football

Weis knows he's in for a challenge in Saturday's Sunflower Showdown

College Football Schedule 2012: Kansas looks to knock off Kansas State

Sunflower Showdown looks to be a mismatch when Kansas and Kansas State meet Saturday

Kansas State vs. Kansas: Sunflower Showdown displays top, bottom of Big 12

Kansas State Wildcats and Kansas Jayhawks meet Saturday in what looks to be a mismatch

SEC Football Standings 2012: Missouri among 4 East teams at 0-2

The Florida Gators, Georgia Bulldogs and South Carolina Gamecocks are tied atop the SEC East standings with 3-0 records. Missouri won at Central Florida on Saturday, but the Tigers are 0-2 in conference play.

Collin Klein listed 3rd in Heisman Trophy watch by Sports Illustrated

The Kansas State quarterback rises up the rankings after the Wildcats' win over Oklahoma

Kansas State football breaks ticket sales records in 2012

The Kansas State Wildcats' home contest against Texas Tech on Oct. 27 is officially a sellout, giving the school six in total this season, which ties a 1999 school record for full attendances, the school's athletic department announced on Wednesday.

Since 2009, the Texas Tech contest will serve as the 14th capacity crowd to fill Bill Snyder Family Stadium and the eighth time since the stadium's expansion in 1999 that more than one game will be sold out in the same season, according to the report.

Currently in a bye week, the other Kansas State tilts that will be sold out along with Texas Tech include their in-state showdown with the Kansas Jayhawks on Oct. 6, a visit from the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Nov. 3 and the Dec. 1 regular season finale against the Texas Longhorns.

At 4-0, the Wildcats are ranked No. 7 nationally in the Associated Press Top 25 poll and No. 8 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.

Collin Klein discusses K-State improvement during bye week

Following their huge win over the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday, the senior quarterback for the Kansas State Wildcats, Collin Klein, talked about the team's focus on getting better during this week's bye in preparation for the in-state showdown with Kansas coming up on Oct. 6.

Here's Klein speaking during the team's weekly press conference about the team's performance so far:

"I think we have made some improvements in some areas, no question about it. We are moving in the right direction, but it is still just work and we are trying to get better."

Klein, who completed 13-of-21 passes for 149 yards and recorded a rushing touchdown in the Wildcats' victory over Oklahoma, also stressed the importance of the bye week, saying that it is "something we have, and it is what we make of it." He added that "we are just trying to get a little rest and try to rejuvenate a little bit, and also, at the same time, get better."

The senior signal-caller added this, on making the most of the off-week:

"A lot of good things that have happened this year are a result of that mentality, and we just have to remember our mode of operation. What has got us to this point and just keep it up every single day. We take care of the days in between and we will be just fine."

K-State's Arthur Brown says Sunflower Showdown means a lot to team and community

The Kansas State Wildcats have a bye week following their 24-19 upset over Oklahoma, which gives players like senior All-America candidate Arthur Brown time to reflect.

The linebacker led the Wildcats with 8 tackles in the win over Oklahoma. During the weekly press conference, Brown talked about how his team's defense has improved since last year:

"I am very proud of our team. I look forward to keep improving each day throughout our week of preparation. This week is a prime opportunity to improve, with it being a bye week. So I am definitely looking forward to that."

Next up for the Wildcats is rival Kansas Jayhawks on Oct. 6. It will be Brown's last time playing in the Sunflower Showdown:

"It is a great deal of pride, not only for us as a team, but for the community. We take great pride in this game, and there is a lot that goes into it. Not only from our end, but the community's end as well. I know there is going to be a lot of energy and a lot of passion during that time."

College football ranking: Kansas State listed 6th in latest BlogPoll

The Kansas State Wildcats jumped up eight spots in SB Nation's BlogPoll following Saturday's 24-19 upset of the then No. 6 ranked Oklahoma Sooners.

Kansas State is now ranked sixth after the most current polling behind Alabama, Oregon, Florida State, LSU and Georgia in that order. The Wildcats were also one of seven teams to receive at least one first place vote with the fine gentlemen over at the Arizona State blog House of Sparky believing Kansas State is the best team in the land.

By handing Oklahoma the loss, the Wildcats knocked the Sooners down eleven spots in the rankings and they now rest at 17th overall.

Along with Kansas State and Oklahoma, there are two other Big 12 schools in the top 25 (the Texas Longhorns and the TCU Horned Frogs).

Kansas State's position shouldn't fluctuate that much with the team not taking the field again till Oct. 6 against the Kansas Jayhawks. After that, the Wildcats have another Big 12 foe in the form of Iowa State before their marquee matchup against West Virginia on the road (ranked tenth in the latest BlogPoll).

Bill Snyder says it's vital to 'use the bye week wisely'

Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder shared with the media in Tuesday's press conference that he plans on "utilizing the time wisely" during his team's bye week.

Fresh off a 24-19 victory over the Oklahoma Sooners on the road at Norman, Snyder explained that it's important to give his players rest as much as possible without losing that motivation factor:

"We do not have to do all of the physical work that the players do, and so players need a little bit of time ... We met yesterday, but we did not practice yesterday, which we normally practice Monday."

But just because they may have gotten to take it easy doesn't mean that Snyder plans to continue to let it be that way:

"We will practice throughout the next three days, and then we will have meetings on Friday and have an AM practice on Saturday. Our coaches looked at a lot of different things, the major thing that they are looking at right now is what we can do to assist the players in becoming better players, better units, and, consequently, a better team."

Snyder did add that these practices aren't about "the hustle-bustle of trying to get prepared for the next opponent right away" but rather trying to continue to improve and carry the momentum from last week's victory. When asked if the bye week was a positive thing though, Snyder quickly replied that only later results will be able to answer that question:

"I think we will have to wait two weeks to see. Ask me two Tuesdays from now and I will have a better idea."

The Wildcats (4-0) take the field again Oct. 6 against a Kansas Jayhawks team that has lost three straight.

K-State has high praise for punter Ryan Doerr

Kansas State punter Ryan Doerr has had an excellent start to the season, and KSU coach Bil Snyder was full of praise for the senior punter on Tuesday. During the Wildcats' weekly press conference, Snyder was asked about Doerr. He had the following to say in response:

Number one, Ryan is a good worker. He takes a lot of pride in his skill level and his contribution to our football team and special teams. The result of all of his kicks was positive, and some of them probably were not as good of kicks as he would like, but the fact is that he put them all inside the 20-yard line. He has become a pretty good pooch kicker, and Sean (Snyder) works diligently on that. We got some excellent field position. That certainly helps the entirety of your football team, but anybody on the defensive group that comes up here and visits with you will tell you how significant it is. When Oklahoma has to start on its own 10-yard line instead of its 30, it is a big difference, a major difference, and it has an impact on the outcome of the ball game. It is a field position ball game, and there are a lot of things that contributed to field position and certainly Ryan’s punting was one of them.

Doerr punted the ball five times against the Oklahoma Sooners, and every one of his punts was downed inside the Oklahoma 20 yard line. The player himself was also asked about his performance over the weekend, and he had the following to say:

Well, the offense moved the ball really well and put me in the position to be able to put the punts inside the 20. I just wanted to get out there and help the team out as much as I could and hopefully pin them deep.

KSU is now 4-0 on the season due in part to the punting game, and they'll play host to the University of Kansas on Saturday as they attempt to win their fifth game of the season. The game is scheduled to kickoff at 11 a.m. CT from Bill Snyder Stadium.

Kansas, K-State enjoy bye weeks before Sunflower Showdown

The Kansas Jayhawks and Kansas State Wildcats will face off on Oct. 6, and both teams will have two weeks to prepare.