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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — John Elway bounded with optimism over his 53-man roster just three weeks ago, declaring he was “excited about the football team we have.”

Veteran pass rusher Von Miller appeared primed for a big bounce-back season, Courtland Sutton was the gem of a deep wide receiving group and running back Phillip Lindsay was coming off his second straight 1,000-yard season.

The Broncos GM had acquired defensive lineman Jurrell Casey and cornerback A.J. Bouye via trades and lured running back Melvin Gordon in free agency.

Altogether, that group sported a combined 18 Pro Bowl appearances.

Three weeks in, the only one left standing is Gordon, a two-time all-star, after news Monday that&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/pronto/9e97fcf216cb565aee0b4bfcba88d2d7" target="_blank">Casey tore a biceps tendon&nbsp;</a>in Denver’s 28-10 loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday.

That’s three defeats and three sidelined stars — Miller (ankle), Sutton (ACL) — for the snake-bit Broncos. Out with less serious injuries are starting QB Drew Lock (shoulder) and starting defensive end Dre’Mont Jones (knee).

“We have sustained a lot of injuries, there’s no denying that,” said Vic Fangio, the first coach in franchise history to post back-to-back winless Septembers. “But we’re going to keep fighting and keep preparing and have guys go out there and give it their all and do their best to try and get us a win.”

The Broncos visit the New York Jets (0-3) on Thursday night and Fangio said he’s still undecided who will start at quarterback, Jeff Driskel or Brett Rypien.

Newcomer Blake Bortles isn’t in the mix yet.

“Blake was here two days last week and to expect him to be able to play on a short week where practice is very limited would be unrealistic,” Fangio said.

Stadium operations at Empower Field at Mile High, for successfully allowing 5,700 socially distanced and masked fans to attend the game alongside 1,800 cardboard cutouts of characters from “&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/arniestapleton/status/1310277593439129600?s=20" target="_blank">South Park</a>&nbsp;” that were placed in the south stands.

The offensive line has allowed 13 sacks and 29 QB hits the past two weeks, yet the Broncos keeps spreading out the formations with three-receiver sets to play catchup. That doesn’t help rookie C Lloyd Cushenberry III, RG Graham Glasgow and RT Elijah Wilkinson.

Fangio said he’s not considering benching any O-linemen because the blame is spread to receivers not running crisp routes, passers failing to get rid of the ball fast enough, you name it.

“It’s been a little bit of everything,” he said, “that has caused a lot of problems.”

DE Shelby Harris sacked Tom Brady twice, hit him four times and broke up a pass.

The Broncos’ second botched punt in two weeks led to the Bucs’ first points.

Casey and ILB Austin Calitro (hamstring).

8 for 24. That’s Gordon’s carries and yards, not nearly enough to help out the struggling O-linemen and battered, hurried quarterbacks.

Multiple tight end sets are one way the Broncos could ease their woes up front, but they deactivated Nick Vannett, their best blocking tight end, against Tampa Bay along with rookie Albert Okwuegbunam.

Fangio said Vannett was the victim of a numbers game because of special teams. “It wasn’t a move that I was happy to make,” Fangio said. “Hopefully it’s not something that we have to do a lot.”

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — John Elway bounded with optimism over his 53-man roster just three weeks ago, declaring he was “excited about the football team we have.”And why not?Veteran pass rusher Von Miller appeared primed for a big bounce-back season, Courtland Sutton was the gem of a deep wide receiving group and running back Phillip Lindsay was coming off his second straight 1,000-yard season.The Broncos GM had acquired defensive lineman Jurrell Casey and cornerback A.J. Bouye via trades and lured running back Melvin Gordon in free agency.Altogether, that group sported a combined 18 Pro Bowl appearances.Three weeks in, the only one left standing is Gordon, a two-time all-star, after news Monday that&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/pronto/9e97fcf216cb565aee0b4bfcba88d2d7" target="_blank">Casey tore a biceps tendon&nbsp;</a>in Denver’s 28-10 loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday.That’s three defeats and three sidelined stars — Miller (ankle), Sutton (ACL) — for the snake-bit Broncos. Out with less serious injuries are starting QB Drew Lock (shoulder) and starting defensive end Dre’Mont Jones (knee).“We have sustained a lot of injuries, there’s no denying that,” said Vic Fangio, the first coach in franchise history to post back-to-back winless Septembers. “But we’re going to keep fighting and keep preparing and have guys go out there and give it their all and do their best to try and get us a win.”The Broncos visit the New York Jets (0-3) on Thursday night and Fangio said he’s still undecided who will start at quarterback, Jeff Driskel or Brett Rypien.Newcomer Blake Bortles isn’t in the mix yet.“Blake was here two days last week and to expect him to be able to play on a short week where practice is very limited would be unrealistic,” Fangio said.WHAT’S WORKINGStadium operations at Empower Field at Mile High, for successfully allowing 5,700 socially distanced and masked fans to attend the game alongside 1,800 cardboard cutouts of characters from “&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/arniestapleton/status/1310277593439129600?s=20" target="_blank">South Park</a>&nbsp;” that were placed in the south stands.WHAT NEEDS HELPThe offensive line has allowed 13 sacks and 29 QB hits the past two weeks, yet the Broncos keeps spreading out the formations with three-receiver sets to play catchup. That doesn’t help rookie C Lloyd Cushenberry III, RG Graham Glasgow and RT Elijah Wilkinson.Fangio said he’s not considering benching any O-linemen because the blame is spread to receivers not running crisp routes, passers failing to get rid of the ball fast enough, you name it.“It’s been a little bit of everything,” he said, “that has caused a lot of problems.”STOCK UPDE Shelby Harris sacked Tom Brady twice, hit him four times and broke up a pass.STOCK DOWNThe Broncos’ second botched punt in two weeks led to the Bucs’ first points.INJUREDCasey and ILB Austin Calitro (hamstring).KEY NUMBERS8 for 24. That’s Gordon’s carries and yards, not nearly enough to help out the struggling O-linemen and battered, hurried quarterbacks.NEXT STEPSMultiple tight end sets are one way the Broncos could ease their woes up front, but they deactivated Nick Vannett, their best blocking tight end, against Tampa Bay along with rookie Albert Okwuegbunam.Fangio said Vannett was the victim of a numbers game because of special teams. “It wasn’t a move that I was happy to make,” Fangio said. “Hopefully it’s not something that we have to do a lot.”

Battered Broncos piling up injuries with all those losses

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals spent the 60-game season in 2020 saying farewell to longtime outfielder Alex Gordon, one of the linchpins of their back-to-back World Series runs, and welcome to the young core they hope will take them back there.

Brady Singer nearly threw a no-hitter in his abbreviated rookie year. Fellow right-hander Kris Bubic made 10 starts and began to figure things out by the end of September. And their young bullpen, which was an abject failure last season, took massive strides from summer camp to the final out of the season Sunday with an eye toward the future.

The Royals may have finished 26-34 and fourth in the AL Central. But simply playing was huge for their rebuilding effort.

“I wish we would have had more wins,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. “The COVID thing got us early. We started off 3-10 and we weren’t completely healthy. But every team deals with health issues, as we know. You can’t make excuses. But I do believe if we had another week or two, things could have been a lot different in terms of the postseason. I believe we would have played well and we would have finished with a much stronger record.”

In fact, Moore is confident that the Royals would have ushered even more of their young pieces to the major leagues over the course of a 162-game season, and he was confident Monday that they would have finished above .500.

Left-handers Daniel Lynch and Asa Lacy and right-handers Jackson Kowar and Jonathan Bowlan are on the doorstep, and a couple of them could make the opening day roster next season. Young infielder Bobby Witt Jr., the club’s top prospect, also is nearing arrival while outfielders Kyle Isbel and Khalil Lee could provide some much-needed offense.

As the Royals begin to think about next season, here’s a look at some of the pressing issues:

One of the longest-tenured players in franchise history, Gordon announced last week that he would retire after the season concluded Sunday. While his bat never quite met expectations, the two-time All-Star was one of the best defensive players of his era and provided some crucial leadership in the Royals’ young clubhouse.

Isbel and Lee are options in the outfield. The Royals also could explore the trade market with little available in free agency.

Singer and Bubic solidified themselves in the starting rotation along with right-hander Brad Keller, who was 5-3 with a 2.47 ERA after returning from a positive COVID-19 test. Left-hander Danny Duffy becomes the elder statesman of the rotation, leaving only the fifth spot up for grabs. Lynch and Kowar are first in line among the prospects.

Moore doesn’t mince words: The Royals need to generate more offense next season. They hit just .244 as a team, and they went through long slumps in which they failed to give their starting pitchers any kind of support.

“We definitely need more on-base guys. We need more quality at-bats from probably two other spots in the lineup,” he said. “This time last year we talked about lengthening that lineup out. We felt we did that with (third baseman Maikel) Franco, but then we had some lack of production in some other areas that we were counting on for a 60-game season.”

The Royals are happy with young shortstop Adalberto Mondesi and second baseman Nicky Lopez on defense, but Moore said both of them need to produce more next season. The same could be said for right-fielder Hunter Dozier (.228 average), center fielder Bubba Starling (.169) and first baseman Ryan O’Hearn (.195).

There were some positives, though. Longtime catcher Salvador Perez returned from Tommy John surgery to hit .333 with 11 homers and 33 RBIs, and outfielder Whit Merrifield hit .282 with nine homers, 30 RBIs and 12 stolen bases.

Mike Matheny never thought his first season as skipper in Kansas City would be played through a pandemic, but his steady leadership and never-quit attitude was crucial in allowing the Royals to continue with their rebuilding effort.

“I love working with Mike, I really do,” Moore said. “He’s got qualities of Bobby Cox. He’s got qualities of Ned Yost. I’ve never worked with Tony LaRussa, but I consider Tony a friend and someone I look up to, always have. He’s got a lot of Tony in him, but he’s his own man as well. He’s extremely focused on winning.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals spent the 60-game season in 2020 saying farewell to longtime outfielder Alex Gordon, one of the linchpins of their back-to-back World Series runs, and welcome to the young core they hope will take them back there.Brady Singer nearly threw a no-hitter in his abbreviated rookie year. Fellow right-hander Kris Bubic made 10 starts and began to figure things out by the end of September. And their young bullpen, which was an abject failure last season, took massive strides from summer camp to the final out of the season Sunday with an eye toward the future.The Royals may have finished 26-34 and fourth in the AL Central. But simply playing was huge for their rebuilding effort.“I wish we would have had more wins,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. “The COVID thing got us early. We started off 3-10 and we weren’t completely healthy. But every team deals with health issues, as we know. You can’t make excuses. But I do believe if we had another week or two, things could have been a lot different in terms of the postseason. I believe we would have played well and we would have finished with a much stronger record.”In fact, Moore is confident that the Royals would have ushered even more of their young pieces to the major leagues over the course of a 162-game season, and he was confident Monday that they would have finished above .500.Left-handers Daniel Lynch and Asa Lacy and right-handers Jackson Kowar and Jonathan Bowlan are on the doorstep, and a couple of them could make the opening day roster next season. Young infielder Bobby Witt Jr., the club’s top prospect, also is nearing arrival while outfielders Kyle Isbel and Khalil Lee could provide some much-needed offense.As the Royals begin to think about next season, here’s a look at some of the pressing issues:REPLACING GORDONOne of the longest-tenured players in franchise history, Gordon announced last week that he would retire after the season concluded Sunday. While his bat never quite met expectations, the two-time All-Star was one of the best defensive players of his era and provided some crucial leadership in the Royals’ young clubhouse.Isbel and Lee are options in the outfield. The Royals also could explore the trade market with little available in free agency.ROTATION OUTLOOKSinger and Bubic solidified themselves in the starting rotation along with right-hander Brad Keller, who was 5-3 with a 2.47 ERA after returning from a positive COVID-19 test. Left-hander Danny Duffy becomes the elder statesman of the rotation, leaving only the fifth spot up for grabs. Lynch and Kowar are first in line among the prospects.HIT MEMoore doesn’t mince words: The Royals need to generate more offense next season. They hit just .244 as a team, and they went through long slumps in which they failed to give their starting pitchers any kind of support.“We definitely need more on-base guys. We need more quality at-bats from probably two other spots in the lineup,” he said. “This time last year we talked about lengthening that lineup out. We felt we did that with (third baseman Maikel) Franco, but then we had some lack of production in some other areas that we were counting on for a 60-game season.”OTHER PIECESThe Royals are happy with young shortstop Adalberto Mondesi and second baseman Nicky Lopez on defense, but Moore said both of them need to produce more next season. The same could be said for right-fielder Hunter Dozier (.228 average), center fielder Bubba Starling (.169) and first baseman Ryan O’Hearn (.195).There were some positives, though. Longtime catcher Salvador Perez returned from Tommy John surgery to hit .333 with 11 homers and 33 RBIs, and outfielder Whit Merrifield hit .282 with nine homers, 30 RBIs and 12 stolen bases.MANAGING EXPECTATIONSMike Matheny never thought his first season as skipper in Kansas City would be played through a pandemic, but his steady leadership and never-quit attitude was crucial in allowing the Royals to continue with their rebuilding effort.“I love working with Mike, I really do,” Moore said. “He’s got qualities of Bobby Cox. He’s got qualities of Ned Yost. I’ve never worked with Tony LaRussa, but I consider Tony a friend and someone I look up to, always have. He’s got a lot of Tony in him, but he’s his own man as well. He’s extremely focused on winning.”

Royals conclude 2020 season with eye on progress of youth

BALTIMORE (AP) — It wasn’t just that Patrick Mahomes threw for a ton of yards and four touchdowns. Most impressive was how he did it.

Mahomes juked, danced, and jumped in and out of the pocket. Sometimes he just dropped back and fired pinpoint throws downfield. He tossed shovel passes and flung it sidearmed.

The common thread was that just about everything he did worked for the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, who rolled past the Baltimore Ravens 34-20 on Monday night.

Mahomes put on a scintillating show while outperforming Lamar Jackson, who’s 0-3 against the Chiefs and 21-1 against the rest of the NFL as a regular-season starting quarterback.

With Mahomes leading the way, the Chiefs (3-0) emphatically ended the Ravens’ 14-game regular-season winning streak while extending their own run to 12 games (including playoffs). Mahomes went 31 for 42 for 385 yards and averaged 6.5 yards on his four rushing attempts.

“They don’t give that guy a half-billion dollars for no reason,” Ravens defensive tackle Calais Campbell said. “He just made play after play. You’ve got to give him respect.”

Mahomes, who signed a 10-year, $503 million extension in July, gave the Chiefs their money’s worth on Monday night, surgically shredding a Baltimore defense that had allowed only two touchdowns in its first two games.

“You got to give credit to Pat for leading the charge. He stepped up big,” Kansas City coach Andy Reid said.

Mahomes was not intercepted, and avoided being sacked. The Chiefs led 27-10 at halftime and held on to defeat Baltimore (2-1) for the third year in a row.

“The plays we ran, we got in the right situations,” Mahomes said. “I thought guys executed at a very high level on those plays.”

In a duel between Mahomes, the 2018 NFL MVP, and the player who won that honor last year, Jackson was no match for the man whose resume also includes a Super Bowl MVP trophy.

Jackson completed 15 of 28 passes for 97 yards and ran for 83 yards, 30 of them on one carry during the Ravens’ opening possession. It wasn’t nearly enough against Mahomes, whose performance Jackson described in one word: “Outstanding.”

The Chiefs scored touchdowns on their first two possessions — one on a run by Mahomes, the other on a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1310745583854944257" target="_blank">shovel pass</a>&nbsp;to Anthony Sherman — for a 13-3 lead. Following that second score, Ravens rookie Devin Duvernay fielded the kickoff and sprinted down the&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Ravens/status/1310746274744934400" target="_blank">right sideline</a>&nbsp;for a 93-yard touchdown.

Kansas City followed with a three-and-out, but Baltimore simply could not contain Mahomes for long. After he got the ball back, Mahomes completed passes of 29 and 18 yards before hitting Tyreek Hill for a 20-yard score to cap a 73-yard drive.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1310755000767967233" target="_blank">49-yard touchdown pass&nbsp;</a>from Mahomes to Mecole Hardman put the Chiefs up by 17 at halftime. The only other time Jackson trailed by that much at the break in an NFL game was last year, when the Chiefs held a 23-6 lead.

In this one, Kansas City pumped the brakes in the second half before Baltimore closed to 27-20. That’s when Mahomes showed why he’s the league’s highest-paid player and arguably the NFL’s best quarterback.

During a 13-play, 75-yard drive that produced the game-clinching score, Mahomes converted a third-and-5 with an 18-yard pass and ran for 12 yards on a third-and-10. He flipped a sidearm 12-yard pass to Sammy Watkins to set up a first-and-goal at the 2, from where Mahomes tossed a touchdown pass to&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1310773423371673600" target="_blank">appreciative tackle Eric Fisher&nbsp;</a>with 8:14 remaining.

There were an estimated 250 people in the seats consisting of immediate family members of Ravens players, coaches and front office personnel. They were scattered in several sections behind the Baltimore sideline.

They were far more animated than the cardboard cutouts of people behind each end zone.

The Chiefs appeared to all stand on the sideline during the national anthem. The Ravens, on the other hand, offered a mixed bag of protests to call attention to social injustice: Some kneeled, including Jackson, some stood and a few others just sat on the bench.

Chiefs: CB L’Jarius Sneed was ruled out in the third quarter with a collarbone injury. ... DE Alex Okafor (hamstring) was inactive. ... G Andrew Wylie was inactive and went to the hospital with a stomach issue, but was OK, Reid said.

Chiefs: Host New England on Sunday. The Patriots are 2-1 with Cam Newton running the offense.

Ravens: A short in-state road trip Sunday to face the Washington Football Team (1-2).

BALTIMORE (AP) — It wasn’t just that Patrick Mahomes threw for a ton of yards and four touchdowns. Most impressive was how he did it.Mahomes juked, danced, and jumped in and out of the pocket. Sometimes he just dropped back and fired pinpoint throws downfield. He tossed shovel passes and flung it sidearmed.The common thread was that just about everything he did worked for the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, who rolled past the Baltimore Ravens 34-20 on Monday night.Mahomes put on a scintillating show while outperforming Lamar Jackson, who’s 0-3 against the Chiefs and 21-1 against the rest of the NFL as a regular-season starting quarterback.With Mahomes leading the way, the Chiefs (3-0) emphatically ended the Ravens’ 14-game regular-season winning streak while extending their own run to 12 games (including playoffs). Mahomes went 31 for 42 for 385 yards and averaged 6.5 yards on his four rushing attempts.“They don’t give that guy a half-billion dollars for no reason,” Ravens defensive tackle Calais Campbell said. “He just made play after play. You’ve got to give him respect.”Mahomes, who signed a 10-year, $503 million extension in July, gave the Chiefs their money’s worth on Monday night, surgically shredding a Baltimore defense that had allowed only two touchdowns in its first two games.“You got to give credit to Pat for leading the charge. He stepped up big,” Kansas City coach Andy Reid said.Mahomes was not intercepted, and avoided being sacked. The Chiefs led 27-10 at halftime and held on to defeat Baltimore (2-1) for the third year in a row.“The plays we ran, we got in the right situations,” Mahomes said. “I thought guys executed at a very high level on those plays.”In a duel between Mahomes, the 2018 NFL MVP, and the player who won that honor last year, Jackson was no match for the man whose resume also includes a Super Bowl MVP trophy.Jackson completed 15 of 28 passes for 97 yards and ran for 83 yards, 30 of them on one carry during the Ravens’ opening possession. It wasn’t nearly enough against Mahomes, whose performance Jackson described in one word: “Outstanding.”The Chiefs scored touchdowns on their first two possessions — one on a run by Mahomes, the other on a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1310745583854944257" target="_blank">shovel pass</a>&nbsp;to Anthony Sherman — for a 13-3 lead. Following that second score, Ravens rookie Devin Duvernay fielded the kickoff and sprinted down the&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Ravens/status/1310746274744934400" target="_blank">right sideline</a>&nbsp;for a 93-yard touchdown.Kansas City followed with a three-and-out, but Baltimore simply could not contain Mahomes for long. After he got the ball back, Mahomes completed passes of 29 and 18 yards before hitting Tyreek Hill for a 20-yard score to cap a 73-yard drive.A&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1310755000767967233" target="_blank">49-yard touchdown pass&nbsp;</a>from Mahomes to Mecole Hardman put the Chiefs up by 17 at halftime. The only other time Jackson trailed by that much at the break in an NFL game was last year, when the Chiefs held a 23-6 lead.In this one, Kansas City pumped the brakes in the second half before Baltimore closed to 27-20. That’s when Mahomes showed why he’s the league’s highest-paid player and arguably the NFL’s best quarterback.During a 13-play, 75-yard drive that produced the game-clinching score, Mahomes converted a third-and-5 with an 18-yard pass and ran for 12 yards on a third-and-10. He flipped a sidearm 12-yard pass to Sammy Watkins to set up a first-and-goal at the 2, from where Mahomes tossed a touchdown pass to&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1310773423371673600" target="_blank">appreciative tackle Eric Fisher&nbsp;</a>with 8:14 remaining.SMALL CROWDThere were an estimated 250 people in the seats consisting of immediate family members of Ravens players, coaches and front office personnel. They were scattered in several sections behind the Baltimore sideline.They were far more animated than the cardboard cutouts of people behind each end zone.TAKE A KNEEThe Chiefs appeared to all stand on the sideline during the national anthem. The Ravens, on the other hand, offered a mixed bag of protests to call attention to social injustice: Some kneeled, including Jackson, some stood and a few others just sat on the bench.INJURIESChiefs: CB L’Jarius Sneed was ruled out in the third quarter with a collarbone injury. ... DE Alex Okafor (hamstring) was inactive. ... G Andrew Wylie was inactive and went to the hospital with a stomach issue, but was OK, Reid said.UP NEXTChiefs: Host New England on Sunday. The Patriots are 2-1 with Cam Newton running the offense.Ravens: A short in-state road trip Sunday to face the Washington Football Team (1-2).

Mahomes outplays Jackson to lead Chiefs past Ravens 34-20

BALTIMORE (AP) — Patrick Mahomes put on a scintillating show while outperforming Lamar Jackson, and the Kansas City Chiefs deftly played the role of defending Super Bowl champions in a 34-20 thumping of the Baltimore Ravens. Just about everything Mahomes did worked against an overmatched Baltimore defense that had allowed only two touchdowns in its first two games. Mahomes threw four touchdown passes to help the Chiefs emphatically ended the Ravens’ 14-game regular season winning streak while extending their own run to 12 games, including playoffs. Jackson is 21-4 as the Ravens' starting quarterback, with three of those losses to Mahomes and the Chiefs.

UNDATED (AP) — It took one week for the Big 12 to bring just a little more strangeness to the year 2020. Five-time defending conference champion Oklahoma opened league play with a shocking home loss to Kansas State, perhaps opening the door for another program to finally to step in and claim the title. Iowa State can put Oklahoma’s season on the ropes Saturday when the Cyclones host the Sooners. Iowa State beat the Sooners in 2017 and lost to them by a point in 2019.   

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals spent the 60-game season in 2020 saying farewell to longtime outfielder Alex Gordon, one of the linchpins of their back-to-back World Series runs, and welcome to the young core they hope will take them back there. Brady Singer nearly threw a no-hitter in his abbreviated rookie year. Fellow right-hander Kris Bubic made 10 starts and began to figure things out by the end of September. And their young bullpen, which was an abject failure last season, took massive strides from summer camp to the final out of the season Sunday with an eye toward the future.

UNDATED (AP) — There was no way this was going to turn out anything but odd, and it’s not going to get easier. The college football season will not include all 10 conferences playing until after the first week of November. In the Associated Press college football poll, however, all Division I teams that plan to play in the fall are now eligible to be included _ no matter when they play or how many games. That led to some oddness in Sunday’s rankings as six teams, including No. 6 Ohio State and No. 10 Penn State moved into the rankings without playing and with no games scheduled until late October. Clemson is still No. 1 and Alabama No. 2. Florida moved up to No. 3.

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — The arena was largely empty, but the shouts of joy from the bench suggested the triumph of winning the Stanley Cup in a bubble was no less sweet for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Brayden Point scored his playoff-best 14th goal, and the Lightning beat the Dallas Stars 2-0, capping off an NHL playoff staged in quarantine during the pandemic. The clock hitting zeros set off a wild celebration for a group that endured years of playoff heartbreak and two months in isolation. Goals from Point and Blake Coleman and a 22-save shutout by Andrei Vasilevskiy were enough to power the Lightning to their second championship in franchise history.

CLEVELAND (AP) — When the Yankees and Indians take the field in Cleveland this afternoon, New York slugger Gary Sánchez will be on the bench. After batting just .147 this season, Yankees manager Aaron Boone confirmed Monday the slumping slugger will sit in favor of Kyle Higashioka for the wild-card opener. Giancarlo Stanton is set to start at designated hitter. Gerrit Cole gets the start for the Yanks, while Shane Bieber goes for Cleveland, after leading the American League in wins, ERA and strikeouts.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — At the outset of baseball’s pandemic-delayed season a little over two months ago, there was little to indicate the Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays might meet again to begin the playoffs. While the Rays launched the truncated 60-game schedule with expectations of making a strong bid for their first division title in a decade, the Blue Jays generally were viewed as an immensely talented young team still years away from postseason contention. The AL East rivals meet this afternoon in St. Petersburg, Florida.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — In a 20-year major league career spent with eight different teams, Jay Johnstone was known as one of baseball’s great pranksters but also a two-time World Series champion. Johnstone died over the weekend of complications from COVID-19, according to his daughter. He was 74. Former teammate and current Dodgers broadcaster Rick Monday describes Johnstone as a “bigger than life” personality, but “when the game was on the line, he was able to transform that little 7-year-old child that was always in a playful mood into serious.”

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 </figure>BALTIMORE (AP) — Patrick Mahomes put on a scintillating show while outperforming Lamar Jackson, and the Kansas City Chiefs deftly played the role of defending Super Bowl champions in a 34-20 thumping of the Baltimore Ravens. Just about everything Mahomes did worked against an overmatched Baltimore defense that had allowed only two touchdowns in its first two games. Mahomes threw four touchdown passes to help the Chiefs emphatically ended the Ravens’ 14-game regular season winning streak while extending their own run to 12 games, including playoffs. Jackson is 21-4 as the Ravens' starting quarterback, with three of those losses to Mahomes and the Chiefs.UNDATED (AP) — It took one week for the Big 12 to bring just a little more strangeness to the year 2020. Five-time defending conference champion Oklahoma opened league play with a shocking home loss to Kansas State, perhaps opening the door for another program to finally to step in and claim the title. Iowa State can put Oklahoma’s season on the ropes Saturday when the Cyclones host the Sooners. Iowa State beat the Sooners in 2017 and lost to them by a point in 2019. KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals spent the 60-game season in 2020 saying farewell to longtime outfielder Alex Gordon, one of the linchpins of their back-to-back World Series runs, and welcome to the young core they hope will take them back there. Brady Singer nearly threw a no-hitter in his abbreviated rookie year. Fellow right-hander Kris Bubic made 10 starts and began to figure things out by the end of September. And their young bullpen, which was an abject failure last season, took massive strides from summer camp to the final out of the season Sunday with an eye toward the future.UNDATED (AP) — There was no way this was going to turn out anything but odd, and it’s not going to get easier. The college football season will not include all 10 conferences playing until after the first week of November. In the Associated Press college football poll, however, all Division I teams that plan to play in the fall are now eligible to be included _ no matter when they play or how many games. That led to some oddness in Sunday’s rankings as six teams, including No. 6 Ohio State and No. 10 Penn State moved into the rankings without playing and with no games scheduled until late October. Clemson is still No. 1 and Alabama No. 2. Florida moved up to No. 3.EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — The arena was largely empty, but the shouts of joy from the bench suggested the triumph of winning the Stanley Cup in a bubble was no less sweet for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Brayden Point scored his playoff-best 14th goal, and the Lightning beat the Dallas Stars 2-0, capping off an NHL playoff staged in quarantine during the pandemic. The clock hitting zeros set off a wild celebration for a group that endured years of playoff heartbreak and two months in isolation. Goals from Point and Blake Coleman and a 22-save shutout by Andrei Vasilevskiy were enough to power the Lightning to their second championship in franchise history.CLEVELAND (AP) — When the Yankees and Indians take the field in Cleveland this afternoon, New York slugger Gary Sánchez will be on the bench. After batting just .147 this season, Yankees manager Aaron Boone confirmed Monday the slumping slugger will sit in favor of Kyle Higashioka for the wild-card opener. Giancarlo Stanton is set to start at designated hitter. Gerrit Cole gets the start for the Yanks, while Shane Bieber goes for Cleveland, after leading the American League in wins, ERA and strikeouts.ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — At the outset of baseball’s pandemic-delayed season a little over two months ago, there was little to indicate the Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays might meet again to begin the playoffs. While the Rays launched the truncated 60-game schedule with expectations of making a strong bid for their first division title in a decade, the Blue Jays generally were viewed as an immensely talented young team still years away from postseason contention. The AL East rivals meet this afternoon in St. Petersburg, Florida.LOS ANGELES (AP) — In a 20-year major league career spent with eight different teams, Jay Johnstone was known as one of baseball’s great pranksters but also a two-time World Series champion. Johnstone died over the weekend of complications from COVID-19, according to his daughter. He was 74. Former teammate and current Dodgers broadcaster Rick Monday describes Johnstone as a “bigger than life” personality, but “when the game was on the line, he was able to transform that little 7-year-old child that was always in a playful mood into serious.”MONDAY SCORESNATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFSFinal	Tampa Bay	2	Dallas	0	NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUEFinal	Kansas City	34	Baltimore	20	___

Tuesday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

The Barton Community College Board of Trustees recently approved the hiring of Matthew Gilbert as the second Head Coach in Barton Swimming history.

"Matthew Gilbert, was the perfect fit for our program" said Barton Athletic Director Trevor Rolfs. "Gilbert knows the opportunities that present themselves and is excited to take our programs to that next level."

Prior to joining Barton, Gilbert managed the Pine Creek high school and Rocky Mountain Rapids swim teams in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The 2019-20 season was a special one for Gilbert as his teams produced many honors in being crowned the Western Athletic Conference Champions, the Colorado Springs Boy's Metro League Champions, the Colorado Springs Boy's Metro League Swimmer of the Year, the Colorado Springs Boy's Metro League Diver of the Year, and the Colorado Springs Boy's Metro League Coach of the Year.

Before his coaching career, Gilbert spent 16 years as a competitive swimmer, including a member of two NAIA national championship teams at Fresno Pacific University.

"I am very blessed and excited to begin this next journey with the Cougars," said Gilbert. "I am ready for the challenges. Swimming has always been a huge part of my life and I am committed to my athletes succeeding in the water."

Gilbert replaces the Cougars first and lone head coach as Jonathan Reeder moved into the NCAA Division II coaching ranks becoming an assistant at powerhouse Lindenwood University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601294359745.jpeg" alt="bartonsports.com" />
 <figcaption>bartonsports.com</figcaption>
 </figure>The Barton Community College Board of Trustees recently approved the hiring of Matthew Gilbert as the second Head Coach in Barton Swimming history."Matthew Gilbert, was the perfect fit for our program" said Barton Athletic Director Trevor Rolfs. "Gilbert knows the opportunities that present themselves and is excited to take our programs to that next level."Prior to joining Barton, Gilbert managed the Pine Creek high school and Rocky Mountain Rapids swim teams in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The 2019-20 season was a special one for Gilbert as his teams produced many honors in being crowned the Western Athletic Conference Champions, the Colorado Springs Boy's Metro League Champions, the Colorado Springs Boy's Metro League Swimmer of the Year, the Colorado Springs Boy's Metro League Diver of the Year, and the Colorado Springs Boy's Metro League Coach of the Year.Before his coaching career, Gilbert spent 16 years as a competitive swimmer, including a member of two NAIA national championship teams at Fresno Pacific University."I am very blessed and excited to begin this next journey with the Cougars," said Gilbert. "I am ready for the challenges. Swimming has always been a huge part of my life and I am committed to my athletes succeeding in the water."Gilbert replaces the Cougars first and lone head coach as Jonathan Reeder moved into the NCAA Division II coaching ranks becoming an assistant at powerhouse Lindenwood University.

Gilbert takes over Barton Swimming program

HAYS - More than a month after the MIAA announced the suspension of fall sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic, three of the conference’s schools have announced they are moving forward with a partial 2020 football schedule beginning in late October.

Despite the move by Pittsburg State, Missouri Western State and Nebraska-Kearney to play games this fall, Fort Hays State has no such plans.

“We felt like that was going against what we had originally voted on.” said FHSU athletic director Curtis Hammeke. “We made our plans and our practice structures with the idea of not playing any games this fall, so we’re going to stick to that.”

The move by the three schools to play comes after last Thursday’s 10-2 vote by the MIAA athletic directors to move forward with a four-game fall schedule. The motion did not gain approval from the conference’s presidents who had a 5-5 split on the vote with two of the league’s presidents abstaining.

Pittsburg State, Missouri Western State and Nebraska-Kearney will each play two games against one another while filling out the remainder of the schedules with other NCAA II and NCAA I FCS institutions.

And while there’s technically nothing wrong with conference schools scheduling games, Hammeke senses some frustration amongst the other MIAA members.

“I do believe the intent of that action was for no one to participate against outside competition this fall for a number of reasons in terms of safety with their student athletes.” Hammeke said. “Fort Hays has chosen not to go against that, feeling like it’s the ethical thing to do, but I do think there is a sense of frustration.”

“I think we’ll probably see some others maybe try to put themselves in a position to play games this fall, we just aren’t going to follow along in that path. I don’t think it makes sense.” Hammeke added. “We’re going to hold to our plans that we had in place and hopefully have a sense of gratitude for how much we are able to do right now rather than focus on what we’re not getting to do.”

FHSU head football coach Chris Brown agrees with Hammeke’s decision to no play this fall.

“When we heard that the season was canceled and there would be no fall competition, we set a plan for our kids to make sure they were healthy and safe and ready to actually play a true football game and I just don’t think we’re there yet.” Brown said. “We moved things a little bit slower than we normally do during the fall, but that’s because we didn’t really do much through the spring and through the summer. We’ve had a plan set since this all happened and we’re going to stay to that plan and make sure our kids are ready to play when that time comes.”

Discussions are ongoing for MIAA spring volleyball and soccer schedules. Brown said football will likely have three or four playing dates in the spring that will be either games or scrimmages against outside competition.

HAYS - More than a month after the MIAA announced the suspension of fall sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic, three of the conference’s schools have announced they are moving forward with a partial 2020 football schedule beginning in late October.Despite the move by Pittsburg State, Missouri Western State and Nebraska-Kearney to play games this fall, Fort Hays State has no such plans.“We felt like that was going against what we had originally voted on.” said FHSU athletic director Curtis Hammeke. “We made our plans and our practice structures with the idea of not playing any games this fall, so we’re going to stick to that.”The move by the three schools to play comes after last Thursday’s 10-2 vote by the MIAA athletic directors to move forward with a four-game fall schedule. The motion did not gain approval from the conference’s presidents who had a 5-5 split on the vote with two of the league’s presidents abstaining.Pittsburg State, Missouri Western State and Nebraska-Kearney will each play two games against one another while filling out the remainder of the schedules with other NCAA II and NCAA I FCS institutions.And while there’s technically nothing wrong with conference schools scheduling games, Hammeke senses some frustration amongst the other MIAA members.“I do believe the intent of that action was for no one to participate against outside competition this fall for a number of reasons in terms of safety with their student athletes.” Hammeke said. “Fort Hays has chosen not to go against that, feeling like it’s the ethical thing to do, but I do think there is a sense of frustration.”“I think we’ll probably see some others maybe try to put themselves in a position to play games this fall, we just aren’t going to follow along in that path. I don’t think it makes sense.” Hammeke added. “We’re going to hold to our plans that we had in place and hopefully have a sense of gratitude for how much we are able to do right now rather than focus on what we’re not getting to do.”FHSU head football coach Chris Brown agrees with Hammeke’s decision to no play this fall.“When we heard that the season was canceled and there would be no fall competition, we set a plan for our kids to make sure they were healthy and safe and ready to actually play a true football game and I just don’t think we’re there yet.” Brown said. “We moved things a little bit slower than we normally do during the fall, but that’s because we didn’t really do much through the spring and through the summer. We’ve had a plan set since this all happened and we’re going to stay to that plan and make sure our kids are ready to play when that time comes.”Discussions are ongoing for MIAA spring volleyball and soccer schedules. Brown said football will likely have three or four playing dates in the spring that will be either games or scrimmages against outside competition.

FHSU sticks with plan for no football this fall

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Brady Singer finished his rookie season with a stellar performance, Alex Gordon wrapped up his long Royals career with a fond farewell and Kansas City ended its season Sunday with a 3-1 win over the Detroit Tigers.

Adalberto Mondesi and Ryan McBroom homered for the Royals, who finished just above the Tigers in the AL Central in their first season under manager Mike Matheny.

“My regrets are that we have we don’t have 100 more games, because with what we are starting to put in place, the building blocks of a winning team, you are starting to see those come together,” Matheny said.

The Royals finished the season going 12-6 in an 18-game stretch to end the year, which was one of the best in the AL in that span.

Kansas City (26-34 ) has been fourth in the division in back-to-back seasons. The Royals haven’t reached postseason play since winning the World Series in 2015.

Detroit (23-35) finished last for the fourth time in six years. Lloyd McClendon wound up the season as the Tigers’ manager after Ron Gardenhire retired on Sept. 19.

“They gave us everything they had every day,” McClendon said.

“Some days were better than others, and that happens with young players, but they’re learning what preparation is all about and what it takes to get to the next level,” he said.

Gordon played the final game of his career and got a touching send-off.

“I grew up as a little kid just wanting to play this game,” the 36-year-old Gordon said. “I’m pretty fortunate to do it as long as I have.”

After striking out in the first, he took his spot in left field to begin the second. Gordon was then pulled and trotted off, hugging teammates and a Tigers opponent, and waving to his family watching in a private box at Kauffman Stadium.

Gordon retires as one of three players in Royals history to play 14 or more seasons with the franchise. Only Frank White and George Brett had longer tenures in Kansas City. Gordon won seven Gold Gloves.

Singer (4-5) allowed one run, on Brandon Dixon’s double, on three hits in seven innings. He struck out five and walked none.

“In the first inning, I started to struggle there and went in an made a little mechanical adjustment and took off from there,” Singer said.

The right-hander turned it around to finish his rookie campaign with a win.

“Brady showed up and did his part today,” Matheny said. “It was one of my favorite starts of his because when he showed up after a rough one the last time out, he showed up today and didn’t necessarily have his location and he had to figure out a way to get it going.”

The Royals bullpen held the Tigers hitless in three innings. Jesse Hahn recorded his third save of the season.

Mondesi hit his sixth home run in the fourth, connecting off Tarik Skubel (1-4) to make it 1-all. McBroom hit a solo homer the next inning.

Mondesi doubled home a run in the eighth, his eighth RBI of the season’s final homestand.

Tigers: Open spring training play against Southeastern on Feb. 26 and start big league schedule the next day at the Yankees in Tampa, Florida.

Royals: Start exhibition play against Texas on Feb. 27 at the camp they share in Surprise, Arizona.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Brady Singer finished his rookie season with a stellar performance, Alex Gordon wrapped up his long Royals career with a fond farewell and Kansas City ended its season Sunday with a 3-1 win over the Detroit Tigers.Adalberto Mondesi and Ryan McBroom homered for the Royals, who finished just above the Tigers in the AL Central in their first season under manager Mike Matheny.“My regrets are that we have we don’t have 100 more games, because with what we are starting to put in place, the building blocks of a winning team, you are starting to see those come together,” Matheny said.The Royals finished the season going 12-6 in an 18-game stretch to end the year, which was one of the best in the AL in that span.Kansas City (26-34 ) has been fourth in the division in back-to-back seasons. The Royals haven’t reached postseason play since winning the World Series in 2015.Detroit (23-35) finished last for the fourth time in six years. Lloyd McClendon wound up the season as the Tigers’ manager after Ron Gardenhire retired on Sept. 19.“They gave us everything they had every day,” McClendon said.“Some days were better than others, and that happens with young players, but they’re learning what preparation is all about and what it takes to get to the next level,” he said.Gordon played the final game of his career and got a touching send-off.“I grew up as a little kid just wanting to play this game,” the 36-year-old Gordon said. “I’m pretty fortunate to do it as long as I have.”After striking out in the first, he took his spot in left field to begin the second. Gordon was then pulled and trotted off, hugging teammates and a Tigers opponent, and waving to his family watching in a private box at Kauffman Stadium.Gordon retires as one of three players in Royals history to play 14 or more seasons with the franchise. Only Frank White and George Brett had longer tenures in Kansas City. Gordon won seven Gold Gloves.Singer (4-5) allowed one run, on Brandon Dixon’s double, on three hits in seven innings. He struck out five and walked none.“In the first inning, I started to struggle there and went in an made a little mechanical adjustment and took off from there,” Singer said.The right-hander turned it around to finish his rookie campaign with a win.“Brady showed up and did his part today,” Matheny said. “It was one of my favorite starts of his because when he showed up after a rough one the last time out, he showed up today and didn’t necessarily have his location and he had to figure out a way to get it going.”The Royals bullpen held the Tigers hitless in three innings. Jesse Hahn recorded his third save of the season.Mondesi hit his sixth home run in the fourth, connecting off Tarik Skubel (1-4) to make it 1-all. McBroom hit a solo homer the next inning.Mondesi doubled home a run in the eighth, his eighth RBI of the season’s final homestand.UP NEXTTigers: Open spring training play against Southeastern on Feb. 26 and start big league schedule the next day at the Yankees in Tampa, Florida.Royals: Start exhibition play against Texas on Feb. 27 at the camp they share in Surprise, Arizona.

Singer, Royals beat Tigers 3-1 in Gordon’s finale

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601159337786.png" alt="Schedule subject to change due to Covid-19" />
 <figcaption>Schedule subject to change due to Covid-19</figcaption>
 </figure>Western Athletic ConferenceGreat Bend (0-3) @ Dodge City (1-3)Garden City (1-3) @ Liberal (0-4)Hays (4-0) IdleArea 11-Man gamesHoisington (4-0) @ Minneapolis (2-2)Larned (0-3) @ Holcomb (4-0)Sacred Heart (0-4) @ Ellinwood (0-4)Pratt (2-2) @ Cheney (4-0)Lyons (0-1) @ Sterling (0-4)Scott City (2-2) @ Russell (0-4)Norton (3-1) @ Ellsworth (0-3)TMP (3-1) @ Ellis (1-3)Area 8-Man gamesVictoria (4-0) @ Central Plains (2-0)La Crosse (1-2) @ Macksville (1-2)St. John (1-1) @ Kiowa County (0-4)Otis-Bison (0-4) @ Tescott (0-4)Pratt-Skyline (4-0) @ Kinsley (3-1)Ness City (1-2) @ Wichita County (4-0)Caldwell (4-0) @ Stafford (2-2)Chase (0-4) @ Wilson (3-1)Spearville (4-0) @ Hodgeman County (3-1)6-Man gamesPawnee Heights (1-3) @ Moscow (3-1)

Week 5 High School Football Schedule

Emilia Diaz and
Kaiden Esfeld led their respective teams at the Wichita Carroll
Invitational Cross Country meet Saturday.

Diaz led the Panther
girls to a third place finish overall by taking third in a time of
20:18.7. 


Esfeld finished
third in the boys race with a time of 16:36.7. The Panther boys
finished fifth overall.

Great Bend returns
to action Saturday, October 3rd at Newton.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601213525375.png" alt="Great Bend results from Wichita Carroll Saturday" />
 <figcaption>Great Bend results from Wichita Carroll Saturday</figcaption>
 </figure>Emilia Diaz and
Kaiden Esfeld led their respective teams at the Wichita Carroll
Invitational Cross Country meet Saturday.Diaz led the Panther
girls to a third place finish overall by taking third in a time of
20:18.7. 
Esfeld finished
third in the boys race with a time of 16:36.7. The Panther boys
finished fifth overall.Great Bend returns
to action Saturday, October 3rd at Newton.Wichita Carroll
InvitationalGirls Team Scores
1. Bishop Carroll 28
2. Andover 57
3. Great Bend 57
4. Buhler 81Great Bend
Results
3. Emilia Diaz
9. Emma Loomis
11. Morgan Beckwith
15. Addy Nicholson
19. Eliana Jackson
24. Haley McCormick
27. Brooklyn RamseyBoys Team Scores
1. Maize 39
2. Buhler 56
3. Bishop Carroll 60
4. Andover 88
5. Great Bend 116Great Bend
Results
3. Kaiden Esfeld
23. Matthew Huslig
28. Malachi Wasson
29. Appolos Johnson
33. Brody Feist
34. Brandon Suppes

Diaz and Esfeld lead Panther runners in Wichita

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Los Angeles Chargers experienced firsthand what may be the most demoralizing thing for a defense trying to stop Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

The Chargers led 20-17 in the fourth quarter and had forced the Chiefs into a precarious third-and-20 with about a minute to go. When the reigning Super Bowl MVP dropped back to pass, trying desperately to get his team into position for a field goal to force overtime, the Chargers had the Chiefs’ fleet of speedy wide receivers blanketed downfield.

Then they watched in horror as Mahomes slipped through a crack and dashed 21 yards for a first down.

For all the publicity Mahomes gets for his strong arm — the one capable of throwing a football over the upper deck and out of Arrowhead Stadium — what often gets overlooked are his legs. He may not be predecessor Alex Smith or Ravens signal caller Lamar Jackson, whom the Chiefs face Monday night, but Mahomes is dangerous enough to keep defenses honest.

The Chargers were reminded of it. That scramble for a first down allowed the Chiefs to get into range for Harrison Butker to kick the tying field goal. Then in overtime, Mahomes scrambled again on third down to help set up the winning 58-yarder.

“That’s always been part of this offense,” said Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who proceeded to rattle off names of those who have flourished in the modified West Coast system that he learned from Bill Walsh and Mike Holmgren.

Joe Montana and Brett Favre could scramble. Steve Young and Donovan McNabb could run. Michael Vick may still be the fastest and most athletic quarterback ever to play in the NFL.

“They’re all mobile guys and they can get out and go when needed,” Reid said. “You don’t want to make a living on it. But the one unique thing is all the guys keep their eyes downfield. All the great ones. So they’re still putting pressure on the defense with the opportunity to throw the football. I think that would be universal.”

To be sure, the ability of Mahomes to fling the ball downfield at any moment makes things easier on the ground. At one point against the Chargers, he was scrambling to his right and still had the arm strength to throw an off-balance strike to Tyreek Hill more than 50 yards downfield for a diving touchdown reception.

Defenses have to blanket Hill and the rest of the Chiefs’ wide receivers until they know Mahomes is going to run. And by that point, it is often too late to prevent him gaining at least a handful of yards and usually a first down.

“The good things about the guys on my team, and the receivers and tight ends, defenses have to be accountable for those guys,” Mahomes said. “They’re getting deep (so) they’re trying to stop them from going over the top. So when there’s room to run, I have to take advantage of it. Defenses aren’t leaving their guys, so I have to be able to run.”

Perhaps it was apropos that on a Zoom call this week in which Mahomes discussed his scrambling ability, who should pop up on the screen but Vick himself. Now an analyst on the FOX pregame show, the four-time Pro Bowler set the NFL record for rushing yards by a quarterback during a career that ended under Reid in Philadelphia.

“I don’t know if I can run like Mike,” Mahomes said with a wry smile, “but I can get a few yards and get out of bounds.”

Mahomes doesn’t necessarily look fast; his body type is a bit stocky. But he grew up playing all sports, and was a standout on the baseball field and basketball court. That athletic background has made him deceptively quick when he tucks the ball and runs. Linebackers and defensive backs alike often have a hard time trying to track him down.

Mahomes is also smart enough to know his value, which is why he is almost never tackled. The vast majority of his runs end up with Mahomes sliding before he takes a hit or effortlessly waltzing out of bounds.

“When it’s third-and-long, or third-and-short, he can take to his feet and get the first down,” said Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, who probably learned a few things watching from the sideline during his first NFL start. “Those are the plays that you cover as many guys as you can and a guy like that has the legs to run — it’s really tough defending him.”

The San Francisco 49ers learned that in the Super Bowl. Mahomes ran nine times for 29 yards and a touchdown, helping the Chiefs end a 50-year championship drought with a stirring come-from-behind victory in Miami.

“With Mahomes, as good as he is in the pocket, he’s just as good — probably better — outside the pocket, which is the craziest thing about his game,” Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey said. “Preparing for him, it’s really tough. You can’t say any team has really just been able to stop him completely. He’s never really out of a game.”

Thanks to his legs, he’s never really out of a play, either.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Los Angeles Chargers experienced firsthand what may be the most demoralizing thing for a defense trying to stop Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.The Chargers led 20-17 in the fourth quarter and had forced the Chiefs into a precarious third-and-20 with about a minute to go. When the reigning Super Bowl MVP dropped back to pass, trying desperately to get his team into position for a field goal to force overtime, the Chargers had the Chiefs’ fleet of speedy wide receivers blanketed downfield.Then they watched in horror as Mahomes slipped through a crack and dashed 21 yards for a first down.For all the publicity Mahomes gets for his strong arm — the one capable of throwing a football over the upper deck and out of Arrowhead Stadium — what often gets overlooked are his legs. He may not be predecessor Alex Smith or Ravens signal caller Lamar Jackson, whom the Chiefs face Monday night, but Mahomes is dangerous enough to keep defenses honest.The Chargers were reminded of it. That scramble for a first down allowed the Chiefs to get into range for Harrison Butker to kick the tying field goal. Then in overtime, Mahomes scrambled again on third down to help set up the winning 58-yarder.“That’s always been part of this offense,” said Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who proceeded to rattle off names of those who have flourished in the modified West Coast system that he learned from Bill Walsh and Mike Holmgren.Joe Montana and Brett Favre could scramble. Steve Young and Donovan McNabb could run. Michael Vick may still be the fastest and most athletic quarterback ever to play in the NFL.“They’re all mobile guys and they can get out and go when needed,” Reid said. “You don’t want to make a living on it. But the one unique thing is all the guys keep their eyes downfield. All the great ones. So they’re still putting pressure on the defense with the opportunity to throw the football. I think that would be universal.”To be sure, the ability of Mahomes to fling the ball downfield at any moment makes things easier on the ground. At one point against the Chargers, he was scrambling to his right and still had the arm strength to throw an off-balance strike to Tyreek Hill more than 50 yards downfield for a diving touchdown reception.Defenses have to blanket Hill and the rest of the Chiefs’ wide receivers until they know Mahomes is going to run. And by that point, it is often too late to prevent him gaining at least a handful of yards and usually a first down.“The good things about the guys on my team, and the receivers and tight ends, defenses have to be accountable for those guys,” Mahomes said. “They’re getting deep (so) they’re trying to stop them from going over the top. So when there’s room to run, I have to take advantage of it. Defenses aren’t leaving their guys, so I have to be able to run.”Perhaps it was apropos that on a Zoom call this week in which Mahomes discussed his scrambling ability, who should pop up on the screen but Vick himself. Now an analyst on the FOX pregame show, the four-time Pro Bowler set the NFL record for rushing yards by a quarterback during a career that ended under Reid in Philadelphia.“I don’t know if I can run like Mike,” Mahomes said with a wry smile, “but I can get a few yards and get out of bounds.”Mahomes doesn’t necessarily look fast; his body type is a bit stocky. But he grew up playing all sports, and was a standout on the baseball field and basketball court. That athletic background has made him deceptively quick when he tucks the ball and runs. Linebackers and defensive backs alike often have a hard time trying to track him down.Mahomes is also smart enough to know his value, which is why he is almost never tackled. The vast majority of his runs end up with Mahomes sliding before he takes a hit or effortlessly waltzing out of bounds.“When it’s third-and-long, or third-and-short, he can take to his feet and get the first down,” said Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, who probably learned a few things watching from the sideline during his first NFL start. “Those are the plays that you cover as many guys as you can and a guy like that has the legs to run — it’s really tough defending him.”The San Francisco 49ers learned that in the Super Bowl. Mahomes ran nine times for 29 yards and a touchdown, helping the Chiefs end a 50-year championship drought with a stirring come-from-behind victory in Miami.“With Mahomes, as good as he is in the pocket, he’s just as good — probably better — outside the pocket, which is the craziest thing about his game,” Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey said. “Preparing for him, it’s really tough. You can’t say any team has really just been able to stop him completely. He’s never really out of a game.”Thanks to his legs, he’s never really out of a play, either.

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes showcases deceptive ability to run

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Niko Goodrum and Austin Romine keyed a three-run first inning, and the Detroit Tigers edged the Kansas City Royals 4-3 on Saturday night.

The Tigers made the third start for Kansas City right-hander Carlos Hernandez one to forget. Detroit got to Hernandez in the first inning on Goodrum’s RBI single, and Romine followed with a two-run double.

Willi Castro’s RBI single in the second made it 4-1.

“Eric Haase called a great game, Austin Romine called a great game, we played great defense,” said Matthew Boyd., who earned the win “We came out hot on a guy that has some really good stuff. It was a good team win.”

Hernandez (0-1) pitched 1 2/3 innings and allowed four runs, three earned, on seven hits.

“They were seeing him very well, and he had trouble. Gordo had a great play, but just one of those nights and use a learning experience,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “The look he gave us this year that make us believe he will have success at this level.”

Adalberto Mondesi homered to left in the first inning to get the Royals on the board.

“He’s seeing the ball so well, and he had a game plan and took the barrel, and the ball carried for him,” Matheny said of Mondesi. “He continues to make us shake our head and wonder if we had a full season what type of year he would’ve had.”

He added an RBI double and scored on a single by Maikel Franco to cut the lead to 4-3 in the third.

Boyd (3-7) pitched six innings, allowing five hits and three runs with three strikeouts for Detroit.

“It was a performance that we certainly needed,” Tigers manager Lloyd McClendon said. “He really stepped up and gave us six solid innings because out bullpen was a little thin tonight and also considering that we may have to play Monday, so he did a great job for us.”

The Tigers’ bullpen tossed three shutout innings. Bryan Garcia pitched the ninth for his fourth save of the season.

The Royals stranded seven men, but their bullpen kept them in the game. Mike Montgomery, Jake Newberry, Josh Staumont, and Tyler Zuber tossed 7 1/3 scoreless innings in relief, allowing just three hits.

Mondesi tied a club record by safely reaching base in 11 straight plate appearances with a walk in the fifth inning. Whit Merrifield notched his 150th career double in the seventh inning and is riding a seven-game hitting streak.

Detroit was forced to make defensive adjustments as two starters left the game with injuries. Willi Castro was removed in the second inning with right shoulder tightness. “We are going to have to put him on the IL because we need a player,” “We just can’t play that thin.” Harold Castro was also removed in the fourth with lower back tightness.

Detroit: Jordan Zimmerman (0-0, 9.64) pitches for the Tigers.

Kansas City: The season finale for the Royals was moved up to 12:05 (CT) due to possible inclement weather in the forecast. Brady Singer (3-5, 4.40) will be on the mound for Kansas City and will be aiming to bounce back after allowing a career-high five walks in just three innings against the Cardinals on Tuesday.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Niko Goodrum and Austin Romine keyed a three-run first inning, and the Detroit Tigers edged the Kansas City Royals 4-3 on Saturday night.The Tigers made the third start for Kansas City right-hander Carlos Hernandez one to forget. Detroit got to Hernandez in the first inning on Goodrum’s RBI single, and Romine followed with a two-run double.Willi Castro’s RBI single in the second made it 4-1.“Eric Haase called a great game, Austin Romine called a great game, we played great defense,” said Matthew Boyd., who earned the win “We came out hot on a guy that has some really good stuff. It was a good team win.”Hernandez (0-1) pitched 1 2/3 innings and allowed four runs, three earned, on seven hits.“They were seeing him very well, and he had trouble. Gordo had a great play, but just one of those nights and use a learning experience,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “The look he gave us this year that make us believe he will have success at this level.”Adalberto Mondesi homered to left in the first inning to get the Royals on the board.“He’s seeing the ball so well, and he had a game plan and took the barrel, and the ball carried for him,” Matheny said of Mondesi. “He continues to make us shake our head and wonder if we had a full season what type of year he would’ve had.”He added an RBI double and scored on a single by Maikel Franco to cut the lead to 4-3 in the third.Boyd (3-7) pitched six innings, allowing five hits and three runs with three strikeouts for Detroit.“It was a performance that we certainly needed,” Tigers manager Lloyd McClendon said. “He really stepped up and gave us six solid innings because out bullpen was a little thin tonight and also considering that we may have to play Monday, so he did a great job for us.”The Tigers’ bullpen tossed three shutout innings. Bryan Garcia pitched the ninth for his fourth save of the season.The Royals stranded seven men, but their bullpen kept them in the game. Mike Montgomery, Jake Newberry, Josh Staumont, and Tyler Zuber tossed 7 1/3 scoreless innings in relief, allowing just three hits.ROYALS MILESTONESMondesi tied a club record by safely reaching base in 11 straight plate appearances with a walk in the fifth inning. Whit Merrifield notched his 150th career double in the seventh inning and is riding a seven-game hitting streak.LIMPING TO THE FINISHDetroit was forced to make defensive adjustments as two starters left the game with injuries. Willi Castro was removed in the second inning with right shoulder tightness. “We are going to have to put him on the IL because we need a player,” “We just can’t play that thin.” Harold Castro was also removed in the fourth with lower back tightness.UP NEXTDetroit: Jordan Zimmerman (0-0, 9.64) pitches for the Tigers.Kansas City: The season finale for the Royals was moved up to 12:05 (CT) due to possible inclement weather in the forecast. Brady Singer (3-5, 4.40) will be on the mound for Kansas City and will be aiming to bounce back after allowing a career-high five walks in just three innings against the Cardinals on Tuesday.

Tigers use big first inning to edge Royals 4-3

WACO, Texas (AP) — Trestan Ebner left little doubt he was more than ready for Baylor’s opener after two games were called off because of COVID-19 concerns.

Dave Aranda was a little more coy about the anticipation of his first game as a head coach, which Ebner made sure was a winner.

The versatile back returned the&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/BUFootball/status/1310032572920066049" target="_blank">second-half kickoff 100 yards</a>&nbsp;before going&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/BUFootball/status/1310044210435891208" target="_blank">83 yards for another touchdown on a free kick</a>&nbsp;after a safety and the Bears pulled away from Kansas in the second half of a 47-14 victory Saturday night.

Ebner also had a 1-yard TD run and an 18-yard scoring catch as the Bears won their latest opener in 56 years after non-conference games against Louisiana Tech and Houston were called off, the latter just a day before the game.

“You could tell all the practices we had, guys were just ready to play,” Ebner said. “We were ready to hit someone else. I knew we would be ready for the moment.”

Aranda, the defensive coordinator for LSU’s 15-0 national championship team last season, took over after Matt Rhule was hired by the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. It was the Big 12 opener for both teams.

Baylor gave up a 79-yard touchdown drive on the first possession under Aranda, but the defense clamped down while the Bears scored 40 consecutive points to hand the Jayhawks (0-2) their 50th consecutive loss in a true Big 12 road game.

“To take the field with our team and to see them fight through stuff, to see them create momentum and things that we talked about back in March and April and all over Zoom, to hear that kind of spitting back out at you in the third, fourth quarter was just so cool,” Aranda said. “It energizes me for the next one.”

The school announced a crowd of 11,667, about 25% of McLane Stadium’s capacity. The largest clusters of fans were in the student sections behind the Kansas bench.

Ebner opened the second half by starting toward the left sideline before sliding to his right and beating everybody to the far sideline, ultimately outrunning kicker Liam Jones for Baylor’s first kickoff return for a score since 2013.

After Terrel Bernard sacked Jalon Daniels in the end zone for a 33-7 lead, Jones kicked off from the 20. Going the opposite direction, Ebner started closer to the middle of the field before cutting right and beating everybody to the sideline again.

Ebner, the first Baylor player to return two kicks for touchdowns in the same game, finished with 272 all-purpose yards.

“It was pretty cool to see,” Aranda said. “It for sure propelled our team and took us to another stage of all of it and the emotion on our sideline was pretty strong after both of those.”

Pooka Williams scored both Kansas touchdowns and finished with 76 yards rushing for the Jayhawks, who lost to Coastal Carolina for the second consecutive year in their opener two weeks ago.

“I don’t like finishing second. It isn’t fun,” coach Les Miles said. “But sometimes the opponent makes you... that’s just the way it goes. You end up second.”

Kansas: The lowly Jayhawks were showing progress late in Miles’ first season last year, with competitive losses in tough venues at Texas and Iowa State. But a 61-6 home loss to Baylor was a sour way to go into the offseason, and Kansas has now lost 11 in a row to the Bears and is 0-10 in Waco.

Baylor: It was a quiet 31st consecutive start for quarterback Charlie Brewer, who threw for 142 yards with a touchdown while missing three plays when he limped off after a 1-yard plunge to convert a fourth down in the first half. John Lovett and redshirt freshman Craig Williams had a rushing touchdown apiece as the Bears finished with 203 yards on the ground.

Baylor led the list of teams receiving votes in last week’s Top 25, meaning the Bears were basically ranked 26th. So it stands to reason the Bears will enter the poll with an impressive debut for Aranda after finishing with 11 wins under Rhule last season.

Baylor safety Christian Morgan was ejected for targeting on a vicious helmet-to-helmet hit on a sliding Jalon Daniels at the end of a run by the quarterback in the first quarter.

Baylor honored Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers, who played at Kansas from 1962-64. Sayers died earlier in the week at 77. The “Kansas Comet” had 2,675 yards rushing for the Jayhawks and was the first Division I-A player with a 99-yard touchdown run, in 1963 at Nebraska.

Daniels got the start as Miles said Thomas MacVittie wasn’t healthy. Miles also said Miles Kendrick could get a longer look going forward. All three played against Coastal Carolina. Daniels was 19 of 33 for 159 yards and finished with 23 yards rushing, a total that would have been higher without four Baylor sacks.

Kansas: No. 15 Oklahoma State at home next Saturday.

WACO, Texas (AP) — Trestan Ebner left little doubt he was more than ready for Baylor’s opener after two games were called off because of COVID-19 concerns.Dave Aranda was a little more coy about the anticipation of his first game as a head coach, which Ebner made sure was a winner.The versatile back returned the&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/BUFootball/status/1310032572920066049" target="_blank">second-half kickoff 100 yards</a>&nbsp;before going&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/BUFootball/status/1310044210435891208" target="_blank">83 yards for another touchdown on a free kick</a>&nbsp;after a safety and the Bears pulled away from Kansas in the second half of a 47-14 victory Saturday night.Ebner also had a 1-yard TD run and an 18-yard scoring catch as the Bears won their latest opener in 56 years after non-conference games against Louisiana Tech and Houston were called off, the latter just a day before the game.“You could tell all the practices we had, guys were just ready to play,” Ebner said. “We were ready to hit someone else. I knew we would be ready for the moment.”Aranda, the defensive coordinator for LSU’s 15-0 national championship team last season, took over after Matt Rhule was hired by the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. It was the Big 12 opener for both teams.Baylor gave up a 79-yard touchdown drive on the first possession under Aranda, but the defense clamped down while the Bears scored 40 consecutive points to hand the Jayhawks (0-2) their 50th consecutive loss in a true Big 12 road game.“To take the field with our team and to see them fight through stuff, to see them create momentum and things that we talked about back in March and April and all over Zoom, to hear that kind of spitting back out at you in the third, fourth quarter was just so cool,” Aranda said. “It energizes me for the next one.”The school announced a crowd of 11,667, about 25% of McLane Stadium’s capacity. The largest clusters of fans were in the student sections behind the Kansas bench.Ebner opened the second half by starting toward the left sideline before sliding to his right and beating everybody to the far sideline, ultimately outrunning kicker Liam Jones for Baylor’s first kickoff return for a score since 2013.After Terrel Bernard sacked Jalon Daniels in the end zone for a 33-7 lead, Jones kicked off from the 20. Going the opposite direction, Ebner started closer to the middle of the field before cutting right and beating everybody to the sideline again.Ebner, the first Baylor player to return two kicks for touchdowns in the same game, finished with 272 all-purpose yards.“It was pretty cool to see,” Aranda said. “It for sure propelled our team and took us to another stage of all of it and the emotion on our sideline was pretty strong after both of those.”Pooka Williams scored both Kansas touchdowns and finished with 76 yards rushing for the Jayhawks, who lost to Coastal Carolina for the second consecutive year in their opener two weeks ago.“I don’t like finishing second. It isn’t fun,” coach Les Miles said. “But sometimes the opponent makes you... that’s just the way it goes. You end up second.”THE TAKEAWAYKansas: The lowly Jayhawks were showing progress late in Miles’ first season last year, with competitive losses in tough venues at Texas and Iowa State. But a 61-6 home loss to Baylor was a sour way to go into the offseason, and Kansas has now lost 11 in a row to the Bears and is 0-10 in Waco.Baylor: It was a quiet 31st consecutive start for quarterback Charlie Brewer, who threw for 142 yards with a touchdown while missing three plays when he limped off after a 1-yard plunge to convert a fourth down in the first half. John Lovett and redshirt freshman Craig Williams had a rushing touchdown apiece as the Bears finished with 203 yards on the ground.POLL IMPLICATIONSBaylor led the list of teams receiving votes in last week’s Top 25, meaning the Bears were basically ranked 26th. So it stands to reason the Bears will enter the poll with an impressive debut for Aranda after finishing with 11 wins under Rhule last season.TARGETING EJECTIONBaylor safety Christian Morgan was ejected for targeting on a vicious helmet-to-helmet hit on a sliding Jalon Daniels at the end of a run by the quarterback in the first quarter.SAYERS TRIBUTEBaylor honored Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers, who played at Kansas from 1962-64. Sayers died earlier in the week at 77. The “Kansas Comet” had 2,675 yards rushing for the Jayhawks and was the first Division I-A player with a 99-yard touchdown run, in 1963 at Nebraska.KANSAS QB UPDATEDaniels got the start as Miles said Thomas MacVittie wasn’t healthy. Miles also said Miles Kendrick could get a longer look going forward. All three played against Coastal Carolina. Daniels was 19 of 33 for 159 yards and finished with 23 yards rushing, a total that would have been higher without four Baylor sacks.UP NEXTKansas: No. 15 Oklahoma State at home next Saturday.Baylor: At West Virginia next Saturday.

Ebner dominates in Aranda debut as Baylor tops Kansas 47-14

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — A Kansas State squad that lost its opener to Arkansas State two weeks ago, had its roster depleted by COVID-19, and entered Saturday’s game against No. 3 Oklahoma as a four-touchdown underdog overcame it all to pull off one of the biggest stunners of the season.

Skylar Thompson passed for 334 yards and ran for three touchdowns, and the Wildcats rallied from 21 points down to beat the third-ranked Sooners 38-35, a 50-yard field goal by Blake Lynch with 4:32 remaining providing the margin of victory.

Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said he didn’t know until Friday if he’d have enough players available at all position groups to play the game. Turns out, the Wildcats had exactly what they needed.

“You find out a lot about a person and about a team from a challenge and adversity, and this team responded,” Thompson said. “I had no doubt going into this game that we were going to have a chance to win just by the way that we handled the last two weeks, the way we practiced, the way we came together and corrected our mistakes.”

Freshman Deuce Vaughn caught four passes for 129 yards and ran for a touchdown for the Wildcats. It was Kansas State’s first-ever road win against a top-three team in the AP poll.

Kansas State upset Oklahoma 48-41 in Manhattan, Kansas, last year, making the loss especially disappointing for the Sooners. Oklahoma outgained the Wildcats 517 yards to 400 but had four turnovers to none for Kansas State.

“We just made critical errors that gave them a chance,” Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley said. “Give Chris (Klieman) and Kansas State a lot of credit. When we made errors, he made us pay.”

Oklahoma freshman Spencer Rattler passed for 387 yards and four touchdowns, but he threw three interceptions.

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — A Kansas State squad that lost its opener to Arkansas State two weeks ago, had its roster depleted by COVID-19, and entered Saturday’s game against No. 3 Oklahoma as a four-touchdown underdog overcame it all to pull off one of the biggest stunners of the season.Skylar Thompson passed for 334 yards and ran for three touchdowns, and the Wildcats rallied from 21 points down to beat the third-ranked Sooners 38-35, a 50-yard field goal by Blake Lynch with 4:32 remaining providing the margin of victory.Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said he didn’t know until Friday if he’d have enough players available at all position groups to play the game. Turns out, the Wildcats had exactly what they needed.“You find out a lot about a person and about a team from a challenge and adversity, and this team responded,” Thompson said. “I had no doubt going into this game that we were going to have a chance to win just by the way that we handled the last two weeks, the way we practiced, the way we came together and corrected our mistakes.”Freshman Deuce Vaughn caught four passes for 129 yards and ran for a touchdown for the Wildcats. It was Kansas State’s first-ever road win against a top-three team in the AP poll.Kansas State upset Oklahoma 48-41 in Manhattan, Kansas, last year, making the loss especially disappointing for the Sooners. Oklahoma outgained the Wildcats 517 yards to 400 but had four turnovers to none for Kansas State.“We just made critical errors that gave them a chance,” Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley said. “Give Chris (Klieman) and Kansas State a lot of credit. When we made errors, he made us pay.”Oklahoma freshman Spencer Rattler passed for 387 yards and four touchdowns, but he threw three interceptions.“He’s a young guy in his second start,” Riley said. “We’re going to continue to build on it and he’s going to continue to get better and get coached better as well.”In the opening moments of the second quarter, Rattler threw into traffic and found Drake Stoops for a 32-yard touchdown. It was the first career score for the son of former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, and it gave the Sooners a 14-0 lead.Thompson’s 39-yard touchdown pass to Chabastin Taylor in the second quarter cut Oklahoma’s lead to 14-7, but the Sooners answered with Marvin Mims’ 9-yard touchdown reception in the final minute of the first half.Rattler’s 53-yard pass to Stoops led to Seth McGowan’s 5-yard touchdown run and gave the Sooners a 35-14 lead late in the third quarter.“We knew when we were down 21 we were just like, we’re going to get our chance, we’re going to get our shot,” Vaughn said. “We’re going to see how good we are at battling adversity. That’s exactly what we did. When things started to turn our way, we were like we can’t get too high. We never got too low. We stayed even-keeled.”Two short rushing touchdowns by Thompson got the Wildcats back in the game.Kansas State’s Nick Allen blocked Reeves Mundschau’s punt, and the Wildcats took over at the Oklahoma 38. Vaughn’s 38-yard touchdown run on the Wildcats’ second offensive play and the critical extra point tied it at 35 with 8:17 to play.Kansas State’s Jahron McPherson intercepted Rattler in the final minute to help close out the win.“For me, I dream about this all the time,” McPherson said. “For me, I was just so happy and happy for my team. I do everything for my team. I was just happy for all of us.”Oklahoma had a regular-season loss each of the four times it has reached the College Football Playoff. The Sooners hope they can bounce back again.“We’re very disappointed, but the resolve is very strong,” Riley said. “We know how to respond to a loss around here, and we’ll do it, and it’s going to take every single one of us.”THE TAKEAWAYKansas State: The Wildcats didn’t fold when they fell behind and the defense improved in the second half against Rattler.“It’s a great offense,” Klieman said of Oklahoma. “The quarterback’s an exceptionally good player. We had to keep trying to pressure him to get him off schedule.”Oklahoma: The defense fell apart much like it has many times in recent years.“Defensively, it would be some of the busted coverages on the big plays and then a few missed tackles,” Riley said. “Give Kansas State credit. Those are tackles they didn’t miss. They tackled better than we did.”QUOTABLEThompson reminded his teammates at halftime that they were “overlooked, unappreciated, have been slept on and not given a chance.”Then, he laid out the opportunity in front of them.“What better position could you ask for right now? I think when I was saying that, looking around you could see it in everybody’s eyes, that they believed. That’s special. That’s special. I don’t know how else to put it.”BIG KICKLynch bounced back from a 1-for-3 effort on field goals against Arkansas State to connect on his career long for the game-winner.“I wouldn’t say it was nerves, but I definitely had some adrenaline,” he said.STAT LINESIn the fourth quarter, Kansas State outscored Oklahoma 17-0. The Wildcats gave up 455 yards the first three quarters and 62 yards in the fourth.UP NEXTKansas State: Hosts Texas Tech on Saturday.Oklahoma: Travels to Iowa State on Saturday. The Cyclones beat the Sooners three years ago and nearly upset them last year before falling 42-41.