Nick KrugIt turns out Kansas football fans aren’t the only people paying attention to the niche ESPN+ streaming series “Miles to Go.”
The Jayhawks’ in-state rivals may not be binging it exactly, but some Kansas State Wildcats said after thoroughly beating KU, 38-10, in Lawrence on Saturday that they at least were aware of one scene from the most recent episode.
The 13th installment of the season-long, behind-the-scenes KU football series focused on the Jayhawks’ dramatic victory over Texas Tech.
Head coach Les Miles is shown addressing his players in the locker room afterward. Miles asks them three times, “Who we play?” And each time the players respond, “K-State.”
That’s when Miles yells, “Who is K-State?”
The Jayhawks erupt in excitement.
https://twitter.com/Jifhawk/status/1189965432926752769
The clip from “Miles to Go,” K-State players told 247 Sports and other outlets after the Wildcats’ emphatic victory, made the rounds in Manhattan before K-State headed to Lawrence for the Sunflower Showdown.
“They gave us a lot of bulletin board material,” said Lawrence native, Free State High graduate and senior K-State left tackle Scott Frantz, who also confirmed the “Miles to Go” clip was part of that. “KU, they were talking a lot of stuff this week. That motivated us. It really did. I’m glad we came out here and executed.”
Defensive tackle Trey Dishon also told reporters the Wildcats found inspiration in the words that came out of the KU locker room.
“One thing I told the team before we took the field today was, ‘Just remember what was said and what was done and remember it’s game day and we’re the ones in control,'” Dishon said. “Everybody can say what they want, but the players are the ones that are going to get the job done and we got the job done today.”
A new episode of “Miles to Go” comes out every Thursday during the season on the ESPN+ channel Big 12 Now.
Although Miles was scheduled, as usual, to participate Monday in the Big 12 coaches’ media teleconference, KU’s head coach didn’t speak.
According to a KU spokesperson, Miles had a schedule conflict and couldn’t work out with the Big 12 a time to get on the teleconference, which has the head coach from each school slotted for a specific time each week.
Miles won’t have a press conference this week, either, with the Jayhawks on a bye week. KU players won’t speak with the media again until next Monday, ahead of the Jayhawks’ Nov. 16 game at Oklahoma State.
The Jayhawks’ return to action will come at the earliest time possible, in Stillwater, Okla. The Big 12 announced Monday that KU’s game at OSU will kick off at 11 a.m. and air on FOX Sports 1.
The Cowboys (6-3 overall, 3-3 Big 12) are idle this week, as well. They’re coming off consecutive wins over Iowa State and TCU.
OSU received 11 votes in the latest AP Top 25.
Kansas football fans fondly remember the Jayhawks’ Orange Bowl win on Jan. 3, 2008, but it was another KU trip to Miami, nearly 40 years earlier, that was deemed one of college football’s most outstanding games.
As part of ESPN’s celebration of the 150th season of college football, ESPN.com unveiled a list of the 150 greatest games in the sport’s history.
An Orange Bowl matchup between Kansas and Penn State on Jan. 1, 1969, came in at No. 61.
The Nittany Lions, the ESPN piece points out, had a second opportunity at a 2-point conversion in the game’s final seconds, and PSU’s Bob Campbell ran in for the win, after the Jayhawks were flagged on the first 2-point try for having 12 men on the field.
Penn State won, 15-14. John Riggins and Mike Reeves scored rushing touchdowns for KU in a matchup between No. 3 PSU and No. 6 Kansas.
Coached at the time by Pepper Rodgers, the Jayhawks finished 9-2 and ranked No. 7.
