Did Sixth Straight K-State Loss Finally Spell the End for Lance Leipold at Kansas?

In a scenario that feels like it's played out a million times, Kansas snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in today's 35-24 loss to K-State to extend the losing streak to 18. As always, the Jayhawks squandered their chances in the Sunflower Showdown in the most improbable ways possible.

Despite leading by double digits early in the contest, KU's special teams mistakes and porous defense allowed the Wildcats to get back in it. In the end, it was too much for the Jayhawks to overcome.

Today marked Lance Leipold's sixth consecutive defeat to his in-state rival since taking over at the helm in 2021. He is a combined 0-8 in rivalry matchups if you include the pair of losses to Missouri over the past two seasons. There is a real chance that this was the nail in the coffin for his tenure as head coach as the pressure surrounding his job security continues to build.

It would be one thing if Kansas lost this game by simply being outplayed, but that never seems to be the case versus K-State. Even with the massive disparity in time of possession and total yards, KU seriously had a chance to at least make this a toss-up entering the fourth quarter.

I hate to kick a man while he's down, but punter Matthew Gill is almost solely responsible for today's defeat. He punted four times, with three for 32 yards or fewer, and had an all-time blunder that will be etched into the long list of Sunflower Showdown disasters.

With 1:39 remaining in the first half, KU decided to punt leading 17-13 after a holding call sent the Jayhawks back inside their own 15-yard line. A perfect snap from Rino Monteforte ended up right in Gill's hands on the punt attempt, only for him to mishandle the ball which hit the turf and ended up in the back of the end zone for a safety.

Huge change in momentum as Matt Gill has trouble with the snap and Nick McClellan forces the safety.

K-State would capitalize with a field goal and leads 18-17 at the break.#KStateFB pic.twitter.com/LlB10cyoDY
— Kole Emplit (@KoleEmplit) October 17, 2026

Up until that point, it felt like things might be different for the Jayhawks in this edition of the Sunflower Showdown. They'd received some early breaks, such as a kickoff return touchdown by Bryson Hayes to offset K-State's opening touchdown drive, and a fumble by tight end Linkon Cure.

In the end, though, gaffes like this need to fall on Leipold and the coaching staff. He and his assistants are the ones who recruited the Australian freshman to KU and have continued to trot him out amid his horrendous season.

Against Kansas State alone, there's Trevor Wilson's muffed punt in 2023, Jameel Croft Jr.'s out-of-bounds kickoff return in 2024, and Finn Lappin's mishandled punt snap that K-State returned for a touchdown a year ago. We can add Gill's botch to the list. None of these are a product of a lack of talent, but rather failures by the coaching staff that good football teams simply don't make.

Kansas Jayhawks head coach Lance Leipold applauds Kansas Jayhawks wide receiver Nik McMillan (5) after a touchdown against Kansas State Wildcats during the Sunflower Showdown game at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kansas on Oct. 17, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

You can no longer count the inexplicable coaching decisions and preparation-related errors on two hands during Leipold's tenure. It has reached a point where we have to chalk up these breakdowns to the coaching staff's failure to have the team ready on game days and inability to keep the team focused throughout the week.

There's still a lofty buyout the program would need to make to create an exit for Leipold ($17.9 million), and doing so would require the administration to make a difficult admission about the direction of the program. But when you look at the way that KU football was trending in 2023 when it won nine games and a bowl game compared to where it sits now, it's hard to fathom how quickly things have gone back downhill.

Sitting at 2-4 with a trio of losses in conference play, it's almost set in stone that the Jayhawks will be missing out on postseason play for the third straight year. Leipold has only regressed since taking over the program and has a potential head coach waiting in the wings on his staff in Andy Kotelnicki. If there were ever a moment where Athletic Director Travis Goff considered making a coaching change, it would have to be right now.

Check out the KCSN official website and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest KU basketball and football news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google