Completed Event: Football versus #17 Kansas State on August 23, 2025 , Win , 24, to, 21

11.22.2003 | Football
LAWRENCE, Kan. - Quarterback Bill Whittemore ran for two touchdowns and threw for another and Kansas beat Iowa State 36-7 Saturday to become bowl-eligible for the first time since 1995.
Whittemore, in his first start since injuring his collarbone on Oct. 25, had 306 yards of total offense and set the single-season school record with his 16th touchdown pass.
The senior, who missed almost four full games, rushed for 85 yards, including touchdown runs of 1 and 12 yards, and hit 18-of-28 for 221 yards. His 53-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter to Brandon Rideau broke the record he shared with Mike Norseth and David Jaynes.
The victory made the Jayhawks (6-6, 3-5 Big 12) eligible for their first postseason bid since they beat UCLA in the 1995 Aloha Bowl.
But now they must hope Nebraska beats Colorado the day after Thanksgiving to guarantee a bowl slot. The Big 12 has guarantees with eight bowls. But if Colorado beats the Huskers, the conference would have nine bowl-eligible teams.
Iowa State (2-9, 0-7), after opening the season with victories over Northern Iowa and Ohio, has lost nine in a row. The Cyclones end their season next week at Missouri.
The Cyclones trailed 15-7 going into the fourth quarter. But defensive back Rodney Fowler made two interceptions, setting up one Kansas touchdown and then scoring another on a 10-yard return. Charles Gordon's 28-yard punt return started a 47-yard touchdown march Whittemore capped with a 1-yard run for a 29-7 lead with 4:58 left.
Waye Terry engineered a 12-play, 81-yard drive in the first quarter for Iowa State's lone TD. Terry connected with Lance Young for gains of 24 and 13 yards in the march and capped it with a 3-yard run around left end for a 7-6 lead.
A pass interference call on Iowa State's Ellis Hobbs helped the Jayhawks move 76 yards in nine plays to take a 12-7 lead on Whittemore's 12-yard run. Jerod Brooks had a 28-yard field goal in the third period, then Clark Green made it 22-7 with a 2-yard run in the fourth following Fowler's 25-yard interception return.
Fowler picked off Cris Love's pass and returned it 10 yards for the Jayhawks' final TD with 2:01 to go.