Farmageddon game between K-State, Iowa State continues to grow as football rivalry
Landry Weber was a fan of the Kansas State football team long before he began playing for the Wildcats, so he knows better than most which teams are considered rivals by EMAW nation.
Kansas is the biggest rival. Always has been. That’s not going to change. But what about a second or third rival?
There was a time when K-State fans put Nebraska in that territory. Hatred has also varied over the years with Colorado and Missouri. This year, you could even make a case for Oklahoma and Texas.
But Weber doesn’t need much time to identify K-State’s current biggest rival outside of the Jayhawks.
“I think I would put (Iowa State) at two right behind KU,” Weber said. “It’s a big game and one we get excited for. As a K-State fan, it’s definitely one that you want to win.”
Few will disagree with Weber. The K-State/Iowa State rivalry has grown in recent years to the point where it is one of the biggest football games of the season for both teams. The word “Farmageddon” has become much more than just a humorous nickname.
The Cyclones and Wildcats compete at just about anything these days. Iowa State took advantage of K-State’s COVID-weakened roster and won going away 45-0 last year, but this series is usually filled with close games. Between 2014 and 2019, they played six games that were decided by a grand total of 27 points.
Skylar Thompson beat Iowa State with a touchdown pass on the final play in 2017. Brock Purdy engineered a fourth-quarter comeback against K-State in 2018.
It should come as no surprise that these teams have split their past four meetings. K-State players took it personally when they lost big last year.
“The cool thing about is we have two very similar programs that seem to be built on the same values and the same cultures,” K-State center Noah Johnson said. “We both have players who were under recruited, undervalued guys who come in and put in the work and it shows on Saturday.”
“You’ve got two programs in the Midwest, same type of ethos, same type of communities. It’s really cool. I don’t know how many other rivalries are based around farming. It’s just a unique thing. A night game between two really good teams who both need a win at this point in time, what more could you ask for?”
Fans on both sides of the rivalry have begun hurling more insults at Ames and Manhattan in recent years. Coaches are starting to recruit against each other for many of the same players, too. K-State coach Chris Klieman is from Iowa and likes to recruit in his home state. Iowa State coach Matt Campbell struck gold when he landed running back Breece Hall out of Wichita and has been going back to the Sunflower State for prospects ever since.
KU and K-State are rivals based on history and proximity. Iowa State and K-State are rivals based on competition.
But they also respect each other.
Thompson says he became friends with Purdy while they both volunteered at the Manning Passing Academy earlier this year. Thompson is also pals with Hall, who reached out to check on him while he was injured last season.
It’s not like that with most other teams on the schedule.
“They’re good people and they’re a good program,” Thompson said. “We understand that it’s going to be a very hard-fought football game. That’s what you want. Those are always the most fun games. It’s a high competitive atmosphere and we know our fans are going to be loud and going crazy.”
This story was originally published October 13, 2021 at 2:13 PM with the headline "Farmageddon game between K-State, Iowa State continues to grow as football rivalry."