Kansas State has found its groove in Big 12 Conference play, but the Wildcats had to work for their latest victory against their oldest rival.

Deuce Vaughn rushed for 162 yards and three touchdowns and added five catches for 60 yards to lead Kansas State to a 35-10 win over Kansas on Saturday in Lawrence, Kansas.

Wildcats' quarterback Skylar Thompson passed for 244 yards and a touchdown for Kansas State (6-3, 3-3 Big 12), which broke in front early and never trailed on the way to a 13th consecutive victory in the Sunflower State series.

The victory was the third in a row for the Wildcats after they snapped an eight-game Big 12 skid that carried over into two seasons. They secure bowl eligibility by piling up 499 total yards and limiting the Jayhawks (1-8, 0-6) to 274 yards.

Kansas starter quarterback Jason Bean and backup Miles Kendrick were both injured in the first quarter, leaving most of the playing time to Jalon Daniels. He responded by completing 13 of 19 passes for 105 yards.

After falling behind 7-0 on Vaughn's 1-yard run, the Jayhawks inched closer after Jacob Borcila booted a 40-yard field goal. Kansas State hit for a big play when Thompson rifled a 68-yard touchdown to Malik Knowles.

Borcila missed a field goal on the next possession and the Jayhawks' defense eventually wore down.

Kansas State got another chunk-play touchdown on the first snap of the second half when Vaughn struck for an 80-yard score. Kansas pulled within 28-10 on a 15-yard scoring grab from Kwamie Lassiter II.

Thompson and backup Will Howard spread the ball to 13 receivers for 21 completions. Knowles finished with a team-high 94 receiving yards.

Despite the loss, Kansas played one of its better games of the inaugural season under coach Lance Leipold.

The Jayhawks did not commit a turnover, were flagged only four times and allowed only one sack. But third-down woes (3 of 13) and two missed chances in the red zone were costly.

--Field Level Media