Kansas State Wildcats vs. South Dakota Coyotes: Kickoff time, TV, five things to know

Kansas State’s first football game of the season is always an exciting event, but it carries a little more intrigue than usual this year.

The Wildcats will take on the South Dakota Coyotes at 6:10 p.m. Saturday in Bill Snyder Family Stadium, and there should be plenty for fans to watch even though the home team is heavily favored against a FCS opponent.

This is an opportunity for new players and coaches to get acclimated to their surroundings and warm up for a much bigger nonconference game against Mississippi State in Week 2. Alex Delton or Skylar Thompson will start his first season-opener at quarterback, new offensive coordinator Andre Coleman will call his first play and new defensive coordinator Blake Seiler will debut his schemes.

Fans have been asking questions about this team for months. On Saturday, they get their first look at some answers.

The details

Kickoff: 6:10 p.m. Saturday

Where: Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan

TV: ESPN3 (Internet stream)

Radio: 1480 AM in Wichita (KQAM), 610 AM in Kansas City (KCSP)

Five things to know

1. The Coyotes upset a FBS team (Bowling Green) and made the FCS playoffs last season. They aren’t as good as North Dakota State was when the Bison beat K-State in 2013, but this is no cupcake opponent. They are coached by Bob Nielson. South Dakota ranked fourth in points scored by FCS teams last season, but they are replacing their starting quarterback.
2. South Dakota’s Darin Greenfield is one of the best defensive ends at the FCS level. He will provide a good test for K-State’s offensive line.
3. The Wildcats are 23-3 in season-opening games under Bill Snyder. Their only losses: at Stanford (2016), North Dakota State (2013) and Arizona State (1989). Snyder has only started one season with a home loss. So history is on K-State’s side in this one. The Wildcats also beat South Dakota 34-0 in their last meeting in 2014.
4. Most of the focus will be on K-State’s quarterback. Alex Delton and Skylar Thompson have been dead even all offseason, and they are likely to share snaps equally against South Dakota. No way Snyder tips his hand for Mississippi State. Still, how they play in this game will serve as a first step toward winning the starting job long term.
5. Keep an eye on K-State’s Daquan Patton at linebacker. The Wildcats’ coaches have compared him to some quality former players, in terms of athleticism. He sat out last season with a redshirt. This is his public debut. Is he as good as advertised?

This story was originally published August 27, 2018 at 10:49 AM.