K-State Wildcats vs. Baylor Bears: Prediction, game preview, time, line, TV
THE DETAILS
Kickoff: 6 p.m. Saturday
Where: McLane Stadium, Waco, Texas
TV: ESPN2
Radio: KKGQ (92.3 FM) in Wichita, KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City
The line: Baylor by 5
PREDICTION
If the Wildcats are going to get back to their winning ways before the regular season comes to an end, the time is now.
This is a game K-State can win, even if Baylor is favored by five.
It’s been a difficult season for new coach Dave Aranda at Baylor. The former LSU defensive coordinator was unable to spend much time with the Bears during the spring because of the coronavirus pandemic. Baylor couldn’t play its lone nonconference game because of COVID-19 issues and had to postpone one of its conference games against Oklahoma State.
Both teams will also enter Saturday without any kind of momentum. The Bears have lost five straight since beginning the season with a home victory over Kansas. K-State has lost three straight games since opening Big 12 play with four straight victories.
Starting fast and playing with a lead will be important for both teams, as it will be difficult for either team to find enough confidence to shrug off an early deficit and mount a comeback.
It’s difficult to predict which team will respond better under those circumstances. On one hand, Baylor has been playing better than K-State of late, losing competitive games instead of blowouts. But the matchup might favor the Wildcats.
Baylor ranks near the bottom of the Big 12 in rushing defense, allowing 170.9 yards per game, which is good news for a K-State offense that would much rather run the ball with Deuce Vaughn and Harry Trotter than throw the ball with Will Howard or Nick Ast.
The Bears also rank at the bottom of the Big 12 in rushing offense, averaging 107.8 yards per game. That’s even better news for a K-State defense that has been abused on the ground in recent weeks by Breece Hall and Leddie Brown.
If K-State can avoid big mistakes on offense and keep this game close in the fourth quarter, it should find a way to win a toss-up contest on the road.
Kansas State 27, Baylor 24.