Five key storylines for Kansas State’s next Big 12 football game against Houston
On paper, Kansas State’s next football game against Houston shouldn’t be much of a challenge for the Wildcats.
The Cougars are off to a 3-4 start and needed a miraculous Hail Mary pass to win their lone conference game against West Virginia.
The Wildcats are off to a 5-2 start and they have won back-to-back games in impressive fashion.
It comes as no surprise that K-State will be favored by 17 points at 11 a.m. on Saturday inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
But none of that means K-State can simply show up and win with ease. This could be a tricky game for the Wildcats because of the mental side.
Some K-State players may get caught looking ahead to a much bigger game against Texas next week and not put their full focus on Houston. One could call this a “trap game” for the home team. The Cougars have also been playing better of late, as they had a chance to upset the Longhorns last week before falling 31-24.
Can they throw another scare into the Wildcats? Or will K-State take care of business?
Here is everything you need to know to start preparing for this week’s game.
Houston at Kansas State: Game details
Kickoff: 11 a.m. Saturday
Where: Bill Snyder Family Stadium
TV: ESPN2
Radio: KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City and KFH (1240 AM and 97.5 FM) in Wichita
Betting line: K-State by 17 with an O/U of 60.5
Five things to know
1. Houston quarterback Donovan Smith is healthy. That is worth a mention here, because K-State hasn’t faced many healthy starting quarterbacks lately. The Wildcats beat UCF, Texas Tech and TCU when all three of those teams were missing their QB1. Oklahoma State is the only Big 12 team that K-State has played with a healthy starting QB, and the Cowboys whipped the Wildcats. In other words, this could be a more challenging matchup for K-State’s defense. Smith is a 6-foot-5 junior who has thrown for 1,979 yards and 16 touchdowns this season.
2. Will Howard could see more playing time this week. Maybe offensive coordinator Collin Klein will continue to split snaps evenly between Avery Johnson and Howard, but an argument can be made for Howard to handle most of the work. The veteran passer threw for 154 yards and three touchdowns last weekend during an easy victory over TCU. Johnson also played well, but he didn’t move the offense as efficiently as Howard. Neither quarterback spoke fondly of the in-and-out rotation last week. Don’t be surprised if the Wildcats favor Howard moving forward.
3. Houston is one of the top passing teams in the country. Dana Holgorsen has his offense throwing for impressive yardage this season. The Cougars are averaging 291 yards per game through the air with Samuel Brown leading the Big 12 in both catches (41) and receiving yards (629) to go along with a pair of touchdowns. Houston will likely try to beat K-State with its passing attack, as K-State has allowed 254.3 passing yards per game this season.
4. K-State has the best rushing attack in the Big 12. The Wildcats surged to the top of the conference in terms of rushing yards following last week’s performance against TCU, in which they ran for a whopping 343 yards. K-State (1,629 yards) snuck past UCF (1,627). Both teams are averaging 5.6 yards per carry. That isn’t good news for a Houston defense that is allowing 159.1 yards per game on the ground.
5. Jayce Brown looks like a difference-maker for K-State. The Wildcats have looked average, at best, at wide receiver this season. Brown could change that moving forward. The freshman playmaker got an opportunity to play meaningful snaps against TCU, and he took advantage by grabbing four passes for 88 yards and a touchdown. He could push for a spot in the starting lineup if he continues to play that well.