K-State Wildcats vs. WVU Mountaineers: Kickoff, TV, line, five things to know
The Kansas State Wildcats will face the West Virginia Mountaineers in a Big 12 football game on Saturday.
K-State (6-3, 3-3 Big 12) is looking to improve its bowl stock coming off a loss against Texas, while West Virginia (3-6, 1-5) is trying to finish a disappointing season on a positive note.
Here is everything you need to know to prepare for Saturday’s game:
The details
Kickoff: 2:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan
TV: ESPN
Radio: KKGQ (92.3 FM) in Wichita, KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City.
The line: K-State by 15
Five things to know
1. First-year coaches: Chris Klieman and Neal Brown are both new to the Big 12. K-State hired Klieman following a strong run at North Dakota State. West Virginia hired Brown from Troy. K-State athletic director Gene Taylor liked both candidates during the last hiring cycle, and Brown finished runner-up for the Wildcats job. That could add some intrigue to their first head-to-meeting now that Brown is in Morgantown.
2. Running low: K-State is at its best on offense when it can run the ball. The Wildcats had all kinds of problems doing that last week, finishing with 51 yards on 26 attempts during a 27-24 loss at Texas. They will look to re-establish the run this week against the Mountaineers.
3. Big favorite: The Wildcats are favored by double digits for the first time since their second game of the season against Bowling Green. They opened as 12-point favorites, but that number jumped to 15 by Monday morning. For good reason. This should be the Wildcats’ easiest remaining game. K-State has won three of its past four, while West Virginia has lost five in a row.
4. Transfer quarterback: Austin Kendall has settled in as West Virginia’s starting quarterback since transferring from Oklahoma during the offseason. He has produced some big games, including a 355-yard effort last week during a 38-17 loss to Texas Tech. He has thrown for 1,989 yards and 12 touchdowns this season. But he is a tad turnover-prone, having thrown 10 interceptions.
5. Sack master: K-State’s offensive line will have its hands full against West Virginia defensive tackle Darius Stills. The 6-foot-2, 291-pound junior leads the Mountaineers with seven sacks and 12 tackles for loss this season.
This story was originally published November 11, 2019 at 12:00 PM with the headline "K-State Wildcats vs. WVU Mountaineers: Kickoff, TV, line, five things to know."