K-State Wildcats vs. Texas Longhorns: Five things to know about regular-season finale
The regular season will come to an end for both Kansas State and Texas when they meet at 11 a.m. on Friday at Royal Memorial Stadium.
The Wildcats (7-4, 4-4 Big 12) will move on to a bowl game win or lose, but the Longhorns (4-7, 2-6) will have to wait until next year to play again.
K-State is coming off a 20-10 loss to Baylor. Texas has lost six straight games, most recently a 31-23 defeat at West Virginia.
Here is everything else you need to know to start preparing for the game.
The details
Kickoff: 11 a.m. Friday
Where: Royal Memorial Stadium, Austin, Texas
TV: Fox
Radio: KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City and KKGQ (92.3 FM) in Wichita
Line: Texas by 2
Five things to know
1. It is unclear who will play quarterback for Kansas State. Odds are against Skylar Thompson playing on Friday as he recovers from an injury to his left ankle, but Chris Klieman says he has an “outside shot” of playing in this game. If he can’t go, Will Howard will start in his place and Jaren Lewis will serve as the backup. Klieman has limited both players to four games this season in hopes of maintaining their redshirt status, but both are now preparing like they will play against the Longhorns. Howard seems like the smart choice, as he has started nine games for K-State over the past two seasons. He played well during a victory over Nevada in September while filling in for Thompson.
2. Texas is also dealing with QB injuries. The Longhorns might not have their usual starting quarterback in this game, either. Both Hudson Card and Casey Thompson suffered injuries against West Virginia and are considered questionable to play against the Wildcats. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday that Thompson would start if the game was tomorrow. Both have started games this season. If for some reason neither quarterback is healthy enough to play on Friday then former walk-on Ben Ballard would likely command the offense.
3. The Longhorns are reeling. It’s been a season to forget for Sarkisian. Texas has been in a free fall since starting the season 4-1. The Longhorns have lost six consecutive games to clinch a losing record. That is a big change in Austin, where Tom Herman guided Texas to a 54-22 record and four bowl victories before he was fired. The Longhorns won’t have much to play for other than pride in this game. It will be interesting to see how hard they play on their senior day.
4. Deuce Vaughn will be playing close to home. K-State’s star running back grew up about 30 minutes north of Texas’ campus with his family in Round Rock. That makes this a special game for him. He will have a large number of family and friends in attendance for his first college game in Austin. Vaughn is having a terrific season for the Wildcats, as he has rushed for 1,115 yards and 14 touchdowns while also grabbing 45 passes for 464 yards and three touchdowns.
5. A win will boost K-State’s bowl stock. The Wildcats are competing with Iowa State and Texas Tech for bowl position as the season comes to an end. K-State could improve its chances of earning an invitation to the Cheez-It Bowl in Orlando, Florida. with a win over the Longhorns. A loss would probably leave K-State destined for the Texas Bowl in Houston, the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee, or the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in Phoenix.
This story was originally published November 22, 2021 at 9:15 AM with the headline "K-State Wildcats vs. Texas Longhorns: Five things to know about regular-season finale."