K-State Wildcats vs. Missouri Tigers: Five things to know about Big 12/SEC clash
It’s a shame that Kansas State and Missouri ended up with a morning kickoff on SEC Network this weekend.
Believe it or not, the No. 15 Wildcats (2-0) vs. the Tigers (2-0) is one of the best games in all of college football for Week 3.
Look across the national landscape and you won’t find a single game involving a pair of ranked teams. Heck, it’s hard to find many games between a pair of power-conference teams. There are so few juicy matchups on the slate that ESPN decided to send “College Gameday” to Colorado State at Colorado.
K-State is off to a perfect start with wins over Southeast Missouri State and Troy. Mizzou is undefeated with wins over South Dakota and Middle Tennessee State.
On paper, there is plenty to like about this Big 12/SEC nonconference clash.
Here is everything you need to know to start preparing for this week’s game.
The details
Kickoff: 11 a.m. Saturday
Where: Faurot Field, Columbia, Missouri
TV: SEC Network
Radio: KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City and KFH (1240 AM and 97.5 FM) in Wichita
Betting line: Kansas State by 5.5 with an O/U of 45.5
Five things to know
1. Chris Klieman has gone 3-0 in nonconference games against teams from other power leagues for K-State. He clearly knows how to get his players ready for the biggest matchups on the schedule. Since arriving in Manhattan, Klieman has guided the Wildcats to wins over Mississippi State (31-24), Stanford (24-7) and Missouri (40-12). Average margin of victory in those games: 17.3.
2. K-State had to adjust its travel plans for this game. The Wildcats would usually fly straight from Manhattan to Columbia for a game like this, but the MHK regional airport is currently closed as construction crews work on a new runway. That means K-State will bus to Topeka on Friday and then fly from there.
3. These teams don’t like each other. The rivalry between K-State and Mizzou will never compare to the Border War, but the Wildcats and Tigers aren’t exactly the best of pals. Many players on the K-State roster, including senior receiver Phillip Brooks, grew up in Missouri and used to cheer for the Tigers. Now they are motivated to beat them. Eli Drinkwitz seemed to troll K-State QB Avery Johnson on social media last year. The Wildcats rubbed it in on Mizzou with social some social media posts of their own following a 40-12 win last season. Things could get chippy on Saturday.
4. Missouri receiver Luther Burden will be a challenge for K-State. The former five-star recruit is off to an electric start for the Tigers, as he has 15 catches for 213 yards and a touchdowns already this season. K-State limited him to just one catch and nine total yards in their matchup last season. Can the Wildcats contain him again?
5. Sellout crowd expected in Columbia. There should be more than 61,000 fans in attendance at Faurot Field on Saturday. The Tigers announced that they sold out the game last week. It will be their first home sellout since 2019 and their first home sellout for a nonconference game since 2012.
This story was originally published September 11, 2023 at 12:30 PM with the headline "K-State Wildcats vs. Missouri Tigers: Five things to know about Big 12/SEC clash."