No. 17 Kansas State (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) will take on West Virginia (3-3, 2-1) this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on Fox.
According to BetMGM College Football Odds, Kansas State is favored by 3 points.
In their series matchup, Kansas State currently leads with a record of 7-6.
Both teams are vying for position in the competitive landscape of the Big 12 standings. A loss could significantly hinder their chances of securing a berth in the conference championship game.
Kansas State recently achieved a narrow victory over Colorado and seeks to establish its best start in a decade with a win against West Virginia.
Meanwhile, the Mountaineers aim to avoid their third home defeat this season.
This matchup features two of the conference’s standout dual-threat quarterbacks, highlighting the significance of their performances.
In this contest, a key factor will be the confrontation between West Virginia’s defense and Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson.
After a late-game interception led to a shift in momentum against Colorado, Johnson later threw a crucial 50-yard touchdown pass with just over two minutes left, sealing a 31-28 victory for the Wildcats.
Johnson, a sophomore, completed two touchdown throws along with a rushing touchdown but faced considerable pressure, being sacked four times and ending with negative rushing yards—a stark contrast to his earlier average of 64 rushing yards per game.
The West Virginia defense has struggled, allowing the most touchdown passes in the league and giving up an average of 9.1 yards per completion.
When looking at players making an impact, Kansas State’s running back DJ Giddens is a standout, having recorded over 182 rushing yards in his last two games.
He currently ranks fourth nationally with 786 rushing yards and boasts an impressive average of 7.3 yards per carry.
The West Virginia defense has struggled against the run, allowing multiple 100-yard rushing games this season.
On the other side, West Virginia quarterback Garrett Greene faced challenges last week, throwing two interceptions that led to touchdown drives for No. 9 Iowa State, contributing to a frustrating 12-point loss.
Despite this, Greene is recognized as the leading rushing quarterback in the Big 12, with 382 rushing yards to his name.
He will encounter a Kansas State defense that excels in stopping the run but has had lapses, allowing an average of 268 passing yards per game, which ranks as the second-worst in the conference.
Factoring in some statistics, Kansas State has been a strong rushing team, averaging 241 yards per game, while West Virginia averages nearly 211 yards but managed only 148 in their last outing.
West Virginia is on an unfortunate streak, losing their last eight matchups against ranked opponents.
For Kansas State, defensive end Brendan Mott leads the Big 12 with six sacks and shares the second position with 7.5 tackles for loss; he notably recorded two sacks against Colorado, while his team held the Buffaloes to minus-29 rushing yards.
The Mountaineer’s running backs, Jahiem White and CJ Donaldson, together have accumulated 784 rushing yards this season.
Finally, linebacker Josiah Trotter has been acknowledged as the top first-year freshman in the conference at the midpoint of the season.