West Virginia football will travel to Manhattan to take on Kansas State in Week 11 and here’s everything you need to know.
Kansas State will return home to Manhattan this weekend after back-to-back road games, in search of its sixth win and bowl eligibility for the eighth year in a row. After falling to 3-4 for the first time since 2015 just two weeks ago, the Wildcats have rebounded with wins at Kansas and at Texas Tech, with the latter coming in overtime, in consecutive weeks.
Meanwhile, West Virginia is already set to go bowling, but it’s looking to improve its bowl positioning and its overall record against K-State. The Mountaineers have lost four of the five games they’ve played against the Wildcats since joining the Big 12 in 2012, but they did win a nail-biter between the two programs last year in Morgantown.
Neither team is contention for the reincarnated Big 12 Championship Game at this point, because Oklahoma and TCU have distanced themselves from the field. However, with bowl eligibility on the line for one program and positioning in the Big 12 at stake for both. With that in mind, there’s still plenty of meaning in this contest.
The Mountaineers and the Wildcats will face off at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, and here’s everything you need to know for the game.
Here’s how you can watch Saturday’s West Virginia vs. Kansas State game:
Date: Saturday, Nov. 11
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Manhattan, Kan.
Venue: Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium
TV: ESPN2
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Keys to Victory
West Virginia’s defense has been its clearest shortcoming this season, considering the strong numbers its offense is putting up. WVU is giving up 31.8 points per game in Big 12 competition, a number skewed slightly by an out-of-character performance last week against Iowa State, in which West Virginia allowed just 16 points in a win. The offense will do its part, so the defense must make at least a few stops to secure a win.
Kansas State’s starting quarterback position has been in a state of flux for several weeks, with Jesse Ertz still out injured and Alex Delton’s health in question after being knocked out of each of the last two games. If Delton is unable to go, it will be redshirt freshman Skylar Thompson who gets the start. Thompson is a more adept passer, but Delton’s running ability fits K-State’s current offensive scheme better. Plus, that attack matches up better against West Virginia’s weak run defense. Whoever ends up getting the start for the Wildcats needs to play a complete, efficient game if they hope to score enough points on Saturday.
Betting Odds
All odds via SportsBook Review
Point Spread: Kansas State -2.5
Over/Under: 63
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Prediction
The lack of continuity under center is detrimental for Kansas State. Thompson lacks experience, while Delton’s recent injury issues render him less effective, even against a struggling West Virginia rush defense. On West Virginia’s side, its offense matches up well against the sieve-like pass defense of Kansas State, which is ranked last in passing yards allowed in the Big 12. Meanwhile, Will Grier is throwing for more than 340 yards per game and there are numerous questions for the K-State offense. West Virginia will get the upper hand and pull off the win.
Final Score: West Virginia 45, Kansas State 34