Two of the Big 12’s best players will be on display in this game, as Skyler Howard and the West Virginia Mountaineers visit Bill Snyder Family Stadium to play Joe Hubener and the Kansas State Wildcats. While this hasn’t been the season it hoped to have, Kansas State (5-6) has shown signs of life lately, winning two of its last three. The game starts at 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec 5 and will air on FS1.
Kansas State won easily over Kansas 45-14 last week. Joe Hubener had a solid outing throwing the ball in the win, completing 10 of 17 passes for 133 yards. He did some damage on the ground, running for 88 yards and two TDs on 17 attempts. Not to be outdone, West Virginia blew out Iowa State 30-6. Shelton Gibson had an outstanding performance for the Mountaineers, registering six receptions for 148 yards and one TD. Skyler Howard also had a big game with 202 yards and a TD through the air.
The Wildcats, a five-point underdog, will be looking to defend their home field when West Virginia comes to town. Oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 60 points.
Heading into Week 14 of the college football season, the Wildcats are 5-6 for both Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last five games, the Wildcats have records of 2-3 for both SU and ATS. A vital part of the game will be whether the Mountaineers can protect their quarterback from Kansas State’s hungry defense. It averages the 17th-most sacks in the nation with 2.8 per game. Mistakes and a lack of focus may be factors that benefit the Wildcats in the game. The Mountaineers are one of the most penalized teams in the nation with 7.2 flags per game.
On the other side, the Mountaineers have 7-4 SU and 5-6 ATS records this season. The Mountaineers went 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS over the last five games. West Virginia has found a lot of success on the ground. Its 241.6 rushing yards per game ranks 12th in Division I. Kansas State will be matching up against a stout Mountaineers defense which has been playing better. They only allowed 18 PPG over their last five matchups, well below their season average of 23.1. The pass defense is a highlight of West Virginia’s defense over those five weeks, only giving up 213.4 yards passing per opponent. The Wildcats will need to secure the ball against the turnover-minded Mountaineers. The defense ranks second in the country in turnovers with 2.6 per game. The Mountaineers could take advantage of Kansas State’s reputation as a slow starter on defense. The Wildcats are 114th in Division I in first-quarter points allowed with 8.8. Expect an up-tempo, fast-paced offense from West Virginia. They rank ninth in the country with an average of 80.4 plays per game.
Predictions: SU Winner – West Virginia, ATS Winner – West Virginia, O/U – Over
Notes
Kansas State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games.
Kansas State is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games.
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Kansas State’s last 9 games.
Kansas State is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home.
Kansas State is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games at home.
West Virginia is 7-0 SU when leading at the half this season. Kansas State is 3-2 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
Remarkably, West Virginia is only 1-4 SU in games where it comes out ahead in the turnover battle, yet undefeated (5-0 SU) when losing the turnover battle.
Over its last five games, the West Virginia defense is averaging 3.0 sacks per game, while the Kansas State defense is averaging 3.0 sacks over its last five. Kansas State is only 1-3 SU this season when allowing at least 3.0 sacks while West Virginia is an even 2-2 SU when giving up at least 3.0 sacks.
The West Virginia rushing attack is ranked 12th in the nation this year, compared to the 56th-ranked run defense of Kansas State.
