College football players hardly have time to spend time with their families during the season and when the opportunity presents it self, it can be much needed.

This past weekend was the Kansas State Wildcats second and final bye week of the season and Head coach Bill Snyder decided to give his players the weekend off.

“They have been going virtually every day for whatever that period of time is, two and a half months since the first of August,” Snyder said Tuesday. “The last time we had the off week, we gave them a day off early in the week and a day off late in the week.”

He explained that because the team has a ballgame over the Thanksgiving weekend and they won’t be able to make it home, “This gave them a chance to.”

The team practiced last Friday and were then released until they had to return for treatments on Sunday.

Dante Barnett, Sophomore Defensive Back, said that it was nice to go back home to Tulsa, Oklahoma and spend time with family,”It was a great feeling. Anytime I can go home during a season it’s like wow, I’m going to use the most of this opportunity.”

Not all of the players were able to make it back home including Freshman Full Back, Glenn Gronkowski. He said that he spent Saturday relaxing and watching football.”We had every single game on of our opponents for the next six games, they were all on t.v. this week.”

The Wildcats will be looking for their first conference win of the season Saturday against West Virginia.

The Mountaineers are 3-4 overall and 1-3 in Big XII play. Their only conference win was over Oklahoma State in Week five. They have dropped their last two to Baylor and Texas Tech.

Snyder was asked Tuesday if he see’s any differences in West Virginia from last year to this year. “I do not see a substantial amount of differences. They do not have the Tavon Austin youngster quite obviously, or Geno Smith, but the other young guys play well.”

“I think they have good schemes on both sides of the ball, I just think they are trying to get new guys and young guys that have not worked together to fit into the system.”

On West Virginia’s defense he said that they are still trying to latch onto who they really are, as much as anything. He did say that they are a good pursuit team,” They will get nine, 10, 11 guys around the ball. Every snap they do an awful lot of things.”

Saturdays match up will also feature K-State’s 150th birthday celebration and annual homecoming festivities. Kickoff is slated for 2:45 p.m. at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.