Coming off a dominant 58-28 win over UTEP in the final non-conference game of the season, 22nd-ranked Kansas State will return to Big 12 play when it welcomes the Texas Tech Red Raiders to Bill Snyder Family
Stadium Saturday evening. The game, which will kick at 6 p.m., will be televised nationally by ESPNU with Clay Matvick (play-by-play), Anthony Becht (analyst) and Cara Capuano (sidelines) on the call. Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play), Stan Weber (analyst) and Matt Walters (sideline) will call the action on the K-State Sports Network.
A LOOK AT THE GAME
• Texas Tech leads the all-time series, 8-6.
• K-State has won the last three meetings in the series and is 3-2 all-time at home versus Tech.
• Bill Snyder is 6-4 against Tech including a 3-1 mark in games in Manhattan.
• Since the start of Big 12 play, K-State is 6-5 against the Red Raiders.
A LOOK AT K-STATE
• K-State held UTEP to just 30 yards of total offense in the first half and 59 total rushing yards on the day – the Miners were averaging 314 rushing yards/game entering contest.
• The 59 yards rushing by UTEP were the fewest surrendered by the Cats since holding Miami to 40 yards in 2012.
• The Wildcat defense has been stout against the run, holding Auburn and UTEP to an average of 93.5 yards – both teams entered games averaging more than 300 yards.
• The Cats are ranked 13th nationally in rush defense after limiting the last two opponents to a combined 2.4 yds/att.
• K-State also checks in at No. 18 in total defense, yielding 308.0 total yards per game.
• In terms of penalties, the Cats rank ninth nationally in penalty yards with a total of 147 so far in 2014.
A LOOK AT TEXAS TECH
• Texas Tech is coming off a 45-35 loss at No. 24 Oklahoma State last Thursday night.
• The Red Raiders boast one of the nation’s top air attacks, averaging 344.0 yards per game.
• Quarterback Davis Webb ranks eighth nationally in passing yards per game with his 339.0 average.
• Wide receiver Bradley Marquez has hauled in six touchdown receptions to rank second nationally and tops in the Big 12 Conference.
IN A STADIUM THAT BEARS HIS NAME
• Head coach Bill Snyder is one of only four coaches – and the only active coach – to lead his team into battle in a stadium that bears his name.
• Other coaches to have coached in a stadium named after them are Bear Bryant (Alabama), LaVell Edwards (BYU) and Ralph Jordan (Auburn).
• Snyder’s teams have gone 102-22-1 (.822) at home since 1993 and are 30-8 (.789) since the stadium has been renamed in his honor.
SNYDER IN OCTOBER
• Fast starts propelled the Wildcats to winning seasons throughout the Bill Snyder’s era at K-State. The Wildcats’ success in the month of September under Snyder is well-documented and K-State has also been a solid team in October under Snyder.
• Since the inception of the Big 12 Conference, K-State is 37-26 (.581) in October under the legendary head coach.
HOME SWEET HOME
• Since 1990, K-State holds a 131-31-1 (.807) record when playing at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
• That record includes a 66-5 (.930) mark in non-conference games and a 65-26-1 (.712) record in league games.
BIG 12 HOME SUCCESS
• Kansas State has 21 Big 12 victories since the beginning of 2011, which ranks second in the conference.
• That total includes 11 home conference victories in 14 tries.
• Since Bill Snyder’s return in 2009, the Wildcats have had no more than two home conference losses in a year.
SNYDER AMONG BEST EVER
• Head coach Bill Snyder enters Saturday’s game with 181 career victories, which are 142 more than any other coach in program history.
• Snyder ranks second in the FBS in wins among active coaches at their current schools, fifth in total victories among active coaches and 37th all-time in wins.
• Last season, Snyder became the 46th coach all-time with 175 wins but just the 11th to do so at one school.
• The 2013 victory at Texas Tech gave Snyder his 175th all-time win which was also his 100th Big 8/12 win.
• Snyder is just the second coach with 100 Big 8/12 victories, joining Nebraska’s Tom Osborne (153) and Oklahoma’s Barry Switzer (100).
FROM WALK-ON TO STARTER
• Of Kansas State’s five regular captains for the 2014 season, three – offensive lineman B.J. Finney, defensive end Ryan Mueller and linebacker Jonathan Truman – are former walk-ons.
• When adding in special teams captain Weston Hiebert, K-State has four of six captains that were not on aid at the beginning of their careers.
• K-State had seven former walk-ons make starts in 2013.
• Below is a look at former walk-ons who are currently on the roster and have made starts during their careers.
• Eight of the nine players listed below have started at their respective positions so far this season.
RECORD ATTENDANCE
• K-State is riding a streak of 16-consecutive sellouts at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, a figure that is anticipated to reach 20 following the 2014 season.
• Each of the last six home openers since Bill Snyder’s return have been sellouts with an average of 51,381 fans.
• Last season’s opener drew 53,351 fans, which was the second-largest crowd in stadium history.
• The 2014 home opener drew 52,380 fans, which was the eighth-largest crowd in school history.
• Eight of the largest 11 crowds in stadium history came last season as every game drew at least 52,542 fans.
• Eleven of the largest 14 crowds in stadium history have come in the last two seasons.
• The crowd of 53,046 for the game against No. 5 Auburn was the fifth-largest in school history.
CATS CONTINUE CONSECUTIVE SCORING STREAK
• K-State has tallied points in 220 consecutive games dating back to the 1996 season.
• The streak is the second-longest in the Big 12, the 10th longest active streak and the 21st longest all-time.
• The scoring streak has endured 143 conference games, 79 true road games and 19 neutral-site contests.
DRAWING FIRST BLOOD
• Since 1990, K-State is 149-27 (.847) when scoring first.
• Last year, the Cats held a 7-0 mark when scoring first, including in five of the final seven games.
• K-State has scored first in three of its first four games this season and won those three games.
HALFWAY HOME
• Since 1990, the Cats have protected a halftime lead in 167 of its 172 (.971) games when leading at the half.
• The Wildcats were perfect in all seven games they went to the locker room with the lead in 2013.
• Kansas State has won 41 straight games when leading at the half, which is currently the third-longest active streak in the country.
CLEAN IT UP
• K-State currently ranks first in the Big 12 and ninth nationally in fewest penalties, averaging 36.8 penalty yards per game.
• The Cats have committed just 19 total penalties in four games, including zero against No. 5 Auburn.
CATS TRY TO REVERSE TURNOVER TREND AGAIN
• Two years after holding a plus-19 margin in turnover differential, Kansas State is looking to battle back to even for a second-straight season.
• Last season, Kansas State was minus-9 in the turnover battle through six games but went plus-9 the rest of the way to end the year even.
• Through four games of 2014, the Wildcats are minus-2 in turnovers, taking away three (one fumble, two interceptions), but giving away five (two fumbles, three interceptions).
RED ZONE ALERT
• Kansas State has been successful on 14-of-17 red zone chances this season, including a streak of 12 straight to open the season.
• The Wildcats were one of 15 teams nationally to be perfect on 10 or more attempts through week three before going 2-of-5 in the red zone against Auburn.
• Dating back to 2011, the Wildcats have scored 179 times in their last 202 trips (.885) to the red zone. Of the 179 scores since 2011, 137 have been touchdowns.
• In their last 24 wins dating back to 2011, the Cats are 113-for-132 in red zone chances with 87 touchdowns, while five of their non-scoring trips coming via a kneel down at the end of the game.
THIRD-DOWN SUCCESS
• Kansas State has been successful on 14-of-17 red zone chances this season, including a streak of 12 straight to open the season.
• The Wildcats were one of 15 teams nationally to be perfect on 10 or more attempts through week three before going 2-of-5 in the red zone against Auburn.