K-State at West Virginia

Game 4
Kansas State atWest Virginia
Date: Saturday, October 1, 2016

Kickoff: 2:30 p.m. (CT)

Location: Morgantown, W.Va.

Stadium: Milan Puskar Stadium (60,000)

Series: K-State Leads, 5-1

K-STATE OPENS BIG 12 PLAY AT WEST VIRGINIA
Following a rain-shortened shutout win against Missouri State last weekend, K-State will hit the road and begin Big 12 Conference play on Saturday as the Wildcats face West Virginia at Milan Puskar Stadium. Saturday’s game, which kicks off at 2:30 p.m. (CT), will be televised nationally on ESPNU with Clay Matvik and Dusty Dvoracek calling the action. The contest can also be heard across the K-State Sports Network with Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play), former K-State quarterback Stan Weber (analyst) and Matt Walters (sidelines) on the call, as well as Sirius channel 136, XM channel 199. Live stats are available at k-statesports.com, while Twitter updates via @ kstate_gameday and @KStateFB will all be a part of the coverage.
A LOOK AT K-STATE

Guided by 2015 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Bill Snyder, who is in the midst of his 25th season at the helm of the Wildcats, K-State is looking to build upon a shutout win over Missouri State as it opens Big 12 play.
K-State leads the nation in total defense (179.0 ypg) and has held each of its first three opponents under 275 total yards while yielding just 33 points. The last time K-State held its first three opponents under 300 total yards was in 2007, while the last time a Snyder-led team accomplished the feat was 1998.
Twelve players on defense have recorded five or more tackles, led by Elijah Lee’s 19 and Duke Shelley’s 12.
K-State has held each of its first three opponents to an average of 72.3 yards a game on the ground.
K-State entered the locker room with a 35-0 lead over Missouri State, a week after leading FAU 42-0 at the break. It marked the first time since 2002 the Wildcats tallied at least 35 first-half points in consecutive weeks.
K-State is a perfect 16-of-16 in red zone scores so far this season, and, dating back to last year, the Wildcats have been perfect on its last 41 red-zone attempts, 31 of which resulted in touchdowns.

A LOOK AT WEST VIRGINIA

West Virginia currently boasts one of the top offenses in the Big 12.
Justin Crawford and Rushel Shell III have combined to rush for 436 yards and four touchdowns through three games.
Quarterback Skyler Howard has thrown for 974 yards and six TDs on 74-of-108 aim.
On the receiving end, three players have recorded 10 or more catches led by Daikiel Shorts’ 19 grabs for 246 yards and two scores.

A LOOK AT THE SERIES

Saturday’s contest marks the seventh meeting all-time between the Wildcats and Mountaineers with K-State holding a 5-1 advantage.
It is the fifth Big 12 contest between the two schools as the Cats have won all four meetings, including two in Morgantown.
CONFERENCE CALL
K-State is 10-10 overall in Big 12 openers since the conference’s formation in 1996 and will be out to win its seventh in the last 10 seasons.
The Cats, 9-8 in Big 12 openers under Bill Snyder, will open Big 12 play away from Bill Snyder Family Stadium for the 17th time in the league’s 21st year.
K-State is opening up league play away from home for the fifth-straight season. The last time the Cats began Big 12 play at home was 2011, a 36-35 victory over 17th-ranked Baylor.