OSU Football: Kansas State Preview

No. 18 Oklahoma State looks to keep its winning streak alive when the Cowboys go to Kansas State on Saturday for a 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff at Bill Snyder Family Memorial Stadium.

The Cowboys (6-2, 4-1) are coming off their best win of the season, a 37-20 home victory against top-10 West Virginia. Mason Rudolph threw three touchdowns and the defense locked in and held the Mountaineers to 212 passing yards while grabbing three turnovers in the process.

The dominating win put Oklahoma State alone at second in the Big 12.

Kansas State (5-3, 3-2) has been up-and-down this season but Bill Snyder’s Wildcats boast the fifth-best rushing defense in the country, an area Oklahoma State has tried to spotlight with mixed results. Setting the tone on the ground would put the Cowboys at a big advantage given K-State’s mediocre pass defense.

The Wildcats have won two-straight, though they nearly blew a 21-point fourth quarter lead against Iowa State a week ago. Quarterback Jesse Ertz threw for 151 yards and a touchdown and ran for 106. He hasn’t passed for more than 200 yards since the season opener against Stanford and has only thrown for seven touchdowns on the year. He’s rushed for a team-high 477 yards and six touchdowns.

Oklahoma State Player to Watch – Linebacker Chad Whitener will have his hands full with the K-State ground attack. He’ll also have to watch for Ertz on QB keepers and draws.

Kansas State Player to Watch – Watch out for defensive end Jordan Willis. The senior leads the Big 12 in sacks with 8.0 this season.

Prediction – Oklahoma State wins 31-17