Our 2013 NCAA Football schedule continues Saturday as Kansas State hosts Oklahoma. We’ll have complete coverage beginning at 11:30 AM Eastern on our WestwoodOne affiliates coast-to-coast and streaming live right here on WestwoodOneSports.com!
To get you ready for the game, our analyst Chris Doering, who will call the game, filed this preview:
Oklahoma Scouting Report:
The Sooners are coming off a huge win over Iowa State in which they rolled up 405 yards rushing, which is the most in the Bob Stoops era at Oklahoma. But there are problems on the horizon for Oklahoma, who will most likely be without quarterback Blake Bell (after he suffered a concussion in last week’s game) and at least two other offensive starters who have been suspended for this game. RB Damien Williams and WR LaColton Bester have reportedly been suspended and that number could grow to include up to three other Sooners players. Factor this in with all of the earlier injuries this season on defense and OU travels to the Little Apple with a team that is far less than 100 percent. The good news for Sooners fans is that Bob Stoops is 4-0 at K-State, with all four victories coming by double digits.
Kansas State Scouting Report:
After a disappointing start to the season, K-State has quietly won four in a row including a last second win over TCU. The Wildcats are playing with a lot of confidence and have nothing to be ashamed of about their 6-4 record with their four losses coming to teams with a combined 28-2 record. That hot streak has been due in part to a defensive resurgence that has been opportunistic, forcing 11 turnovers in the four wins, and stingy against the run, limiting those four opponents to an average of 108 yards rushing per game. Meanwhile, the offense has been solid in late-game situations during that four game run, outscoring their opposition 62-17 in the fourth quarter.
Oklahoma wins if…
The Sooners are second in the Big 12 in rushing with an average of 236 yards per game. When Oklahoma is able to rush for 200 yards or more in a game they are 36-1 under Bob Stoops, including a 7-0 mark this season. After a slow start last week, the Sooners got an offensive jolt when redshirt freshman QB Trevor Knight entered the ballgame and amassed nearly 500 yards of offense in the final three quarters with the majority of that production coming on the ground. If OU can impose their will up front on the line of scrimmage, they should be able to run the football well enough to get to that magical 200-yard mark even without Damien Williams in the lineup.
Kansas State wins if…
The Wildcat defense is going to have to stop the read option attack of the Sooners’ offense. Trevor Knight is a very one-dimensional quarterback right now. He excels running the zone read and called runs which helped him rush for 123 yards last week against Iowa State. But Knight’s passing skills leave something to be desired, with him completing less than 50 percent of his passes and throwing three picks versus only four TDs. The Wildcats must find a way to win on first and second downs and force Knight into passing situations, where he is more likely to turn the ball over. During the four-game win streak, K-State is plus-six in the turnover margin and can likely improve upon that this week by forcing Knight to throw.
– Chris Doering