Pick and preview: Kansas State at Iowa State

KSO will look at a handful of categories each week when previewing the Kansas State game on Saturday. We discuss factors to keep in mind for the Wildcats, what K-State needs to learn, the players to watch and a final prediction.

FOUR FACTORS FOR KANSAS STATE

1. Stop the run: Sure, Iowa State doesn’t run the ball well for the most part this year and has relied on the passing game with weapons like quarterback Rocco Becht and receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. But for the first time this season a team kind of ran it on Kansas State last week. And if the Cyclones can, they’re probably doing whatever they want against the Wildcats.
2. Explosives: Bring out the dynamite! Okay, just kidding. If there is one decisive advantage for Iowa State, it is that they find the big play offensively and K-State has a knack for giving them up. Yikes! Try to prevent it if you’re the Wildcats.
3. Line of scrimmage: It seems like a typical Kansas State at Iowa State game to me. The most physical team wins. The best team at the line of scrimmage wins. The Wildcats have to run it well and not just with Avery Johnson.
4. Clean: K-State has been far from clean in just about every game this year. We have seen critical turnovers, costly miscues with the field goal unit or just ill-timed penalties. Being smarter and cleaner than the Cyclones could go a long way in what should be a one-score game, in my opinion.

WHAT THE WILDCATS NEED TO LEARN

1. Never: Iowa State has never won 10 games in a season. Kansas State can help keep that streak alive.
2. Spirited/inspired: I’m not too worried about it since K-State played engaged against Cincinnati, but they may soon find out before the game that they aren’t playing for a potential Big 12 title berth. There’s a reason why Chris Klieman felt like all games with implications should be played at the same time. If they are out of it, do they still show up with the right mentality?

SATURDAY K-STATE STARS

Offensive line: We know the Cyclones struggle to stop the quarterback run game. But the Kansas State offensive line can be the real MVP if they find a way to run the ball when Iowa State makes the adjustment to take Avery away.
Brendan Mott: He is from Iowa. It’s his last regular season game in a K-State uniform. Rushing the passer is the way for K-State to defend the pass. I hate the matchup for the Wildcats when their secondary goes up against the Iowa State wideouts, anyways. Can Brendan Mott and the rest of the unit heat Becht up and take him to the ground?
Field goal unit: Field goals don’t win games, says Chris Klieman. Generally, he’s right. But this could be the exception. It’s a low-scoring affair, in my opinion, especially with the game pressure the Cyclones will face in Jack Trice Stadium. I’m not worried about Chris Tennant or I just would have mentioned him. Can they also snap it and hold it well?

PREDICTION

I feel like this will be more reminiscent of 2022 than 2023. And unfortunately, I do not mean by the winner. I just mean by how the game is played. It wouldn’t shock me if Iowa State played tight given the stakes for them, but they have the advantage in explosiveness and one big play can make all the difference.
Iowa State 17, Kansas State 16