PLAYERS TO WATCH
–WR/PR Isaiah Zuber established himself during nonconference play as Kansas State’s most dangerous threat to bust a big play. He added seven receptions for 144 yards in the Sept. 15 romp over UTSA and also had a 39-yard punt return. Zuber has quickly become the return man opponents will look to kick away from, though he could influence field position by causing a shanked punt.
–QB Skylar Thompson possessed the most upside in the quarterback duel he waged with Alex Delton. Thompson is the more accomplished passer (208.3 rating against UTSA) and capable of seeing the field better as the taller quarterback. The question is how much Thompson will be exposed as a rusher. Against UTSA he scored untouched on a 27-yard keeper after executing a fake to RB Alex Barnes.
–WR Dalton Schoen scored on a 42-yard reception against UTSA. His five career touchdowns have averaged 45.8 yards in length and four of the five exceeded 20 yards. Although he does not possess great speed, Schoen possesses deceptive moves that make him escape defenders for big gains with a tendency to lull those defenders into biting on the run. His career average per reception is 20.7 yards.
–PK Blake Lynch connected from 33 and 42 yards and continues to impress as a 5-foot-4 walk-on who won the kicking job during fall camp. Lynch’s seven field goals is the most during a three-game stretch to begin a Kansas State season since 2015. Lynch is 7-of-8 on field goals. His longest was from 44 yards and he missed his only attempt from 50-plus yards.
SERIES HISTORY: Kansas State leads West Virginia 5-3. The Wildcats won the first four meetings after the Mountaineers joined the Big 12. West Virginia bounced back with a two-game streak it carries into the matchup, including a 28-23 victory last year in which QB Will Grier passed for 373 yards and four touchdowns. In that game, the only second half score was a field goal by the Wildcats early in the fourth quarter.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “We have to tackle better, number one. It is pretty simple to say but it is a hard thing to do. We are not tackling like we are capable of. We got soft up (front) several times where (UTSA) pushed the pile. Their offensive linemen did a nice job of pushing the pile and getting an extra eight to nine yards that you cannot afford to give up.” — Kansas State coach Bill Snyder.