PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB Skylar Thompson does not have the weapons to play catch-up. The sophomore was forced into that situation early in the Oklahoma defeat and responded with just 108 yards passing, going 13-of-21. Thompson led the Kansas State rushers with 54 yards on seven carries, though his work in that phase has to be limited because of an injury to backup QB Alex Delton.
–CB Walter Neil led Kansas State with nine tackles in the loss at Oklahoma, though the mark was reflective of the Wildcats’ problems in pass coverage. Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray averaged 14.7 yards per attempt and only missed on five of 24 attempts against the overmatched Wildcats.
–RB Alex Barnes entered the Oklahoma loss as the leading rusher in the Big 12 but was limited to 28 yards on 13 attempts for a 2.2-yard average. The performance was not completely attributable to Barnes. His offensive linemen had difficulty clearing holes as Oklahoma loaded the box with athletic tacklers.
–WR/KR Isaiah Zuber is considered the Wildcats’ top receiving threat but was held to two catches that generated nine yards each in the Oklahoma loss. Zuber also lost a fumble on a kickoff, a category in which Kansas State usually excels but this year ranks last in the Big 12 with a 17.6-yard average.
SERIES HISTORY: TCU leads Kansas State 6-5. The Wildcats tumbled 26-6 last season when they failed to score points on two trips into the red zone while using QB Alex Delton, who completed just 11-of-29 passes in his first career start. TCU stacked the box to contain Kansas State’s run game.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “I think each player has to do some soul-searching and decide how important it is to them, how much they care, how much they want to compete, whether they want to give up or not.” — Kansas State coach Bill Snyder.