Oklahoma State Football: 10 Things You Need To Know About Kansas State

The Oklahoma State Cowboys are at their peak so far this season after last week’s 35-point drubbing of Baylor that was actually not as close as it appeared.

The Cowboys, known for their high-octane offense, showed off their defensive skills last week, particularly their ability to create turnovers and get crucial red-zone and third-down stops. They’ll need those skills this week if they want to beat a very solid Kansas State team.

As a fan, here are 10 things you need to know about this Kansas State team.

They Can Run the Ball

It’s just the plain truth. It’s what they do.

Kansas State can claim something that few teams can in today’s era of high-octane passing offenses. The Wildcats are on pace to have two 1,000-yard rushers this season in quarterback Collin Klein and halfback John Hubert.

This team runs the read option better than anyone, and that’s what makes them so dangerous on the ground. Klein has twice as many touchdowns on the ground as he does through the air.

Klein and Hubert averaged a combined 187 yards on the ground per game. The Cowboys must stop that potent two-headed monster if they want to win this game.

They Don’t Make Mistakes

So far, Kansas State has gone 4-1 in five conference games this season. In those five games, they’ve committed merely three turnovers.

Oklahoma State has forced more turnovers in single halves than Kansas State has given up in five games.The Cowboys’ turnover-forcing defense against the Wildcats' turnover-stingy offense will be one of the best matchups in the game.

Kansas State also has committed the second-fewest penalties in all of the Big 12 all season.

Their Coach Is Old (and That’s a Good Thing)

Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder is 72 years old, making him the second-oldest head coach behind Penn State’s Joe Paterno.

He’s also never been a college head coach anywhere but Kansas State. He coached there for 16 years, retired after the 2005 season and came back for the 2009 season.

His first tenure was the most successful rebuilding project in college football history and his second already looks promising considering that Kansas State is ranked in just year three.

His experience makes this team play better and more disciplined.

They Play Solid Defense

Kansas State is built on the strong running game mentioned in a previous slide and solid defense. They are third in the Big 12 in opponents’ third-down conversions, giving up just 35.6 percent of their opponents' third downs.

They also rank third in the Big 12 in total defense and have a standout defensive back in junior Nigel Malone, who leads the conference with six interceptions.

Oklahoma State’s offense will need to be tip-top to score this Saturday.

They Don’t Want To Pass the Ball (or for You To Do So)

Kansas State is a poor 113th in passing offense and are ninth in passing efficiency in the Big 12. In a league of high-flying offenses, Kansas State is old-school and it isn’t always a good thing.

However, they also would prefer that their opponents didn’t pass, considering they are eighth in the conference in pass defense. The Wildcats give up 278 yards per game to their opponents through the air.

If Oklahoma State can force Kansas State to pass and get their own passing game going, this game will be considerably easier for the Cowboys.

They Can’t Keep Up

Kansas State is not a team that is going to outscore people. They are built on defense and running the ball. They score 31.4 points per game, which puts them near the bottom of the Big 12.

It’s tough being a balanced team in an offensive conference. Kansas State will have to put up more than 31 points to compete with Oklahoma State.

It Won’t Be Easy To Run on Them

Kansas State may not be so hot at defending the pass, but they help mask that deficiency by being top-notch at stopping the run.

The Wildcats are first in the Big 12 in rushing defense, allowing opponents just 103.2 yards per game and just 3.6 yards per rush.

Oklahoma State has a running back in Joseph Randle that has over 800 yards and 16 touchdowns rushing the football this season. He’ll need to step up this weekend against the boys from Manhattan.

They Don’t Like Sharing

In a conference where time of possession would seem to be irrelevant, Kansas State has given the stat a reason to live again.

The Wildcats possess the ball 34:28 per game, the second-best in the Big 12 behind Texas (who probably doesn’t mean to hold it that long anyway).

Their powerful running game is what accomplishes this, and they use it to keep powerful offenses on the sidelines. They’ll really need it this week.

They Make Up for What They Lack

The truth is that Kansas State is not very talented. They are probably one of the most un-athletic teams in the Big 12. Yet, they are the third-best team right now in the conference.

Why? Because they make up for those natural deficiencies by playing hard, sound football. They execute their game plan fully to the end. This connects back to them being extremely well coached by a guy like Bill Snyder.

But sometimes playing sound football isn't enough to win.

They Will Lose to Oklahoma State

Despite all the compliments I just gave them, Kansas State is just not good enough to beat Oklahoma State in Stillwater.

The Cowboys are too athletic on both sides of the ball and are one of the few teams in the Big 12 that can match the discipline and enthusiasm of the Wildcat players.

Kansas State may keep it fairly close, but they won’t win.