Score Predictions for West Virginia vs No. 16 Kansas State
Schuyler Callihan: West Virginia 24, Kansas State 23
Neal Brown was a bit out of character last week during his postgame press conference and rightfully so. He's ticked off, the defense is ticked off, and Leddie Brown is ticked off after a poor outing in Lubbock. This doesn't seem to bode well for Kansas State.
The Wildcats are playing really good football and went from a team that I had 8th in the preseason Big 12 polls all the way up to No. 2 just behind Oklahoma State. They play clean, sound, mistake-free football, but I don't know that it will matter come Saturday.
West Virginia is in desperation mode following last week's loss and playing at home will give them a slight edge, albeit just 15,000 fans.
Jarret Doege will piece together the biggest drive of the season to give the Mountaineers what will be the game-winning drive in the 4th quarter with roughly four minutes left. West Virginia's defense gets the stop they need and move to 4-2 overall and 3-2 in Big 12 play.
Jonathan Martin: Kansas State 31, West Virginia 27
Last week was a mess. In a game where West Virginia needed to win, they didn't. Fast forward to this week and who knows. The Mountaineers are at home - which is a plus, considering they're 3-0 this season.
Kansas State is a good football team. Can the Mountaineers do enough to pull off the upset? With the receiving corps still struggling they'll need a heavy dose of Leddie Brown. He'll help - but I'm not sure it's going to be enough.
Christopher Hall: West Virginia 17, Kansas State 6
The opening betting line for West Virginia and Kansas State had the Mountaineers as a 5 point favorite but it has dropped down to 3.5.
The Wildcats come in ranked at No. 16 and 4-0 in conference play for the first time since 2013. So, what does Vegas see?
Kansas State ranks near the bottom of the Big 12 in total offense and defense. They also lost their starting quarterback Skylar Thompson and had to start freshman Will Howard.
Yet, they've made up the difference in special teams, averaging 25.8 yards per punt return and also made the most of their red zone opportunities scoring 15 touchdowns in 20 attempts.
I find it hard to believe that a freshman quarterback is going to come into Morgantown against an angry defense looking to prove they are better than the 27 points they gave up last week and win. Along with the fact Vegas is in the business of losing money in what looks like a sucker bet but I believe this will be another grind it out, gritty type of game and the Mountaineers come out on top
Zach Campbell: Kansas State 24, West Virginia 21
Kansas State is in a surprising spot right now: Tops in the Big 12. The Wildcats are 4-0 in league play and ranked 16th nationally and are an absolute conundrum of a football team. Both Skylar Thompson and Will Howard have lined up under center to combine for an underwhelming 1,192 yards and seven TD’s. It’s been ugly, defensive-led football. And it’s working.
At least on one side of the ball, West Virginia is getting it done. The Mountaineers defense still ranks at the top of the nation and it’s full of budding stars. Offensively, though, it’s not a great scene. Neal Brown, Gerad Parker and the rest of the staff need to come up with answers quick to remedy a sputtering, stalling attack which lacks big plays but makes mistakes in spades.
Kansas State’s simply found ways to out-tough bigger, faster opponents this year and, unlike West Virginia, has capitalized off its opponent’s mistakes. It might be a home game for West Virginia, but the more disciplined team wins Saturday’s contest and, right now- that ain’t the Mountaineers.
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