Kansas State University Athletics
Saturday, November 24
Ames, Iowa
6 p.m.
Kansas State University
at
Iowa State
Wildcats Head to Ames with Bowl Eligibility on the Line
Nov 19, 2018 | Football
Following an impressive 21-6 home win over Texas Tech in a game that saw the Wildcats hold the Red Raiders to no touchdowns and just 181 total yards, Kansas State will wrap up the season Saturday in a primetime game at Iowa State with bowl eligibility at stake. The game will kick off at 6 p.m., and be shown nationally on FS1 with Kevin Fitzgerald (play-by-play) and Eric Wood (analyst) on the call. The game can be heard across the 39-station K-State Sports Network with Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play), former K-State quarterback Stan Weber (analyst) and Matt Walters (sidelines) calling the action, in addition to Sirius Channel 108, XM Channel 384 and the TuneIn app.
A LOOK AT K-STATE
• K-State held Texas Tech to just six points, 31 yards rushing and 181 total yards last week after the Red Raiders entered the contest averaging 41.8 points, 529.4 total yards and 146.0 rushing yards.
• The last time the Red Raiders were held to less than 200 yards of total offense was against Texas in 2010.
• It was also the fewest yards K-State allowed to Texas Tech since 1997 when it produced only 117 yards.
• The yardage total was the fewest K-State allowed to a Big 12 opponent since holding Iowa State to 140 yards in 2003.
• The Cats also had an impressive performance against an Oklahoma State team that was averaging 523.3 yards and 44.0 points per game entering the contest. K-State held the Cowboys to 311 yards and just 12 points.
• Junior linebacker Da'Quan Patton (63) and senior safety Eli Walker (62) lead the team in tackles, while Reggie Walker has a team-best 7.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss.
• The Wildcats have leaned heavily on their running game over the last six contests, averaging 202.5 yards and totaling 14 touchdowns on the ground.
• The running game is solidified by Alex Barnes, who leads the Big 12 and ranks 11th nationally with 1,171 rushing yards. He is also tied for the league lead with 11 rushing scores.
• Barnes has entered the school's top-10 list for single-season rushing yards, now standing in seventh place.
• He ran for a career-best 250 yards at Baylor – the fifth-most in a game in school history – one of his six 100-yard rushing games this year and one of 11 for his career.
• The Wildcats' rushing attack is anchored by five offensive linemen who were all returning starters from a year ago. The group is led by Midseason All-American Dalton Risner at right tackle.
• Quarterback Skylar Thompson came alive against Texas Tech, tying his career high in passing yards (213) and setting a new career mark in completions (17).
• Kicker Blake Lynch has connected on 13-of-15 field goals this year, including a 4-for-4 effort against Texas Tech to earn Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
A LOOK AT IOWA STATE
• Iowa State is bowl-eligible at 6-4 and has won five of its last six games heading into Saturday's matchup.
• Quarterback Brock Purdy has been impressive as a freshman with 1,445 yards passing and 241 yards on the ground to go along with 15 total touchdowns.
• Running back David Montgomery has rushed for 798 yards to rank fifth in the Big 12, while he has totaled seven rushing scores.
• Wide receiver Hakeem Butler ranks fifth in the Big 12 with 915 yards and eight touchdowns on 42 catches.
• On defense, Greg Eisworth has a team-best 80 tackles and JaQuan Bailey has 6.0 sacks. Braxton Lewis paces the secondary with three picks.
A LOOK AT THE SERIES
• Iowa State leads the all-time series, 49-48-4, but K-State has won the past 11 meetings and is 21-3 in the last 24 meetings between the programs.
• Bill Snyder is 22-4 all-time against Iowa State, which included a 13-4 mark in his first tenure and 9-0 since his return in 2009.
• All-time, K-State is 19-28-3 in Ames but have won the last four and are 8-2 in games played in Ames since 1995.
BOWL STREAK ON LINE
• K-State is looking for its ninth-straight bowl berth, needing a win in Ames to make the postseason.
• The Wildcats have gone to 19 bowls under Bill Snyder, doing so in 11-straight year from 1993-2003 and eight straight from 2010 to the present.
• K-State entered the season tied for 13th nationally in active bowl streaks. That streak has a chance to increase to the 11th-longest in the nation after the end of the regular season.
SUSTAINABLE SUCCESS
• Kansas State is in rare company in college football as the Wildcats rank in the top 20 in wins among FBS programs over the last 23 seasons.
• Since 1995, K-State has picked up 196 victories, which ranks 19th in the nation.
• The only current Big 12 teams to rank higher are Oklahoma (3rd; 229), Texas (t12th; 211) and TCU (15th; 201).
ONE OF THE BIG 12'S BEST
• Kansas State has had both recent and historical success in the Big 12 since the league began in 1996.
• The Wildcats are one of only four teams in the conference to reach 100 league wins over the last 23 years, a mark that now stands at 113 victories.
• The Wildcats also rank third in the conference in winning percentage since round-robin play began in 2011. They sit at .620 (44-27), trailing only Oklahoma (.817; 58-13) and Oklahoma State (.662; 47-24).
THE HALL OF FAMER
• The architect of the "greatest turnaround in college football history," Bill Snyder is in his 27th season at K-State.
• Snyder is just the fourth person in the history of college football to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as an active coach when he was enshrined in 2015.
• Snyder, who has 215 wins, is one of just six coaches to reach the 200-win mark and coach at only one school.
• Holding 176 more victories than any other coach in K-State history, Snyder ranks first in the FBS in wins among coaches at their current schools and second in total wins among active coaches (FBS schools only).
• Snyder has 126 conference wins to stand as one of four coaches with 100 Big 8/12 victories (Tom Osborne [153], Bob Stoops [121], Barry Switzer [100]).
DRAWING FIRST BLOOD
• Since 1990, K-State is 166-34 (.830) when scoring first.
• K-State is 20-5 in that department over the last four seasons, including a 5-3 mark in 2017.
• Under Bill Snyder, K-State is 153-27 (.850) when scoring first.
LEADING AT THE HALF
• Under Bill Snyder, the Wildcats are 181-12 (.938) when leading at halftime, including a 62-5 (.970) mark in Snyder's second tenure, which began in 2009.
• The Wildcats finished the 2017 campaign with a 7-1 record when leading at the half.
• The lone blemish last season was against No. 9 Oklahoma when the Wildcats led, 21-10, at halftime before the Sooners scored a touchdown with seven seconds left in the game to win, 42-35.
COMEBACK KIDS
• Kansas State recorded three wins in 2017 in which they trailed by double digit points. That comeback mentality has continued in 2018 as the Wildcats have a pair of wins when trailing at halftime.
• This year, K-State trailed South Dakota, 24-12, before earning a 27-24 victory. Then, against Oklahoma State, the Wildcats trailed, 6-3, at half and outscored the Cowboys, 28-6, in the second half for a 31-12 victory.
• Last year, the Wildcats trailed by 11 points at Texas Tech but won, 42-35, in overtime. Against Iowa State, K-State was down by 12 points before earning a 20-19 win. In the Cactus Bowl against UCLA, K-State was down, 17-7, at halftime but outscored the Bruins, 28-0, to win 35-17.
TURNOVER TURNAROUND
• After starting the year minus-5 in the turnover department, K-State has turned the tide over the last eight games, going plus-5 in that stretch.
• The recent stretch started with a plus-3 mark against West Virginia when K-State picked off three passes and recovered a fumble while fumbling one time itself.
• Following a game with no turnovers against Texas and a minus-1 mark at Baylor, K-State was plus-2 against Oklahoma State when Duke Shelley picked off a pair of passes.
• The Wildcats began the year with a minus-4 mark against South Dakota but still won, marking the first time since 2011 they won a game with four-plus more turnovers than their opponent (10-7 win over Eastern Kentucky).
CATS TOPS IN NON-OFFENSIVE TDs
• K-State is the nation's best in non-offensive touchdowns over the last 19 seasons with 112 since 1999, eight more than the next closest team and one of only three to top 100.
• Entering 2018, the Wildcats averaged 5.8 non-offensive scores per year since 1999, while the yearly average for the other 105 teams to play FBS football since then is 3.3.
• Kansas State has at least five non-offensive touchdowns in six of the last seven years.
• The Wildcats' only non-offensive score this year was an 85-yard punt return score by Isaiah Zuber in the season opener against South Dakota.
• Since 1990, the Wildcats are 63-17 when scoring on special teams and 20-1 when scoring on special teams and defense, including an 18-0 mark under Bill Snyder.
NON-OFFENSIVE TD RECORDS
• Under head coach Bill Snyder, K-State is 76-21 (.784) when scoring a non-offensive touchdown, while the Cats are 57-14 (.803) since 1999 in that department.
• Since Snyder returned to the sideline in 2009, K-State is 32-7 (.821) in this same category.
FLAGGED EARLY, NOT OFTEN
• Kansas State was flagged 13 times for 129 yards in the season opener against South Dakota, the most penalties by a Bill Snyder team since the 2005 Nebraska game (14) and the most yards since 2011 against Kent State (136).
• Since then, K-State has committed five or fewer penalties for 50 or fewer yards in seven of 10 games.
• One of those games was a zero-penalty effort against Texas, the first by a Wildcat team since the 2014 Auburn contest. Ironically, K-State lost both of those games.
• The Wildcats ranked 119th nationally and last in the Big 12 in penalties following week one, but they have worked their way to 16th in the country and third in the Big 12.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
GROUND ATTACK
• K-State has leaned heavily on its rushing game the last six weeks as it has averaged 202.5 yards and totaled 14 touchdowns on the ground against Baylor, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, TCU, KU and Texas Tech.
• The recent numbers are a big up-tick from the first five games of the year as the Cats were averaging 146.2 yards per game and had four rushing scores during that stretch.
• K-State's rushing prowess is nothing new as, dating back to 2016, the Cats have hit the 200-yard mark on the ground in 19 of its last 37 games.
• Kansas State enters this week's game ranked third in the Big 12 in rushing, which includes 176.6 yards per game in conference-only games to rank third.
GOING FOR 275
• The Wildcats, who had 319 yards against the Bears and 291 yards against the Cowboys, put together consecutive 275-yard rushing outputs for the first time since doing so against Kansas (342) and TCU (336) in 2016.
• K-State's total against Oklahoma State came against a team that was ranked No. 1 in the Big 12 and 23rd nationally in rushing defense at the time.
STELLAR SEASON
• Leading the Big 12 and ranking 11th nationally in rushing yards, Alex Barnes has put together one of the best campaigns on the ground in school history.
• Barnes, who posted the 16th 1,000-yard season rushing performance in school history, enters the regular-season finale with 1,171 rushing yards this year to rank seventh in K-State history.
• Using his season average of 106.5 yards per game, Barnes has the chance to move into the top five this week.
MOVIN' ON UP
• Alex Barnes continues to move up the K-State career rushing yardage list.
• He entered the school's career top-10 list with his effort against Oklahoma State. He now has 2,432 yards and could move into the top five if he keeps his current season average of 106.5 yards per game.
HITTING 100
• With three-straight games hitting the 100-yard mark, Alex Barnes now has six 100-yard games this season to tie for fifth in school history, while his 11 such games in his career rank fourth.
• If Barnes were to reach 100 yards at Iowa State, he would have the fourth-longest streak in school history. Darren Sproles had 10-straight between the 2002 and 2003 seasons and five-straight in 2003, while Isaac Jackson had a six-game streak in 1973.
FINDING PAYDIRT
• Not only is he churning out yards, Alex Barnes has also found the end zone on a consistent basis as he is tied for the Big 12 lead and tied for 29th nationally with 11 rushing touchdowns.
• Barnes now has 24 rushing scores in his career to rank ninth in K-State history.
• Totaling seven scores over a two-game stretch vs. Baylor and Oklahoma State, Barnes became the first Wildcat to tally consecutive games of at least three rushing scores since then-QB and now Co-Offensive Coordinator Collin Klein vs. Iowa State (3) and West Virginia (4) in 2012.
• However, Barnes was the first K-State running back to accomplish the feat since Mack Herron did so in four-straight games in 1969 (Kansas, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Missouri).
CAREER DAY
• Junior running back Alex Barnes had one of the best rushing games in school history when he went for 250 yards and three touchdowns at Baylor.
• His 250 yards were the fifth most in school history and the most by a Wildcat since Daniel Thomas went for 269 yards at North Texas in 2010.
• Even more impressive, the total was the most by a Wildcat in a Big 12 game since Darren Sproles put together a 273-yard rushing effort against Missouri in 2003.
• His 250 yards against the Bears rank as the sixth most in the nation by a player in a game this season.
BACK TO BACK
• Alex Barnes backed up his performance at Baylor with 181 yards and four scores against Oklahoma State, an effort that gave him Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors.
• He became the first Wildcat with consecutive 175-yard rushing games since Darren Sproles did so against Missouri (273) and Oklahoma (235) in 2003.
• His four touchdowns against the Cowboys tied a career high and are tied for the third most nationally by a player in a game this season.
OUT OF THE BACKFIELD
• The performance by Alex Barnes against the Cowboys was even more impressive considering he was also K-State's leading receiver with three catches for 51 yards.
• He became the third player in program history to have 175 rushing yards and 50 receiving yards in the same game, joining Darren Sproles (2003 vs. Oklahoma) and Tony Jordan (1986 vs. Iowa State).
SKYLAR UNDER CENTER
• A week after missing the Kansas game, Skylar Thompson came back to start the Texas Tech game and put together one of the best performances of his career.
• Thompson set a career high with 17 completions, bettering his mark of 15 on two other occasions, while he tied his career high with 213 yards, a mark he set earlier this year against UTSA.
MALIK MAKING PLAYS
• True freshman wide receiver Malik Knowles has burst onto the scene over the last month with 10 receptions for 100 yards and two touchdowns.
• Knowles' two touchdowns are the most by a Wildcat true freshman since Tyler Lockett had three in 2011.
• He led the team with a career-high five catches for 56 yards against Texas Tech. His five grabs were the most by a Wildcat true freshman since Lockett had five at Kansas in 2011.
LEADER ON THE FIELD, IN THE COMMUNITY
• Dalton Risner has been a leader on the field, being named a captain each of the last three years.
• Risner is just the fifth player in program history to be named a captain three times, joined by Brooks Barta (1990-92), Mark Simoneau (1997-99), Collin Klein (2010-12) and B.J. Finney (2012-14).
• A Preseason All-American by multiple outlets entering the season, Risner has started 49 career games, the third most by a Wildcat offensive lineman since 1989.
• Risner was named to multiple Midseason All-America teams, earning the nod from Sporting News, Pro Football Focus and CBSSports.com.
• The leadership by Risner does end on the field as he was named to the AFCA Good Works Team and is also a semifinalist for the Wuerffel Trophy.
• Risner is also a finalist for the prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy, also known as the "Academic Heisman."
DEFENSIVE NOTES
UNDER AVERAGE
• Kansas State has generally held its Big 12 opponents under their season scoring averages over the past several years, and the 2018 season is no different.
• The Wildcats have held five of their seven conference foes under their season scoring averages entering the game, highlighted by the Oklahoma State and Texas Tech contests when held the Cowboys to 32.0 points below their average and the Red Raiders to 35.8 points below.
IMPROVING RUN DEFENSE
• The Wildcats, who ranked 13th nationally in 2017 by allowing only 117.7 yards per game on the ground, are trying to climb out of an early hole in that department this year.
• After surrendering only 77 yards against South Dakota, Mississippi State totaled 384 yards on the ground, the most allowed by a Wildcat team since 2010.
• Following the game against the Bulldogs, K-State ranked 111th in the nation and last in the Big 12.
• Since that time, K-State has allowed 141.7 rushing yards per game over the last nine games.
• K-State allowed only 57 rushing yards to TCU, the fewest surrendered to a Big 12 opponent since limiting Oklahoma State to 49 rushing yards in 2015 before holding Texas Tech to 31. The performance against the Red Raiders was the best against a Big 12 team since holding Texas A&M -13 yards in 2009.
PREMIUM POINTS AND YARDS
• Kansas State has held two Big 12 opponents to less than 300 total yards and three teams to less than 14 points this season in Texas Tech, TCU and Oklahoma State.
• The last time a Wildcat team has accomplished such a feat is 2014 against Texas (24-0), Texas Tech (45-13), KU (51-13; 196 yards) and Oklahoma State (260 yards).
RECAPPING A SPECIAL NIGHT
• K-State held Texas Tech to 141 yards, the first time the Red Raiders were held to less than 200 yards of total offense since a game against Texas in 2010.
• It was the fewest total yards K-State has allowed to a Big 12 opponent since holding Iowa State to 140 in 2003.
• Texas Tech also finished with 31 rushing yards on 26 attempts, 115 yards under its season average coming in. It marked the fewest rushing yards K-State has allowed any opponent since Eastern Kentucky picked up only 10 in 2011 and the fewest by a Big 12 opponent since Texas A&M finished with -13 in 2009.
• K-State stifled this year's Texas Tech team to 150 yards through the air. The last time the Red Raiders were held to 150 or fewer passing yards was in 2010 against Oklahoma. The Red Raiders came in averaging 383.4 passing yards a game, which ranked second nationally.
PICKING THEM APART
• Kansas State has been one of the best in the Big 12 in interceptions over the last eight seasons, carding 110 interceptions since 2011 to tie for second in the Big 12.
• The Wildcats, who have notched at least one interception in 42 of the last 60 games, are fifth in the Big 12 with eight interceptions, which includes eight in league-only games to rank second best.
• K-State has picked off at least two passes in three of its eight Big 12 game this year, totaling three at West Virginia and two apiece against both Baylor and Oklahoma State.
HUGHES COMING UP HUGE
• Entering the Texas game with five tackles in nine career games, linebacker Justin Hughes has answered the bell the last six contests.
• Over the last seven contests – six of which have been starts – Hughes has totaled 50 tackles, good for a 7.1 tackle per game average.
• Hughes began his run with a then-career high six tackles and a tackle for loss against Texas. Then, in his first-career start at Baylor, the Tucker, Georgia, product tallied 11 tackles and forced a fumble before coming back with eight more stops against Oklahoma State.
• Against Kansas, he totaled five tackles – three of which were TFLs – while he forced a fumble.
WALK THIS WAY
• Junior Reggie Walker has been a frequent visitor to opponents' backfield this season as he is tied for third in the Big 12 with a career-best 7.5 sacks, while he is tied for sixth in the league with 11.5 TFLs.
• Walker now has 16.0 career sacks to sit two away from entering K-State's top-10 list.
• A native of Ponchatoula, Louisiana, Walker has recorded four forced fumbles this year – including two last week against Texas Tech – to push his career total to eight.
• Walker's eight career forced fumbles are tied for third in school history and one shy of the school record.
• Among active players, Walker is tied for fourth nationally in career forced fumbles.
YOUNG PUP
• The play by Reggie Walker this year may be attributed to the emergence of redshirt freshman Wyatt Hubert at the other defensive end position.
• A Topeka, Kansas native, Hubert has totaled 4.5 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss, leading all Big 12 freshmen in both categories. His sack total is also second in the nation among freshmen by just a half sack.
• Hubert's 4.5 sacks are tied for third in school history among freshmen, tying the mark of current San Francisco 49er linebacker Elijah Lee (2014).
• Hubert had perhaps the best game of his young career against Texas Tech when he set career highs in tackles (5) and sacks (2.0), while he tied his career best in TFLs (2.0).
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
ANNUALLY ONE OF THE BEST
• Kansas State has been a model of success on special teams, being a key element of the Wildcats' success over the last two decades.
• Since 1996, K-State ranks first in the nation in kickoff-return touchdowns (28), first in punt-return average (13.1 [min. 100 attempts]), first in kickoff-return average (23.6), second in punt-return touchdowns (28) and fifth in field goal percentage (75.9 [min. 400 att]).
SCORING IN THE THIRD PHASE
• Kansas State has been far and away the best team among FBS programs over the last decade when it comes to scoring via a kickoff or punt return.
• The Wildcats have a combined 48 kickoff- and punt-return touchdowns since 2005, 19 more than any other FBS school over the last 13 seasons.
• K-State averaged 3.6 return touchdowns per year over the last 13 seasons entering 2018. The yearly average for the other 116 teams to play FBS football since 2005 is 1.1.
DEFENSE IN THE THIRD PHASE
• On the flip side, K-State has been just as consistent in terms of kickoff and punt coverage.
• The Cats have not allowed a kickoff-return touchdown in the last 73 games as the last was against Louisiana on Sept. 7, 2013. During that stretch, K-State has defended against 279 kickoff returns.
KICKOFF-RETURN STREAK
• Kansas State is currently riding a 13-year streak of returning at least one kickoff for a touchdown, the longest streak in the nation by five years.
• Since head coach Bill Snyder's return in 2009, K-State has returned 19 kickoffs for touchdowns as opposed to only four in his first tenure, which lasted 17 years.
LYNCH KICKS
• Sophomore Blake Lynch has emerged as the Wildcats' top place-kicking option this season after originally coming into the program as a walk-on.
• The Goddard, Kansas, native is 13-of-15 on field-goal attempts this season with is only two misses coming 50 and 52 yards.
• Lynch's current 86.7-percent mark ranks third in school history, while he is four field goals shy of entering K-State's single-season top-10 list.
• Twice this season Lynch has made four field goals (South Dakota and Texas Tech), which is tied for second in school history.
• He is the third player in school history to make at least four field goals in a game twice in a season, joining Jamie Rheem (vs. Texas and Utah State in 1999) and Martin Gramatica (vs. Texas A&M and Kansas in 1998).
• Lynch's four field goals earned him Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week honors, the first of his career.
ANCTIL WITH THE BOOTS
• Punting in just his second-career game at Oklahoma, junior Devin Anctil averaged 46.9 yards on seven attempts, with three punts of 50 or more yards and five that were downed inside the 20-yard line.
• His high average included a 65-yard punt, the longest by a Wildcat since Mark Krause had a 67-yarder against Iowa State in 2013, while Anctil's three punts of 50 or more yards were the most since Krause also had three against TCU in 2013.
• A product of Lenexa, Kansas, Antcil's five punts downed inside the 20-yard line were the most since Nick Walsh had five at TCU in 2014.
• Anctil came back with another two good games at TCU and Kansas, totaling five more punts downed inside the 20-yard line and booming another long punt, a 61-yarder against the Jayhawks.
BROCKED PUNTS
• Sophomore Brock Monty has developed a habit of getting good rush on punt attempts, which had resulted in a pair of blocked punts this year.
• He is the second Wildcat in the last three years to block two punts in one season, joining Jayd Kirby (2016).
• Monty's first blocked came against Oklahoma State, while the latest one was blocked out of the back of the end zone for a safety against Texas.
• His block against the Red Raiders resulted in the Wildcats' first overall safety since the 2009 Louisiana game, while it was the first safety via a blocked punt since Rashad Washington had one against Colorado in 2003.
A LOOK AT K-STATE
• K-State held Texas Tech to just six points, 31 yards rushing and 181 total yards last week after the Red Raiders entered the contest averaging 41.8 points, 529.4 total yards and 146.0 rushing yards.
• The last time the Red Raiders were held to less than 200 yards of total offense was against Texas in 2010.
• It was also the fewest yards K-State allowed to Texas Tech since 1997 when it produced only 117 yards.
• The yardage total was the fewest K-State allowed to a Big 12 opponent since holding Iowa State to 140 yards in 2003.
• The Cats also had an impressive performance against an Oklahoma State team that was averaging 523.3 yards and 44.0 points per game entering the contest. K-State held the Cowboys to 311 yards and just 12 points.
• Junior linebacker Da'Quan Patton (63) and senior safety Eli Walker (62) lead the team in tackles, while Reggie Walker has a team-best 7.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss.
• The Wildcats have leaned heavily on their running game over the last six contests, averaging 202.5 yards and totaling 14 touchdowns on the ground.
• The running game is solidified by Alex Barnes, who leads the Big 12 and ranks 11th nationally with 1,171 rushing yards. He is also tied for the league lead with 11 rushing scores.
• Barnes has entered the school's top-10 list for single-season rushing yards, now standing in seventh place.
• He ran for a career-best 250 yards at Baylor – the fifth-most in a game in school history – one of his six 100-yard rushing games this year and one of 11 for his career.
• The Wildcats' rushing attack is anchored by five offensive linemen who were all returning starters from a year ago. The group is led by Midseason All-American Dalton Risner at right tackle.
• Quarterback Skylar Thompson came alive against Texas Tech, tying his career high in passing yards (213) and setting a new career mark in completions (17).
• Kicker Blake Lynch has connected on 13-of-15 field goals this year, including a 4-for-4 effort against Texas Tech to earn Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
A LOOK AT IOWA STATE
• Iowa State is bowl-eligible at 6-4 and has won five of its last six games heading into Saturday's matchup.
• Quarterback Brock Purdy has been impressive as a freshman with 1,445 yards passing and 241 yards on the ground to go along with 15 total touchdowns.
• Running back David Montgomery has rushed for 798 yards to rank fifth in the Big 12, while he has totaled seven rushing scores.
• Wide receiver Hakeem Butler ranks fifth in the Big 12 with 915 yards and eight touchdowns on 42 catches.
• On defense, Greg Eisworth has a team-best 80 tackles and JaQuan Bailey has 6.0 sacks. Braxton Lewis paces the secondary with three picks.
A LOOK AT THE SERIES
• Iowa State leads the all-time series, 49-48-4, but K-State has won the past 11 meetings and is 21-3 in the last 24 meetings between the programs.
• Bill Snyder is 22-4 all-time against Iowa State, which included a 13-4 mark in his first tenure and 9-0 since his return in 2009.
• All-time, K-State is 19-28-3 in Ames but have won the last four and are 8-2 in games played in Ames since 1995.
BOWL STREAK ON LINE
• K-State is looking for its ninth-straight bowl berth, needing a win in Ames to make the postseason.
• The Wildcats have gone to 19 bowls under Bill Snyder, doing so in 11-straight year from 1993-2003 and eight straight from 2010 to the present.
• K-State entered the season tied for 13th nationally in active bowl streaks. That streak has a chance to increase to the 11th-longest in the nation after the end of the regular season.
SUSTAINABLE SUCCESS
• Kansas State is in rare company in college football as the Wildcats rank in the top 20 in wins among FBS programs over the last 23 seasons.
• Since 1995, K-State has picked up 196 victories, which ranks 19th in the nation.
• The only current Big 12 teams to rank higher are Oklahoma (3rd; 229), Texas (t12th; 211) and TCU (15th; 201).
ONE OF THE BIG 12'S BEST
• Kansas State has had both recent and historical success in the Big 12 since the league began in 1996.
• The Wildcats are one of only four teams in the conference to reach 100 league wins over the last 23 years, a mark that now stands at 113 victories.
• The Wildcats also rank third in the conference in winning percentage since round-robin play began in 2011. They sit at .620 (44-27), trailing only Oklahoma (.817; 58-13) and Oklahoma State (.662; 47-24).
THE HALL OF FAMER
• The architect of the "greatest turnaround in college football history," Bill Snyder is in his 27th season at K-State.
• Snyder is just the fourth person in the history of college football to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as an active coach when he was enshrined in 2015.
• Snyder, who has 215 wins, is one of just six coaches to reach the 200-win mark and coach at only one school.
• Holding 176 more victories than any other coach in K-State history, Snyder ranks first in the FBS in wins among coaches at their current schools and second in total wins among active coaches (FBS schools only).
• Snyder has 126 conference wins to stand as one of four coaches with 100 Big 8/12 victories (Tom Osborne [153], Bob Stoops [121], Barry Switzer [100]).
DRAWING FIRST BLOOD
• Since 1990, K-State is 166-34 (.830) when scoring first.
• K-State is 20-5 in that department over the last four seasons, including a 5-3 mark in 2017.
• Under Bill Snyder, K-State is 153-27 (.850) when scoring first.
LEADING AT THE HALF
• Under Bill Snyder, the Wildcats are 181-12 (.938) when leading at halftime, including a 62-5 (.970) mark in Snyder's second tenure, which began in 2009.
• The Wildcats finished the 2017 campaign with a 7-1 record when leading at the half.
• The lone blemish last season was against No. 9 Oklahoma when the Wildcats led, 21-10, at halftime before the Sooners scored a touchdown with seven seconds left in the game to win, 42-35.
COMEBACK KIDS
• Kansas State recorded three wins in 2017 in which they trailed by double digit points. That comeback mentality has continued in 2018 as the Wildcats have a pair of wins when trailing at halftime.
• This year, K-State trailed South Dakota, 24-12, before earning a 27-24 victory. Then, against Oklahoma State, the Wildcats trailed, 6-3, at half and outscored the Cowboys, 28-6, in the second half for a 31-12 victory.
• Last year, the Wildcats trailed by 11 points at Texas Tech but won, 42-35, in overtime. Against Iowa State, K-State was down by 12 points before earning a 20-19 win. In the Cactus Bowl against UCLA, K-State was down, 17-7, at halftime but outscored the Bruins, 28-0, to win 35-17.
TURNOVER TURNAROUND
• After starting the year minus-5 in the turnover department, K-State has turned the tide over the last eight games, going plus-5 in that stretch.
• The recent stretch started with a plus-3 mark against West Virginia when K-State picked off three passes and recovered a fumble while fumbling one time itself.
• Following a game with no turnovers against Texas and a minus-1 mark at Baylor, K-State was plus-2 against Oklahoma State when Duke Shelley picked off a pair of passes.
• The Wildcats began the year with a minus-4 mark against South Dakota but still won, marking the first time since 2011 they won a game with four-plus more turnovers than their opponent (10-7 win over Eastern Kentucky).
CATS TOPS IN NON-OFFENSIVE TDs
• K-State is the nation's best in non-offensive touchdowns over the last 19 seasons with 112 since 1999, eight more than the next closest team and one of only three to top 100.
• Entering 2018, the Wildcats averaged 5.8 non-offensive scores per year since 1999, while the yearly average for the other 105 teams to play FBS football since then is 3.3.
• Kansas State has at least five non-offensive touchdowns in six of the last seven years.
• The Wildcats' only non-offensive score this year was an 85-yard punt return score by Isaiah Zuber in the season opener against South Dakota.
• Since 1990, the Wildcats are 63-17 when scoring on special teams and 20-1 when scoring on special teams and defense, including an 18-0 mark under Bill Snyder.
NON-OFFENSIVE TD RECORDS
• Under head coach Bill Snyder, K-State is 76-21 (.784) when scoring a non-offensive touchdown, while the Cats are 57-14 (.803) since 1999 in that department.
• Since Snyder returned to the sideline in 2009, K-State is 32-7 (.821) in this same category.
FLAGGED EARLY, NOT OFTEN
• Kansas State was flagged 13 times for 129 yards in the season opener against South Dakota, the most penalties by a Bill Snyder team since the 2005 Nebraska game (14) and the most yards since 2011 against Kent State (136).
• Since then, K-State has committed five or fewer penalties for 50 or fewer yards in seven of 10 games.
• One of those games was a zero-penalty effort against Texas, the first by a Wildcat team since the 2014 Auburn contest. Ironically, K-State lost both of those games.
• The Wildcats ranked 119th nationally and last in the Big 12 in penalties following week one, but they have worked their way to 16th in the country and third in the Big 12.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
GROUND ATTACK
• K-State has leaned heavily on its rushing game the last six weeks as it has averaged 202.5 yards and totaled 14 touchdowns on the ground against Baylor, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, TCU, KU and Texas Tech.
• The recent numbers are a big up-tick from the first five games of the year as the Cats were averaging 146.2 yards per game and had four rushing scores during that stretch.
• K-State's rushing prowess is nothing new as, dating back to 2016, the Cats have hit the 200-yard mark on the ground in 19 of its last 37 games.
• Kansas State enters this week's game ranked third in the Big 12 in rushing, which includes 176.6 yards per game in conference-only games to rank third.
GOING FOR 275
• The Wildcats, who had 319 yards against the Bears and 291 yards against the Cowboys, put together consecutive 275-yard rushing outputs for the first time since doing so against Kansas (342) and TCU (336) in 2016.
• K-State's total against Oklahoma State came against a team that was ranked No. 1 in the Big 12 and 23rd nationally in rushing defense at the time.
STELLAR SEASON
• Leading the Big 12 and ranking 11th nationally in rushing yards, Alex Barnes has put together one of the best campaigns on the ground in school history.
• Barnes, who posted the 16th 1,000-yard season rushing performance in school history, enters the regular-season finale with 1,171 rushing yards this year to rank seventh in K-State history.
• Using his season average of 106.5 yards per game, Barnes has the chance to move into the top five this week.
MOVIN' ON UP
• Alex Barnes continues to move up the K-State career rushing yardage list.
• He entered the school's career top-10 list with his effort against Oklahoma State. He now has 2,432 yards and could move into the top five if he keeps his current season average of 106.5 yards per game.
HITTING 100
• With three-straight games hitting the 100-yard mark, Alex Barnes now has six 100-yard games this season to tie for fifth in school history, while his 11 such games in his career rank fourth.
• If Barnes were to reach 100 yards at Iowa State, he would have the fourth-longest streak in school history. Darren Sproles had 10-straight between the 2002 and 2003 seasons and five-straight in 2003, while Isaac Jackson had a six-game streak in 1973.
FINDING PAYDIRT
• Not only is he churning out yards, Alex Barnes has also found the end zone on a consistent basis as he is tied for the Big 12 lead and tied for 29th nationally with 11 rushing touchdowns.
• Barnes now has 24 rushing scores in his career to rank ninth in K-State history.
• Totaling seven scores over a two-game stretch vs. Baylor and Oklahoma State, Barnes became the first Wildcat to tally consecutive games of at least three rushing scores since then-QB and now Co-Offensive Coordinator Collin Klein vs. Iowa State (3) and West Virginia (4) in 2012.
• However, Barnes was the first K-State running back to accomplish the feat since Mack Herron did so in four-straight games in 1969 (Kansas, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Missouri).
CAREER DAY
• Junior running back Alex Barnes had one of the best rushing games in school history when he went for 250 yards and three touchdowns at Baylor.
• His 250 yards were the fifth most in school history and the most by a Wildcat since Daniel Thomas went for 269 yards at North Texas in 2010.
• Even more impressive, the total was the most by a Wildcat in a Big 12 game since Darren Sproles put together a 273-yard rushing effort against Missouri in 2003.
• His 250 yards against the Bears rank as the sixth most in the nation by a player in a game this season.
BACK TO BACK
• Alex Barnes backed up his performance at Baylor with 181 yards and four scores against Oklahoma State, an effort that gave him Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors.
• He became the first Wildcat with consecutive 175-yard rushing games since Darren Sproles did so against Missouri (273) and Oklahoma (235) in 2003.
• His four touchdowns against the Cowboys tied a career high and are tied for the third most nationally by a player in a game this season.
OUT OF THE BACKFIELD
• The performance by Alex Barnes against the Cowboys was even more impressive considering he was also K-State's leading receiver with three catches for 51 yards.
• He became the third player in program history to have 175 rushing yards and 50 receiving yards in the same game, joining Darren Sproles (2003 vs. Oklahoma) and Tony Jordan (1986 vs. Iowa State).
SKYLAR UNDER CENTER
• A week after missing the Kansas game, Skylar Thompson came back to start the Texas Tech game and put together one of the best performances of his career.
• Thompson set a career high with 17 completions, bettering his mark of 15 on two other occasions, while he tied his career high with 213 yards, a mark he set earlier this year against UTSA.
MALIK MAKING PLAYS
• True freshman wide receiver Malik Knowles has burst onto the scene over the last month with 10 receptions for 100 yards and two touchdowns.
• Knowles' two touchdowns are the most by a Wildcat true freshman since Tyler Lockett had three in 2011.
• He led the team with a career-high five catches for 56 yards against Texas Tech. His five grabs were the most by a Wildcat true freshman since Lockett had five at Kansas in 2011.
LEADER ON THE FIELD, IN THE COMMUNITY
• Dalton Risner has been a leader on the field, being named a captain each of the last three years.
• Risner is just the fifth player in program history to be named a captain three times, joined by Brooks Barta (1990-92), Mark Simoneau (1997-99), Collin Klein (2010-12) and B.J. Finney (2012-14).
• A Preseason All-American by multiple outlets entering the season, Risner has started 49 career games, the third most by a Wildcat offensive lineman since 1989.
• Risner was named to multiple Midseason All-America teams, earning the nod from Sporting News, Pro Football Focus and CBSSports.com.
• The leadership by Risner does end on the field as he was named to the AFCA Good Works Team and is also a semifinalist for the Wuerffel Trophy.
• Risner is also a finalist for the prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy, also known as the "Academic Heisman."
DEFENSIVE NOTES
UNDER AVERAGE
• Kansas State has generally held its Big 12 opponents under their season scoring averages over the past several years, and the 2018 season is no different.
• The Wildcats have held five of their seven conference foes under their season scoring averages entering the game, highlighted by the Oklahoma State and Texas Tech contests when held the Cowboys to 32.0 points below their average and the Red Raiders to 35.8 points below.
IMPROVING RUN DEFENSE
• The Wildcats, who ranked 13th nationally in 2017 by allowing only 117.7 yards per game on the ground, are trying to climb out of an early hole in that department this year.
• After surrendering only 77 yards against South Dakota, Mississippi State totaled 384 yards on the ground, the most allowed by a Wildcat team since 2010.
• Following the game against the Bulldogs, K-State ranked 111th in the nation and last in the Big 12.
• Since that time, K-State has allowed 141.7 rushing yards per game over the last nine games.
• K-State allowed only 57 rushing yards to TCU, the fewest surrendered to a Big 12 opponent since limiting Oklahoma State to 49 rushing yards in 2015 before holding Texas Tech to 31. The performance against the Red Raiders was the best against a Big 12 team since holding Texas A&M -13 yards in 2009.
PREMIUM POINTS AND YARDS
• Kansas State has held two Big 12 opponents to less than 300 total yards and three teams to less than 14 points this season in Texas Tech, TCU and Oklahoma State.
• The last time a Wildcat team has accomplished such a feat is 2014 against Texas (24-0), Texas Tech (45-13), KU (51-13; 196 yards) and Oklahoma State (260 yards).
RECAPPING A SPECIAL NIGHT
• K-State held Texas Tech to 141 yards, the first time the Red Raiders were held to less than 200 yards of total offense since a game against Texas in 2010.
• It was the fewest total yards K-State has allowed to a Big 12 opponent since holding Iowa State to 140 in 2003.
• Texas Tech also finished with 31 rushing yards on 26 attempts, 115 yards under its season average coming in. It marked the fewest rushing yards K-State has allowed any opponent since Eastern Kentucky picked up only 10 in 2011 and the fewest by a Big 12 opponent since Texas A&M finished with -13 in 2009.
• K-State stifled this year's Texas Tech team to 150 yards through the air. The last time the Red Raiders were held to 150 or fewer passing yards was in 2010 against Oklahoma. The Red Raiders came in averaging 383.4 passing yards a game, which ranked second nationally.
PICKING THEM APART
• Kansas State has been one of the best in the Big 12 in interceptions over the last eight seasons, carding 110 interceptions since 2011 to tie for second in the Big 12.
• The Wildcats, who have notched at least one interception in 42 of the last 60 games, are fifth in the Big 12 with eight interceptions, which includes eight in league-only games to rank second best.
• K-State has picked off at least two passes in three of its eight Big 12 game this year, totaling three at West Virginia and two apiece against both Baylor and Oklahoma State.
HUGHES COMING UP HUGE
• Entering the Texas game with five tackles in nine career games, linebacker Justin Hughes has answered the bell the last six contests.
• Over the last seven contests – six of which have been starts – Hughes has totaled 50 tackles, good for a 7.1 tackle per game average.
• Hughes began his run with a then-career high six tackles and a tackle for loss against Texas. Then, in his first-career start at Baylor, the Tucker, Georgia, product tallied 11 tackles and forced a fumble before coming back with eight more stops against Oklahoma State.
• Against Kansas, he totaled five tackles – three of which were TFLs – while he forced a fumble.
WALK THIS WAY
• Junior Reggie Walker has been a frequent visitor to opponents' backfield this season as he is tied for third in the Big 12 with a career-best 7.5 sacks, while he is tied for sixth in the league with 11.5 TFLs.
• Walker now has 16.0 career sacks to sit two away from entering K-State's top-10 list.
• A native of Ponchatoula, Louisiana, Walker has recorded four forced fumbles this year – including two last week against Texas Tech – to push his career total to eight.
• Walker's eight career forced fumbles are tied for third in school history and one shy of the school record.
• Among active players, Walker is tied for fourth nationally in career forced fumbles.
YOUNG PUP
• The play by Reggie Walker this year may be attributed to the emergence of redshirt freshman Wyatt Hubert at the other defensive end position.
• A Topeka, Kansas native, Hubert has totaled 4.5 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss, leading all Big 12 freshmen in both categories. His sack total is also second in the nation among freshmen by just a half sack.
• Hubert's 4.5 sacks are tied for third in school history among freshmen, tying the mark of current San Francisco 49er linebacker Elijah Lee (2014).
• Hubert had perhaps the best game of his young career against Texas Tech when he set career highs in tackles (5) and sacks (2.0), while he tied his career best in TFLs (2.0).
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
ANNUALLY ONE OF THE BEST
• Kansas State has been a model of success on special teams, being a key element of the Wildcats' success over the last two decades.
• Since 1996, K-State ranks first in the nation in kickoff-return touchdowns (28), first in punt-return average (13.1 [min. 100 attempts]), first in kickoff-return average (23.6), second in punt-return touchdowns (28) and fifth in field goal percentage (75.9 [min. 400 att]).
SCORING IN THE THIRD PHASE
• Kansas State has been far and away the best team among FBS programs over the last decade when it comes to scoring via a kickoff or punt return.
• The Wildcats have a combined 48 kickoff- and punt-return touchdowns since 2005, 19 more than any other FBS school over the last 13 seasons.
• K-State averaged 3.6 return touchdowns per year over the last 13 seasons entering 2018. The yearly average for the other 116 teams to play FBS football since 2005 is 1.1.
DEFENSE IN THE THIRD PHASE
• On the flip side, K-State has been just as consistent in terms of kickoff and punt coverage.
• The Cats have not allowed a kickoff-return touchdown in the last 73 games as the last was against Louisiana on Sept. 7, 2013. During that stretch, K-State has defended against 279 kickoff returns.
KICKOFF-RETURN STREAK
• Kansas State is currently riding a 13-year streak of returning at least one kickoff for a touchdown, the longest streak in the nation by five years.
• Since head coach Bill Snyder's return in 2009, K-State has returned 19 kickoffs for touchdowns as opposed to only four in his first tenure, which lasted 17 years.
LYNCH KICKS
• Sophomore Blake Lynch has emerged as the Wildcats' top place-kicking option this season after originally coming into the program as a walk-on.
• The Goddard, Kansas, native is 13-of-15 on field-goal attempts this season with is only two misses coming 50 and 52 yards.
• Lynch's current 86.7-percent mark ranks third in school history, while he is four field goals shy of entering K-State's single-season top-10 list.
• Twice this season Lynch has made four field goals (South Dakota and Texas Tech), which is tied for second in school history.
• He is the third player in school history to make at least four field goals in a game twice in a season, joining Jamie Rheem (vs. Texas and Utah State in 1999) and Martin Gramatica (vs. Texas A&M and Kansas in 1998).
• Lynch's four field goals earned him Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week honors, the first of his career.
ANCTIL WITH THE BOOTS
• Punting in just his second-career game at Oklahoma, junior Devin Anctil averaged 46.9 yards on seven attempts, with three punts of 50 or more yards and five that were downed inside the 20-yard line.
• His high average included a 65-yard punt, the longest by a Wildcat since Mark Krause had a 67-yarder against Iowa State in 2013, while Anctil's three punts of 50 or more yards were the most since Krause also had three against TCU in 2013.
• A product of Lenexa, Kansas, Antcil's five punts downed inside the 20-yard line were the most since Nick Walsh had five at TCU in 2014.
• Anctil came back with another two good games at TCU and Kansas, totaling five more punts downed inside the 20-yard line and booming another long punt, a 61-yarder against the Jayhawks.
BROCKED PUNTS
• Sophomore Brock Monty has developed a habit of getting good rush on punt attempts, which had resulted in a pair of blocked punts this year.
• He is the second Wildcat in the last three years to block two punts in one season, joining Jayd Kirby (2016).
• Monty's first blocked came against Oklahoma State, while the latest one was blocked out of the back of the end zone for a safety against Texas.
• His block against the Red Raiders resulted in the Wildcats' first overall safety since the 2009 Louisiana game, while it was the first safety via a blocked punt since Rashad Washington had one against Colorado in 2003.
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/ FootballGAME REPLAY | FB vs Texas Tech
Tuesday, November 04
K-State FB | Klieman Postgame Presser vs Texas Tech
Saturday, November 01
K-State Football | Postgame Highlights vs Texas Tech
Saturday, November 01
K-State FB | Pregame Hype vs Texas Tech
Friday, October 31