Kansas State at TCU: Open Game Thread

It’s been an interesting couple of weeks.

After taking a week off the think about life (and get players healthy and out of quarantine), the Kansas State Wildcats opened conference play with a vengeance, knocking off OU in Norman. They followed it up with a win over Texas Tech, which doesn’t look great on paper, but the Red Raiders are tougher than their record suggests. Oh, and the played the final 40+ minutes of the game without starting quarterback Skylar Thompson. Solid win, indeed.

But it’s the Big 12, which means there’s only one off (not bye) week during conference play, and for K-State, that week is still two weeks away.

Today is definitely no off game, as the Wildcats are in Ft. Worth to face the TCU Horned Frogs. The Horned Frogs are coming off a tough start of their own that say them lose in a close game to Iowa State in what was the season opener for TCU. They folloed that up by beating Texas, in what really isn’t an upset since TCU has won seven of their last nine against the Longhorns. TCU has the most consistent defense in the league, and occasionally pairs it with a competent offense. And with Max Duggan at QB for the Horned Frogs, they’ve definitely looked competent so far this year.

This is a big game for both teams. For the Wildcats, a win keeps them firmly in the Big 12 drivers’ seat for a few more weeks. A loss doesn’t put them out, but it does put them a step back for a few more weeks. For TCU, a win puts them back in contention, while a loss drops them firmly into the middle of the pack.

If everyone is healthy and ready, K-State should win this game. They’ve shown they have the firepower necessary on offense and the right guys making adjustments on defense to beat anyone in the league. But if a key part is missing, it becomes a whole different ballgame for the Cats. Today, Skylar may still be out, which would put true freshman Will Howard behind center for K-State for the duration. Howard looked good in relief, but has yet to be tested when the opposing coach has a week of film study to prepare. And that coach is Gary Patterson.

Things could get wild.

We’re still in the afternoon time slot today, and the 3:00pm CT kickoff will be shown nationally on FOX, with (presumably in Ft. Worth) Tim Brando (play-by-play) and Spencer Tillman (analyst) on the call. The game should also be available streaming via Fox Sports Go. Be sure and check out Jon’s complete How To Watch guide for more info.

If for some reason you don’t get FOX, or can’t access the stream, 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. The game will also be on Sirius channel 83, XM Channel 385, and available on the TuneIn app. Live stats are available at k-statesports.com, and Twitter updates (@KStateFB) will also be a part of the coverage.

Go Cats!