Kansas State vs West Virginia: Open Game Thread

A three-game win streak has certainly changed the complexion of the season for Kansas State. Just a few weeks ago, we gathered here wondering if the Wildcats were even going to be able to sneak into bowl eligibility, Now the Cats are 6-3, and looking to position for a better bowl game, and an 8 or 9-win season.

But standing in the way is an odd nemesis for the Wildcats. After losing the first four against K-State after joining the Big 12, the West Virginia Mountaineers have won five straight against the Wildcats, including a surprising win in 2019, when the Cats fell 24-20 to a WVU team that ended up missing a bowl game while K-State eventually finished 8-4 on the regular season. These two teams are in a very similar position this year, with the ‘Eers sitting at 4-5 and needing two wins among their last three games to become bowl eligible, and the Wildcats looking to continue their winning ways.

It’s a game K-State should win. Skylar Thompson is playing some of his best football, Deuce Vaughn is putting up yards rushing and receiving, and the defense, led in large part by the emergence of Felix Anudike-Uzomah, has been very solid the last 10 quarters of football. The Mountaineers have a couple good wins, including a big upset win over Iowa State in Morgantown, and had an early lead on OU, but also lost to Maryland and Texas Tech, and nearly got blanked by Oklahoma State last week at home. So this is a game that will likely be close, and could very well be in doubt down to the final seconds.

Like the games against Tech and TCU back in October, this is a game the Wildcats should win. But crazy things have happened, especially when West Virginia is involved.

We’ve got an 11:00am CT kickoff from Bill Snyder Family Stadium being aired on FS1 with Eric Collins (play-by-play) and Petros Papadakis (analyst) on the call. The game should also be available streaming via FoxSports.com, if you already have the correct TV subscription.

If for some reason you don’t get ESPNU, 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 98, XM Channel 206, and available on the The Varsity Network app. Live stats are available at k-statesports.com, and Twitter updates (@KStateFB) will also be a part of the coverage.

Go Cats!