After a 49-14 drubbing against Nebraska, Oklahoma looks forward to Kansas State this weekend. The Wildcats are coming to Norman after a loss to the Tulane Green Wave, a team that the Sooners narrowly avoided a loss to last season. I fully expect them to come out with somewhat of a “wounded animal” mentality. They have their backs against the wall, and I’m certain that they’d want nothing less than to beat Oklahoma before they join the SEC. Below, you’ll find everything that you need to know about Oklahoma vs Kansas State.
Oklahoma vs Kansas State Game Information
Current Records: Kansas State (2-1) @ #6 Oklahoma (3-0)
Date/Time: September 24th @ 7:00 CST
Where: Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma
TV: FOX
Spread: Oklahoma (-12.5)
Over/Under: 53
Scouting Report: Offense
Kansas State appeared to be rolling before being upset by Tulane last week. After the loss, many in the national media have written them off. I have not. Kansas State is still a very good team with lots of upset potential. Their run game is still extremely good, and their defensive line is no joke. Their biggest drawback is the passing game. Through three games, Nebraska transfer Adrian Martinez has only thrown for 304 yards, only averaging 4.6 yards per completion. He only has one touchdown through the air, and he has a QBR of 38. If Kansas State wants to win this game, they’ll have to do it on the ground with Deuce Vaughn. I fully expect the Wildcats to try and kill the clock with long, drawn out possessions, similar to how many teams attacked OU last year. However, with a new and improved defense under Brent Venables, I don’t expect that to work very well. It will be difficult for Kansas State to sustain drives with a limited passing game.
Scouting Report: Defense
On the other side of the ball, Kansas State will be tough to beat. Their defense has only allowed 22 points so far this season, and they’ve been somewhat of a “no-fly zone,” only averaging 147 yards allowed through the air. This should be a great test for Dillon Gabriel and the rest of the Sooner offense. The offensive line will be tested heavily, as they’ll have to face off against talents such as Pre-Season All-Big12 EDGE Felix Anudike-Uzomah. It’ll be interesting to see how well Oklahoma can run the ball against that front. If Oklahoma can open the field up early with some big plays downfield, they should have a big day offensively. We saw Dillon Gabriel miss some guys downfield last week, so it’ll be interesting to see how he responds, and if he tightens it up. Expect OU to get Marvin Mims involved early, as well as Drake Stoops in the RPO game. We should see a healthy dose of both Eric Gray and Marcus Major in the run game. I expect OU to start a little slow, but really come alive in the second quarter.
Prediction for Oklahoma vs Kansas State
I expect the first half to be very close and competitive. However, I believe the Sooners will pull ahead in the second half. It’s going to be difficult for Kansas State to put up points this week. With the lack of a passing attack to move the sticks on third and long, I believe OU will have a big day defensively.
Prediction: Oklahoma 31, Kansas State 10
