Kansas State football vs BYU: Scouting report, prediction for Wildcats' Big 12 opener

Kansas State football made it through its nonconference schedule unscathed, but now things get real.

After a scare two weeks ago at Tulane, the Wildcats bounced back nicely last Friday night to take down Big 12 newcomer Arizona 31-7 at home in a game that did not count in the league standings. Next up is the official conference opener Saturday in Provo, Utah, against Brigham Young, with kickoff scheduled for 9:30 p.m. central time at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

That No. 14-ranked K-State (3-0) must travel for its Big 12 opener should come as no surprise. It will mark the 23rd time in the league's 29-year history that the Wildcats start conference play on the road.

K-State has taken care of business so far, beating Tennessee-Martin (41-6), Tulane (34-17) and Arizona last week. BYU also is 3-0, including road victories the past two weeks against SMU (19-15) and Wyoming (34-14).

Here are five things to know, plus a prediction, for Saturday's late-night game.

Related: Kansas State football players emphasize staying grounded while enjoying early success

Related: Kansas State football pass rush has elevated the Wildcats' defense

Kansas State football and BYU first-time league rivals

This is BYU's second season in the Big 12, but the Cougars did not face K-State last year on the way to a 5-7 overall record and 2-7 conference mark. Saturday's game will mark the ninth all-time meeting between the schools, with the series even at 4-4.

BYU came out on top 19-15 the last time they played in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 1, 1997. It was a matchup of legendary head coaches — Bill Snyder for K-State, LaVell Edwards for BYU — whose names now grace their respective school's home stadiums.

A closer look at the BYU Cougars

BYU, which was picked 13th in the Big 12 preseason media poll after tying for 11th last year, is off to a fast start in 2024. The Cougars have been especially impressive on defense, allowing just 236.3 yards per game, which ranks 13th nationally and second in the conference.

Ninth-year coach Kalani Sitake has a 64-41 career record, all with BYU.

Under Sitake, BYU has not been risk averse. The Cougars have gone for it on fourth down 10 times so far, converting eight. That may explain why they rank sixth nationally in time of possession with an average of 34 1/2 minutes per game.

K-State offense is well grounded

While K-State has yet to pass for 200 yards in a single game, the Wildcats' rushing attack has more than made up for it.

The Wildcats' 244.3-yard rushing average ranks 16th nationally and trails only Central Florida's insane 375.7 average in the Big 12. What's more, their 6.98 yards per carry actually is better than UCF's 6.83.

The workhorse so far for K-State has been DJ Giddens, who ranks fifth in the league with 108 yards rushing per game on 6.6 yards per carry. But against Arizona, quarterback Avery Johnson busted loose for a career-high 110 yards. And don't forget about Dylan Edwards, who has run for 138 yards and two touchdowns on just 15 attempts for a 9.2-yard average.

BYU players to watch

The Cougars offense starts with junior Jake Retzlaff, a dual threat quarterback who leads the team in both passing with 280.3 yards per game with seven touchdowns and in rushing with 113 yards. He beat out Baylor transfer Gerry Bohanon for the starting job and has completed 60.6% of his passes with three interceptions.

Chase Roberts is Retzlaff's favorite target with 15 catches for 263 yards, while no other receiver has more than six receptions.

On defense, K-State will have to keep track of all-conference end Tyler Batty, though linebacker Jack Kelly leads the Cougars in tackles for loss with three, including two sacks, and is second in overall tackles with 14. Nickle back Jakob Robinson has two tackles for loss, an interception and three pass breakups.

Non-offensive touchdowns a K-State specialty

While K-State's offense has yet to hit on all cylinders so far, the defense and special teams have chipped in to pick up the slack, producing one touchdown in each game so far.

In the opener, it was Ty Bowman's blocked punt and Colby McCallister's 1-yard scoop and score. At Tulane, Austin Romaine's strip sack allowed Jack Fabris to return the fumble 60 yards for the game-winning touchdown, and last week Edwards returned a punt 71 yards to break a 7-7 tie and put the Wildcats in front for good.

Since 1999, K-State leads the nation with 134 non-offensive touchdowns.

Prediction: Kansas State 33, BYU 24

While K-State has lived up to its preseason billing and BYU has exceeded expectations so far, we still think the Wildcats can cover the 6.5-point spread. Playing at altitude and late at night could prove to be a challenge for K-State.

Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State football vs BYU: Scouting report, prediction