Kansas State @ Texas Tech preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 8, 2016 ) Texas Tech 38, Kansas State 44

Teams that generate offense in much different ways tangle Saturday when the potent running game of Kansas State visits the high-octane passing attack of Texas Tech in a Big 12 matchup. The Wildcats have rushed for 470 yards and six touchdowns over the last two weeks against Oklahoma and Kansas, while the Red Raiders rank sixth in FBS in passing offense (348.1 yards per game) and 10th in total offense (504.4).

Kansas State is coming off a 30-20 victory at Kansas sparked by 128 yards rushing and two touchdowns by sophomore Alex Barnes and a 99-yard kick return for a score by D.J. Reed. The Wildcats are second in the Big 12 in rushing at 199.5 yards per game, second in yards per carry (5.1) and third in rushing touchdowns (18). Texas Tech quarterback Nic Shimonek completed his first eight passes for 149 yards as the Red Raiders scored 20 points in the first quarter last week against No. 9 Oklahoma. The Red Raiders struggled to generate offense thereafter and lost 49-27 to the Sooners while surrendering 617 yards in dropping their third straight game after starting the season 4-1.

TV: Noon ET, Fox Sports 1. LINE: Texas Tech -3.5.

ABOUT KANSAS STATE (4-4, 2-3 Big 12): Sophomore quarterback Alex Delton (52.7 completion percentage on 55 passes this year for 418 yards), who replaced injured starter Jesse Ertz in September, left last week's win in the first half with an injury but is expected to start against the Red Raiders. With 108 yards against the Sooners, Barnes (542 yards, 5.9 yards per carry, five TDs) has topped 100 yards in consecutive weeks for the second time in his career. The defense is led by a pair of linebackers in Trent Tanking (65 tackles) and Jayd Kirby (60 tackles) - both of whom rank in the top 10 in the Big 12 in tackles - but opposing defenses have thrown for at least 380 yards in three of the last four games.

ABOUT TEXAS TECH (4-4, 1-4): Shimonek, who finished with 322 yards and four TDs against Oklahoma, is completing 70 percent of his passes for 2,663 yards with 22 touchdowns versus six interceptions; his passer efficiency rating of 161.2 ranks fourth in the conference and 10th in FBS. Tre King complemented the passing game with 113 yards on 24 carries against the Sooners, while T.J. Vasher and Keke Coutee combined for 191 yards on nine receptions. The Red Raiders allow 160 yards per game rushing but were gashed for 336 yards and a 7.2 per-carry average last week by the Sooners.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Texas Tech leads the all-time series 9-8 but the Wildcats have won five of the last six meetings.

2. Coutee leads the team with 57 catches and 837 yards - both second in the Big 12 - and also has a team-best seven TDs.

3. Ertz is one of four Kansas State signal-callers in school history to throw for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a career, joining Michael Bishop (1997-98), Ell Roberson (2000-03) and Collin Klein (2009-12).

PREDICTION: Texas Tech 36, Kansas State 27