Nebraska @ Kansas State preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 21, 2009 ) Kansas State 3, Nebraska 17

Sixth-ranked Nebraska kicks off its final Big 12 season at Kansas State Thursday in a game that can do a lot for both programs.

Nebraska (4-0) has been a media darling ever since it took Texas to the wire in the Big 12 Championship last year. A 33-0 drubbing of Arizona in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl only made the hype grow. Then, this season, the Huskers unveiled Taylor Martinez, their fleet-footed freshman quarterback, and blew out Washington 56-21. The Huskers looked to be back to their 1990’s form at long last.

But, two weeks ago. Nebraska had a tough time putting away South Dakota State and settled for a 17-3 win. Martinez struggled mightily in the passing game, and the Jackrabbits slowed the Huskers’ running game. The result was an offensive effort that left the Nebraska faithful scratching their heads going into Big 12 play.

Kansas State (4-0) has been doing some serious head-scratching this year as well. The Wildcats have been wondering what will get them noticed on the national landscape. They opened the season with a big win over UCLA and grabbed a conference win against Iowa State. But K-State still finds itself outside of the polls.

Of course, the Wildcats didn’t help their cause by struggling to beat Central Florida. But Wildcat fans are hoping that underrated quarterback Carson Coffman and workhorse running back Daniel Thomas can finally step onto the national scene with an upset of the Huskers.

Both teams love to run the ball. Kansas State's Thomas has already racked up 628 yards this year, and Wildcats excel at pushing their opponents around for four quarters. Nebraska favors a spread option running attack that features Martinez and running backs Roy Helu Jr. and Rex Burkhead. They specialize in big plays. The trio has scored nine touchdowns this year on runs of over 19 yards.

On defense, Nebraska is ranked third in the nation against the pass, and eleventh overall.

Both teams look to overcome their reputations with a win on Thursday. Nebraska hopes to finally add some substance to their considerable hype. The Wildcats want to gain some much-needed respect on a national stage. But more importantly, whoever emerges victorious will have an inside track on the Big 12 North.