Missouri @ Kansas State preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 13, 2010 ) Kansas State 28, Missouri 38

THE STORY: Bill Snyder has unbeaten Kansas State back in the Top 25 for the first time since 2007 as the No. 21 Wildcats entered the poll this week following their 36-35 victory over No. 16 Baylor. The question now is whether the Wildcats, one of 15 remaining undefeated teams in the country, can maintain their status. Missouri has won five straight in the series, including two in a row at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The Tigers lost 38-28 to No. 1 Oklahoma in their last game on Sept. 24. The Wildcats are 4-0 for the second straight year but haven’t opened a season with five straight wins since 2000, when they began 6-0 en route to an 11-3 record.

TV: ABC or ESPN3.com. LINE: Missouri -3.5

ABOUT MISSOURI (2-2, 0-1 Big 12): The Tigers have alternated wins and losses through the first month of the season but have gotten encouraging play from first-year quarterback James Franklin, who has thrown for 985 yards and seven touchdowns. Franklin, a sophomore, has also added four rushing scores for the Tigers, who have the nation’s 11th-ranked offense. Defensively, the Tigers are strong against the run and have the Big 12’s second-best rush defense. That could come in handy against a Kansas State rushing attack that averages 217.2 yards.

ABOUT KANSAS STATE (4-0, 1-0): Kansas State has won consecutive games in the final minutes behind an opportunistic defense that has delivered in the big moments. In a 28-24 win against Miami on Sept. 24, the Wildcats stopped the Hurricanes four times at the goal line. Last week, Kansas State forced Robert Griffin III into his first interception of the season late. The Wildcats rank No. 16 in total defense but have yet to face an offense as balanced as Missouri’s.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein ranks second among FBS quarterbacks in rushing with 105.8 yards per game.

2. Missouri has the Big 12’s top-ranked rushing offense led by Henry Josey, who had 133 yards against Oklahoma and 263 yards against Western Illinois.

3. The Wildcats haven’t started 2-0 in the Big 12 since 2000.

PREDICTION: Kansas State 24, Missouri 21 - Gary Pinkel’s squad will be prepared following a week off, but the Wildcats’ balanced offensive attack will help them grind out the victory.