Kansas State @ Texas Tech preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 4, 2014 ) Texas Tech 13, Kansas State 45

Two teams clinging to their bowl eligibility hopes square off when Kansas State visits Texas Tech in Big 12 Conference action on Saturday. The Red Raiders (5-5), who end their season on Nov. 26 at Texas, must win one of their final two games to hit the magic six-win mark necessary for bowl eligibility while the visiting Wildcats (3-5), who still have home games with Iowa State and West Virginia wrapped around a road date at Kansas, must win three of their final four contests.

Texas Tech, looking to become bowl eligible for the 23rd time in the past 25 seasons, brings in a three-game losing streak while Kansas State, which hasn't missed out on a bowl game since 2009 when head coach Bill Snyder returned from a brief retirement. The Wildcats have lost five in a row -- including four versus top-20 foes -- against teams that are a combined 33-2 now. Kansas State's final four opponents are a combined 12-24 but don't try telling Snyder his team is hitting the easy part of its schedule. "We've lost five games in a row," Snyder told reporters shortly after a bitter 31-24 loss to No. 3 Baylor. "What do you mean, 'Easy part of our schedule?' There isn't any. We haven't proven that we can win in the conference. There isn't anybody easy."

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1. LINE: Texas Tech -5.5

ABOUT KANSAS STATE (3-5, 0-5 Big 12): Look for the Wildcats to try and play keep-away from Tech's potent passing attack with a solid ground game led by quarterback Joe Hubener, who has rushed for a team-best 411 yards and eight touchdowns, including a career-best 153 yards on 29 carries in the loss to Baylor. Wide receiver Kody Cook is a triple-threat, having rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries, catching 16 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns and also completing 13-of-28 passes for 159 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Kansas State averages almost 33 minutes in time of possession which helps to mask a injury-depleted secondary that is allowing an average of 288 yards per game and has yielded 15 touchdowns.

ABOUT TEXAS TECH (5-5, 2-5): The Red Raiders rank fifth nationally in scoring (45.2) and have scored at least 25 points in all 10 games heading into the Senior Day contest. Senior DeAndre Washington (1,034) has rushed for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons and offers balance to a spread passing attack engineered by sophomore quarterback Patrick Mahomes II, who ranks fourth in the NCAA in total offense (392.7 yard per game) and leads the Big 12 in passing yards (3,527) while throwing 28 touchdown passes. Senior wide receiver Jakeem Grant is one of the most exciting players in college football, leading the Big 12 in all-purpose yardage (184.5) while scoring a touchdown four different ways: throwing a pass, returning two kickoffs for touchdowns, catching and rushing.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Texas Tech has had 58 touchdown drives this season, 25 of which have lasted less than two minutes and 11 that were under a minute.

2. Kansas State's 0-5 start to Big 12 play is the team's worst conference start since Snyder originally took over in 1989.

3. The Red Raiders lead the nation with 13 plays gaining 50 yards or more.

PREDICTION: Texas Tech 38, Kansas State 34