North Dakota State @ Kansas State preview

Kansas State briefly flirted with an undefeated season and a spot in the BCS Championship Game last season behind quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist Collin Klein before settling for the Big 12 title. Klein is gone, along with most of the defensive front seven, giving the Wildcats a new look when they begin the 2013 campaign by hosting North Dakota State on Friday. The Football Championship Series power is trying to knock off an FBS school for the fourth straight season.

The Bison have claimed back-to-back FCS Championships and won at Kansas in 2010, versus Minnesota in 2011 and at Colorado State in 2012. The experienced squad takes on a Kansas State team that is going into the season unranked despite a BCS Bowl appearance in January. The Wildcats still are trying to settle on a starting quarterback as Jake Waters and Daniel Sams battle for the position.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1. LINE: None

ABOUT NORTH DAKOTA STATE (14-1, 7-1 Missouri Valley Conference): The Bison return 18 starters from last season’s championship team, including quarterback Brock Jensen, and were ranked No. 1 in the preseason. North Dakota State has All-American tackle Billy Turner back to protect Jensen and fellow All-American cornerback Marcus Williams to lead the defense. The Bison averaged 33 points while limiting opponents to 11.5 in 2012, including the 22-7 triumph over Colorado State.

ABOUT KANSAS STATE (11-2, 8-1 Big 12): Head coach Bill Snyder reached down to the junior college ranks to grab Waters, who was the No. 1 juco recruit in the country. Waters completed 73.3 percent of his passes last season but does not have the same sort of scrambling ability that helped Klein rush for 920 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2012. “(Waters and Sams) help each other as far as gaining pure understanding of what our offense is all about,” Snyder said, “the strengths and weaknesses and how to make the right decisions.”

EXTRA POINTS

1. Kansas State RB John Hubert was named to the Maxwell, Doak Walker and Tyler Rose Award watch lists.

2. The Bison have not lost on the road since Dec. 11, 2010 at Eastern Washington.

3. In addition to Klein on offense, Kansas State is replacing reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Arthur Brown.

PREDICTION: Kansas State 45, North Dakota State 10