10:52 PM EST: That is all for VAVEL USA's live coverage of this Big 12 matchup between #12 Kansas State and West Virginia. The final score sees the Wildcats edge out the Mountaineers 26-20. Stay tuned to VAVEL USA for more coverage of the 2014 college football season.
10:51 PM EST: Kansas State is now 8-2 overall on the season, including a 6-1 record in the Big 12. West Virginia falls to 6-5 overall, 4-4 in the conference.
10:50 PM EST: K-State QB Jake Waters threw for a season-high 400 yards in the victory, while 2 quarterbacks for WVU combined for 310 yards. In total, West Virginia actually outgained Kansas State, 433-403 in total yards.
10:49 PM EST: It was an ugly came, but the Wildcats pulled it out to remain in the hunt for a share of the Big 12 title.
4th (00:00) A bizarre halfback pass that gets intercepted is the final play of the game. Kansas State closes it out and wins over West Virginia.
4th (00:05) Delaying the inevitable, the Wildcats will run one play.
4th (00:43) Waters takes another knee, one last snap must be taken by KSU.
4th (00:47) Waters takes another knee and WVU calls their final timeout.
4th (00:50) West Virginia actually calls a timeout, their second.
4th (00:50) Jake Waters kneels the first of two necessary times to end the game.
4th Quarter: Glenn Gronkowski is the one who comes up with the ball for the Wildcats.
4th (00:52) Kansas State recovers the onside kick attempt and that will all but end the game.
4th (00:53) The 25 yard attempt by Josh Lambert is good and it is now a 1 score game with less than a minute to go. 26-20 K-State leads.
4th (00:57) After a short pass to Smallwood, it will be fourth down. The field goal team is coming out.
4th (1:19) Skyler Howard gets rocked by a huge sack and WVU is in trouble.
4th (1:24) Smallwood runs it again and West Virginia calls their first timeout of the half.
4th (1:35) Daikiel Shorts makes another catch over the middle for another first down.
4th (1:44) WVU runs the ball with Wendell Smallwood for a first down.
4th (2:01) The pass is complete on fourth down to Mario Alford for a first down.
4th (2:21) A short pass goes for just two yards, it will be fourth down for WVU.
4th (2:28) 3rd down and 10 is coming up, this is a huge play.
4th (2:34) Shyler Howard overthrows his receiver and gets lucky thast the pass isn't intercepted.
4th (2:41) Shelton Gibson follows a great wall of blocking and reaches the 45 yard line. A good return puts the Mountaineers in good field position for their next drive.
4th Quarter: McCrane is now 3/5 kicking field goals on the day.
4th (2:52) The field goal team sprints on to the field and barely gets the kick off before the play clock runs out, but Matthew McCrane hits the kick nonetheless and the Kansas State lead is up to 9. It's 26-17.
4th (3:33) Waters dives under the pile for a first down and he ends up short, so fourth down is coming up.
4th (3:50) Lockett makes a nice catch on a good back shoulder throw by Jake Waters, third down and one coming up.
4th (4:31) Jake Waters runs the ball himself and is slow to get up after a big hit to his legs. It will be second down.
4th (4:42) Lockett returns to the game, makes a phenomenal catch on an underthrown ball but it will all be negated because of offensive pass interference.
4th Quarter: Lockett not only has playmaking ability, but he also draws numerous defenders on most plays, which costlesss up other receivers like Curry Sexton and Zach Trujillo. This would be a major loss.
4th Quarter: After that last catch and run, Tyler Lockett limped off the field. That would be a huge loss for the Wildcats if he cannot return.
4th (4:48) Kansas State calls a timeout, their third and final for the second half.
4th (5:19) Tyler Lockett makes a catch on a deep dig route and he only doesn't score because of a shoestring tackle. First down for K-State at the 25 of WVU.
4th (5:27) Waters has to throw it away and it will be 3rd and 9.
4th (6:10) Kansas State is keeping the ball on the ground to try and run out the clock. Charles Jones just picked up one yard up the middle.
4th (6:45) Jake Waters completes a short pass to pick up a first down for the Wildcats.
4th (7:14) Kansas State actually gets a positive run on a handoff on first down.
4th (7:23) Michael Molinari's kickoff goes out of bounds and Kansas State will start at their own 35 yard line.
4th Quarter: That was a 53 yard catch and run by Alford, with about 48 of the yards coming after the reception.
4th (7:23) Mario Alford makes the catch on a short crossing route and outruns the entire Wildcats defense to score a touchdown. Josh Lambert's extra point is good and West Virginia cuts the lead to 6, 23-17.
4th (8:12) Howard finds Daikiel Shorts down field for another first down at the 45.
4th (8:32) A questionable throw from Skyler Howard leads to a loss of a yard.
4th (8:52) Rushel Shell reaches the 32 on an inside sweep and WVU gets a first down.
4th Quarter: After not missing once all season, Matthew McCrane has missed two field goal attempts tonight for the Wildcats.
4th (9:27) A bad snap and a horrendous kick makes Kansas State come away with not points on the drive. West Virginia will take over, down two scores.
4th (9:30) The pass to Curry Sexton is incomplete, it will be fourth down.
4th (9:35) Kansas State takes their second timeout of the half with the play clock winding down on the offense again.
4th (10:06) Third and goal is coming up after a QB draw by Waters goes for 5 yards.
4th (10:35) A rare delay of game against Kansas State moves them back 10 more yards. It's still second and goal.
4th (11:15) DeMarcus Robinson loses 3 yards on a handoff, the team is now down to -10 rushing yards on the game.
4th (11:36) Zach Trujillo makes his second catch of the game, this one in the slot and he gets down to the 2 yard line. It will be first and goal for K-State.
4th Quarter: With that big pass play, Jake Waters has gone over 300 yards passing on the day, his first time doing so this season.
4th Quarter: The big play from Lockett officially went for 54 yards.
4th (11:43) Kansas State takes a timeout as the play clock neared zero.
4th (11:43) Jake Waters is almost intercepted on a bad underthrow but the ball falls incomplete. Second down.
4th (12:04) There is an injured player on the field but he is being helped off.
4th (12:04) West Virginia brings 6 on the blitz and Tyler Lockett is left with one on one coverage and makes a catch, and the run after the reception will put K-State at the West Virginia 20.
4th Quarter: After that drive, WVU has passed KSU in terms of total yardage for the first time tonight.
4th Quarter: After starting 4/4, Skyler Howard has only completed 3 of his last 8 passes.
4th (12:19) The throw is way off the mark and Kansas State will take over on downs.
4th (12:38) A short completion brings up another fourth down, the third of this drive for WVU.
4th (12:48) Howard throws the ball away with pressure in his face, third down is coming up.
4th Quarter: The call is confirmed, incomplete pass.
4th Quarter: All signs point to this call being confirmed. If so, second down will be coming up for the Mountaineers.
4th (12:54) Timeout is called on the field to review the previous play.
4th (12:54) Howard scrambles and throws to Kevin White in the endzone but his foot was on the sideline so the pass is incomplete.
4th (13:20) Rushel Shell just makes it to the sticks to pick up a first down on fourth. That could be a key play in this game.
4th (13:26) Howard overthrows Mario Alford, who was wide open. It's fourth down and short.
4th (14:00) Third down is coming up after a run for no gain.
4th (14:11) Daikiel Shorts makes a catch on an underneath crosser to pick up 17.
4th (14:30) A good run by Dreamious Smith is negated because of a holding penalty. 1st and 20 for WVU.
4th (14:37) The fourth down pass by Howard is incomplete but pass interference is called on KSU so the Mountaineers will have a first down.
4th (14:56) A read option run on third down goes nowhere for WVU.
3rd Quarter: The running woes continue for K-State, as they have -7 total on the ground for the game. Jake Waters, however, has played well, passing for 276 yards so far.
3rd Quarter: Skyler Howard entered the game in the 3rd to replace the injured Clint Trickett and he played very well, completing 5/6 passes for 62 yards and a touchdown.
3rd (00:00) That is the end of the third quarter. Kansas State leads West Virginia 23-10, but the Mountaineers are driving down field again.
3rd (00:16) Smith reaches the 50 on a handoff, likely the last play of the quarter.
3rd (00:40) Smith has another good run and it's first down again at the 45.
3rd (1:06) Kevin White makes a 6 yard catch by ripping the ball away from Randall Evans. Very impressive play.
3rd (1:30) Dreamious Smith gets to the 29 on the ground for a first down.
3rd (1:58) Howard gains nine on a quarterback draw but takes a shot at the end of the play.
3rd (2:06) A return that only went to the 22 yard line is moved 10 yards back because of a holding call. Skyler Howard and West Virginia will start at their own 12 yard line.
3rd Quarter: Tyler Lockett went over 100 yards receiving for the day on that drive, his fifth such game this season.
3rd (2:13) Matthew McCrane converts on the 19 yard field goal try. It is now 23-10, Kansas State still leads.
3rd (2:53) For the third time tonight an option play for K-State goes absolutely nowhere and West Virginia has a goal line stand. Great play by WVU.
3rd (3:43) Waters loses a half a yard on his second attempt at a sneak at the goal line. Third and goal is coming up.
3rd (4:11) Waters keeps it and pushes forward and he is stopped at the 1. Second and goal.
3rd (4:33) Tyler Lockett makes a fantastic catch reaching out of bounds to give the Wildcats a first and goal inside the 5.
3rd (5:18) Vernon Davis lets the bouncing punt touch him and Kansas State recovers, but a roughing the kicker penalty would have given them the ball anyway. Terrible play all around by West Virginia.
3rd (5:28) Another low throw falls incomplete and a punt is coming up.
3rd (5:34) A low pass from Waters brings up 3rd and 10 for the Wildcats.
3rd (6:10) Curry Sexton's big day continues as he makes a nice catch on a good throw by Jake Waters at the 42 yard line. First down.
3rd (6:18) Tyler Lockett returns the kick to the 21 where he is stopped by a fantastic tackle. That is where Kansas State will start.
3rd Quarter: That was Kevin White's ninth touchdown catch of the season.
3rd Quarter: Skyler Howard on that last drive: 4/4, 56 yards, TD
3rd (6:24) Howard hits White on a slant route in the endzone for a touchdown. West Virginia isn't out of this one yet. The extra point is good and the K-State lead has been cut in half. It's now 20-10 Wildcats over the Mountaineers.
3rd (6:55) Skyler Howard has given the WVU offense a spark, this time picking up a first down with his legs. It's first and goal for the Mountaineers.
3rd (7:14) 3rd and 6 is coming up after 2 short runs by the Mountaineers.
3rd (7:57) Kevin White makes a catch on a great throw at the 28 of K-State for a first down.
3rd Quarter: Word on the field is also that Clint Trickett is not on the field due to injury. His status for the rest of the game is unknown.
3rd Quarter: There is an injured Kansas State Wildcat on the field.
3rd (8:13) Howard has Daikiel Shorts wide open down the seam for a first down past midfield.
3rd (8:44) Howard completes his first pass for 4 yards to set up a third and short.
3rd (9:23) West Virginia will start at their own 20 yard line with a new quarterback, Skyler Howard.
3rd Quarter: Of all the things that have gone wrong for West Virginia tonight, run defense isn't one of them. They have held the Wildcats to -10 yards on the ground tonight.
3rd (9:29) Matthew McCrane makes a 44 yard field goal attempt to extend K-State's lead over WVU to 20-3.
3rd (9:34) Curry Sexton is the intended target on a deep throw but good coverage and a blitz forces another incomplete pass. A field goal attempt is upcoming.
3rd (9:41) Pressure from West Virginia's defensive ends results in Waters' arm getting hit and a subsequent incomplete pass. It's third down.
3rd Quarter: Jones has 4 rushes for -3 yards so far tonight.
3rd (10:22) Charles Jones is wrapped up for a loss of yards again on a run play. Somewhat unbelieveable how poor the running game for KSU has been.
3rd (10:53) Sexton makes another deep catch for another first down and Kansas State continues to move in chunks of yardage.
3rd (11:26) Jake Waters completes another pass, this one to Curry Sexton for another first down, this one at the WVU 45.
3rd (11:54) Tyler Lockett makes a catch for a first down at the 32 yard line and a personal foul call on West Virginia will add on 15 more yards. Huge gain for the Wildcats.
3rd Quarter: This is the third time this season that Clint Trickett has thrown multiple interceptions in a game. The other two occurrences resulted in losses for WVU.
3rd (12:03) Clint Trickett misses the mark on his throw and it is intercepted by Dante Barnett for Kansas State. The Wildcats will take over on Trickett's second interception of the game.
3rd (12:16) A huge run by Rushel Shell down to the 27 yard line gives the Mountaineers another first down.
3rd (13:05) Wendell Smallwood runs for 13 yards into KSU territory for a first down.
3rd (13:11) WVU will start at their 39 after a fair catch on the punt.
3rd (13:49) The play on third down is botched and fourth down will come up for the Wildcats.
3rd (14:15) It will be third down and short after a good run by Lockett after a short pass.
3rd (14:46) Another negative running play for K-State, this time it's Waters losing a yard. Second down.
3rd (14:55) A short return by Tyler Lockett on the second half kickoff will lead to Kansas State starting at their own 19.
1st Half: K-State will receive the ball to start the second half.
1st Half: Kansas State has committed an uncharacteristically high number of penalties for them, having been called for six so far. West Virginia has been called for five thus far.
1st Half: Major plays from the first half of play include the ridiculous touchdown catch by Kevin White that was overturned on review. Also we can look to the punt return touchdown by Tyler Lockett as the play that broke this game open right before the half.
1st Half: Tyler Lockett is the game's leading receiver so far, with 4 receptions for 60 yards. Kevin White is WVU's leader with 32 yards on 3 catches.
1st Half: The leading rusher in the game so far is Rushel Shell for West Virginia, who has 10 carries for 31 yards. Jake Waters is Kansas State's leading rusher, with 4 yards on 4 carries.
1st Half: Jake Waters had a very effective first half for the Wildcats, completing 11/14 passes for 185 yards and a touchdown, giving him a 213.1 passer efficiency rating. Clint Trickett was not so successful in the first half, going just 11/23 for 109 yards with an interception, good for a 78.9 rating.
1st Half: K-State outgained WVU in terms of yardage 182-134 in the first half, despite having -3 total rushing yards.
2nd (00:00) That is the end of the first half. Kansas State is leading West Virginia on Senior Night in Morgantown 17-3.
2nd (00:00) Matthew McCrane misses his first kick of the year on a block and Kansas State does not come away with points.
2nd (00:04) Instead, Jake Waters just centers the ball, takes a knee and calls their final timeout. The field goal unit is coming out on the field.
2nd Quarter: You can expect a quick shot to the endzone right here before a field goal attempt from K-State.
2nd (00:07) Kody Cook makes another catch right at the first down marker and the Wildcats call their second timeout.
2nd (00:13) Trickett is picked off by Randall Evans on a bad throw and Kansas State is in scoring range once again right before the half.
2nd (00:27) Trickett completes another pass for a first down but a lot of time ran down between plays.
2nd (00:46) The ball is kept on the ground and the clock continues to wind.
2nd (00:54) The 33 is where Dreamious Smith goes out of bounds after a short pass goes for a first down.
2nd (1:06) A bad return of the kickoff will have WVU starting inside of their own 20.
2nd Quarter: The return TD went a mere 38 yards for Lockett.
2nd (1:12) The extra point is good and K-State now leads by 14, 17-3 over West Virginia.
2nd (1:12) A short punt is returned for a touchdown by Tyler Lockett and Kansas State extends their lead. Extra point is upcoming.
2nd (1:25) A screen pass is batted down and fourth down is coming up.
2nd (1:27) Bill Snyder calls a timeout, K-State's first. Third and long for WVU is coming up.
2nd (1:29) Rushel Shell goes nowhere on an inside run to set up a third and long.
2nd (1:49) Kevin White makes a great catch on a deep throw but is called for an iffy pass interference to negate the play. It will be second and long for the Mountaineers.
2nd (2:11) A wide receiver screen to Kevin White goes for a loss of two yards thanks to great coverage by the Wildcats.
2nd (2:18) The punt goes into the endzone for a touchback. West Virginia will start from their own 20.
2nd (2:26) Waters throws it away on 3rd and 24 from the 45 and a punt is coming up.
2nd (2:33) The pass is wide for Tyler Lockett and a chop block is called against the Wildcats for a 15 yard penalty. It will now be third and very long.
2nd (3:00) False start is called against K-State. It will now be third and long.
2nd (3:40) Waters keeps it himself again and gains five. It will be third and three again for the Wildcats.
2nd (4:20) Charles Jones runs up the middle for a positive gain for the first time in this quarter.
2nd (4:51) Curry Sexton makes the grab on a pass from Waters to pick up the first down and he steps out at the 31 yard line.
2nd Quarter: After that last miss, Josh Lambert for West Virginia is now 23/31 on the year for field goal attempts.
2nd (4:57) The play clock winds down and Waters has to call a timeout. Third down will come up after the timeout.
2nd (5:36) Waters runs straight up the middle and fumbles, but Glenn Gronkowski recovers it. It will be 3rd and 3 for K-State.
2nd (6:16) West Virginia forces another loss on a run play for the Wildcats.
2nd (6:39) Jake Waters throws a rope to Tyler Lockett deep down the field to the West Virginia 47 for a big first down.
2nd (6:47) An awful field goal attempt from Josh Lambert results in no points for West Virginia. WVU can't take advantage of the turnover with phenomenal field position. Still 10-3 Kansas State leads.
2nd (6:52) The clock has again been adjusted, now to 6:52.
2nd (6:56) The call is overturned and is ruled incomplete, not a touchdown. Six seconds have been added back to the game clock.
2nd Quarter: If upheld, this could be the touchdown of the year in college football. May be a huge break for WVU.
2nd Quarter: The initial pass from Trickett was high and off of the fingertips of Jordan Thompson, bounced into the arms of a Kansas State defensive back before being essentially tossed up into the air, where Kevin White grabbed it and dove in for a score.
2nd (6:50) The call on the field of a touchdown is under review.
2nd (6:50) A near interception by K-State turns into a costless ball in the air that is caught for a touchdown by Kevin White. An insane play that puts West Virginia with an extra point of tying the game.
2nd (7:20) A short rush by Rushel Shell will set up a 3rd and 11 for the Mountaineers.
2nd (7:58) Clint Trickett is sacked for the second time by Kansas State.
2nd (8:03) Tyler Lockett fumbles on the kickoff return and West Virginia recovers the ball inside of the K-State 25. Huge turn of events.
2nd Quarter: Kansas State is about to get the ball back, and West Virginia is hoping that they'll keep it on the ground; the Wildcats are averaging -1.6 yards per rush so far in this game.
2nd (8:10) Lambert's kick just barely has enough to clear the crossbar to put the Mountaineers on the board. It's now Kansas State 10, West Virginia 3.
2nd (8:50) Clint Trickett is sacked on third down and a field goal try by Josh Lambert is coming up.
2nd (9:55) Crossing patterns continue to work for WVU, this one going to Mario Alford for a first down at the 27.
2nd (10:43) Jordan Thompson makes a grab at the KSU 40 ard line for another first down.
2nd (11:12) Linebacker Jonathan Truman for the Wildcats is called for pass interference, giving a first down to WVU.
2nd (11:48) Rushel Shell runs the ball out to the 40 yard line to pick up a first down for the Mountaineers.
2nd (12:24) Rushel Shell picks up 14 on a screen pass out of the backfield to set up third and short.
2nd (12:35) False start is called on West Virginia, it will now be 2nd and 15.
2nd (12:36) Kevin White drops a pass as he goes to the ground. Kansas State jumps on it but it is ruled an incompletion. It will be second down.
2nd (12:47) West Virginia will start from their own 27 after the kickoff.
2nd Quarter: McCrane has not missed a field goal since taking over for Jack Cantele as the Wildcats' field goal kicker.
2nd (12:53) Matthew McCrane nails a 36 yard field goal, making him now 9/9 on the season. It's 10- K-State over West Virginia.
2nd (12:57) Kody Cook is the inteded target in the endzone but the pass is incomplete in traffic. The field goal team will be coming out for the Wildcats.
1st Half: Nearly every run play has gone for negative yardage to this point for Kansas State, very indicative of great play by the front seven of West Virginia.
2nd (13:05) Timeout is called by West Virginia prior to third down.
2nd (13:41) Another option play goes for a loss, as the pressure in the backfield causes Waters to throw a wild pitch. Wildcats have 3rd and goal from the 20.
2nd (14:26) Jake Waters' pass to Curry Sexton is incomplete but defensive pass interference is called on West Virgnia. K-State will be moved half the distance to the goal and will have a first down.
2nd (14:55) Kansas State starts off the second quarter with an option play and it goes for a loss again. 2nd down.
1st Quarter: Jake Waters completed 7/8 passes in the first quarter, 1 of which went for a touchdown. Clint Trickett is 5/11 passing so far for 52 yards.
1st Quarter: K-State outgained West Virginia 135-65 in the first quarter, 132 of those yards for the Wildcats coming through the air.
1st (00:00) That is the end of the first quarter. Kansas State leads West Virginia 7-0 in Morgantown.
1st (00:15) Curry Sexton makes his first catch of the game on a pass from Jake Waters on the last play of the first quarter. It will be first down to start the second period of play.
1st (1:25) Zach Trujillo makes a deep reception for the Wildcats to get them a first down in WVU territory.
1st (1:38) Tyler Lockett calls for a fair catch at his own 16, which is where Kansas State will take over after a 40-yard Nick O'Toole punt.
1st (2:06) Smith makes a catch out of the backfield but goes absolutely nowhere. A punt is upcoming.
1st (2:16) For the third time in the quarter, Clint Trickett throws into double coverage. It's third down.
1st (2:39) Dreamious Smith gets his first run of the day, replacing Smallwood who just fumbled.
1st Quarter: Both teams have moved the ball decently well so far, but only Kansas State has anything to show for it, due to the West Virginia fumble in the redzone on their last drive.
1st (2:45) West Virginia will start from their own 42 after a fair catch on the punt.
1st (3:26) The catch is made on third down but he doesn't reach the mark so a punt is coming up from Nick Walsh.
1st (4:09) Jake Waters runs a QB keeper to set up a third and medium for the Wildcats.
1st (4:51) KJ Dillon makes another play in the backfield for the Mountaineers and K-State loses yards on the ground again.
1st (4:56) Wendell Smallwood fumbles the handoff from Clint Trickett and Kansas State recovers. Wildcats will start with a first down deep in their own territory.
1st (5:00) Defensive pass interference is called on Kansas State to set WVU up with first down inside of the 5 yard line.
1st (5:03) Daikiel Shorts can't quite get his feet down on an impressive catch in the endzone, now it's second down.
1st (5:20) Mario Alford makes his first catch of the game to give West Virginia a first down inside the redzone.
1st (6:03) Kevin White makes another 3rd down grab on a slot curl to pick up another West Virginia first down.
1st (6:27) West Virginia gets called for offensive encroachment to back them up to a 3rd and 13.
1st (6:53) K-State brings pressure and the O-Line troubles continue for WVU, as Trickett is sacked and fumbles, but he does recover. Here comes a third and long for the Mountaineers.
1st (7:41) Trickett finds the Big 12's leading receiver, Kevin White, for a first down at the KSU 42.
1st (8:15) Morgan Burns for the Wildcats blows up a play in the backfield to set up a long third down.
1st (8:26) Clint Trickett overthrows his receiver deep again on another miscommunication. A near interception leads to a second down for WVU.
1st (8:44) A facemask is called against K-State, giving 15 yards to West Virginia on what would have been a play for no gain.
1st (8:50) West Virginia will start from the 27 after the kick return.
1st Quarter: Jake Waters, on that drive, did what he has done all season, and that is buying time with his legs and making a play once coverage breaks down. He's one of the best in the nation in that regard.
1st Quarter: The Wildcats had a net loss on one yard on the ground on that 4:04 touchdown drive.
1st Quarter: Kansas State gained 64 total yards on their scoring drive, including 65 in the air from Jake Waters on 4/5 passing.
1st (8:57) The extra point is good and Kansas State leads West Virginia 7-0.
1st (8:57) Jake Waters buys himself time once again and finds his running back Robinson floating into the endzone for a touchdown.
1st (9:30) The yardage is gained back on the ground by DeMarcus Robinson, 3rd and goal from the 7 is coming up.
1st (10:22) West Virginia blows up a run play in the backfield yet again, pushing Kansas State back 5 yards. Second and goal.
1st (10:39) West Virginia blitzes and Waters finds Lockett at the 7 yard line to set up a first and goal for the Wildcats.
1st (10:44) The defensive line for the Mountaineers bats down the pass from Jake Waters, it's now 3rd and 10 from the WVU 19.
1st (11:12) Waters buys times and finds Tyler Lockett for a 15 yard gain on 1st and 25.
1st Quarter: Travis Britz has been carted off to the locker room.
1st (11:46) Waters runs the ball for the first time today and gains 8, but a personal foul negates the play. A long first down is coming up for the Wildcats.
1st (12:09) Jake Waters finds Kody Cook inside the 20 for a big first down gain.
1st (12:53) The Mountaineers snuff out a stretch run on first down, forcing K-State to lose yardage. Second down.
1st (13:01) Tyler Lockett returns the punt on 4th down and takes it just past midfield into WVU territory.
1st (13:15) On third and three, Trickett targets White again on a quick slant but K-State blows it up.
1st (13:53) Britz has been helped off the field by the KSU training staff.
1st Quarter: West Virginia is wearing alternate helmets tonight with their blue uniforms. Kansas State is wearing their traditional white road uniforms.
1st (13:53) Defensive tackle Travis Britz is down on the field injured for Kansas State. Timeout has been called on the field.
1st (13:53) Kevin White gets his first target of the game for WVU, but throw is in double coverage and is incomplete. Strange decision early on by Trickett.
1st (14:20) And Trickett completes a pass to Jordan Thompson 10 yards over the middle for a 1st down.
1st (14:26) On second down, Clint Trickett has a miscommunication deep down field with his receiver to set up a third and long.
1st (14:54) Good coverage by K-State stops West Virginia at their own 20 on the return, but a holding call sends the Mountaineers back to their own 10, where they will start the game.
1st Half: West Virginia will start the game with the ball.
7:05 PM EST: One last stat before kickoff: Kansas State enters this game witht the least penalties in the Big 12; West Virginia is sixth in the conference.
7:01 PM EST: An emotional evening already in Morgantown, as it is Senior Night for the West Virginia Mountaineers.
Kickoff for this matchup between the Kansas State Wildcats and West Virginia Mountaineers will take place at 7:00 PM EST, live from Morgantown, West Virginia.
One saving grace for West Virginia, in case the protection for Clint Trickett is sub-par, is the fact that they are third in the Big 12 in 3rd down conversion rate, picking up a first down 44.4% of the time. They also are second in the conference in defensive 3rd down conversion rate, so stuff the Kansas State running game on early downs and not allowing easy pass plays for Jake Waters and the receivers will allow the Mountaineers to get the ball back quickly throughout the night.
On the flip side, protecting Clint Trickett is going to be vital to the success of the Mountaineers offense, however it is not something that WVU has succeeded in doing much at all this season. Jonathan Truman and the rest of the Wildcats defense will have a field day if West Virginia can't protect their quarterback against Bill Snyder's stout defense.
The pass rush is going to be a huge factor in this game for both teams. West Virginia and Kasnas State enter this matchup eighth and ninth in the Big 12 in sacks for, respectively. In terms of sacks against, K-State is fifth in the conference and WVU is ninth. This is a trend that will need to change for the Mountaineers in both respects if they want to stay in the game. While the Wildcats' Jake Waters is an effective mobile quarterback, applying frequent pressure will force him into more runnng situations, which is not a positive for even the best dual-threat quarterbacks.
The Wildcats have a great pair of receivers in their own right, with the explosive Tyler Lockett and the underrated Curry Sexton, one of the better possession receivers in the Big 12. Outside of these two stud receivers, K-State does not have much at all in terms of receiving threats, so Lockett and Sexton will have to come up big against WVU. It seems like a tall task for just two players, but they have had great games time after time, and it wouldn't be surprising to see another big performance for both players on Thursday night. (For reference: Lockett has 60 receptions for 878 yards and 6 touchdowns this year; Sexton has 53 grabs for 723 yards and 4 scores).
Wide receivers are going to play a huge role in this matchup, no one player more than Kevin White of West Virginia. The fourth leading receiver in the NCAA in terms of yards and first in the Big 12, White had a huge, 16 catch game against Texas after 2 straight ineffective games, although those 16 catches came in a losing effort. White is a big-bodied, athletic, physical receiver who has made most of the defensive backs that he has faced off against this season look foolish at best.
Charles Jones doesn't have the most flashy numbers amongst the better starting running backs in the country, but he has been very effective for Kansas State and is one of the best redzone and goal line backs in America. The sophomore tailback has 11 touchdowns on the year, nearly all of them coming from the wildcat formation down near the goal line. The running game for K-State is as effective as any in the nation, and they are primed for a big game against the Mountaineers defense, which ranks 8th in the Big 12 against the run.
For Kansas State, while they do not have quite as strong of an offense as the Mountaineers, have done very well on the offensive side of the ball this season. Quarterback Jake Waters has emerged as one of the premier dual-threat quarterbacks in the entire nation. He's a smart quarterback who doesn't make many mistakes throwing the ball, and he also is an effective and physical runner who forces opposing defenses to respect the Wildcats' ground game.
Running the ball has not been an issue for West Virginia either this season, as they rank 51st in the nation with 184.2 yards per game on the ground. The combination of Wendell Smallwood and Rushel Shell, with Dreamious Smith available to spell them as well, has made for a very potent ground attack this year. Bill Snyder's Wildcats are known for not making many mistakes on either side of the ball, and they will have to play as clean as possible this evening if they wish to stop the offense of West Virginia.
West Virginia's offense has been one of the best in the nation this year, thanks in large part to the season that quarterback Clint Trickett has had. Averaging 317.3 passing yards per game, the Florida State transfer has led WVU to the 12th ranked passing offense in the FBS this year.
Kansas State enters this game at 7-2 overall on the season, including a 5-1 record in the Big 12, with their only loss coming against TCU. West Virginia is6-4, with a 4-3 conference record, and they also had their hopes crushed earlier this year by the foot of Jaden Oberkrom and the TCU Horned Frogs. It's been a rough stretch for the Mountaineers, losig their last two games, but they can salvage the rest of their season with a big win over K-State.
Hello and welcome to VAVEL USA's coverage of college football, tonight featuring a big matchup between Big 12 foes Kansas State and West Virginia, live from Morgantown, West Virginia. The Kansas State Wildcats enter this game ranked #12 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, and while their playoff hopes are almost nonexistent at this point, they can still make a charge at the Big 12 championship and they have a slim shot at a New Year's Six bowl game. The West Virginia Mountaineers will be doing all that they can to crush the hopes of K-State as they look to end their season on a high note.