ACC & Big 12 Week 11 Preview: Wildcats, Longhorns set to square off in Austin

No. 16 Kansas State (6-2) at Texas (5-3) — 3:30 p.m. on ESPN

Kansas State will take its high-powered rushing attack to Austin this weekend, as the 16th-ranked Wildcats face Texas looking to win their fourth straight game in Big 12 play.

A four-game conference winning streak would be K-State’s longest since 2014 and could move the ‘Cats into a tie for second place in the conference, depending on the results of the other Big 12 games this weekend. On the Longhorns’ sideline, a Texas win would knot the all-time series between the teams at 10-10, making Texas .500 or better against all current and former members of the Big 12.

Overall, Texas holds a 7-3 advantage over the Wildcats at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, and the ‘Horns are 3-1 at home on the season, with their only loss coming in a 45-38 shootout with No. 1 LSU.

Now, let’s take a closer look at the teams:

Kansas State Quick Hits:

• Kansas State has rushed for 1,738 yards this year, including 555 yards over its past two games. That total includes 25 rushing touchdowns from seven different Wildcats.
• Of those 25 rushing touchdowns, 11 have come in the past two gmaes, and seven of those have come from quarterback Skylar Thompson. Thompson’s seven rushing touchdowns are the most in a two-game stretch for a K-State quarterback since Collin Klein in 2012.
• Through eight games, Kansas State has turned the ball over just three times on offense and is currently in the midst of a three-game stretch with zero turnovers.
• K-State ranks second nationally in third down defense, allowing conversions on just 25 percent of third down attempts. The Wildcats are also ranked in the top 30 among FBS programs in first downs allowed (128), passing yards allowed (186.3) and scoring defense (20.4).
• The Wildcats have given up just four passing touchdowns on the season, tied with Ohio State, Kentucky and Penn State for the fewest in the nation.
• Despite being penalized 11 times for 113 yards last week against Kansas, Kansas State enters Week 11 ranked fourth in the Big 12 with just 55.2 penalty yards per game.
• Kansas State ranks third nationally in time of possession at 35:10.
• Since 1999, Kansas State has amassed 114 non-offensive touchdowns, the most in the nation in that span.
• Kansas State has qualified for the postseason 21 times since 1990 but have yet to appear in an Orlando bowl game.
• K-State’s No. 16 ranking is the program’s first appearance in the CFP Top 25 since it finished the 2014 season ranked 11th.
• Click here for the Wildcats’ full game notes
• Click here for Kansas State’s depth chart

Texas Quick Hits:

• The Texas offense has totaled at least 430 yards of offense in seven of eight games this season and have averaged 530 yards and 42.3 points per game at home this year.
• Under head coach Tom Herman, Texas is 10-2 in games following a loss and has averaged 39.3 points per game in those contest.
• Texas ranks in the top 25 nationally in 3rd down conversion percentage (3rd), first downs (10th), scoring offense (11th), passing offense (14th) and total offense (19th).
• Quarterback Sam Ehlinger is one of only 12 FBS quarterbacks to throw for at least 200 yards in eight games this season.
• Ehlinger has thrown for 23 touchdowns, and accounted for 2,739 total yards (2,378 passing and 361 rushing) and 28 touchdowns (23 pass/5 rush) — the best eight-game start to a season by a Texas quarterback in program history in all three categories.
• Nine different Texas receivers have scored a touchdown this season, and 14 total players have scored points in 2019. Overall, Texas is one of five schools nationally with three players who have caught at least five touchdown passes this season.
• The ‘Horns defense has intercepted a Big 12-leading 11 passes so far this season, good for fifth nationally.
• Click here for the Longhorns’ full game notes
• Click here for Texas’s depth chart

Here’s a quick look at a few more games we’ll have our eyes on this weekend in the ACC and Big 12:

Florida State (4-5) at Boston College (5-4) — Noon on ACCN
Playing its first game under interim head coach Odell Haggins, Florida State will look to improve to 13-5 all-time against Boston College. The contest will mark the Eagles’ final home game of the year, as BC travels to Notre Dame and Pitt to close the regular season.

No. 12 Baylor (8-0) at TCU (4-4) — Noon on FS1
Baylor has won 10 straight games and is only the second FBS program since 1937 to start a season 8-0 within two years of an 0-8 start (UCF, 2015 and 2017). The Bears will look to improve to 9-0 against a TCU squad that is 5-2 against Baylor since joining the Big 12.

Texas Tech (3-5) at West Virginia (3-5) — Noon on ESPN2
The Mountaineers have won five straight over Texas Tech, however, the Red Raiders enter the game having won four straight games over unranked teams when coming off a bye.

Georgia Tech (2-6) at Virginia (6-3) — 12:30 p.m. on ACCNX
The Yellow Jackets rank second in the ACC in pass defense with 187.9 yards allowed per game, but will be tested by Virginia quarterback Bryce Perkins, who completed 30 of 39 passes for 378 yards and three touchdowns and also ran for 121 yards last week against North Carolina.

No. 19 Wake Forest (7-1) at Virginia Tech (5-3) — 3:30 p.m. on ACCN
The Demon Deacons are 7-1 for the first time since 2006 and just the third time in school history (1944). However, Virginia Tech has a 24-12-1 all-time lead in the series, including a 10-4-1 mark in Blacksburg. Overall, the Hokies have won six of their last seven home games.

Louisville (5-3) at Miami (5-4) — 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2
Saturday’s game will mark Louisville’s first appearance in Miami since 2004 and the first meeting between the Cardinals and Hurricanes since 2014. The teams previously met in the 2013 Russell Athletic Bowl (now the Camping World Bowl), a 36-9 Louisville victory.

No. 5 Clemson (9-0) at NC State (4-4) — 7:30 p.m. on ABC
With a victory and a Wake Forest loss against Virginia Tech, Clemson would clinch the ACC Atlantic division for the fifth straight season and would secure a berth in the ACC Championship Game. A victory would be Clemson’s eighth straight over NC State and would also give the Tigers their ninth straight 10-win season.

No. 15 Notre Dame (6-2) at Duke (4-4) — 7:30 p.m. on ACCN
The Irish are 3-2 all-time against Duke, but dropped their most recent meeting with the Blue Devils, a 38-35 loss in South Bend in 2016. Duke also won its only previous home game against Notre Dame, a 37-13 win in 1961.

Iowa State (5-3) at No. 9 Oklahoma (7-1) — 8 p.m. on FOX
Oklahoma holds an overwhelming 75-6-2 edge in its all-time series with Iowa State, and its .916 series winning percentage against the Cyclones marks the best by one FBS program against another (minimum 50 games played). However, Iowa State won the last meeting in Norman, a 38-31 victory in 2017.