FAU vs Kansas State: Preview, Streaming, Starting Time, Betting Line, Prediction

Start Time: 2:30 PM EST

Location: Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan, Kansas.

TV/Streaming: Fox Sports

Betting Line: FAU 22.5 at Kansas State

Series Record: Kansas State leads 1-0

Two weeks into the season and we still don’t know what to make of FAU. Go figure. After a dispiriting effort against FCS opponent Southern Illinois, the team looked much focused against Miami (FL) but sill lacked any firepower offensively.

This week the Owls will travel to the Little Apple and face a team that is very similar to FAU in that the defense is pretty good, but the offense is still a question mark.

Kansas State Outlook: Bill Snyder has had two weeks to prepare for FAU after losing on the road to Stanford 26-13 in the opener. The offense was sluggish, but the defense was pretty strong, holding the Cardinal to 272 total yards on offense.

Kansas State likes to play very slow on offense, incorporating at-times spread elements via swing passes and read options but will often switch back pro-style tendencies by just having the quarterback take the snaps from under center.

Despite trailing for a majority of the game, the Wildcats were balanced, passing 41 times and rushing 32 times. Quarterback Jesse Ertz will remind FAU fans a lot of Driskel as he has some mobility to go with his stocky frame.

Ertz passed for 207 yards and rushed for 20 yards with one touchdown and an interception. At running back the Wildcats featured two players in Charles Jones and Justin Silmon. Neither was too effective.

Defensively the Wildcats will give FAU fits as they are a very sound defense that forces you to sustain long drives. They are were as good as you can be against the run when theirs Heisman hopeful in the backfield and against FAU they will try to limit big plays and stop the run.

FAU Outlook: Can FAU stop the run? That will be determine if FAU will win Saturday. After being forced to throw the ball early against Stanford, Kansas State will certainly try to establish the run against FAU on standard down, and passing downs.

The defense has done a good job at limiting big plays so far this year and K-State failed to register any big plays against Stanford. The Wildcats will have to try and sustain drives, and with their depth on the line of scrimmage, coupled with their penchant for establishing the run, that falls into their hands as FAU may get worn down over the course of the game.

Offensively someone is going to have to step up and prevent the defense from seeing too many plays. Kalib Woods had the best game of his career last week, and if FAU is going to be successful moving the ball he’s going to have to produce close to those numbers yet again.

Turnovers have yet to be an issue this season, and if Driskel can stay the course and limit his mistakes FAU will make this a game. But in order for the Owls to come back to Boca with a win, rather than a moral victory, FAU is going to have to show us something we have yet to see.

Prediction

FAU’s defense will make this close going into the half but I have zero confidence in this offense. I think we’ll see FAU struggle on offense all game and the defense get worn down in the second half. Kansas State 28 FAU 13.