MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State looks to stay on the winning track under first-year head coach Chris Klieman when it hosts Bowling Green on Saturday. The Wildcats kicked off the new season with a 49-14 rout of Nicholls State, which was the largest margin of victory by a Wildcats coach on his debut in program history, and hope to take another step in the right direction by improving to 10-2 against teams from the Mid-American Conference.
TV: Noon ET, FSN. LINE: Kansas State -23.5
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"Let's not get too excited about just one win," Klieman told reporters. "We've got to continue to stack great days over great days and get ready for our next opportunity." Kansas State racked up 573 yards of total offense, which was the seventh-most in school history, and aims for another dominating display in their second meeting with Bowling Green after a 58-0 win in 1997. Klieman-led teams have won 22 straight games, dating back to his tenure with reigning FCS champion North Dakota State, and he hopes to continue his winning ways by leading the Wildcats to their fifth consecutive home victory. Scot Loeffler also picked up a win in his head coaching debut as Bowling Green trounced Morgan State 46-3, and he hopes to guide the Falcons to their first win over a Power 5 team since Sept. 12, 2015.
ABOUT BOWLING GREEN (1-0)
Darius Wade was named the MAC East Division Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for 253 yards and three touchdowns in the win against Morgan State. Andrew Clair ran for 86 yards and a touchdown against the Bears to move into 23rd place on the Falcons' all-time rushing yards list with 1,513 while Quintin Morris hauled in five passes for 65 yards and a pair of TDs as Bowling Green finished with 620 yards of offense. "Due to my age and experience I was able to rev it up when it really mattered the most," Wade told reporters. "I'm just trying to do my job well and move the offense."
ABOUT KANSAS STATE (1-0)
Skylar Thompson completed 16-of-22 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown to go along with another 30 on the ground with a TD as the Wildcats racked up 361 rushing yards in the win over Nicholls State. Graduate transfer James Gilbert, who came to Manhattan from Ball State, was the first Wildcat player since Daniel Thomas in 2009 to rush for over 100 yards after he went for 115 and a touchdown against the Colonels. Dalton Schoen caught three passes for 65 yards and a touchdown to become the 32nd player in program history to reach 1,000 receiving yards for his career.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Kansas State has scored an FBS-best 113 non-offensive touchdowns since 1999.
2. Klieman has a career record of 73-13.
3. Bowling Green has dropped seven consecutive non-conference road games.
PREDICTION: Kansas State 45, Bowling Green 13