Big 12 football is here, and we’re stoked about that! In Week Five, the Kansas State Wildcats host the UCF Knights at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in a matchup with a lot on the line. The pair of teams enter the contest on completely different trajectories, with the home team, the Wildcats, sitting at 1-3, coming off a bye week. UCF, on the other hand, is headed to Manhattan after a beatdown of Bill Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels, sitting at a perfect 3-0.
The game kicks off at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday from Manhattan, Kansas. K-State is favored by 6, and the over/under is set at 49.5 points. Here are two key players to watch in this game, followed by the top storylines for each team, and a prediction from Heartland College Sports.
Two Key Players to Watch
Dylan Edwards, Kansas State Running Back
To say that Kansas State’s rushing attack has been awful would be putting it lightly at this point, as the Wildcats have posted the fewest rushing yards per game of any Big 12 team (108.0). The return of star running back Dylan Edwards should help that number, and he is expected to be a full participant in Week Five.
Tayven Jackson, UCF Quarterback
UCF quarterback Tayven Jackson has been the guy for UCF since the group gave him a look in against Jacksonville State, and he’s been producing ever since. He’s a dual-threat presence that should be in store for a big game against a struggling Kansas State defense.
Top Storylines
Beat Someone. Anyone.
Kansas State has been bad. Scratch that, they’ve been rancid. The group is an Avery Johnson-led game-winning drive against North Dakota from being 0-4. They’ve shown no fight, hustle, passion, or energy. Will that change occur against Scott Frost’s group? Or is K-State truly dead in the water?
Honor the Fallen
In a heartbreaking update out of Orlando on Monday morning, UCF Athletics announced the passing of offensive line coach Shawn Clark at the age of 50. A beloved figure in the world of college sports, Clark contributed heavily to one of the Big 12’s best rushing attacks through the first few weeks of 2025. Expect the team to play with unparalleled passion and emotion, in an effort to secure a win for their fallen mentor, friend, and Coach.
Prediction: UCF 27, Kansas State 21
There truly aren’t enough words in the English language to describe how sloppy Chris Klieman’s Wildcats have been. Pair that with a surging UCF team ready to make a statement on the road, and it’s not a great recipe for Wildcat backers. In this game, UCF returns to Manhattan and leaves with a W.
