The Utah Utes are home in Week 13, taking on the Kansas State Wildcats in a matchup between two teams headed in different directions. The Utes are trending up at 8-2 and have blown out just about everyone not named BYU or Texas Tech. Meantime, the Wildcats are 5-5, hoping to sneak out of bowl eligibility.
Utah is favored by 17.5 points, and the over/under is set at 52.5 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
Wayshawn Parker, Utah Running Back
Sophomore running back Wayshawn Parker has been a bright spot in Utah’s backfield this season and is currently averaging 7.2 yards per carry. The California native helps form a special rushing attack for Kyle Whittingham’s squad as he’s surrounded by an incredibly mobile quarterback in Devon Dampier. This one just makes sense. K-State can’t stop the run, and Utah runs it really well.
Avery Johnson, Kansas State Quarterback
I try not to choose quarterbacks when discussing the most important player of the game, but for Kansas State, it’s more of a question of who’s left? Jayce Brown, Austin Romaine, and Tobi Osunsanmi are all done for the year with season-ending injuries, Dylan Edwards quit the team, and the rest of the team just isn’t very good. If Kansas State wants to even keep this thing close on the road, Avery Johnson will need to play the best game of his career.
Top Storylines
Don’t Look Too Far Ahead
Utah is in extremely crucial territory with each passing week. They’ve got two games left and have eyes squarely on the College Football Playoff. They close out the regular season against two teams from the Sunflower State, Kansas State and Kansas. The Utes cannot afford to slip. Not only do they need to win, but they must look like a playoff-worthy team if they hope to sneak into the CFP. The program is currently No. 13 in the poll and climbing. Do not let your foot off the gas.
Who’s Worth Keeping?
Every game Kansas State plays is an audition at this point. When you fall off the rails as badly as the Wildcats did relative to their preseason expectations, guys check out. It’s human nature. But for Chris Klieman, it’s crunch time. People will hit the portal, and some will stay. This game against Utah is about figuring out who you’ll need to pursue and who you should let walk.
Prediction: Utah 48, Kansas State 27
Even though this game reeks of a potential trap game, K-State just doesn’t have the team to pull this off. Utah will dominate the Wildcats on the ground and eat up the clock, while their defense should be licking its chops against Kansas State’s pitiful offensive line. Look for the Utes to cover the spread if that line stays right below 20 points.
