MANHATTAN, Kan.-UCF will begin its life in the Big 12 against the defending conference champion when it visits Kansas State on Saturday. The Knights are off to a 3-0 start led by their defense, which has yet to allow more than 16 points in a game. The Wildcats are 2-1. Quarterback will be a concern for both teams. The Knights will be without John Rhys Plumlee after he was hurt against Boise State, meaning transfer Timmy McClain will get the start. Kansas State's Will Howard was shaken up against Missouri and is questionable with freshman Avery Johnson next in line.
UCF (3-0) at Kansas State (2-1), Saturday, 7 p.m. CT (FS1)
Line: Kansas State by 6 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Series record: Kansas State leads 1-0.
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WHAT’S AT STAKE?
UCF will be making its Big 12 debut when it heads to Bill Snyder Family Stadium to play Kansas State, the reigning conference champion. The Knights are unbeaten after sandwiching a pair of easy non-conference wins around an 18-16 nailbiter against Boise State. The Wildcats are coming off a disheartening 30-27 loss at Missouri, where they controlled most of the game before the Tigers' Harrison Mevis hit a 61-yard winning field goal as time expired.
KEY MATCHUP
Kansas State QB Will Howard against the UCF defense. Howard was visibly slowed by the beating he took last week against Missouri, and it showed in his uneven performance. He had 270 yards and three touchdowns passing with an interception but was unable to add much in the quarterback run game. Howard is questionable to play against the Knights, and freshman Avery Johnson would be next in line to face a UCF defense that has yet to allow more than 16 points in a game.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
UCF: McClain is expected to start after John Rhys Plumlee hurt his right knee in the closing minutes of the win over Boise State. Knights coach Gus Malzahn said Monday that Plumlee could miss multiple weeks, and that means McClain will lead them into their Big 12 debut. The South Florida transfer led the Bulls in passing in 2021 before redshirting last season.
Kansas State: Johnson could take the spotlight if Howard is unable to play. He has been used primarily as a running threat, but the four-star prospect and one of the nation's best dual-threat quarterback recruits has a big arm, too.
The top dual-threat passer in the Class of 2023, Johnson wowed coaches and teammates during fall camp, and he has their full confidence. He had five carries for 34 yards against the Tigers.
"He can do everything," Klieman said, "and we will do everything with him."
K-State faces a high-powered UCF squad that went through the non-conference with wins over Kent State (56-6), at Boise State (18-16), and against Villanova (48-14). UCF leads the nation in total offense (617.7 yards per game), has reached 500 total yards in every game, and its 723 yards against Kent State mark the most by a FBS team this season. The Knights are second nationally in rushing offense (299.3 yards per game). Making his first start in UCF uniform, redshirt sophomore quarterback Timmy McClain threw for a career-high 321 yards and a pair of touchdowns against Villanova. His favorite target was senior wide receiver Kobe Hudson, who had six catches for 147 yards.Running backs RJ Harvey (79.7 yards per game) and Johnny Richardson (71.0 yards per game) offer a dangerous one-two punch. Both rank in the top-10 in rushing in the league. "They're incredibly explosive," K-State defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman said. "Explosive in the pass game. They do a lot of things to try and get one-on-one matchups on the outside. I know they have an RPO element. Sometimes it's based on access and sometimes numbers in the box. They have a lot of good athletes."They're a really good offensive football team."
True freshman Austin Romaine is expected to get his first-career start in replacing Green at middle linebacker. "We're going to do what we do, and obviously we have to put people into positions to be successful," Klanderman said. "Daniel is a big piece of that just because of his experience and ability. But we have guys who are capable of doing the things that we ask them to do. I'm excited for Austin Romaine and the challenge he has. He's earned this. When he got onto campus in the winter time and he went through spring practice, we knew he was a good football player. Physically, he's pretty mature for his age. "He's flanked by two of our better football players in Austin Moore and Des (Desmond) Purnell. They're sensational, and they'll help him be grounded through this whole thing."K-State will be challenged by a UCF defense that didn't allow Villanova past midfield and has recorded an interception in all three games. The Knights rank 20th in the FBS in allowing just 166.7 passing yards per game and also surrender just 117.0 rushing yards per game. They are one of 10 FBS teams to hold every opponent to 16 or fewer points. K-State offensive coordinator Collin Klein on Thursday said that Howard suffered a soft-tissue injury against Missouri but "has gotten better every day," adding that, "if he can go and gets healthy, obviously, he'll go, but it's been day to day, and it'll probably continue that way."Klein has no reservation in starting Johnson if needed. "We wouldn't put him out there if he wasn't ready," he said. "Obviously, it's not just about one guy, too. It's about everybody stepping up and playing well around whoever is back there to make it go."K-State remains on the mend as well. The motto for K-State this year is "Raise the Bar."All K-State players had to do during the week was look at the videoboards in Bill Snyder Family Stadium to remember their four core values — Discipline, Commitment, Toughness, and Be Selfless. As for how those values apply to this week?"Discipline is to let last week go and let it fuel you," K-State safety Marques Sigle said. "Commitment is staying true to our goal of a Big 12 Championship. Toughness is fighting through all the emotions and all the media and working to get better every day. Being selfless is being there for your brothers. Every play we're making for Daniel Green."K-State has plenty to play for as the Big 12 season begins. "There's a lot to prove, but a lot of it is you've got to prove to yourself," Gillum said. "Guys have high expectations. We're ready to bounce back."