The K-State football team returns to action this Saturday night at 9:15 against the Colorado Buffaloes. After the dissolution of the Pac 12 last year, Colorado came crawling back to the Big 12 with their tail between their legs. It’s quite ironic for an institution that gave the most condescending press conference I’ve ever heard in 2010 when they left the Big 12 for the Pac 12. But I digress.

This is an intriguing football game. There is future NFL talent on both rosters, and some of that talent will go head-to-head with each other on the field. Colorado is 4-1 but hasn’t beaten anyone of note and has a bad loss to Nebraska. K-State is also 4-1 with a bad loss to BYU followed by a big bounce-back victory over Oklahoma State that doesn’t look as good now as it did then. Who has the advantage in this game? I looked at the numbers, and here are ten things that stuck out to me that made me feel pretty good about the game from the perspective of a K-State fan.

1.) K-State’s defense is giving up 20 points a game, which is good for 4th place in the Big 12. Colorado is averaging 31 points a game. K-State is giving up 336 yards per game, and Colorado averages 407 yards per game. K-State is the best defense Colorado has faced this season other than Nebraska, who has the number 14 defense in the country and held the Buffaloes to 10 points.

2.) K-State is averaging 252 rushing yards per game, ranked 2nd in the Big 12 conference. Colorado’s defense gives up 156 yards per game, ranked number 11th in the conference. K-State’s running game is a big advantage for them in this game.

3.) Colorado has the worst rushing offense in the Big 12, at 81 yards per game. K-State has the 2ndbest rushing defense in the Big 12, giving up an average of 92 yards per game. This tells me that Colorado likely won’t be able to run the ball effectively against K-State, making them a one-dimensional offense. That is not a good recipe for victory.

4.) Colorado has the 2nd best passing offense in the Big 12, averaging 326 yards per game. K-State’s pass defense is 12th in the league, averaging 244 yards per game. Colorado’s passing attack is its strength on offense, while K-State’s secondary has been sketchy at times. However, if K-State holds Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders to 244 yards or less, I like their chances.

5.) K-State averages 180 yards per game passing, 15th in the Big 12. Colorado gives up 224 yards per game, which is good for 10th in the Big 12. K-State’s passing game started to get going against Oklahoma State. Colorado’s defense is suspect in both the running and the passing game, so I like K-State’s chances to move the ball on offense.

6.) Colorado is dead last in the Big 12 in sacks against, giving up 18 sacks in five games. K-State is 3rd in the Big 12 in sacks, with 12 in five games. The Wildcats should be able to put some pressure on Sanders.

7.) Colorado is the most penalized team in the Big 12, averaging 74 penalty yards a game. They are also first in the league in opponent penalty yardage. Their opponents average 78 penalty yards a game. Colorado games have the most penalty yardage in the Big 12. Why is anyone’s guess? Chris Klieman-coached teams are usually pretty good at not being penalized, so this should be an advantage for K-State.

8.) Three of the top four players in the Big 12 in yards per carry are K-Staters. DJ Giddens and Avery Johnson average 7.3 yards per carry, and Dylan Edwards averages 6.9 yards per carry. Colorado doesn’t have anything that matches this three-headed monster on the ground.

9.) Shedeur Sanders is 2nd in the Big 12 in pass efficiency rating (160) and averages 326 yards passing per game. Avery Johnson is 10th in passer rating (137) and averages 176 yards passing per game. Sanders is 2nd in total offense (331 ypg), and Johnson is 12th (240 ypg). Sanders is the real deal at quarterback, but Avery Johnson’s production gets better and better with each game. It is going to be fun watching these two on Saturday.

10.) Colorado wide receiver Travis Hunter is 3rd in the Big 12 in receiving yards, averaging 112 per game. Why might this be an advantage for K-State? K-State has a great cornerback in Jacob Parrish, who should be able to keep Hunter below his average. Colorado’s strength is the Sanders-to-Hunter connection. They will no doubt get some yards in the game, but K-State should be able to get enough stops to limit their production.

I feel much better about K-State’s chances in this game than I did a week and a half ago. The late(r) start worries me, but I don’t think it gives Colorado any significant advantage. My prediction is K-State 31 Colorado 21.