Kansas State football vs. Houston: Scouting report, prediction

MANHATTAN — Kansas State football will try to extend its winning streak to a season-high three games on homecoming Saturday with an 11 a.m. kickoff against Houston at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

After knocking off Texas Tech on the road, 38-21, and then blowing out TCU at home last week, 41-3, the Wildcats are 5-2 overall and part of a four-way tie for second place in the Big 12 at 3-1. Houston is coming off a pair of nailbiters, edging West Virginia, 41-39, and falling to Texas, 31-24, last week.

Related: How Kansas State football's defense put it all together in blowout of TCU

Kansas State comes into the game, which will air on ESPN2, as a 17.5-point favorite, but face a Houston team that has played better of late, taking preseason conference favorite Texas to the brink at home.

Here are five things to know, plus a prediction, for the first-ever meeting between K-State and Houston:

Taking a closer look at Houston

Houston may be a newcomer to the Big 12, but fifth-year Cougars head coach Dana Holgorsen certainly is not. He previously spent eight years (2011-18) as head coach at West Virginia, where he also oversaw the Mountaineers transition from the Big East to the Big 12.

The Cougars' move to the Big 12 has not been an easy one, but with a last-second Hail Mary victory against West Virginia, they appear to have regained their footing. They then rallied from a 21-0 deficit to give Texas a scare last week.

Houston has struggled defensively, ranking last in the Big 12 in total defense by allowing 419 yards per game. But the Cougars have a potent offense that averages 407 yards.

Related: How Kansas State football tackle Carver Willis has carved out a niche on the offensive line

Kansas State grounding and pounding

K-State's back-to-back victories heading into this week's game have been fueled by a re-energized rushing attack. The Wildcats ran for 272 yards at Texas Tech two weeks ago and then pounded TCU to the tune of 343 yards.

Running backs Treshaun Ward and DJ Giddens both ran for 80-plus yards in the TCU game, and each has had big individual games with Giddens going 207 yards against Central Florida and Ward rushing for 118 vs. Texas Tech.

Freshman quarterback Avery Johnson, who has split time with starter Will Howard the past two weeks, also is a threat on the ground, though Howard ran for 62 yards as well against TCU.

Houston players to watch

Junior quarterback Donovan Smith should be familiar to K-State after starting for Texas Tech against the Wildcats last year. Smith has thrived in Houston's offense so far, ranking second in the Big 12 in both total offense and passing yards. He threw for 378 yards and three touchdowns in the loss to Texas.

Related: Kansas State football finds winning quarterback formula with Will Howard and Avery Johnson

The Cougars have three of the top nine wide receivers in the Big 12, with Samuel Brown's 41 catches and 629 yards leading the league. Joseph Manjack had 35 catches for 435 yards and Matthew Golden 34 for 383 yards and a team-best six touchdowns.

Defensively, linebacker Malik Robinson is seventh in the league with 55 tackles, end Ceaser Nelson second in sacks with 5.5 and defensive back Malik Fleming third in interceptions with three.

K-State's Ben Sinnott and Austin Romaine should play

Kansas State freshman middle linebacker Austin Romaine missed last week's TCU game with an injury suffered at Texas Tech, but defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman said he practiced all week and should be good to go.

The same is true of tight end Ben Sinnott, who came out of the TCU game late in the first half. According to offensive coordinator Collin Klein, he should play as well.

Head coach Chris Klieman said that wide receivers Keagan Johnson and RJ Garcia, who have been plagued by injuries for much of the season, likely will be game-time decisions.

K-State QB rotation remains up in the air

Quarterbacks Howard and Johnson alternated possessions last week with great success against TCU, but Klein said he is not married to that arrangement. More likely, game situations and opposing defenses will dictate how they are deployed.

Howard has started all seven games so far and bounced back from two sub-par performances by completing 10 of 16 passes for 154 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for 62 yards. Johnson ran for 73 yards and completed 5 of 10 passes for 90 yards and a score.

Prediction: Kansas State 42, Houston 17

Houston has demonstrated the ability to move the ball, especially in the passing game, but has done little to slow the other side down.

K-State's rushing attack not only should be too much for the Cougar defense, but also will keep Smith and the offense off the field.

Look for the Wildcats not only to prevail, but to cover the 17.5-point spread.

Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State football vs. Houston scouting report, prediction