No. 20 K-State opens against Central Arkansas

Aug 31, 2017 - 3:17 PM Central Arkansas (10-3) at No. 20 Kansas State (9-4), 7:10 p.m. EDT (ESPN3) Line: No line. Series: First meeting. WHAT'S AT STAKE Kansas State returns most of its key players after winning the Texas Bowl last season. Coach Bill Snyder, 77, is also back after an offseason spent undergoing treatment for throat cancer. Central Arkansas expects to contend for the Southland Conference title and an FCS playoff spot. KEY MATCHUP Kansas State's rebuilt defense against Central Arkansas's offense. The Wildcats replaced standout DE Jordan Willis and most of its linebacker corps, and the Bears should provide a nice early test. They return their entire offensive line, QB Hayden Hildebrand and RB Carlos Blackman. PLAYERS TO WATCH Central Arkansas: Hildebrand threw for 3,051 yards and 19 TDs last season, leading his team to the second round of the FCS playoffs. Kansas State: QB Jesse Ertz threw for 1,755 yards and nine TDs while running for 1,012 yards and 12 TDs last season, and should be able to build on those numbers with most of his offense returning. FACTS & FIGURES Central Arkansas returns 18 starters from last season. ... Bears coach Steve Campbell is 137-43 in 17 seasons as a head coach and 40-21 in three seasons at Central Arkansas. ... Snyder begins his 26th season. He has 202 career wins, the most among active coaches at their current schools. TCU's Gary Paterson is next with 149. ... The Wildcats also return 18 starters and 179 total starts from last season, their most since 2000. ... Ertz was among four players in the nation with 1,500 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing last season. ... The Wildcats were fourth nationally with a plus-13 turnover margin last season. ... Kansas State broke the school record with 5.27 yards per carry last season. The team ran for at least 200 yards in nine games and hit the 300-yard mark four times. ... The Wildcats lost 12 turnovers last season, tied for fifth-best nationally. ... Kansas State has had 33 straight sellouts. ___ More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25.