We continue to look at some of the marquee nonconference games involving Pac-12 teams in 2016. Today we'll look at Kansas State.
Opponent: at Stanford
Date of matchup: Friday, Sept. 2
Star players: QB Jesse Ertz, WR Deante Burton, LB Elijah Lee, LB Charmeachealle Moore, DB Donnie Starks
Offseason storyline: Will Kansas State bounce back after a disappointing 2015 season in which they finished 6-7 overall, their first losing campaign since 2008? Ertz returns from a knee injury that shelved him for most of last season, so there's optimism that the offense can rise above mediocrity and average over 30 points per game again in 2016. Even if increased productivity on that side of the ball comes to fruition, the Wildcats must remain more healthy on defense than they did last season, when they allowed 6.2 yards per play and struggled mightily against stronger offenses.
This is coach Bill Snyder's 25th season at the helm of Kansas State. Was last year's losing record just a blip on an otherwise successful radar, or is the 76-year-old coach's program in the midst of a larger decline? That's the overarching question surrounding Kansas State this offseason.
What's at stake for Stanford? After last year's catastrophic 16-6 season-opening loss at Northwestern, the Cardinal fully understand the importance of a strong start to the season. Last year's setback likely cost David Shaw's team a spot in the College Football Playoff, and a similar slip-up to kick things off against Kansas State could inflict similar damage.
Don't forget about Stanford's brutal schedule to open the season. Following this opener, USC, UCLA, Washington, Washington State, and Notre Dame await. This might be the Cardinal's only chance to work out some early-season kinks, though Kansas State certainly isn't a nonconference patsy.
Stanford will be breaking in a new quarterback, so this match-up will be the first career start for either Ryan Burns or Keller Chryst. The Cardinal hope that home-field comfort allows their new man to ease into his first real playing time, and they also hope that Christian McCaffrey kicks off his 2016 Heisman Trophy bid in style against a Wildcats defense that allowed 4.4 yards per rush last season.