Arizona Wildcats vs. Kansas State Wildcats Prediction: Who will win and why

Tonight, Friday Night Football takes place under the lights as Week 3 of college football features an early kickoff between two Big 12 title contenders, as No. 20 Arizona travels on the road Friday to face No. 14 Kansas State in a Week 3 college football game.

This Wildcats matchup may be between two Big 12 teams, but don't call it a conference game. It was scheduled before the recent conference realignment, so it's technically considered a non-conference game. Still, it's crucial for both teams.

Arizona's vaunted passing attack was in a bind against Northern Arizona last week, as Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan combined for just two passes for 11 yards and trailed at halftime before Fifita led a third-inning TD drive and Kedrick Reescano ran for a 56-yard touchdown.

Kansas State battled Tulane on the road last weekend. The Green Wave built a 10-point lead at halftime and were still up by seven in the fourth quarter before the Wildcats added two more points late when Dylan Edwards ran for a 13-yard run and Jack Fabris returned a fumble 60 yards for a score.

What can we expect from this matchup? Here's what to look for when Arizona and Kansas State meet in this Week 3 college football game with our updated prediction.

1. Fight on the ground. Kansas State has had success running the ball with DJ Giddens and Dylan Edwards, averaging 7.8 yards per carry through two games. In Avery Johnson, the team has a mobile quarterback who can add more yards to the total when needed.

Arizona did a pretty good job of defending against rushing attempts last week, limiting the Lumberjacks to just 2.9 yards per run and 89 total yards on 31 attempts. However, against New Mexico, the team struggled, allowing 210 yards of rushing time and two scores, enough to limit the game to 3 points in the first half.

2. Arizona's double strike. Arizona's hopes for the Big 12 title – and they are well founded – rest on the combination of quarterback Noah Fifita and wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. Although they struggled last week, they are still one of the most dynamic duos in college football.

This is especially true for Kansas State's pass defense, which seems vulnerable against faster opponents. Tulane was able to gain 342 yards in the air in addition to two touchdown passes against this unit.

3. On the line. Kansas State poses a challenge for Arizona's pass defense because it currently has one of the most impressive pass-rushing units in the Big 12. In the crucial moments against Tulane when K-State needed to unsettle the quarterback, they succeeded, and they have the bodies to generate plenty of pressure that could throw Fifita off rhythm.

And Arizona's front seven, which was vulnerable to running play attempts in the season opener, will have its own problems against what looks to be a very strong Kansas State defensive lineup, giving young quarterback Avery Johnson time to find his targets and open up big gaps for a powerful backfield.

Lines provided courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

Kansas State -7.5 (-104)
Arizona: +7.5 (-118)

K-State ML: -275
Arizona ML: +220

Over 60.5 points: -115
Below 60.5 points: 105

Fifita and McMillan will poke holes in Kansas State's defense often enough to keep the game exciting for most of the night, but Arizona's defense may eventually have trouble containing Kansas State's running game.

College Football HQ's selection…

More … Arizona vs. Kansas State score prediction by expert model

When: Friday, September 13
Time: 7pm Central
TV: Fox Network

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The game odds are updated regularly and are subject to change.

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