Kansas State, coming off an impressive 31-22 win over UCLA on opening weekend, will look to move to 2-0 on the young season as Missouri State of the Missouri Valley Conference visits the Little Apple and Bill Snyder Family Stadium for a 6:10 p.m. non-conference tilt. The game, which will feature a postgame fireworks show for fans, will not be televised but can be heard along the K-State Sports Network, online (for free) at www.k-statesports.com and on SIRIUS satellite radio channel 125. Wyatt Thompson will call the action with Stan Weber serving as the color analyst and Matt Walters providing sideline updates. Live stats are also available through CBS College Sports’ Gametracker, while Twitter updates and a live in-game blog will all be a part of k-statesports.com’s gameday coverage. Tickets still remain for the contest, including Wildcat 4-Packs for $75, and fans with a ticket from last week’s record-breaking matchup with UCLA can receive $10 off any game ticket for this week’s contest.

A QUICK LOOK AT THE WILDCATS

A season-opening record crowd of 51,059 watched Kansas State run away late from UCLA last week for a 31-22 win in the 2010 opener. The Wildcats rushed for 313 yards as a team, which were the most in a game since gaining 393 vs. ULL in 2004, and Doak Walker Award candidate Daniel Thomas accounted for 234 of those yards. The senior set a new career high with his performance, while the 234 rushing yards were the most ever by a Wildcat in a season opener and the fifth-most ever in a game. Thomas’ 35-yard scamper into the endzone on third-and-one with 58 seconds remaining sealed the win for the Cats and moved them to 4-0 all-time in season/home openers against BCS opponents. Defensively, Kansas State played well against the Bruins of the Pac-10 Conference, especially in key situations down the stretch. The Wildcats forced three turnovers on the afternoon, recorded 3.0 sacks and harassed UCLA’s passing game, which only completed 9-of-26 attempts. Brandon Harold had a solid performance on the day, finishing with five total tackles, one sack, a forced fumble and a pass breakup. Terrance Sweeney’s four passes defended led the NCAA on Saturday as the senior recorded three breakups and one interception in his first career start. Walk-on place kicker Anthony Cantele was also sharp in his first career action by booting four touchbacks on six kickoffs and going 5-for-5 on combined FGA/PAT’s.

A LOOK AT THE OPPONENT

Missouri State heads into Manhattan with a 1-0 record after defeating Eastern Kentucky, 31-9, last Friday in its season opener. The game was originally scheduled for Thursday, September 2, but was postponed a day after a three-hour delay for lightning. In the win, the Bears racked up 388 total yards on offense and were led by running back Chris Douglas, who rushed for 128 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Cody Kirby completed 15-of-25 passes for 199 yards and a score as Missouri State showed nice balance on offense in the opener. Defensively, the Bears surrendered 350 total yards to Eastern Kentucky, but limited its offense to just 35 yards on 25 carries (1.4 yards per rush). Four players recorded five or more tackles in the game for Missouri State as Antoine Wilkinson paced the defense with nine tackles, three of which went for losses, and two sacks. The Bears are coached by Terry Allen, who spent the 1997-2001 seasons as head coach at the University of Kansas.

K-STATE AGAINST THE FCS AND THE MISSOURI VALLEY

The game against Missouri State on Saturday marks the first and only time the Wildcats will face a Football Championship Subdivision team this season after battling two in 2009. The Wildcats, who will meet Missouri State for just the second time in school history, have faced an FCS team in each of the last five seasons and in eight of the last nine. Since 1989, the Wildcats have played 16 FCS members and posted a 15-1 record in those games, including having won 14 in a row. The game also marks the 18th for the Wildcats against schools currently in the Missouri Valley Conference -- K-State is 14-3 in those games with all three losses coming against Northern Iowa. In fact, the Wildcats’ 10-8 loss to Northern Iowa in 1989 spoiled Bill Snyder’s first home game at K-State and came against the then-Terry Allen-led Panthers.

NON-CONFERENCE NOTABLES

Kansas State has been one of the most dominant teams nationally in terms of non-conference success, having won 13 of its last 19 non-conference games, while the Wildcats have had perfect non-conference ledgers eight times in the last 13 years. Under Bill Snyder, K-State is 63-14 (.818) overall against non-conference opposition, while the Cats have won 55 of their last 58 non-conference home games under the legendary head coach.

SNYDER IN SEPTEMBERS

Fast home starts have propelled the Wildcats to winning seasons under Bill Snyder. From 1992 to the present under Snyder, K-State is a combined 45-5 (.900) in games played during the month of September. Of the five losses, three came on the road, as the Cats are 36-2 in September home games during that stretch. The lone losses occurred against Fresno State on Sept. 11, 2004, and Marshall on Sept. 20, 2003.

SNYDER AMONG BEST ACTIVE COACHES

The author of the greatest turnaround in college football history, Bill Snyder is in act two of guiding K-State, and his work ranks among the best in college football when compared to other active coaches. Snyder, who currently ranks 12th all-time in wins among active FBS coaches, is one of just two active BCS coaches who have served at the same school for at least 18 years and have never held the same position at another school (Joe Paterno of Penn State). Also, Snyder holds the 11th-best winning percentage among active FBS coaches with at least 125 wins. What might be even more amazing is that Snyder has tallied the fifth-most victories among active coaches since 1990 despite a three-year hiatus. Snyder has guided Kansas State to 142 victories since the 1990 season, only to be out-done by the likes of Mack Brown, Frank Beamer, Joe Paterno and Steve Spurrier.

DEFENDING THE HOME TURF

Kansas State, which sported a 5-1 home record in 2009, opened the 2010 season with an impressive 31-22 win at home over UCLA. Under Bill Snyder, the Wildcats have won at least five home games in 14 of Snyder’s 18 seasons and have gone unblemished in Manhattan five times.

HOME SWEET HOME

Few teams in college football have taken care of their home field as well as the Wildcats since the start of the 1990 season. Over the past 18-plus years, K-State is an amazing 107-23-1 (.819) when playing at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, including a 52-18-1 mark (.739) in league games (combined Big 8/Big 12).