By Wendell Barnhouse
Big12Sports.com Correspondent
With the game-time temperature forecast to be in the 20s, the Thursday night meeting of Kansas State and West Virginia in Morgantown cries out for an offense that can control the ball with a dominant running game.
The 11th-ranked Wildcats have averaged 192 yards rushing but in their two losses the running game has been stuffed. K-State hopes to return to a dominant run game against a West Virginia defense that allows 181.5 rushing yards per game.
"The two games we lost, we really struggled in the run," sophomore running back Charles Jones said. "It really puts a lot on our shoulders and shows that we have a lot of pride to run the ball. We need to change that and establish the run.
"We used this bye week to focus on establishing run, which is a big part of our offense. "Knowing that we couldn't get it going in the TCU game, we look forward to picking it back up."
The Mountaineers are much better when they balance their offense. West Virginia is fourth in the Big 12 in rushing, averaging 184 yards per game. The ability to run the ball allows for quarterback Clint Trickett to find openings for a number of talented wide receivers.
"I think Clint is throwing the ball awfully well," Kansas State coach Bill Snyder said. "He is an accurate thrower. I think he got ingrained in the system consequently like (TCU's Trevone) Boykin."
The game features Kansas State's Tyler Lockett and West Virginia's Kevin White. Both are semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award that goes to college football's top receiver. In the last two games against West Virginia, Lockett has 17 receptions for 305 yards. White leads the Big 12 in receptions per game while Lockett is third.
"I think Lockett is one of the best players in the country," Mountaineers coach Dana Holgorsen said. "He hurt us last year, he's hurt a lot of people over the last couple of years."
Kansas State at West Virginia
Need to know: 6 p.m., Milan Puskar Stadium, FS1
Records: Kansas State 7-2, 5-1; West Virginia 6-4, 4-3.
Scouting Kansas State: The 11th-ranked Wildcats will try to get back to playing the style that helped them win seven games – a balanced and productive offense coupled with a stifling defense. K-State still has a chance of earning a share of the conference title or winning it outright. Jake Waters and Kevin Lockett torched the West Virginia defense last season in the Wildcats' 35-12 victory.
Scouting West Virginia: The Mountaineers seek to bounce back from consecutive losses that knocked them out of the Big 12 race. West Virginia has had trouble stopping the run and senior quarterback Clint Trickett has cooled off over the last few games. The Mountaineers, though, have three productive running backs along with Kevin White, one of the most explosive receivers in the nation.
This and that: K-State receiver Tyler Lockett is 122 yards shy of becoming the first player in school history with two 1,000-yard seasons. … West Virginia's pass defense has improved, allowing 6.06 yards per pass attempt. Last season the Mountaineers were last in the Big 12, allowing 7.88 yards. … The Mountaineers are averaging just 216 yards per game through the air over their last three games against Oklahoma State, TCU and Texas,