| Arthur Brown began his college career at Miami. (US Presswire) |
Miami (1-0, 1-0 ACC) at No. 21 Kansas State (1-0, 0-0 Big 12)
Kickoff: Saturday, 12 p.m. ET (FX)
Spread: Kansas State by 7
Watchability: This is one of the better games featuring either an ACC or Big 12 team this weekend. Last year, Kansas State stuffed Miami at the goal line to win 28-24 on the road.
Shining Stars: Miami: LB Denzel Perryman had seven tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown against Boston College. He’ll be key in stopping Kansas State’s run game. QB Stephen Morris showed a lot of poise, throwing for 207 yards with a touchdown and an interception against the Eagles. Kansas State: LB Arthur Brown started his college career at Miami but transferred to Kansas State after the 2009 season. Brown was first team all-conference last year after leading the Wildcats with 101 tackles. QB Collin Klein threw for 169 yards and two touchdowns against Missouri State while also rushing for 54 yards.
Who could steal the show: Miami: True freshman RB Duke Johnson burst onto the scene last week in his first career college game. He ran for 135 yards on just seven carries with touchdown runs of 54 and 56 yards. Kansas State: CB Nigel Malone led the Big 12 with seven interceptions in 2011, and Morris has thrown only eight touchdowns compared to 12 interceptions in his career.
You going? Ranking the road trip: Locally, it is an 11 a.m. kick, but Bill Snyder Family Stadium will be packed for Kansas State’s premiere non-conference game of the season. Plus, it’s Harley Day where Wildcat fans on 100 Harley-Davidson motorcycles circle the stadium before Kansas State takes the field.
Magic number for Miami: 265. Kansas State rushed for 265 yards against Miami last year. The Hurricanes will have to do a much better job defending the run if they hope to win. Miami limited Boston College to just 96 yards on 34 carries.
Magic number for Kansas State: 82. Since 1999, Kansas State has 82 non-offensive touchdowns which ties Virginia Tech for the most in the country. WR Tramaine Thompson returned a punt 89 yards for a touchdown against Missouri State last week.
The game comes down to: Whether Miami can eliminate the unforced errors to stay competitive. Miami won last week, but it had nine penalties and dropped numerous passes. If the Hurricanes cut out the mistakes, they can be competitive. If not, Kansas State could roll at home.
Prediction: Kansas State 31, Miami 23.
For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis from ACC bloggers Shawn Krest and Sean Bielawski, follow @CBSSportsACC.