November 6, 2001 ON THE HUSKER MENU: THE KANSAS ST. WILDCATS. Wildcats pounce into Lincoln on a two-game win streak, Huskers seek to settle score from last year. Here kitty, kitty. Yes, the purple cats of KSU are invading Lincoln this Saturday for a game that may not be the marquee match-up of past games between the two teams, but a crucial game for both nonetheless. Nebraska and Kansas St. will kick it off Saturday at 2:30 p.m. central at Memorial Stadium. The game will be regionally televised by ABC. (See link below to find out where it will be on and where it won’t.) The Kansas State Wildcats (4-4, 2-2) will attempt to put a happy face on their disappointing season. A win could help ease the pain of a four-game mid-season losing streak. A loss could keep the Wildcats in Manhattan for bowl season. Nebraska is riding high at (10-0, 7-0) ranked #1 in the BCS and #2 in the AP and USA Today/ESPN polls. They can clinch a share of the Big 12 North title with a win over the Wildcats, and are on the fast track to play in the Big 12 title game in Dallas. If they survive those tough tests, Nebraska will be in the Rose Bowl playing for the national championship. Husker quarterback Eric Crouch is gaining momentum as a Heisman candidate and will be under the microscope with every pitch he tosses, every pass he unloads. So lots at stake Saturday in Lincoln. Sure, the game doesn’t have the marquee value of previous years, but it is a must-win game for both teams for very different reasons. Many college football fans around the country were surprised that K-State seemed to self-destruct after losing a heartbreaker to Oklahoma in Norman earlier this season. That started their 4-game losing streak. Since then, Kansas St. has won two straight, a 40-6 win over Kansas and a 42-3 thrashing of Iowa St. But standing in the way of the Wildcats is a solid Nebraska team with what will likely be another frenzied sell-out home crowd behind them. The Huskers also have another little thing on their minds. Make that a big thing: The revenge factor. The Huskers want to settle the score after last year’s heart-breaking loss to Kansas St. in Manhattan. It was a game that was remembered as much for the ice, snow, sleet, and rain that fell during the game as it was for the final score. Many Husker fans believe if the elements would not have turned so incredibly nasty in the final minutes of the game, Nebraska could have put together a winning drive to defeat the Wildcats. Didn’t happen. It was one of the hardest-to-swallow Huskers losses in recent memory, and also just happens to be the game in which the Huskers last lost. Since then they’ve won 12 straight. So, just as the Huskers are under pressure to continue to win every game in order to play for a national championship, Kansas State is under pressure to win to salvage a lackluster season, and stay in line for a bowl berth. There is no love lost between Nebraska and Kansas State, both the teams and their fans. In recent years, many have referred to it as a bitter rivalry. More on that this week on MissingNebraska.com. Let’s go Huskers! Beat the Cats! Will the game be on at your house? ABC-TV Coverage Map NU-KSU Preview from ESPN NU-KSU Preview from the Omaha World-Herald Is Kansas St. for real? Take the poll Feedback