If you like passing attacks, the Liberty Bowl won't be your favorite game. No. 23 Navy and Kansas State head to Memphis to play on New Year's Eve, and these are two of the most run-heavy teams in the country. That shouldn't come as a surprise with Navy, as the Midshipmen run an option offense. Still, if we remove sacks (they count as runs at the college level), Navy's run rate of 86.4 percent is the highest in the nation. Kansas State, which is not an option team, is not far behind. The Wildcats have run the ball 61.1 percent of the time this season, which ranks 11th in the nation.
So it's a matchup of two similar styles, but it's not a matchup we've ever seen before. This is the first time these two programs have ever met. Both have been to the Liberty Bowl once before, however, with Kansas State last playing in the game following the 2015 season. For Navy, it's been a much longer absence as its lone Liberty Bowl appearance came during the 1981 season.
Storylines
Navy: The 2019 season has been an excellent bounce back year for Navy. The Midshipmen went 20-7 during their first two seasons in the AAC but dropped to 10-16 the last two seasons. Last year they went 3-10, and now they've essentially flipped that record around as they enter this game at 10-2. The reason? That would be quarterback Malcolm Perry, who set a bunch of Navy records this season and is a big play waiting to happen on every snap. As Perry goes, so goes Navy.
Kansas State: There were questions about Kansas State coming into the season following Bill Snyder's (second) retirement and Chris Klieman taking the program over. Well, early indications are that Kansas State remains in good hands. The Wildcats went 8-4 this season and pulled off a major upset over No. 4 Oklahoma. They even reached as high as No. 20 in the AP Top 25 after not being ranked at all in 2018. It's been a successful season for the Wildcats no matter the result in the Liberty Bowl, but they'd like to pick up a ninth win for the first time since 2016.
Viewing information
Event: Liberty Bowl
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 31 | Time: 3:45 p.m. ET
Location: Liberty Bowl -- Memphis, Tennessee
TV: ESPN | Live stream: WatchESPN.com
Liberty Bowl prediction, picks
While they run different offensive systems, these two teams are similar, and I expect that to result in a lower-scoring, close game. With both teams running so often it will limit the overall number of possessions, and that means points will be at a premium. In other words, this is basically a coin flip game. Both teams can win it, and when that's the case, it's hard to pass up any points. Pick: Kansas State (+2.5)
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December 29, 2019 at 07:54PM
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Navy vs. Kansas State: Prediction, pick, Liberty Bowl odds, line, spread, kickoff time, preview - CBS Sports
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