Kansas State vs. Tulane Best College Football Prop Bets for Week 2

Reed Wallach | Sep 6, 2024

Dec 28, 2023; Orlando, FL, USA; Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson (2) celebrates his touchdown against NC State in the second quarter at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images / Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

Kansas State and Tulane start Week 2 action on Saturday afternoon at Yulman Stadium.

The Wildcats will usher in the Avery Johsnon era with its first road game of the seaosn against a Tulane team trying to maintain its high level of play under new head coach Jon Summral. Last season, Kansas State handled Summral's Troy team, will it keep up with some new pieces in key places and a new team for Summral?

Here's how I'm targeting player props on Saturday.

Best College Football Player Props for Kansas State vs. Tulane

• Darian Mensah OVER 152.5 Passing Yards
• Avery Johnson OVER 51.5 Rushing Yards
• Dante Cephas UNDER 24.5 Receiving Yards

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Darian Mensah OVER 152.5 Passing Yards

The redshirt freshman won the starting quarterback job in fall camp, and now comes his first test against a Power Four team in Kansas State. 

The Green Wave didn’t show much in its win over Southeastern Louisiana, but in small flashes, Mensah chucked it down the filed, averaging more than 16 yards of average depth of target (aDOT) on 12 passes. 

It’s a small sample size, but Tulane could tap into the California native’s arm strength to try and take the top off the K-State secondary that was bottom half of the country in explosive pass rate last season. 

While I expect a cagey effort, this number is implying that Mensah is not a threat in the passing game, but I believe the Green Wave passing game has far more upside. 

Avery Johnson OVER 51.5 Rushing Yards

Johnson is a dynamic threat, and far more proven as a rusher than a passer. 

I don’t take much away from the tune up game against UT-Martin, but in last season’s bowl game, the only game that Johnson started, he ran for 71 yards on seven rushes while completing only 45% of his passes for 178 yards. 

In his first regular season start coming on the road, I believe we see Johnson lean on his legs to move the ball as he struggles to prove he can pass against a sturdy Tulane defense. 

Dante Cephas UNDER 24.5 Receiving Yards

The Penn State transfer by way of Kent State only saw 12 snaps in Week 1 against UT-Martin. 

Yes, it’s only one game against an FCS foe, but Cephas may not factor into the passing game as much as many had hoped when he transferred into the Wildcats program. He had two targets and zero receptions as well, and I’m not all that confident that the K-State passing game will travel to New Orleans all that well. 

This number is low, but I’m not counting on much from him given his snap count in Week 1 and the possibility that this game is more of a ground-based offensive attack on Saturday. 

---

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Follow Reed on Twitter @ReedWallach and get all his college football bets on betstamp @rw33

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.