MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — There is a little more meaning when Army plays certain schools in football.

Kansas State is one of them.

It might not seem like it at first glance. One of the nation’s flagship military schools has only played the land-grant college twice in its history, the first matchup at West Point in 1966 and the second coming 21 years later at Kansas State.

Yet the Wildcats always have been closely tied to the Army. Their campus is a short drive from Fort Riley, which traces its roots to the early 1850s, when it was built to protect settlers along the Oregon and Santa Fe trails. Over the years, the base has served as the home to the famed Buffalo Soldiers, and it remains the home of the renowned 1st Infantry Division.

It is common for soldiers to take classes at Kansas State. And just as common for its alumni to serve in the military.

So when Army coach Jeff Monken was asked to ponder the Black Knights’ difficult road test against the Wildcats on Saturday night, the first silver lining that came to mind was this: “Maybe we’ll have a little bit of a hometown crowd in attendance, among the huge crowd that I know will be cheering for them.”

Probably wishful thinking.

Still, Monken said, “It’s awesome to be traveling to a place where we know there’s going to be American soldiers close by, and in attendance, and there’s a pride that comes with the Army team coming to town. That means a lot to us.”

It means a lot to Kansas State, too. The school holds a “Fort Riley Day” each season, and naturally, officials chose the matchup with the Black Knights this year. So the men and women of the Big Red One — the nickname for the 1st Infantry — will be there Saturday night with vehicles and demonstrations, and pregame ceremonies include a flyover and skydiving team.

The 130th Field Artillery Brigade, provided by the Kansas Army National Guard and headquartered in Manhattan, also will be on hand. Their booming 75mm Pack howitzers will accompany the marching band’s halftime performance of the “1812 Overture.”

Pageantry aside, both schools have a lot to prove on the football field.

The Black Knights are coming off one of the best seasons in their storied history, when a 12-2 record included a perfect run through the American Athletic Conference and a victory in the Independence Bowl. But with several key players having departed, Army stumbled through last week’s opener, losing to FCS-level Tarleton State in double overtime.

The Wildcats, who went 9-4 last season, opened this campaign with a close loss to Iowa State in Dublin, Ireland. Then they came home for a get-right game against FCS-level North Dakota last weekend and needed a last-minute touchdown to avoid an upset.

“There are no excuses, and we’ve talked about that with the guys,” Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said. “It’s not a talent issue. We have good talent. It’s an execution and a little bit of a discipline issue, and those things are going to get corrected.”

They’d better get fixed in a hurry. One of the biggest challenges in facing Army is dealing with its triple-option attack, which few teams run in college football these days. Two of the most important things in stopping it: execution and discipline.

Klieman knows that as well as anyone. He has faced Monken before, albeit in a much different situation long ago. He was defensive coordinator at North Dakota State in 2012, when the Bison beat Monken’s Georgia Southern team in the FCS semifinals.

“Army will be a big task for us,” Klieman said. “They have a really good team and they’re really well coached. I’ve known Coach Monken an awful long time and have tons of respect.”

Both teams have a lot of respect for each other. Some of it has to do with football. Much of it has to do with the military.

“I assure you, all of our guys — our players — are excited about the opportunity to serve alongside all those men and women,” Monken said, “and to become one in the ranks, and fill leadership positions to guide and lead soldiers. So it means a lot to them to know they represent those men and women that’ll be there.”

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