Iowa State’s matchup with Kansas this weekend may bring the most intrigue of any this season.
The Cyclones, visiting an undefeated Jayhawk team, will become the villain in Lawrence, as I wrote this week. However, the intrigue in the matchup comes from more than just the records.
Jared wrote about Matt Campbell’s comments on KU quarterback Jalon Daniels.
It’s no secret that the quarterback, one of only three players in the past five seasons to have a 97.0 QBR through four games, holds the keys to the offense.
While leading the team in both passing and rushing yards, Daniels is where all of the eyes will go.
Daniels and the KU offense currently sit at second in the nation in third down conversion percentage, coming in at a 67 percent clip. That says a lot more about Daniels’ ability to spread the ball around.
Nine different wideouts and tight ends have caught balls for the Jayhawks this year, and that doesn’t include the five running backs that have receptions for the team.
That number is a little shady when looking at a 56-3 win over Tennessee Tech in week 1, but it still shows the versatility nonetheless.
The same can be said about the team’s 47 points per game and 471 yards per game that it is averaging so far this year.
Saturday will be a stage for the Iowa State defense to try and prove that the four-game schedule Kansas has played might have played a bigger role in those stats than people realize.
Regardless, two power five road wins and no losses in September is something to be giddy about for any program.
On the defensive side, it might be expected – or maybe more of a key – to Iowa State finding a fast start on its opening drives.
Kansas gave up four straight touchdown drives to West Virginia in its game in Morgantown. Houston scored on its first two drives.
I’m not mentioning Tennessee Tech for obvious reasons, but even after Duke was held to a three and out, the Blue Devils came back to the tie game on a four-play drive on its second possession.
The trend may hold up again this weekend, but the true constant for Kansas is how it has been able to recover from punches taken to the mouth.
The Jayhawks were down by 14 in both of its road games before coming back to win. They aren’t swayed by momentum.
It will be a sound team that hasn’t shown its true Achilles heel yet and whether it brings intrigue or anxiety may depend on the type of fan discovering it.
Get ready for a big game in Lawrence.
