KANSAS GAMEDAY

OFFENSE

Todd Reesing has pretty much done it all for the Kansas offense through the first four games of the season. Reesing has passed for at least 350 yards in each of the past three games and has 1,405 yards and 11 touchdowns on the season. The return of Dexton Fields could help those numbers climb even higher as the senior from Dallas will play in his first game since being injured in the first quarter of the season opener against Florida International. Fields led the Jayhawks in receptions in each of the past two seasons and is a strong run blocker — something the receiving core has struggled with so far.

RATING: 4/5

DEFENSE

The return of Kendrick Harper should give the Kansas defense a noticeable boost on pass defense. The Jayhawks struggled to replace Harper during the two games that he missed as inexperienced corners Isiah Barfield, Ryan Murphy and Corrigan Powell all had unsuccessful chances to fill the void. Harper says that he is 100 percent following an undisclosed injury that forced him to be carted off the field on a stretcher.

RATING: 4/5

SPECIAL TEAMS

The Kansas kick return game ranks dead last, 119 out of 119, in Division-I in yards per kick return, but Mangino said Wednesday that he had no problems with how the unit was performing. He pointed out that most teams were short-kicking the Jayhawks, so while the return yards weren’t very high, the starting field position for the Jayhawk offense was. Jacob Branstetter is tied for second in the nation with an average of two field goals per game and is six of seven on the season overall.

RATING: 3/5

COACHING

Kansas has won three straight games when coming off of a bye week, which is the case Saturday. Mangino and his staff went back to the basics during the bye week to work on fundamentals and improving in every aspect of the game. They worked a little bit on Iowa State late in the week but didn’t start focusing on the Cyclones until this week. Mangino is one of the most prepared coaches in the nation when it comes to knowing and scouting his opponents and always has his team ready to play.

RATING: 5/5

MOMENTUM

Kansas enters Big 12 play rested and ready to roll. The returns of cornerback Kendrick Harper and wide receiver Dexton Fields will help tremendously, as will the bye week that allowed the Jayhawks a chance to focus on improving their fundamentals and getting better. Kansas rolled over Sam Houston State before the bye week, so they come in with plenty of momentum.

RATING: 5/5

AT A GLANCE

After four night games to open the season, the Kansas Jayhawks will play during the day for the first time. They were 5-0 in day games last year and Mangino said that the morning start time shouldn’t affect his team. Kansas opened Big 12 play on the road last year and beat Kansas State in Manhattan.

BY THE NUMBERS

1 – Kerry Meier’s national rank in receptions, with 9.25 per game

2 - Todd Reesing’s national rank in completions with 31.50 per game

3 - Consecutive wins following a bye week for Kansas

5 -Number of KU opponents ranked in the top 10 of this weeks AP poll

13 - Freshmen who have seen action for Kansas this season

16 - Consecutive weeks that Kansas has been ranked in the Associated Press poll

PLAYER TO WATCH

Senior Linebacker Mike Rivera.

Rivera was called out indirectly by Mangino following the Sam Houston State game when the coach said that the team wasn’t getting consistency from his position. Rivera was benched for much of the game and it’s unknown if he has regained his starting spot. If he’s back in the lineup, expect Rivera to try and make as many plays as possible.

QUESTION MARKS

Have the benched regained their starting spots? Mangino benched several players for much of the Sam Houston State game to try and shake things up, including Dezmon Briscoe, Daymond Patterson and Mike Rivera. Mangino said Tuesday that those players hadn’t regained their starting spots, but could do so before Saturday’s game.

Will the 11:30am start time affect the Jayhawks? Kansas has played four night games in 2008 and will take the field much earlier than usual on Saturday. The team said that other than waking up earlier, the start time shouldn’t have any effect. Todd Reesing said he liked the early start time because he doesn’t have to wait all day for the game to start.

IOWA STATE GAMEDAY

OFFENSE

Sophomore quarterbacks Austen Arnaud and Phillip Bates have accumulated 74 percent of the total offensive yardage this season. Arnaud takes most of the snaps and has eight total touchdowns, while Bates comes in mostly to run. He leads the Cyclones with 166 yards on 24 carries. Both are mobile but prone to mistakes. No matter who’s throwing it, their main target is R.J. Sumrall. On the season, Sumrall has 15 receptions for 284 yards and four touchdowns.

RATING: 2/5

DEFENSE

Cornerback James Smith and linebacker Jesse Smith, no relation, have combined to make 53 tackles this season to lead Iowa State’s improved defense. Defensive end Kurtis Taylor and linebacker Michael Bibbs also have impressive numbers. The Cyclones have 21 tackles for loss, but the real strength of the unit — and the team — is its ability to create turnovers. Iowa State has 13 takeaways, the most in the Big 12 and tied for eighth most in the country.

RATING: 3/5

SPECIAL TEAMS

Freshman kicker Grant Mahoney has attempted (11) and made (7) more fields goals than any other kicker in the Big 12. His accuracy leaves something to be wanted, but all seven makes were from at least 30 yards away with a long of 48 yards. Junior punter Mike Brandtner averages 42 yards per punt. In the return game, five different Cyclones have returned a kick and four of them averaged at least 22 yards per return.

RATING: 2/5

COACHING

Gene Chizik has won at nearly every level of coaching. In 1986 he started at Seminole High School, and eventually worked his way up the college ranks. In 2004 he was the defensive coordinator at Auburn when it finished 13-0 and after that he spent two seasons as the co-defensive coordinator at Texas, winning a national championship in 2006. It will take time, but Chizik knows how to build a winning team.

RATING: 3/5

MOMENTUM

Iowa State rolled to victories in its first two games, winning by a combined score of 92-45. Since then it lost a pair of road games to in-state rival Iowa and UNLV. The UNLV loss was especially tough, as Arnaud completed a 28-yard pass to Sumrall with three seconds left to put the game into overtime. Once there, the Cyclones settled for a field goal while the Runnin’ Rebels scored a touchdown on their first play.

RATING: 1/5

AT A GLANCE

Both teams are coming off of a bye week, and coach Gene Chizik said the time off allowed him to assess his team. What he realized is that most, if not all, of their struggles are caused by youth. Sixteen freshmen have seen the field for the Cyclones, and both of his quarterbacks are sophomores. Players can’t just grow up overnight, but Chizik’s laying down a solid foundation for the next few years.

BY THE NUMBERS

4 - total touchdowns for Austen Arnaud against UNLV

11 - true freshmen who’ve played for Iowa State, the sixth most in the country

13 - takeaways by ISU’s defense, the most in the Big 12

121.5 - passing efficiency the Cyclone defense allows per game, the worst in the Big 12

141.22 - passing efficiency for Arnaud, who ranks 38th nationally but 11th in the Big 12

PLAYER TO WATCH

Senior defensive end Kurtis Taylor

Last year, Taylor finished second in the Big 12 with 6.5 sacks. This season he has one interception, five tackles for loss and one sack, complete with a forced fumble. Taylor is a quick pass rusher who’s also athletic enough to drop back into coverage. He could wreak some havoc in the KU backfield all afternoon.

QUESTION MARKS

Will Iowa State score in the first quarter? In its two victories, the Cyclones scored a combined 31 first quarter points. In their two losses? 0 points. It’s important for Iowa State to keep the crowd involved and the best way to do that is to give them something to cheer for early and often.

Who will win the turnover battle? This may be the most intriguing game within the game on Saturday. Iowa State creates more takeaways than any team in the conference, while Kansas has the second fewest turnovers.

PREDICTION: Kansas 38, Iowa State 14