8B
GAME DAY
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2007
COUNTDOWN TO KICK-OFF
KU KICK-OFF
ATAGLANCE
Kansas may not have played the most challenging schedule in the nation so far this season, but the team has passed every test on its way to being 10-0. Ranked No.4 in the AP Top 25 and No.3 in the BCS, the team could be destined for a Big 12 title if it can keep rolling through November the way it has since September.
BY THE NUMBERS
(2007 Averages and National Rank)
45. 9ppg—2nd scoring offense
211. 5ypg -18th rushing offense
282. 1 ypg—19th passing offense
14.9ppg — 2nd scoring defense
89.4ppg — 7th rushing defense
217. 2 ypg — 50th passing defense
PLAYER TO WATCH
Junior cornerback Kendrick Harper. Because Iowa State has two very capable wide receivers
Harper
in RJ. Sumail and Todd Blythe, Aqib Talbil will not be able to single-handedly stop the Cyclone passing game. Harper, who
was burned deep several times against Oklahoma State, will have to match up against one of the two formidable Iowa State receivers.
QUESTION MARKS
>> WILL Kansas overlook Iowa State? This is the classic "trap game" scenario. The 10-0 Jayhawks are trying to put the finishing touches on a dream season while the 3-8 Cyclones are playing their last game and have nothing left to lose. What could be lost in the shuffle is the fact that Iowa State hasn't been bad as of late, winning two straight games.
Will Todd Reesing finally throw a pick? It's been a while since "Sparky" threw a pass to the opposing team. Reesing has gone 179 pass attempts without giving the ball away, and with every complete pass and touchdown, he climbs further into the race for the Heisman Award.
JAYHAWKS READY FOR CYCLONES Iowa State seniors end season in Lawrence this Saturday
KANSAS VS. IOWA STATE 2:30 p.m.Saturday, Memorial Stadium
OFFENSE
The Kansas offense made a splash in front of a national television audience last weekend and should do the same against Iowa State. Kansas has not turned the ball over in two games and sophomore quarterback Todd Reesing has not thrown an interception in more than two months. Senior running back Brandon McAnderson and sophomore running back Jake Sharp have enjoyed consistent success against every defense they have faced because of the sturdy Jayhawk offensive line. Junior left tackle Anthony Collins is one of the country's best and the rest of the line is quietly effective.
DEFENSE
Kansas' defense yielded more than 450 total yards for the second consecutive week, but that isn't anything to be ashamed of against offenses such as Nebraska and Oklahoma State. After all, in the new-look Big 12 Conference, 400 yards is becoming the new 300 yards as far as defensive standards go. Kansas should not have much trouble containing Iowa State's offense. The Cyclones passing game has been unsteady all season long because of quarterback Bret Meyer's tendency to throw the ball to the wrong team. With junior cornerback Aqib Talbil and sophomore safety Justin Thornton in the defensive backfield, the Jayhawks should improve their turnover margin this week.
SPECIALTEAMS
Kansas' kicking and kick returning has been good. Kansas' punting and punt returning has been bad. Senior kicker Scott Webb converter all three of his field goal attempts last week and is second in the Big 12 in field goals made. Junior wide receiver Marcus Herford is far and away the best kick returner in the conference, posting a per-return average (31 yards per return) five yards better than the next player on the list. The punting game has been a mess. Senior punter Kyle Tucker is currently 11th in the Big 12 in yards per punt and sophomore cornerback Anthony Webb has not returned a punt for more than 15 yards
MOMENTUM
COACHING
Iowa State 3-8,2-5 Big 12 Conference
OFFENSE
This Ed Warinner guy knows a bit about offense, huh? The Jayhawks first-year offensive coordinator has reversed the team's offensive fortunes by overhauling former offensive coordinator Nick Quartaro's stale schemes. The no-huddle offense takes the decisions out of the quarterback's hands in favor of letting the coaching staff decide on changes at the line of scrimmage. So far, so good: Todd Reesing has only thrown four interceptions this season.
The Cyclone offense has transformed from laugable to respectable since the beginning of the year. Maybe coach Gene Chizik developed magical powers and fixed the offense. Or perhaps, it's just the infusion of young talent finally meshing with tested veterans. Freshman running back Alexander Robinson has taken over as the starter and performed admirably in the three games since. Robinson has rushed for 337 yards and six touchdowns since being named the starter. The Cyclos also rely on youngsters on the offensive line. Three underclassmen start up front and have endured the ups and downs of the season by becoming solid at both run and pass blocking. At other positions, Iowa State has more recognizable names. Senior quarterback Bret Meyer is the school's all-time leading passer and senior wide receiver Todd Blythe is the school's all-time leading receiver. Meyer will likely connect with Blythe for a few final times Saturday.
DEFENSE
It's not only the offense that loses record-setting players to graduation after Saturday. Senior linebacker Alvin Bowen led the nation with 13 tackles per game last year. He's fallen off a bit this year, only averaging 8.5 tackles per game, but is still the leader of a decent ISU defense. The strength of the Cyclone defense is its ability to stop the run. It held Oklahoma's potent stable of running backs to three yards per carry a few weeks ago. Bowen's main helper in the rush defense is senior linebacker Jon Banks. Banks moved to linebacker from safety and has ideal speed to stop plays off of the edges. Iowa State's opponents have attacked its secondary all season long. It was tinkered with different combinations of players for the four spots but can't seem to find the right equation to solve the team's problems. Junior cornerback Chris Singleton is the only member of the secondary that has shown he's an interception hazard.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Cyclones special teams are special, all right – especially bad. The Cyclones can work around their lack of speedy playmakers on offense and defense but not on special teams. They rank dead last in the nation in punt returns. Their kick return unit isn't much better, ranking 115th in the nation. Eleven different players have returned kicks this year with the longest return only 41 yards. Mike Brandtner barely
edges out Kansas punter Kyle Tucker for next to last in punting average in the Big 12. Bret Culbertson serves as a good kicker but, unfortunately for the Cyclones, can't do anyone's jobs.
MOMENTUM
The Cyclones seem to be fully adapted to new head coach Gene Chizik's style and schemes and are in a perfect position momentum-wise headed into their final game. They've won two in a row, including a comeback victory last week, and have nothing to lose. The departing seniors will do all they can to make their last game a memorable one. The returning players know the game at Kansas will be their first opportunity to impress Chizik heading into the off-season.
COACHING
Gene Chizik was questioned after early season losses to Kent State and FCS opponent Northern Iowa. But make no mistake: Chizik is the man for the job. He was one of the hottest coaching prospects on the market and the Cyclones are lucky to have him. His first recruiting class has already had an effect, and with more of his own players, his team could make a run at a Big 12 North title in the next few years. Don't forget that he's the same guy who engineered the defenses of undefeated teams Auburn and Texas in the last five years.
ISU KICK-OFF
AT A GLANCE
Iowa State's season ends in Lawrence Saturday when the Cyclones try to knock off fourth-ranked Kansas. The Cyclones have won two games in a row and are playing their best football down the stretch. At 3-8 and with no shot at bowl eligibility, Iowa State's sole objective in the game is to ruin Big 12 North division-foe Kansas' undefeated season. A victory would make up for the lack of a postseason.
BY THE NUMBERS
2007 Averages and National Rank
19. 18ppg—109th scoring offense
205. 18ypg----79th passing offense
130. 18ypg-87th rushing offense
30. 55ppg—85th scoring defense
245. 18ypg - 86th passing defense
129. 18ypg-38th rushing defense
PLAYER TO WATCH
Senior quarterback Bret
9,396 passing yards, Meyer ranks third all time in the Big 12 conference in passing yards. He's a four-year starter for
Senior quarterback Bret Meyer. Meyer ended a storied career in Lawrence Saturday. With
Asher Fusco
Meyer
the Cyclones and in that time has become the face of the program. Although he's had a rough senior year, expect Meyer to be poised and determined against the Jayhawks. Meyer will be the on-the-field leader for the Cyclones one last time Saturday.
QUESTION MARKS
How will the secondary combat Todd Reesing? It's no secret that Reesing is one of the conference's best quarterbacks. It's also no secret that the ISU secondary looks incompetent at times. Even if it means sending fewer blitzes and dropping back more defenders, the Cyclones can't give Reesing open targets.
Can the senior class leave a lasting impression on the program? Iowa State loses 19 seniors. A victory against a team competing for a national championship would undoubtedly put Ames, Iowa, back on the college football map.
BIG 12 SCHEDULE
SATURDAY
Game Time Channel
No. 6 Missouri at Kansas State 11:30 a.m. FSN
Iowa State at No. 4 Kansas 2:30 p.m. ABC
Oklahoma State at Baylor 6 p.m. FSN
No. 3 Oklahoma at Texas Tech 7 p.m. ABC
THURSDAY
Arizona 31, No.2 Oregon 21
FRIDAY
Game Time Channel
No. 13 Hawaii at Nevada 10 p.m. ESPN2
Game Time Channel
No. 7 Ohio State at No. 23 Michigan 11 a.m. ABC
Northwestern at No. 20 Illinois 11 a.m. ESPN
Syracuse at No. 25 Connecticut 11 a.m. ESPN2
Florida Atlantic at No. 14 Florida 11 a.m. ESPN-GP*
No. 22 Kentucky at No. 8 Georgia 11:30 a.m. ESPN-GP
Idaho at No. 17 Boise State 1 p.m. ESPN-GP
Vanderbilt at No. 19 Tennessee 1 p.m. ESPN-GP
No. 1 LSU at Ole Miss 2:30 p.m. CBS
Miami at No. 10 Virginia Tech 2:30 p.m. ABC
No. 24 Wisconsin at Minnesota 2:30 p.m. BTN*
No. 5 West Virginia at No. 21 Cincinnati 6:45 p.m. ESPN
No. 18 Boston College at No. 15 Clemson 6:45 p.m. ESPN2
SATURDAY
TELEVISED GAMES
**Biz 10 Nettowell avallabile con SunPower Cell**
*Biz 10 Netwoll nanovoltaico avallabile con SunPower Cell*
[Image of the sunpower cell]
THURSDAY
Arkansas State 31, North Texas 27
SATURDAY
Game Time Channel
Tulsa at Army 11 a.m. ESPNC
The Citadel at VMI 11 a.m. CSTV
UMass at Hofstra 11 a.m. ESPNU
Duke at Notre Dame 1:30 p.m. NBC
Penn State at Michigan State 2:30 p.m. ABC
California at Washington 2:30 p.m. ABC
Northern Illinois at Navy 2:30 p.m. CSTV
Purdue at Indiana 2:30 p.m. BTN
Western Michigan at Iowa 2:30 p.m. BTN
North Carolina State at Wake Forest 3 p.m. ESPNU
Southern Miss at UTEP 6:30 p.m. CSTV
Louisville at South Florida 7 p.m. ESPNU
THURSDAY