Ire' Parmalee during a game against South Dakota State.
JAMES HOYT/KANSAN
Which KU player will have the biggest impact on Saturday?
WESLEY DOTSON
@WesleyDee23
Tre' Parmalee
The senior wide receiver Tre' Parmalee has been the Jayhawk's most consistent receiver this season, and he had a season-high five catches last week in the loss at Rutgers. He has established a fair amount of chemistry with junior quarterback Montell Cozart, too.
Parmalee could make another big impact this week at Iowa State if he is able to carry the momentum he had with Cozart into Saturday's game.
Parmalee can make his mark on third down plays against the Cyclones. Iowa State has allowed opposing teams to convert on third downs 38
percent of the time.
What could work in Parmalee's favor is redshirt freshman receiver Tyler Patrick lined up on the other side of the ball. After going catchless in the season opener against South Dakota State, Patrick has caught nine passes over his last two games, which included a 70-yard performance against Rutgers last Saturday. With his recent showing, Iowa State could be inclined to show more attention against Patrick, which will allow the field to open up for Parmalee.
There is no question Ke'aun Kinner has been the Jayhawks' best player this season, and he has a great chance to produce another stellar performance against an Iowa State defense that has had trouble stopping the run.
On average, the Cyclones have allowed 4.6 yards per carry on 185.7 yards per game. This could lead to another big game for Kinner, but his big performances have yet to help contribute to a win for the 0-3 Jayhawks.That could change this week if Kinner is able to run the ball effectively, which could put the Jayhawks in more play-action opportunities.
In this case, Parmalee could become a big-play threat and could make some huge catches downfield. He has a catch of 35 yards as his longest reception this season. Parmalee has a chance to make the greatest impact in this game, especially on third down plays, if these factors can work in his favor.
Edited by Rebecca Dowd
ZOE LARSON/KANSAN
Grace Hagan dribbles toward the goal.
Soccer prepares for first Big 12 matchup against Texas
SKYLAR ROLSTAD
@SkyRolSports
After returning seven starters and introducing seven new freshmen into the fold, Kansas soccer coach Mark Francis was only surprised by one thing at the midway point in the season: his team's mental toughness.
"We're a lot tougher than I thought wed be, mentally," Francis said. "Having gone through the stuff we've gone through in the first half of the season, I think we're in a better place now mentally in terms of being able to handle different scenarios."
have found their feet on the ground in a recent three-game winning streak ahead of the first Big 12 game of the season, a Friday. Oct. 2 match against Texas.
"We're very excited about [Big 12 play]. We really want to start conference now because it's like the real thing; it's going to be like a new season for us," said senior midfielder Liana Salazar. "We're so excited to show what we're capable of."
The Longhorns have already started conference play as they lost to West Virginia 2-0 last Friday. Texas has one win in its last four games, a 2-1 win over Abilene Christian.
Those scenarios have included five overtime games: two of them losses, one a tie and the other two wins. After a rough start of 2-4-1, the lavhawks
Texas and Kansas have a non-conference opponent in common: Oregon State. Texas tied the Beavers 1-1 after overtime while Kansas lost 1-0
during the first overtime.
Francis said his assessment of the team hasn't changed much from the beginning of the season. One thing that surprised him, however, was the Jayhawks' production on offense as of late.
DEREK SKILLETT
@derek_skillett
"Offensively we're at a way different place now than we were at the beginning of the season," Francis said. "We're creating a lot more chances, clear-cut chances, and doing a better job at finishing them."
On Saturday Kansas will begin conference play on the road at Iowa State. After an 0-3 start, the Jayhawks need to find a way to capture some semblance of momentum heading into the meat of one of the toughest schedules in college football.
Ke'aun Kinner
To defeat the Cyclones at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa, and end a road losing streak that stretches back to 2009, the Jayhawks need someone to have a huge impact on the field.
Kansas takes a three-game winning streak — in which the team has scored seven goals — into Friday's match against Texas. Over the seven games before this winning streak, Kansas had only scored five goals.
That player will be junior
Edited by Rebecca Dowd
that player who james running back Ke'aur Kinner. Just three games into his college career, Kinner already established himself as one of the most dynamic and consistent runners that Kansas has had since James Sims graduated in 2013.
Kinner currently ranks No. 6 in the Big 12 conference in total rushing yards with 295 He also ranks No.10 in the conference with 344 all-pur
pose yards and is averaging about 115 total offensive yards per game.
Stadium four years ago
Kinner leads all Kansas players with five touchdowns this season and is averaging five yards per carry.
These stats should bode well for Kansas, as Iowa State has one of the weakest run defenses in the Big 12. The Cyclones rank No.7 in that category, giving up an average of 185.7 yards per game and an average of 4.6 yards per attempt this season.
So far this season, Kinner has not been successful on the road, rushing for 25 yards on 16 attempts in last Saturday's loss at Rutgers. Granted, this is a small sample size for Kinner. But, after averaging 135 yards on 21.5 carries in his first two home games, Kinner's performances on the road should be something to keep an eye
not only should Kinner have an extremely good game on the ground for the jayhawks, but the attention that he commands from the Iowa State defense will open things up in the passing game for junior quarterback Montell Cozart. Cozart should be able to make enough plays off of play-action to be effective against Iowa State's No. 4 ranked pass defense.
There is definitely the chance that Iowa State's defense plays extremely well on Saturday. The Cyclones play tough at home, most notably knocking off No. 3 Oklahoma State at Jack Trice
I am not necessarily expecting the Jayhawks to walk into a hostile road environment and take home a win. I am not even expecting the Jayhawks to come close to delivering a win. I am anticipating that one of the most talented player on the Jayhawks team will make a big impact on Saturday.
That player will be Kinner. If he can put up some big numbers in a favorable matchup against a defense that has struggled against the run, it will be a sign of bigger things to come in the future.
Edited by Rebecca Dowd
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