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Jayhawks open Big 12 play with home clash against Cyclones

Lawrence, KS (Sports Network) - The 16th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks open their Big 12 Conference slate this weekend, as they conclude a three-game homestand against the Iowa State Cyclones at Memorial Stadium.

The Jayhawks were idle this past week and enter the game as one of only 13 undefeated teams left at the BCS level with a 4-0 ledger. Dating back to last season, Kansas has won six consecutive contests and that is tied for the fourth longest streak in the nation.

"I really feel good about our team in terms of attitude and fight they have in them, the competitive spirit that they have," said head coach Mark Mangino, whose club is looking to open a season 5-0 for just the fourth time since 1921.

Kansas, which defeated Southern Miss (35-28) in its last outing on September 26th, now turns its focus to the Big 12 where it has gone 14-4 in its last 18 games against North Division opponents. The Jayhawks have been especially tough in Lawrence against the North, winning nine straight home games against their division rivals dating back to a loss to Colorado in 2004.

As for the Cyclones, they kicked off conference play last weekend and suffered a heartbreaking 24-23 loss following a blocked extra-point attempt with 32 seconds left.

"We have to move on," said first-year head coach Paul Rhoads. "This is a loss and we stand at 3-2 on the season, but it can't hold us back. This can be a setback or a loss, that will be our decision to make this week."

ISU went winless in league play at 0-8 last year, but the team has already showed improvement under Rhoads and has even surpassed last season's win total of two.

The all-time series between Kansas and Iowa State is led by the Jayhawks, 48-34-6, and they have won the last four meetings, including a 35-33 come- from-behind victory last season.

Trailing 24-17, the Cyclones drove 64 yards in just 1:17 and finished with a 23-yard touchdown pass from Austen Arnaud to Jake Williams with 32 ticks remaining. Unfortunately, Grant Mahoney had the extra-point try blocked, the first miss of his career, and ISU came up short against KSU.

"The guy got through the middle there and he just got to it," said Mahoney. "I was shocked because I thought I hit it fine and I thought we were going to overtime."

Despite the loss, Arnaud once again shined for the Cyclones, rushing for a team-high 84 yards and a score, while throwing for 164 yards and two touchdowns. The dual-threat gunslinger has totaled over 1,000 yards of offense this season, with five rushing scores and six passing.

Arnaud, along with tailback Alexander Robinson, who paces the team with 502 rushing yards, have helped the Cyclones gain a healthy 207.6 ypg on the ground this season. Robinson though, has been slowed by a groin injury and he tweaked it on a 37-yard run last weekend and was removed from the game after just four carries. Redshirt freshman Jeremiah Schwartz ended up with 21 carries in replacement of Robinson and he finished the game with 76 yards. If Robinson is unable to go this weekend, expect Schwartz to make the start.

Defensively, the Cyclones were solid for most of last game, but the unit allowed a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter and that helped KSU come away with the win.

"We gave their quarterback too much time to throw also, they had two huge third down conversions for touchdowns and the quarterback had too much time to throw the ball," said coach Rhoads.

ISU allowed KSU to throw for 206 yards while recording only one sack. Getting into the backfield hasn't been a huge problem for the Cyclones this season, but they could use an improvement on the nine sacks they have registered to date. The defense could also tighten things up against the pass, allowing 200.8 ypg and 10 scores through the air thus far.

Jesse Smith currently tops the roster with 39 tackles and he had 12 stops in last weekend's loss.

After four games, there is little too complain about when speaking of the Kansas offense, as the group is averaging a robust 40.5 ppg behind 511.5 total ypg. The offense has shown good balance between the run (209.2 ypg) and pass (302.2 ypg) and has done well to protect the ball, committing just four turnovers.

Quarterback Todd Reesing often gets overshadowed by the big-name quarterbacks in the Big 12, but he can hold his own and is a productive leader for this team. On the year, Reesing has completed 67.1 percent of his throws for 1,137 yards, with nine scores against just two picks. Reesing was on top of his game against Southern Miss, throwing for 331 yards and three touchdowns despite being sacked five times.

Kerry Meier was Reesing's top target in the game, as he pulled in 10 balls for 141 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner early in the fourth quarter. It was a career day for Meier, who now leads the team with 27 catches for 335 yards and three scores on the season. Dezmon Briscoe is an even bigger threat after catching 15 touchdowns in 2008, and he and Meier form a tandem that can give any secondary fits.

In the backfield, true freshman running back Toben Opurum made his first career start against Southern Miss, as Jake Sharp continues to nurse a leg injury. Opurum certainly made the most of his opportunity in the last game, as he rushed for 109 yards and score, in addition to catching two balls for 21 yards and another touchdown.

"He ran hard and ran smart. He got some good yardage after first contact," said coach Mangino. "He pass protected well. We're really excited about his play today as a true freshman."

Opurum now leads the team with 320 yards and six scores on the ground, and he could earn the start again with Sharp being listed as questionable.

The Jayhawks have been sound on the defensive side of the ball, and they are holding opponents to 310.8 total ypg, including a measly 59.2 ypg on the ground. The unit has recorded seven takeaways, but has been even more effective in bringing down opposing quarterbacks, racking up 15 sacks thus far.

Kansas struggled for three quarters before stepping up and keeping Southern Miss scoreless in the final frame of a 35-28 triumph.

"We knew we weren't playing our best game to start off," said defensive end Jake Laptad. I feel like we stepped up in the fourth quarter and made plays when it counted."

The defense limited Southern Miss to only 64 yards on the ground, while forcing a pair of key turnovers. The team also had a sack courtesy of Laptad, who finished with six stops as well. Laptad has been a big part of the team's successful pass rush and he leads the way with 4.5 sacks.

10/7/2009 10:59:54 AM

 

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