GAMEDAY BREAKDOWN: A look at Saturday’s Kansas-Iowa State football game

By Matt Tait     Oct 2, 2015

Iowa State quarterback Sam B. Richardson (12) is sacked by Iowa's Parker Hesse and Nate Meier, right, during the second half their game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015, in Ames, Iowa.

11 a.m. Saturday, Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, Iowa

Game-time forecast: Sunny, 53 degrees, 14 mph E winds • TV: FOX Sports Net (cable chs. 36, 236)
Log on to KUsports.com for our live game blog and follow our coverage team on Twitter: @KUSports @mctait @TomKeeganLJW and @bentonasmith

THREE KEYS FOR KANSAS

Sack masters

KU coach David Beaty said this week that he has been a little disappointed in the play of his defensive ends so far this season. Senior Ben Goodman has been solid, but newcomers Damani Mosby, Anthony Olobia and Dorrance Armstrong have just one sack between them and have been largely quiet thus far. This week represents a perfect opportunity for the Jayhawks to get those guys on track. Through three games, Iowa State’s 12 sacks allowed ranks dead last among all FBS teams in the country. Olobia and Mosby flip-flopped spots on the depth chart this week, so perhaps Olobia in the starting lineup and Iowa State’s troubles will get KU on the right track.

Nick Krug
Kansas offensive lineman Jordan Shelley-Smith stretches out with his teammates during practice on Monday, April 7, 2015. Shelley-Smith is making the transition from tight end to offensive line.

Quality coverage

The Iowa State receiving corps is a talented and experienced bunch with a good mixture of size, speed and skill. Allen Lazard, D’Vario Montgomery, Dondre Daley and Quenton Bundrage are the top threats in the ISU passing game, with Lazard seemingly the most dangerous. Lazard leads the team with 15 receptions and a 150 yards, and three other Cyclones have topped 100 yards and scored a TD so far this season. KU true freshman Tyrone Miller Jr. and junior-college transfer Brandon Stewart have had up-and-down seasons in coverage so far this year. Both will have to be sharp in this one to give the Kansas defense a chance of slowing down the pass-heavy ISU offense.

O-Line must be better

After paving the way for junior running back Ke’aun Kinner to top the century mark during its first two games, the KU offensive line took a step backward against Rutgers. In last week’s 27-14 loss in New Jersey, the Jayhawks managed just 64 yards on 29 carries, with 41 coming on one run by senior De’Andre Mann. Left tackle Jordan Shelley-Smith said KU’s offensive linemen were disappointed in their performance last week. Though disappointed in the production, offensive coordinator Rob Likens said the struggle against Rutgers was good to see because it helped the KU coaching staff identify areas in which opposing defenses try to expose the KU running game.

MEGA MATCHUP

Iowa State defensive end Dale Pierson celebrates after sacking Northern Iowa quarterback Justin Black during the second half Saturday, Sept. 5, 2015, in Ames, Iowa.

ISU senior DE Dale Pierson vs. KU LT Jordan Shelley-Smith

For the second week in a row, the Kansas offensive line will be asked to stop one of the country’s premier pass rushers. This time that player is Iowa State’s Dale Pierson. Through three games, Pierson has racked up five sacks — ranking him in the top five in the country — and often has drawn extra attention from opponents. The senior has 15 tackles, six for loss, one quarterback hurry, an interception and a pass defended. So even if the Jayhawks are able to keep Pierson away from quarterback Montell Cozart, Pierson is fast, athletic and active enough to be disruptive in other ways. “We have to know where he is and have to have a plan for him,” Beaty said of Pierson. The bulk of the responsibility for that likely will fall on the shoulders of Shelley-Smith.

FIVE QUESTIONS WITH … WR TRE’ PARMALEE

  1. Has the way you’ve played this season and the role you’ve had — possession receiver, running reverses, team leader, etc. — always been your vision for the way you could contribute to this program?

“Most definitely. I always knew that it was possible. It’s just taken hard work to get there. There have been ups and downs along the way, but I always knew I could be at this moment right now, where I’m helping my team and just trying to be as consistent as I can in the run game and the pass game.”

  1. If you look at your bio in the game notes, nearly every one of your career highs has the year 2015 attached to it. What’s it been like to get your last season of college football off to such a good start?

“It’s great. Getting off to a good start really boosts your confidence. It feels great, but there’s a lot more that can be done. My game can still elevate to another level.”

  1. Coming out of Bishop Miege High, most programs recruiting you told you they wanted you to play defensive back. Do you ever think to yourself, ‘What if I had gone somewhere to play DB instead of coming to KU to be a receiver?’
Nick Krug
Kansas receiver Tre' Parmalee eyes the ball as he waits to pull in a catch during spring practice on Tuesday, March 24, 2015.

“No, not really. Maybe my freshman year I thought about it a little bit, but besides that, not really. I love offense. I love getting the ball in my hands and helping put points on the board.”

  1. With nothing but Big 12 games left on the schedule, what’s the most important thing a veteran such as yourself can tell the young guys on this roster about surviving Big 12 play?

“I just tell ’em not to get down and to keep working every week. I mean, every team loses a game, and if you get down then there’s a chance that it could really create a snowball effect and things could go negatively.”

  1. You and KU quarterback Montell Cozart come from the same high school. What’s your bond with him like and how proud are you of the way Montell has handled all of the ups and downs that have been thrown his way?

“In my four years here, we’ve gotten a lot closer. We’re basically like brothers now. And it’s awesome to see him thrive like he did last week (at Rutgers), even though he was really sick. It was just great to see him go in there and gut it out for the team. That shows a lot of pride and a lot of character.”

JAYHAWK PULSE

Having finished winless in nonconference play for the first time since 1988 and just the third time since 1967, the Jayhawks jump into Big 12 Conference play against the one team which many believe KU has the best chance of being competitive and possibly beating in Iowa State. That fact — which comes largely from the confidence gained by topping ISU 34-14 at home in 2014 — along with the belief that they have gotten a little bit better each week of 2015 have the Jayhawks looking forward to the start of Big 12 play instead of dreading it.

TALE OF THE TAPE

KU run game vs. ISU run D, advantage Kansas

KU pass game vs. ISU pass D, advantage Iowa State

ISU run game vs. KU run D, even

ISU pass game vs. KU pass D, advantage Iowa State

Special teams, advantage Kansas

GAMEDAY BREAKDOWN: A look at Saturday’s Kansas-Iowa State football game

By Matt Tait     Nov 8, 2014

Iowa State quarterback Sam B. Richardson (12) runs from Oklahoma linebacker Jordan Evans in this photo from Saturday in Ames, Iowa. Richardson and the Cyclones will take on Kansas University on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

Iowa State (2-6 overall, 0-5 Big 12) at Kansas (2-6, 0-5)

2:30 p.m. Saturday, Memorial Stadium • Game-time forecast: 52 degrees, sunny, winds 12 mph from NW • TV: FOX Sports Net (cable chs. 36, 146, 236)

Log on to KUsports.com for our live game blog and follow our coverage team on Twitter: @KUSports @mctait @TomKeeganLJW and @bentonasmith

Three Keys for Kansas

Slow down Sam Richardson

Iowa State quarterback Sam B. Richardson (12) runs from Oklahoma linebacker Jordan Evans in this photo from Saturday in Ames, Iowa. Richardson and the Cyclones will take on Kansas University on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

During the non-conference portion of Iowa State’s season, junior quarterback Sam B. Richardson completed 68 percent of his passes and had the ISU offense rolling. But those numbers have dipped in Big 12 play and Richardson has completed just 52 percent and tossed four of his six interceptions. If Richardson gets comfortable, KU could be in for a long afternoon, so it’s important for the Jayhawks’ defensive line to win the battles up front and for the secondary to give Richardson enough different looks to keep him from finding a rhythm. Richardson also is one of just eight players in the FBS to lead his team in rushing (339 yards on 96 carries) and passing (1,948 yards, 14 TDs), so it’s not just the passing game where Richardson could be dangerous.

KU must show up

During last year’s loss in freezing Ames, Iowa, the Jayhawks never got started in a 34-0 loss that was arguably the toughest to take in a long season. Two years ago in Lawrence, KU was run out of the stadium during the final three quarters, as Richardson and the Cyclones racked up 51 points and 548 yards on Senior Night. In both games, the Jayhawks hit the field flat and never recovered. Despite the record, this year’s Iowa State team is too tough for KU to survive that.

Run the rock

The KU running game got off to another good start this season but has really slowed of late. Today’s game against ISU presents a great opportunity for the Jayhawks to get rolling again. ISU opponents average 247 yards per game on the ground and a whopping 5.5 yards per rush. In addition, the Cyclones have surrendered 29 rushing touchdowns, including five last week to Oklahoma, which gained 510 yards on the ground.

Nick Krug
Kansas offensive lineman Mike Smithburg looks up at the score during the third quarter on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2014 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas.

Mega Matchup: Iowa State TE E.J. Bibbs vs. KU S Isaiah Johnson

Bibbs ranks second among all tight ends in the “power five” conferences with 34 receptions and is tied for first with six touchdown receptions. At 6-foot-3, 264 pounds, the athletic tight end is a matchup nightmare for opponents, who often struggle with the decision to put a bigger linebacker or a quicker defensive back on Bibbs. The Jayhawks figure to give safety Isaiah Johnson (6-1, 210) this tough assignment, and Johnson’s physicality, athleticism and speed should give Bibbs and Richardson something to think about when the Chicago native’s number is called in the passing game.

5 Questions with Senior OL Mike Smithburg

1 . You’ve become know for your monster beard, but is this the first time you’ve added long hair to the look?

“Yeah, I haven’t cut my hair since the last time I cut my beard, like August of 2013. I set my mind to it, and there’s nothing that could really happen that would make me cut it or shave it at this point. You just have to grow your hair out to understand.”

2 . With that in mind, what’s the weirdest thing someone has said to you about your beard?

“Just random people, at least one or two every day, come up to me and say something about Grizzly Adams or Duck Dynasty or Jack Black, even. I get all kinds of stuff, just the random comments.”

3 . You grew up in Fairfield, Iowa, and played junior college football at Iowa Western. Does playing the Cyclones mean a little more?

“Yeah, it’s cool playing the Cyclones. I went to quite a few games there throughout high school, but the coolest thing is I know quite a few guys on that team, some guys that are playing, some guys that are just walk-ons, and it’s great getting to see them and to compete against them.”

4 . The O-line has been criticized a lot this year. Is it hard to hear that, and how do you handle the criticism?

“We’re kind of used to it by now. And really the only thing we can do is just to keep working and try to grind out a win. It sucks, but I gotta count my blessings, too. I’m still playing Div. I football.”

5 . How big would a win today be for the future of the program?

“Last year, when we were going into the West Virginia game (which KU won 31-19 in Lawrence), we were all kind of down, and when we won it just changed the outlook of everybody. It just changed the mentality and everything and really helped us get through the rest of the year with a little bit of confidence.”

Jayhawk Pulse

The 2014 season has not gone the way anyone in the KU football program had hoped, but there’s no doubt the Jayhawks will hit the field against ISU expecting a victory. Last week’s loss at Baylor was the first time under interim head coach Clint Bowen that the Jayhawks looked truly overmatched, and Bowen and the players took the loss hard for 24 hours. After that, they responded with hard work and toughness. Like the Jayhawks, the Cyclones are winless in the Big 12 this season, and this game is big for the confidence of both teams as they head down the home stretch.

Tale of the Tape

KU run game vs. ISU run D – advantage Kansas

KU pass game vs. ISU pass D – advantage Kansas

ISU run game vs. KU run D – advantage Kansas

ISU pass game vs. KU pass D – advantage Iowa State

Special teams – advantage Iowa State

PREV POST

Victor Simmons and Jacorey Shepherd lead the defense and player ratings

NEXT POST

45408GAMEDAY BREAKDOWN: A look at Saturday’s Kansas-Iowa State football game

Author Photo

Written By Matt Tait

A native of Colorado, Matt moved to Lawrence in 1988 and has been in town ever since. He graduated from Lawrence High in 1996 and the University of Kansas in 2000 with a degree in Journalism. After covering KU sports for the University Daily Kansan and Rivals.com, Matt joined the World Company (and later Ogden Publications) in 2001 and has held several positions with the paper and KUsports.com in the past 20+ years. He became the Journal-World Sports Editor in 2018. Throughout his career, Matt has won several local and national awards from both the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Kansas Press Association. In 2021, he was named the Kansas Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Matt lives in Lawrence with his wife, Allison, and two daughters, Kate and Molly. When he's not covering KU sports, he likes to spend his time playing basketball and golf, listening to and writing music and traveling the world with friends and family.