Three keys for the Kansas Jayhawks against the Iowa State Cyclones
The Kansas Jayhawks continue to impress this season, last week defeating the Duke Blue Devils 35-27 in front of a sold-out David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium crowd. The three keys from last week were spot on, so I'll try to highlight some things to watch for this week.
The Jayhawks move on to a tough test at home, facing the Iowa State Cyclones. The Cyclones lost to the Bears last week, but they remain a very good team that will challenge Kansas. If the Jayhawks want to be victorious on Saturday, what things will make the difference in getting to 5-0?
Kansas Offensive Prowess
The Kansas Jayhawks' offense once again was extremely impressive. Quarterback Jalon Daniels completed 19 out of 23 passes for 324 yards and four touchdowns through the air. He wasn't finished as he added 11 rushing attempts for 83 yards and one touchdown on the ground. These are very impressive numbers but we can draw two conclusions. One, the offense is dynamic and can hit you in numerous ways. Second, the coaching staff is putting the players in good positions to be successful. This type of offensive prowess will be needed as they face the Cyclones' defense.
The Iowa State Cyclones have only allowed roughly 14 points per game, and with a very talented defense only surrender about 266 yards per game. Even though they lost the ISU defense held Iowa to ten points. These low defensive numbers could easily change when they arrive in Lawrence.
The Kansas Offensive Line
Continuing on the offensive side of the football another key to the game is continuing consistent play from the offensive line. The Jayhawks' o-line finally gave up their first sack of the season which is amazing. This group has allowed Jalon Daniels to operate the offense at a very high level.
The Cyclones' defense has recorded seven sacks this season, and three players are tied with 1.5 sacks. One to watch in this matchup is linebacker O'Rien Vance. Vance is leading the team in tackles with 22 total and has forced two fumbles. The Kansas offensive line will have to keep tabs on him and keep Jalon Daniels upright.
Penalties
I personally feel this game is going to come down to some little details. I wanted to mention special teams, but I believe penalties will have a greater impact than special teams. Overall the Jayhawks have done well when talking about penalties. So far this season, the Jayhawks have seen the yellow flag go against them 19 times. This seems like a lot, but their opponents have received 27 penalties.
So far this season the Cyclones have received 25 penalties resulting in 211 yards. If KU can continue playing without penalties and forcing the Cyclones into them then the Jayhawks will come out victors.
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