Three Keys: Kansas Jayhawks at Iowa State Cyclones
The Kansas Jayhawks are back in the thick of the Big 12 Conference, and a game that we thought might be meaningless coming into the season now has huge title game implications. The Iowa State Cyclones are 4-1 in the conference and once again rounding into form in conference play after a disappointing non-conference slate.
This is a game that the Jayhawks can absolutely win, but what are the things that they have to do in order to make that possible?
Pressure Rocco Becht
Becht has played fairly well for the Cyclones this season, but he definitely hasn't been flawless. He isn't a guy that has been super successful running the ball, and his decision making can still be affected with pressure. I wouldn't expect a bunch of long passing plays, but he will still take some of those shots.
But the left side of the offensive line has been a weak point for Iowa State this season. The Jayhawks just so happen to bring their biggest pass rushers from that side, with Austin Booker, JB Brown and Jereme Robinson all picking up big hits and drive-stopping plays. Kansas was able to get consistent pressure against Oklahoma to limit their production, and they should be able to do something similar here.
Get Into An Uneven Rhythm
Iowa State defensive coordinator Jon Heacock is a fantastic coach, and he routinely puts together a defense that punches well above its weight. And while it took them a while to get going this season, they have rounded into form in the last few weeks. And they have been successful against many different types of offenses.
But what they haven't seen is an offense that can do so many different things at once. The Jayhawks have the ability to run to the inside or outside, off tackle or at the boundary. They can build a rhythm with short passes, medium passes or deep passes. But what they can't do is become predictable. They will need to build success, but do it in multiple ways.
Confidence
Kansas WILL run into some issues on the road tomorrow. Iowa State is a good team that is getting better, and Kansas struggles on road. But what has shot them in the foot has been the inability to avoid compounding those errors. Expect Jason Bean to make mistakes. It might be a bad pass that gets picked off. It might be a poor decision on an option. Or it might be on the defense.
But the first mistakes aren't what broke their back against Oklahoma State. It was the follow up mistakes that snowballed. The Jayhawks are a better team than Iowa State. Now they just need to play like it and remember that themselves.
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