No. 23 Cyclones heads to winless Kansas on Saturday

Posted October 29, 2020 7:00 am

By The Associated Press

Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy (15) throws a pass during an NCAA college football game against Oklahoma State Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020, in Stillwater, Okla. (AP Photo/Brody Schmidt) The Associated Press

No. 23 Iowa State (3-2, 3-1 Big 12)) at Kansas (0-5, 0-4), Saturday at noon ET (FS1).

Line: Iowa State by 28.

Series record: Kansas leads 50-43-6.

WHAT'S AT STAKE?

Iowa State still believes it has a shot at the Big 12 title after losing a heartbreaker to Oklahoma State last week, but a let-down against the Jayhawks would wipe out those chances. Kansas is coming off a whipping by rival Kansas State that left coach Les Miles, who had just come back from a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, defending the progress of his program.

KEY MATCHUP

Iowa State QB Brock Purdy against the Kansas pass defense. The Jayhawks played well defensively in the first half last weekend, and they need that kind of performance for four quarters against Iowa State. Purdy has thrown for 1,074 yards with five touchdown passes and two interceptions during what has been an uneven start to his season.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Iowa State: RB Breece Hall grew up in Wichita, about a 90-minute drive south of Lawrence, yet bypassed Kansas on his way to playing for the Cyclones. The sophomore leads the nation in rushing and has eclipsed 100 yards each game this season. He carried it 20 times for 85 yards and his ninth TD of the year against the Cowboys last weekend.

Kansas: QB Jalon Daniels is starting to settle into the starting job, but the freshman with the speed and elusiveness on the ground needs to be more efficient - and make better decisions - through the air.

FACTS & FIGURES

Iowa State has won five straight in the series. ... Hall ranks third nationally with nine TD runs and his three carries of at least 65 yards leads the nation. ... Purdy is 14-6 against the Big 12 with at least one win over every member. ... The Cyclones' defense is allowing 21.2 points but Iowa State also has given up four non-offensive touchdowns. ... Iowa State's JaQuan Bailey is the school's career leader with 40 tackles-for-loss and 22 sacks. Both are second-best among active NCAA players. ... Kansas RB Velton Gardner has run for 297 yards and is averaging 4.7 yards per carry. ... The Jayhawks have not beaten a ranked team since No. 15 Georgia Tech on Sept. 11, 2010. Their last win over a ranked Iowa State team was Oct. 18, 1980.

___

More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy (15) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown against Oklahoma State during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020, in Stillwater, Okla. (AP Photo/Brody Schmidt) The Associated Press

Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels throws the ball during the second half of an NCAA football game against Kansas State Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020, in Manhattan, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) The Associated Press

Article Comments

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.