Ames, Iowa ? Quarterback Zach Dyer couldn’t get Kansas University’s passing game going. Backup Bill Whittemore didn’t fare much better behind an inexperienced offensive line.

Tailback Reggie Duncan couldn’t find any running room, and neither could backup Clark Green.

Iowa State's Ellis Hobbs, left, and Jordan Carstens converge on Kansas QB Bill Whittemore. Whittemore and starter Zach Dyer combined to complete just 10 of 31 passes with four sacks in KU's season-opening 45-3 loss Saturday in Ames, Iowa.

When the first game of the Mark Mangino era ended Saturday at Jack Trice Stadium, Kansas had gained a modest 150 yards in a 45-3 loss to Iowa State.

That score wasn’t much different from the 49-7 pasting Iowa State delivered last season in Lawrence in the Jayhawks’ next-to-last game.

Then again, Saturday’s game could have been worse. ISU kicker Adam Benike missed two short field goals.

After his debut as a college head coach, Mangino said he was disappointed, but not discouraged.

“We’ve got 11 games left,” he said, “and we’re going to get better as it goes.”

Most of the disappointment came from the offense.

Hapless offense

KU’s defense limited Iowa State to a field goal on its first drive and forced the Cyclones to punt on their next possession. KU immediately gave the ball back when Dyer’s pass was intercepted by linebacker Jeremy Lloyd. ISU scored four plays later on a reverse by receiver Lane Danielson with 3:57 left in the first quarter.

“We definitely didn’t help the defense,” Dyer said. “We had too many three-and-outs and kept them on the field.”

KU picked up its only first down of the first quarter with 2:10 left when Iowa State was penalized for roughing the kicker on a punt.

The Jayhawks stopped Iowa State again when cornerback Remuise Johnson intercepted Seneca Wallace’s pass at the KU 43-yard line. KU mounted a 10-play drive, but Mangino declined to try a 49-yard field goal with the wind when the drive stalled at ISU’s 32.

“I was kind of shocked,” said sophomore kicker Johnny Beck, who made nine of 12 field-goal attempts from 40 or more yards last season, including a 59-yarder. “I was a little disappointed, but I understood what we were trying to do.”

KU was trying to pin Iowa State deep in its own territory. The Jayhawks deliberately took a delay-of-game penalty to give punter Curtis Ansel five more yards to work with, but the senior boomed the ball into the end zone.

Iowa State led 17-0 at halftime after a seven-yard run by Hiawatha Rutland, who finished with 122 yards rushing. Backup Brian Thompson added 96 of the Cyclones’ 277 rushing yards.

For all of the game photos, post-game audio, and more please visit the new KUSports.com site. Box score:ISU: 45, KU: 3Hear the coach:Mangino’s post-gamePhotos:ISU game pix Other game stories:Chuck Woodling: Kansas’ offense had better get betterDavid Mitchell: Reid shines in debutAndy Samuelson: Ex-KU coach Allen tickledBig 12 Roundup: CSU stuns No. 7 BuffaloesMatchup History: Know the FoeGet the scores:Big 12 scoreboardKansas team info

Mangino ‘impressed’

ISU finished with 511 yards in total offense, including 234 passing yards by Wallace.

Iowa State (1-1 overall, 1-0 Big 12) was coming off a 38-31, season-opening loss to Florida State.

“We had a real hard-fought, gut-wrenching loss last Saturday night,” ISU coach Dan McCarney said. “You never know how a team will respond. It was very workman-like. There was nothing fancy.”

The Jayhawks might disagree.

Nevertheless, Mangino was pleased by the effort of his overworked offense.

“I was really impressed with their intensity, and the way they played in the first quarter and the first half,” he said. “The lack of depth and not being able to rotate more people caught up with us, but that’s an excuse, and I don’t have any excuses.”

Mangino made some changes at halftime in an attempt to jumpstart his offense. Dyer went to the bench after completing six of 14 passes for 50 yards. Duncan gained 18 yards on eight carries in the first half and shared time with red-shirt freshman Clark Green in the second half.

Whittemore, a junior college transfer, replaced Dyer and completed four of 17 passes for 31 yards. He proved more mobile than Dyer with 29 rushing yards on seven carries.

‘A lot to learn’

“We didn’t have anything going in the first half,” Mangino said. “We threw Bill in there to see if we’d get a spark.”

Trailing 24-0, Whittemore led KU on its only scoring drive. He carried four times for 22 yards and completed 10- and nine-yard passes to Brandon Rideau and Derick Mills in the 15-play, 68-yard march.

The drive, helped by a pass interference call, ended at the 11, where Beck booted a 28-yard field goal as time expired in the third quarter.

Green also factored in the drive with a key five-yard pickup on third-and-one at the KU 41. He finished with 31 yards on nine carries, while Duncan had 21 yards on nine carries.

Mangino said the running backs and quarterbacks would be re-evaluated before Saturday’s game at UNLV.

“We have a lot to learn,” Whittemore said.

Iowa State poured it on in the fourth quarter with three touchdowns, including one in the final minute by the Cyclones’ second-string offense.

“We are just going to stay on track and keep improving,” Whittemore said. “We have a new coaching staff and a new offense, and we just need to stay focused.”