Gameday Breakdown: KU football vs. Iowa State

Kansas running back Ke'aun Kinner (22) evades Oklahoma State linebacker Devante Averette (40) during the first quarter on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016 at Memorial Stadium.

— Iowa State (1-8 overall, 0-6 Big 12) at Kansas (1-8 overall, 0-6 Big 12) • 11 a.m. kickoff, Saturday, Memorial Stadium • Game-time forecast: 48 degrees, sunny, 0% chance of rain • TV: FOX Sports Net

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Keys for Kansas

1. Make things easy on your new QB

For all the excitement surrounding David Beaty naming redshirt freshman Carter Stanley the starting quarterback against Iowa State, it might be easy to forget this is Stanley’s first college start. The 6-foot-2 QB looked comfortable a week ago in West Virginia when an injury to Montell Cozart forced him into the game. Stanley passed for 127 yards and two touchdowns on just 11 throws, but starting a game against a team desperate for a victory is far different than coming in late against a team that knows it already has won.

One would assume Beaty will keep the passing calls fairly simple for Stanley. The offensive coordinator could do him a favor, too, by making sure running back Ke’aun Kinner features prominently in the game plan. Through nine games, Kinner only averages 10.3 carries a week. But the 5-foot-9, 191-pound senior has done his job when he gets the ball: Kinner averages 5.3 yards per rush. It would be foolish to limit Kinner’s involvement versus an ISU defense that has allowed 235.2 rushing yards an outing in conference play.

2. Know what to expect out of ISU QBs

Typically in the Big 12, coordinator Clint Bowen and the defense have to prepare for a highly effective quarterback with varying strengths and weaknesses. This week, the Jayhawks prepared for two QBs. The Cyclones have utilized both junior Joel Lanning and sophomore Jacob Park this season. Lanning started the first eight games for first-year head coach Matt Campbell, while Park started just over a week ago in a 34-24 home loss to Oklahoma.

So far, Lanning has proven the more versatile in the dual-QB system, completing 59 percent of his 161 throws, with nine touchdowns and three interceptions. While Lanning’s 136.0 passing yards a game don’t leap off the stat sheet at you, he also leads ISU with five rushing touchdowns. Lanning averages 11 rushes a game and 3.4 yards a carry.

Park, who threw for a career-high 301 yards in a five-point home loss to Kansas State Oct. 29, only has 27 rush attempts and no scores on the ground. Park has completed 55 percent of his passes for 132.9 yards a game, with eight touchdowns and three picks.

3. Find a way to stop Lazard

Perhaps the most important weapon within ISU’s offense, junior receiver Allen Lazard is the Cyclones’ version of Kansas wideout Steven Sims Jr. Three times this season, Lazard has put up 100 or more receiving yards. In six Big 12 games, the 6-foot-5 target averages 5.2 receptions and 61.8 yards. KU cornerbacks Marnez Ogletree, Brandon Stewart, Kyle Mayberry and Derrick Neal could make pulling off an upset victory a little easier by eliminating Lazard’s chances within the passing game.

Mega Matchup

KU pass rush vs. ISU O-line

As tends to be the case with football teams that use two quarterbacks, Iowa State’s passing hasn’t exactly shredded Big 12 defenses. The Cyclones come to Lawrence averaging 240.3 yards through the air in six league losses — eighth in the conference, ahead of KU’s 232.3. ISU’s quarterbacks have completed 57.1 percent of their attempts, with nine touchdowns against Big 12 competition.

Still, the offense hasn’t been disastrous, because the Cyclones have only lost possession three times in conference play due to interceptions. Kansas could change that trend by applying constant pressure on Lanning and Park. With sophomores Dorance Armstrong Jr. (8.0 sacks) and Daniel Wise, and junior DeeIsaac Davis, KU has a defensive line capable of visiting the backfield often. While ISU starts four seniors — left tackle Nick Fett, left guard Patrick Scoggins, center Brian Bobek and right guard Brian Seda — on its offensive line, the team ranks last in the Big 12 in sacks allowed in conference games (4.0 a week). The Jayhawks have bothered better quarterbacks this season and should make a point to rattle ISU’s passers.

5 Questions with senior S Fish Smithson

1. Last season you racked up so many tackles (111 total, in 11 games), and while you’re still making them this year (team-best 64 total, through nine games), do you feel like you’ve been freed up to do more on the field since the defense as a whole is more sound?

“Yes, I feel like definitely the workload has been lessened this year. With our D-line playing as big as they’ve been playing, definitely getting a lot of TFLs and a lot of sacks and stuff, that’s been helping me out a lot on the back end.”

2. True freshman safety Mike Lee has come a long way and earned players’ and coaches’ trust over the last several weeks. What role do you think you’ve played in Lee’s development?

“More so probably in a mentor role, more the little things: just off-the-field stuff, in meeting rooms and taking down little notes here and there. And just reading receivers’ routes. After practice (Monday) we stayed after and kind of worked on our drops and breaking on the ball — stuff like that. … He came real far. During camp, you could see some of his natural play-making abilities, but he also had a lot of freshman moments.”

3. The secondary has six interceptions this season. Is that a number you all are happy with or do you expect more out of yourselves?

“Definitely expect more. Six turnovers as a group, I feel like, with the guys we’ve got back there we can definitely do more.”

4. The defense has improved significantly from 2015 but the wins still haven’t shown up as a result. How difficult is that, the longer you all go without a win?

“It’s difficult at times, because we’re competitors and stuff. So, of course, you know we want the end result to be wins. Of course we want that. So that’s why we’ve got a coach like Coach Bowen, who goes around and shows us the good things that we did do and some statistics and where we stand in the Big 12, to kind of keep our heads in the right direction and keep us fighting.”

5. You guys have the same record as Iowa State. Is there an added incentive this week to get out of last place?

“Yeah, of course. You don’t ever want to be in last place at anything you do. … I know they’re gonna come out hard. We’ve just gotta match that intensity.”

Jayhawk Pulse

Entering the season, many who follow KU football circled Nov. 12 against Iowa State as a winnable Big 12 game for second-year head coach Beaty’s Jayhawks. After all, the program’s last league win came against ISU in Memorial Stadium just more than two years — and 18 games — ago. While both Kansas and ISU have identical records, the Cyclones have been more competitive in Big 12 losses (three points to Baylor, seven points at Oklahoma State, five points to K-State, 10 points to OU). So assuming a Kansas victory over 10-point Las Vegas favorite Iowa State would be a bit much. Beaty hasn’t won a Big 12 game since taking over the program. While his players certainly don’t openly discuss that topic, they’re sure to realize what a win vs. ISU would mean to their coach, and it could do wonders for their own psyches. Whether they had this game highlighted on their calendars, this is the Jayhawks’ best remaining chance for an FBS victory in 2016.

Tale of the Tape

KU ….. ISU

? KU run D vs. ISU run game

Push KU pass D vs. ISU pass game

KU run game vs. ISU run D ?

KU pass game vs. ISU pass D ?

Special teams ?