The Kansas Jayhawks and the Iowa State Cyclones meet Saturday in college football action from Jack Trice Stadium. Kansas took on Oklahoma in their last game. The 6-2 Jayhawks ended up powering out a shocking five-point upset win there. As for Iowa State, they played Baylor over the weekend. In that one the Cyclones improved to 5-3 overall with a 12-point road win. Check back all season long for free college football picks at Sports Chat Place.
Kansas Jayhawks
The Jayhawks kicked off the season with a nice four-game win streak, but then went 1-2 over the next three outings. During that time Kansas managed a solid 36.0 points per game with 33 touchdowns. Kansas had a pretty nice offensive balance, scoring 14 touchdowns passing (with three interceptions) and 16 on the ground (averaging 5.6 yards per rush attempt).
Back on Saturday versus Oklahoma, the Jayhawks faced a 21-17 deficit by the break. Kansas outscored the Sooners 21-12 from there however, and bagged the comeback win 38-33. Jason Bean put up 218 yards with two interceptions and a rush score. Devin Neal paced the running backs with 112 yards and a TD, and Lawrence Arnold caught three balls for 79 yards.
Kansas Jayhawks Team Facts
- Kansas has lost 12 of its last 13 November games against non-AP-ranked teams.
- The home team has covered the spread in each of Kansas’ last seven games.
- Kansas has lost the first half in 30 of its last 34 road games against conference opponents.
- Seven of Kansas’ last eight games against conference opponents have gone OVER the total points line.
Iowa State Cyclones
Over on the Cyclones’ side, they were a mixed bag over their first seven games, going 4-3 to start the season. Iowa State scored well in those four victories with 27 or more points in each game. The Cyclones put up 20 or fewer points in each of the three losses, though. That made for an average of 23.0 points per game with just 821 rush yards and five rush scores.
Matched up against Baylor, the Cyclones scored in every quarter on the way to a well-rounded win 30-18. Rocco Becht put up 238 passing yards, one TD and one interception. Eli Sanders led the rush with 90 yards but Cartevious Norton posted two running touchdowns. Jaylin Noel was tops in receiving with 76 yards from eight catches.
Iowa State Cyclones Team Facts
- Iowa State has lost each of its last seven games against AP-ranked teams.
- Iowa State has failed to cover the spread in eight of its last 10 games against AP-ranked teams.
- Iowa State has won the first half in four of its last five games against conference opponents.
- Seven of Iowa State’s last eight games at Jack Trice Stadium have gone UNDER the total points line.
Matchup/League Facts
- Iowa State rank 27th among FBS teams for points allowed per game this season (19.8).
- Kansas rank 18th among FBS teams for points per game this season (35.8).
- Kansas are one of only 21 FBS teams undefeated in home games this season ([z-0]).
ANDREW’S FREE PICK
I’ll take a stab on Kansas. So long as the Jayhawks don’t suffer the proverbial “big win hangover” in this one. Kansas stood tall against a great Oklahoma team over the weekend, ultimately compiling 443 total yards (225 rushing) and 25 first downs. Sure, the Jayhawks also allowed 269 rush yards, coughed up three turnovers and went just 4-of-14 on third downs, but you can’t argue with the results. Kansas has now scored 32 or more points in three straight outings.
As for Iowa State, they played a pretty solid game versus Baylor over the weekend. The Cyclones are on a nice three-game win streak right now, scoring 27 or more points in each outing while allowing 18 or fewer on the other side. Iowa State will be a pretty good test for the Jayhawks this weekend, but I think Kansas can pull off the win if they continue to play well. This will be a fun one to watch.
