The Postgame: Kansas Jayhawks Do Nothing Right Against Iowa State Cyclones

Kansas Jayhawks running back James Sims (29) Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas Jayhawks (3-8, 1-7) were embarrassed on the road by a really awful Iowa State Cylcone (2-9, 1-7) team on the road. The 34-0 white washing, played in frigid temperatures that hovered barely above zero, was the first Big 12 victory of the season for the Cyclones.

IT WAS OVER WHEN: The game was secured when Iowa State quarterback Grant Rohach completed a 15-yard touchdown pass to Quenton Bundrage with 6 minutes to go  in the third quarter to make the score 20-0. The play pretty much buried the Kansas Jayhawks. The rest was just icing (pun intended).

PLAYER OF THE GAME: For the Kansas Jayhawks, only James Sims performed with his usual aplomb.

NOT SO FUN STAT: Kansas surrender 502 yards to a terrible Iowa State offense. Unbelievable. 

THREE POSITIVES

1- JAMES SIMS: Really, Sims was one of the very few positives performers in Saturday’s game. He finished with 114 yards on 21 carries on a night when conditions were brutal and the footing was treacherous. Sims deserved better than the outcome of this game.

2- JAKE HEAPS: The benched starter actually looked much sharper than usual, although his numbers don’t really look like it. He had 5 or 6 passes just flat out dropped by receivers. Jake Heaps finished 7 for 19 for 72 yards but he was better than that.

3- Sorry, that’s it for the positives in this absolute stinker.

THREE WORRIES

1- OVERALL DEFENSE: Kansas was awful on defense all night long. It didn’t matter if it was against the run or against the pass. Giving up 502 yards and 34 points to Iowa State is a gigantic step backwards for the Jayhawk defense.

2- MONTELL COZART’S PASSING: Cozart was especially awful throwing the ball tonight, going 5 for 14 for 25 yards. He continually overthrew receivers the whole time he was in there. The announcers complained he should have been left in when the game became a blowout to gain experience, but his inaccuracy was unacceptable. It didn’t help that when he was on target, the receivers dropped the ball a few times. Then, at the end, Weis stuck him back in when there was really no point.

Montell Cozart also made a couple of horrible mental mistakes when running the ball; once by not seeing the whole field when he cut into traffic instead of going into the open field, and a few plays later he ran out of bounds a yard short of the first down when another step would have moved the chains.

3- TACKLING AND DROPPED PASSES: The Jayhawks struggled to finish off tackles all night. They just don’t look fundamentally sound in bringing down the ball carriers. Kansas gang tackled high all night. How about someone bring down a runner by wrapping up the runner’s legs?

As far as dropped passes go, there were too many to count. This has been a huge problem for Kansas receivers for a couple of years now. These guys just can’t catch the ball. Can someone please make a play?

UP NEXT

Kansas wraps up the season next week at home with the Sunflower Showdown. The game with Kansas State will start at 11 a.m. CST and will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1.