PLAYERS TO WATCH
–WR Stephon Robinson dropped a would-be touchdown after he was hit in stride inside the Iowa State 10 in the first half of the Jayhawks’ 27-3 loss on Nov. 3 to the Cyclones. Robinson also lost a fumble in the red zone later in the half. He bounced back to record a career-high 52 yards on four receptions, including a career-long strike of 34 yards.
–LB Joe Dineen was in on 13 tackles against Iowa State, the sixth time in eight games the senior has recorded double-digit stops. He continues to lead the Big 12 with 12.2 tackles on average and also ranks first in the FBS with 79 solo stops. Dineen, a hometown product known as “the mayor,” was especially critical of the low fan turnout after the home defeat.
–RB Khalil Herbert rushed for a season-high 91 yards on 21 carries as the backup actually rushed more times than the Jayhawks’ leader, Pooka Williams, against Iowa State. Herbert is a good back capable of spelling Williams, though his workload in the Jayhawks’ run-predicated attack was surprising.
–P Kyle Thompson continues to make a strong impression as a sophomore, booming his fourth 60-yard punt of the season in the first quarter, pinning Iowa State deep in its territory. Thompson has dropped punts inside the opposing 20-yard line on 16 of his 42 attempts this season.
SERIES HISTORY: Kansas leads Kansas State 64-46-5. The Jayhawks have dropped nine straight in the series, dating to the return of Bill Snyder as the Wildcats’ coach in 2009. Snyder is 22-4 against Kansas and has wins against seven coaches, including the Jayhawks’ defensive coordinator, Clint Bowen, when he was interim coach in 2014. QB Carter Stanley passed for 418 yards and WR Steven Sims had nine catches for 223 yards in a 30-20 loss to Kansas State last season.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “When we go back and look at film you can narrow the outcome of the (Iowa State) game down to a couple of (long pass) plays. Throughout the course of a game, when you’re down 14-0 on two plays like that it’s a hole you have got to dig out of.” — Kansas LB Joe Dineen.