Postgame: Kansas football fights but comes up short vs. Iowa State
Kansas football fought hard against Iowa State but ultimately came up short against the Cyclones 31-41.
Kansas football came into this game against Iowa State as a 25.5 point underdog (odds courtesy of The Action Network). All things considered, the Jayhawks held their own and didn’t look too bad on the road against the ranked Cyclones.
The Kansas defense played better than expected, not great, but good enough to win the game. Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy finished with 372 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception.
Cyclones running back Breece Hall 97 yards and a touchdown on the afternoon, while receiver La’Michael Pettway caught two touchdown passes.
For Kansas, quarterback Carter Stanley threw for 328 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. Running back Pooka Williams also had a big day, totaling 154 rushing yards and a receiving touchdown.
Senior safety Mike Lee recorded a key interception for Kansas that helped the Jayhawks eventually take the lead over the Cyclones. At that point, the game was up for grabs, and it looked Kansas may finally pick up their first road win against a Big 12 team in over a decade.
It wasn’t meant to be.
After some back and forth action, the Jayhawks were forced to go for it in a fourth-down situation in their own territory.
Kansas didn’t convert, and the defense couldn’t stop the Cyclones from scoring again to put the game on ice.
It was a rough way to end the game, but in the defeat comes everyone’s favorite moral victory. Remember, Kansas was supposed to lose this game by 25 points, and the fact that they gave themselves a chance to win down the stretch is a good sign for the program.
Yes, there were lots of penalties and bad mistakes, but it’s really hard not to be proud of this team for the way they fought on the road against a ranked opponent.
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With only one more game left this season, the Jayhawks only have one more chance to improve to four wins. The final game is a tough one against Big 12 behemoth Baylor.
Kansas football will take on the Bears in Lawrence for senior day next Saturday; game time and channel haven’t been announced yet.