Kansas rolls on…
Kansas 45 Iowa State 7

Kansas once again seems to be one of the only top teams to stay undefeated, and beat the un-ranked team. The Missouri game will be the biggest test, and will determine whose stay at the top with LSU. This game though was over really quick.

Kansas came out solid and stayed solid the entire game. The only Drive Iowa State scored, Kansas led them down the field with 3 huge penalties, which for Kansas is rare. They cannot make the same mistakes against Missouri though. In question will be the ankle of QB Todd Reesing. He limped around most of the game, was well protected, but played solid and made no big mistakes. If unable to play the entire game, K. Meier played well going 9 for 9 with a TD. All in all Kansas plays well when running on all cylinders. Their biggest issue will be their defensive line. It is really not that effective on pressuring the QB or stopping a solid RB. They will have to play aggressive and rush the LB’s to pressure Chase Daniel of Missouri.

Iowa State really did not have a chance, Top Receiver Todd Blythe was rendered useless against the Kansas secondary and weak play of QB’s Meyer and Arnaud.

Iowa State did not show up on defense as well. Kansas mixed up their offense on them, sending the grasping for straws on each play.

Great coaching on the Kansas side of the ball. He mixed in plays well and put pressure on the only chance Iowa State had, the Meyer and Arnaud.

Will Reesing have enough time to rest his ankle by the 24th?

KANSAS

#3 Aqib Talib 6' 2.0" 193 4.45 CB 2009: Seemed to do well overall, but only statiscally as Iowa States passing game stunk. Blythe of Iowa State was rendered useless on that side of the field. Still suprising seeing Talib as a top pick. He let a few pass plays get behind him, if it were any other team with a decent QB playing, they would have been scores. One long pass play, by Marquis Hamilton, got behind him and made a huge gain. He is not effective when it comes to pursuing a play already on the ground and does not have the strength to get around or through blockers. Too many mistakes and issues from a top prospect and against a weaker team. GRADE: Negative

#35 Brandon McAnderson 5' 10.0" 235 0.00 FB 2008: Played most the game. Has 9 rushes for 70 yards, and looked solid on everyone. Quick feet and great running over the defense for extra yards. One negative that really stood out was his poor blocking. One play in particular he did not even seem to try and hold it (not sure he knows how). Seems like he was bored when blocking. Not good in the eyes of scouts for sure, that will not go un-noticed. GRADE: Neutral

#86 Marcus Henry 6' 4.0" 210 0.00 WR 2008: 4 catches for 92 yards. He looked solid once again. He has very quick feet and at the moment he catches the ball, he knows how and where to move. Very athletic and aware of his surroundings and on coming tackles. Nice moves. GRADE: Positive

#85 Derek Fine 6' 3.0" 250 0.00 TE 2008: 3 catches for 26 yards. Solid player and looks like a team leader. Great blocker, handled all his assignments with fire and force. Has good hands and is very athletic. GRADE: Positive

#93 James McClinton 6' 1.0" 285 0.00 DT 2008: OK, I think he made a tackle or 2. Does not play on every possession. But really cannot overcome a block and was really ineffective this game. GRADE: Negative



IOWA STATE

#1 Todd Blythe 6' 5.5" 211 4.53 WR 2008 : Passes were not coming his way, some good coverage on him, others the QB had no clue. Was no match for the Kansas secondary. Seems like he has good speed and was able to get behind Talib and another Kansas defensive back a couple of plays but the QB has no arm to connect. Nothing really else to say here, did not see much of him! GRADE: Neutral

#7 Bret Meyer 6' 2.6" 210 0.00 QB 2008: 16 for 28, 103 yards passing. Ran around clueless to me. Meyer was unable to capitalize on a few deep passes and opportunities to get them in the game. He only ran 2 times for 9 yards also. Seems like he has decent speed and can throw the ball. Seems like though he is unsure where and how to throw it though. GRADE: Negative

#16 Jon Banks 6' 2.0" 219 0.00 LB 2008: Played well as could be expected with no help. Was found near or in most tackle plays. Covers the field nicely and has solid speed. Made quite a few tackles and good hits. Was able to take care of the runner on his own. Banks mirrored the ball well. GRADE: Positive

#41 Ben Barkema 6' 3.0" 252 0.00 TE 2008: Caught 2 passes for 15 yards, was not used much. He was able to block and hold his own on run plays though. Showed some good strength and athletic ability. Good hands it seems also. GRADE: Positive

#37 Bret Culbertson 37 6' 6.0" 179 0.00 K 2008: Had a kick off (fairly deep but not great) and had a PAT. Not much else to say there. GRADE: Neutral

#71 Athyba Rubin 6' 3.0" 321 0.00 DT 2008: Made a few tackles, was not really able to be much help to his weaker defensive teammates. Seems to have some good size and can come off blocks well. GRADE: Neutral




Other Notes. Great game again by #40 (and yes he has a name) Mike Rivera. Team leader for sure, mirrored the ball well, hustles on every play and his head seems to always be in the game. Reesing looked well for someone who was hurt, as a sophomore, it will be interesting to see how he develops. Joe Mortensen, LB, also showed great hustle, excellent mirroring of the ball, and played well and hard.

Excellent writeup, Kevin!

Do you think the offensive line at Iowa State is the problem, perhaps? Meyer flashed pro potential the past two years during which he and Blythe were one of the most dynamic combinations in football.. I am struggling to understand why that has not been the case at all this season.

I am think Rivera deserves to be in the database as an '09, simply because he is big, fast, and makes plays. He is the kind of guy who could be in the mix as one of the top 5 LB's for the draft (along with Arizona's Spencer Larson--who, last I checked--also is not in the database even though he is a senior.)

What do you think? Rivera and Larson would both crack the Top 100, IMHO...

I know Reesing was hobled, but what do you think of his pro potential with that smallish frame?

Talib is high because he is a size/weight/speed freak...maybe we should drop him some, as he was not impressive in the game I scouted either, though he was DOMINANT in the games I caught last year...

The line could be some of it, but it sure seemed the Iowa State receivers were not open. After seeing Blythe and Meyers on some old games and plays, I was really looking forward to a great game. I was thinking they could give Kansas a run for their money. A few big passes were missed when a couple of Iowa Stae receivers broke their coverage deep.

Talib seemed to cover his man well, as did the rest of the secondary. But he lets people get behind him. Brain lapse, just got beat, not sure. I assume all of it. I was suprised how many times someone was wide open and a few yards in front of him. So was he I hope. Big game for them next week.

Reesing is small, he sure has a ton to prove next year to be considered a top prospect his senior year, I can't imagine that will happen his Junior year, necoming a top prospect I mean. He can move, seems to throw the ball well, he will be interesting to watch next year.

I agree on Rivera, I mean this guys is playing, I can't wait to see how he does against Missouri. IMHO also...

How did Alvin Bowen look?

He did quite well actually. Considering the rest of the defense struggled. He mirrired the ball well and was in many plays. Seems to mirror the ball well. He did not look lost, just overwhelmed...