Jayhawks open Big 12 slate with another road loss

By J-W Staff Reports     Oct 3, 2015

Nick Krug
Kansas quarterback Montell Cozart (2) is dropped to the turf underneath Iowa State linebacker Jordan Harris (2) during the second quarter on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015 at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa.

Despite a somewhat promising start, with Kansas finding relative success on offense and defense on the road, the Jayhawks dropped their 35th game in a row away from Lawrence, in a 38-13 loss at Iowa State Saturday.

The KU defense took the old bend-but-don’t break approach for more than a quarter and a half at Jack Trice Stadium, holding the Cyclones to just a 3-0 lead. But KU’s offensive drives kept ending with punts (and the first missed field goal of the season from Nick Bartolotta) instead of points.

Once ISU senior quarterback Sam Richardson went untouched on a four-yard rushing TD with 5:40 left in the second quarter, Mark Mangino’s offense got rolling.

With Richardson completing 27 of his 37 passes for 269 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and freshman running back Mike Warren averaging 9.7 yards a carry on his way to 175 yards and two scores, the Cyclones racked up 512 yards of offense against KU’s once-again overmatched defense.

Iowa State (2-2 overall, 1-0 Big 12) built a 24-0 lead in the third quarter before KU (0-4, 0-1) got its first wide receiver touchdown of the season and avoided a shutout on a 47-yard Tre’ Parmalee catch from Montell Cozart.

But KU’s rushing attack never got going, and the Jayhawks had just 38 yards on 33 attempts. Starting running back Ke’aun Kinner rushed for 46 yards on 11 carries, but didn’t get a touch in the second half.

KU used both junior Cozart and true freshman Ryan Willis at quarterback in the loss. And when Cozart suffered a shoulder injury in the second half, the Jayhawks went with Willis exclusively down the stretch, with the game out of reach.

Willis completed eight of his 16 throws for 100 yards and looked more and more comfortable with increased in-game reps.

Cozart threw for 150 yards and completed 15 of his 21 throws.

ISU held Kansas to 288 yards.

The Jayhawks return home to face Big 12 powerhouse Baylor next Saturday.

— See what people were saying about the game during KUsports.com’s live coverage.

HOW THEY SCORED

First Quarter

1:54 — Cole Netten 34 field goal. Both teams came away empty on the opening drives of the game, with each place kicker missing mid-range field goals wide right. But after the Iowa State defense forced KU into a three-and-out on its second drive, Netten responded by drilling a 34-yard attempt that capped an eight-play, 32-yard drive that took 3:28. (ISU 3, KU 0).

Second Quarter
5:40 — Sam Richardson 4 run. Netten kick. After a couple of punts, Iowa State got back on the scoreboard with a six-play, 62-yard drive that took 2:33. The drive featured three straight runs by Mike Warren, which opened up Richardson to complete a roll-out pass to Justin Chandler for a 30-yard gain that set up the TD two plays later. (ISU 10, KU 0).

:30 — Allen Lazard 9 pass from Richardson. Netten kick. After stuffing the Jayhawks on yet another drive, Iowa State’s offense marched 73 yards in seven plays and 1:19 to go up by three scores late in the first half. Richardson completed five straight passes to jump-start the drive and six of seven, the final one coming after an offsides penalty on Kansas gave Iowa State a first down inside the 10. (ISU 17, KU 0).

Third Quarter
9:47 — Mike Warren 62 run. Netten kick. After sacking KU quarterback Montell Cozart for the third time of the day to end KU’s initial drive of the second half, Iowa State needed just one play to add to its lead. Warren, who gained 61 yards on 7 carries in the first half, needed just one play to top that total in the second half as he raced up the middle and was never touched until he reached the end zone. (ISU 24, KU 0).

5:36 — Tre’ Parmalee 47 pass from Montell Cozart. Kick failed. After forcing the Cyclones into a rare three-and-out following a punt that pinned ISU inside its own 10, Cozart found Parmalee wide open over the middle on the Jayhawks’ first play of the drive and the KU senior sprinted up the seam to the end zone for KU’s first score of the day. (ISU 24, KU 6).

2:15 — D’Vario Montgomery 13 pass from Richardson. Netten kick. Iowa State responded to KU’s first scoring drive of the day with a seven-play, 65-yard drive that took 3:21 and featured a lot of pounding on the ground by the ISU running backs. (ISU 31, KU 6).

Fourth Quarter

13:30 — Marcquis Roberts 83 interception return. Nick Bartolotta kick. After marching into Kansas territory and threatening to add to the lead, Iowa State QB Sam Richardson was forced from the pocket and threw off balance for an underneath receiver. But the ball sailed past him into the waiting arms of Roberts, who raced, untouched, down the Kansas sideline for the Jayhawks’ second score of the day. (ISU 31, KU 13).

11:34 — Warren 7 run. Netten kick. Iowa State showed no signs of letting up early in the fourth quarter, as Richardson continued to throw the ball down the field and to the edge, which opened up things in the middle for Warren. The big play on the drive came when Richardson hit Jauan Wesley with a 41-yard completion down the ISU sideline one play before Warren’s second TD run of the afternoon. The drive covered 74 yards in five plays and 1:50. (ISU 38, KU 13).


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