Three Things We Learned: Kansas

Kansas is so, so, so bad

I already knew this, but man, it hurt to see in person. This football team is really bad and I’m not sure how they can build a program up from this poverty state. To be fair, Devin Neal is a really solid running back, Jason Bean has some extreme athleticism, and Lance Leopold is an up-and-coming coach that I think has the tools to build a solid program, but man that was ugly.

Props to the players for continuing to play, the band for making the trip up, and the surprising amount of road fans I saw at Jack Trice Stadium. All I can is “those poor Jayhawks.” I hope it gets slightly better, I truly do.

The offense looked great

I’m not sure how much it was Iowa State and how much of it was the opponent, but either way, the Cyclone’s offense looked sharper and better than they have since the Fiesta Bowl of last season. Brock Purdy threw for five touchdowns (four in the first quarter,) Charlie Kolar made an unreal touchdown catch, Breece Hall broke some big runs and the offensive line seemed to find some sort of rhythm.

I want to say it was a little bit of Iowa State being good and Kansas being bad, but no matter what, it’s still encouraging. A game to just be able to have fun and do what you want as an offense may have been exactly what this unit needed.

What a fun atmosphere!

I was expecting a very light crowd for this game. Two disappointing losses to start the season, Kansas in town and rain in the forecast. It seemed like the perfect storm for a lackluster atmosphere with the upper deck half-full. I’m happy to say that I was proved wrong. The final attendance 60,446 with a completely full student section and crowded hillside seats.

It was a therapeutic experience to be able to celebrate a blowout win that included big plays with my best friends at Jack Trice Stadium. I’m so excited for what the last three games at home will look like.