Jayhawks Head to Ames for Showdown Against Iowa State

Oct. 26, 2004

LAWRENCE, Kan. — The University of Kansas (3-4, 1-3 Big 12) football team will play back-to-back road games for the first time this season as the Jayhawks travel to Ames, Iowa, on Saturday for a 1 p.m. kickoff against Iowa State (3-4, 1-3 Big 12).

“I think that Dan McCarney (ISU head coach) has done a phenomenal job at Iowa State,” said KU head coach Mark Mangino who is returning to the site of his first game as a head coach. “He works hard at the job and leads those kids. If you look at Iowa State and KU, those to schools don’t have some of the resources that some of the other Big 12 teams. It’s not easy and he’s been there 10 years and has taken them to some bowl games, which is a marvelous job.”

Senior wide receiver Brandon Rideau is just two pass receptions shy of moving into second place on the KU’s all-time receptions list. The Beaumont, Texas native has 115 catches during his career. The school record is 133 held by Willie Vaughn who played at KU from 1985-88, while Richard Estell (1982-85) is in second place with 117 career grabs. Last season against the Cyclones, Rideau hauled in five catches for 86 yards including a 53-yard touchdown reception.

The Jayhawks are coming off a 41-10 loss at No. 2 Oklahoma despite playing one of its best halves of its season in the game’s first 30 minutes. KU trailed the nation’s second-ranked team 14-10 as the teams headed to their respective locker rooms for intermission. Oklahoma, however, scored 27 unanswered points in the second half to claim the win.

Iowa State enters the game against the Jayhawks after defeating Baylor 26-25 to pick up its first Big 12 victory of the season. Cyclone running back Stevie Hicks collected his first rushing touchdown of the 2004 campaign with 41 seconds remaining in the game to steal a victory from the Bears.

KU NOTES

— The home team has won the last two meetings in the series as KU captured a 36-7 victory last year in Lawrence.

— The KU defense ranks first in the Big 12 allowing the opposition to convert on just 27.8 percent of its third down chances. Opponents have converted 27-of-97 third down tries.

— KU punters rank third in the Big 12 with an average of 42.2 yards per punt attempt. Starting punter Kyle Tucker has landed eight of his 31 punts inside the opponents 20 yard line.

— The Jayhawks boast the third best rushing defense in the Big 12 by allowing 108.1 yards per game on the ground. Only Oklahoma (76.4 ypg) and Nebraska (99.3 ypg) have been better at stopping the run.

— KU linebacker Nick Reid ranks second in the Big 12 with 10.7 tackles per game. He is just one of two Big 12 players who average more than 10 tackles per contest.

— Saturday’s game against Iowa State marks the first time in KU’s last five games that the Jayhawks will not square off against a team that participated in a bowl game last year. In all, eight teams that saw action in bowl contests a year ago highlight the 2004 KU football schedule. KU opponents coming off bowl appearances in 2003 include Tulsa (Humanitarian Bowl), Northwestern (Motor City Bowl), Texas Tech (Houston Bowl), Nebraska (Alamo Bowl), Kansas State (Fiesta Bowl), Oklahoma (Sugar Bowl), Texas (Holiday Bowl) and Missouri (Independence Bowl).

— Kansas and Iowa State have split the last two meetings between the two teams. KU won last year’s contest 36-7 in the final game of the 2003 regular season..

— KU —