Iowa State will have their hands full on Saturday when they travel to Lawrence to take on the ninth-ranked Kansas Jayhawks. The following match-ups should give you a good idea why.

At quarterback, Kansas’ Mark Williams is as solid as they come. A great arm, great speed and a good head for the game could cause problems for the ISU defense. Todd Doxzon is completing passes at a high percentage and showed what kind of rushing ability he has against Oklahoma. While both quarterbacks are similar, Williams is more of a threat in both areas.

At running back, the Jayhawks provide an even matchup. Not because they have a single back with the same talent level as Troy Davis, but because there are two outstanding tailbacks that wear Jayhawk blue. Senior L.T. Levine and junior June Henley are as powerful as any duo in the country. Levine averaged 6.3 yards per carry last season, while Henley averaged 4.6. But let’s not forget that the Cyclones still have the nation’s leading rusher and total yards leader in Davis.

The offensive lines are similar. Both are large and aggressive. The Jayhawk offensive front is anchored by Scott Whittaker, a 6’6″ 290 lb. monster. The Kansas offensive line completely dominated Colorado and should, on paper, do the same to ISU. At the same time, Iowa State’s offensive line cannot be denied. Cyclone offensive tackle Tim Kohn held one of the nation’s best defensive ends, Oklahoma’s Cedric Jones, to a mere three tackles. And let’s not forget that there is a reason that Davis is leading the nation in rushing.

ISU’s receiving core stands above the Jayhawks. The size, strength and speed of Mike Horacek and Ed Williams rank with the best in the nation. Kansas will counter with Ashaundai Smith, who averaged 19.4 yards a catch last year. While Smith is in the same class as Williams and Horacek, the rest of the Kansas receivers are young and have yet to prove they are in the elite ranks of college receivers.

Kansas’s defensive line is their only major weakness. The Jayhawks lost their entire defensive line last season. While they are young, and are not incredible huge, the have proven game after game to be a solid unit. They do get the nod over ISU simply because the Cyclone defensive line has had trouble stopping the run all season.

The linebackers of both schools are even. Angelo Provenza has been working his way into the all-Big Eight voting, while Mike Cooper and Tim Sanders are certainly knocking on the door. Both Sanders and Cooper each recorded 19 tackles in the last game. Kansas will showcase two seniors in Ronnie Ward and Keith Rodgers, who led the team with 77 tackles last season, 48 unassisted. Both are fast, strong and experienced.

The secondary of Kansas is outstanding. Jayhawk defensive back Tony Blevins is explosive and sees the whole field. Blevins racked up 39 tackles to lead all defensive backs last season. The Kansas secondary also held the high powered Colorado offense to 20 points, their season low. The Cyclone secondary is solid, but after Oklahoma racked up nearly two hundred yards, including a 90-yard touchdown, some doubts still remain.

Specialty teams are once again even. Both schools have solid punters in ISU senior Marc Harris and Kansas senior Darrin Simmons. Both place kickers are solid, while Davis and Kevin Wilson can match up well with most any duo of return men in the nation.

The homefield advantage goes to Kansas, which will make the task even tougher for the Cyclones.