November is here and the Cyclones are hoping this will be a different one for Iowa State football than last year’s.

November was where it all fell apart for Iowa State last season: three losses in four weeks, beginning with a four-point loss to West Virginia and capped by a controversial 20-19 loss on the road to rivals Kansas State, extending a streak that has now reached a decade without an Iowa State win over the Wildcats.

This November begins with a different test: A 3-5 Kansas team that is much improved and is coming off of a 27-26 win over TCU — its first Big 12 win in nearly two full seasons.

Campbell said the Cyclones “ran out of gas” down the stretch last season.

“I think this is a different football team than maybe what we were a year ago,” Campbell said. “You see a lot more capable bodies and capable young men that are helping and impacting our team than what there was a year ago.”

One thing the Cyclones feel they have going for them heading into a crucial month which could see them headed to Arlington, Texas, for the Big 12 Championship, is depth on the defensive side of the ball.

The Cyclones have built a group of players they trust over the season, and unlike last year, when the starters were rarely rotated out leading to fatigue in the later games, the Cyclones have been shuffling players in and out frequently, resulting in playing time for freshmen and others Jon Heacock and company are comfortable with.

Redshirt junior defensive end Matt Leo, the player tasked with getting snaps in place of the injured Enyi Uwazurike, said the rotation has helped a lot through the first seven games.

“Obviously last year the first string were taking the brunt of all the reps,” Leo said. “Now, we’ve got depth on all edges.”

Kansas presents a strong ground-game challenge for the Cyclone defense in freshman running back Pooka Williams Jr. The former four-star recruit is averaging over 6.5 yards per carry, and while Iowa State is leading the Big 12 in rush defense — averaging only 101.3 yards per game and 10th best in the country — Williams Jr. is a different challenge for the 20th ranked defense in FBS.

Heacock called him “incredible” and said the Jayhawks may have the most dynamic ground game Iowa State will have faced yet.

“[Williams Jr.] has a lot of things he can do,” Heacock said. “Very talented, a very tough competitor.”

On the offensive side of the ball for Iowa State, it’s all about keeping the ball rolling. Or, in this case, keeping the ball from rolling. One of the most surprising stats concerning this year’s Jayhawks has been their ability to force opponents into mistakes. The Jayhawk defense is forcing nearly three turnovers a contest (23 through eight games) and sits at a plus-16 turnover differential, the second-best in the country behind Georgia Southern.

Despite the somewhat crazy ability of the Jayhawks to run over their opponents, the Kansas defense is still leaky, giving up 433 yards per game and ranking 98th in the FBS in total defense. Iowa State’s offense, averaging 461.7 yards per game since inserting Brock Purdy into the lineup, will have ample opportunity to continue its hot streak.

Wide receivers coach Bryan Gasser said the Cyclones need to be especially careful with the ball this week.

“They [Kansas] got some guys that can make plays,” Gasser said. “They play really hard, they run to the ball.”

The Cyclones are hoping this November puts them on the path to the Big 12 title. A win over the slowly-improving Jayhawks on Saturday would mean more than usual toward their lofty goals.