Every week, the Iowa State Daily’s Sam Stuve will deliver the good news for Iowa State football fans as “Good Cop” and Jack Shover will play devil’s advocate as “Bad Cop.”

This week, Stuve and Shover will dissect Iowa State’s matchup against Kansas.

Good Cop:

Kansas is a very weird team this year. They lost at home 12-7 to the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, but then blew out Boston College 48-24 on the road. Then they followed that with a 29-24 loss at home to the West Virginia Mountaineers and a 51-14 loss to TCU (both teams of whom Iowa State beat by 24 points or more). Finally, they pushed the Texas Longhorns to their limit, only losing by a score of 50-48 in Austin, Texas.

Bottom line is this: Kansas is very inconsistent this season, but that’s to be expected when your head coach has only been at the university for one year. Kansas has a solid foundation and has showed flashes of potential this season, en route to a 3-7 (1-6 Big 12) record. 

What we do know about Kansas is that it has allowed more than 24 points in all but two games (its first two) this season and it has allowed Iowa State to score more than 24 points in all but two games they’ve played against each other since 2010.

The Jayhawks have been held to less than 25 points in eight of their ten games this season and the Cyclones have held six of their 10 opponents to less than 25 points a game. 

Iowa State has not lost to Kansas at Jack Trice Stadium since 2008 and is 9-3 against Kansas in Jack Trice Stadium since the Big 12 formed. That record should improve to 10-3 as I see Iowa State’s offense torching Kansas’ defense en route to its seventh victory of the season.

The Cyclones should have a two touchdown lead or something similar at halftime and will put the game away after that. The Cyclones’ backups should see some playing time come the fourth quarter.

Prediction: Iowa State 45, Kansas 17.

Bad Cop:

If there were to be a trap game on Iowa State’s schedule, this is it.

Fresh off of a win against Texas, the spirits for the Cyclones should be at an all-time high this season.

In addition, the Cyclones have a solid opponent in the team’s final game against Kansas State. The Wildcats upset Oklahoma this season.

Before that matchup, the Cyclones take on the Jayhawks.

Kansas sits in last place in the Big 12, and with an 11 a.m. kickoff, the Cyclones are sure to start the game off sluggish.

Kansas’ ninth-ranked offense in the conference won’t put up insane numbers, but quarterback Carter Stanley ranks sixth in passing yards a game with an average of 224.1 yards, and running back Pooka Williams is amongst the best in the conference.

Williams has 791 yards, which only trails Oklahoma State’s Chubba Hubbard and Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts for the most in the conference. Williams is averaging 4.9 yards a carry, so if Stanley is able to hit some throws early, it could open up better running lanes for Williams early.

If Kansas wants to challenge the Cyclones in this game, they will have to gain an early lead and be just good enough on defense, where they rank last in the conference, to keep the Cyclones from pulling of the win late in the game.

With that being said, the Cyclones are too good on offense and defense for the Jayhawks to provide more than a first half scare.

The biggest test for the Cyclones in this game will be avoiding a loss of offensive momentum heading into Kansas State.

Prediction: Iowa State 34, Kansas 17