The Iowa State Cyclones open the Big 12 race at home this weekend against 16th ranked Kansas. The Cyclones did not play last week and stand 2-2 on the season. Coach Gene Chizik says the off-week came at the right time before they enter Big 12 play and at the real midpoint of the season.
Chizik says it gave the coaches some time to evaluate what they’ve done thus far, and it gives the players some rest. He says sometimes in the middle of the season you "can’t see the forest for the trees" and he says this break has given them a chance to sit back and see what a young team they are.
The Big-12 race figures to be tough. Six league teams are ranked in the top 25, including four in the top ten. Chizik says they are at ISU for the journey, and he’s excited to be able to build it against the best, and they get to find out very week how well they are doing.
The Jayhawks enter the contest with a mark of 3-1, and Chizik says they are a really good football team that has only lost two games in the last 10 to 15 games. Chizik says Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing is a major reason why the Jayhawks burst onto the national scene a year ago. He says Reesing is a team changer, and they have a lot of other good players to go with him.