Let’s Go Pod-y: Kansas

Sep 29, 2022 - 5:19 PM

Welcome to another year of “Let’s Go Pod-y” where I listen to podcasts from our upcoming opponent and give you the breakdown. This week I’ve combined two pods from the Kansas City Sports Network pod, mostly because I confused which one I was going to use. More content for you because I’m a moron!

Podcast: KCSN

Pod Lengths:

• 9/27 pod: 58 mins, the Iowa State talk starts about the 30 minute mark
• 9/28 pod: 46 mins, the Iowa State talk starts around the 15 minute mark

General

On “The route to Arlington” for Kansas

“What is the route to Arlington? Win the next two, steal one of the next three? and win out?”

“We’re ranked basically!” [Editors note: Kansas is not ranked at this time]

On the Big 12

“Every Big 12 game is going to be a tight game”

On Iowa

“I watched that Iowa game, and that Iowa is a weird team, they’re disgusting, so gross”

General

“With Iowa State, I think this is the biggest game, we said last week was the biggest game in Kansas [football] history for a long time, but this one tops that one ... this is a defining moment of this season”

“If KU wins [against ISU], then it’s no longer hoping for six [wins] right? then it’s like ‘what’s the ceiling here?’”

“You play that Duke game ten times and KU wins by 20, what? seven times?”

On Iowa State Offense

“The Iowa State offense is not great”

On Matt Campbell

“I’m not saying Liepold’s a better coach than Campbell - but - I think he is [laughter]”

“Campbell is obviously a solid-ass coach, I just think we can beat anyone right now”

On Hunter Dekkers

“When I watched the Baylor game, I got a very strong vibe that they [Iowa State coaching staff] don’t trust this guy to take the game into his own hands, like they’re gonna give him 1 read and go ... I didn’t see him making a lot of reads, and honestly should have had a couple more picks in that game. I was not very impressed with Hunter Dekkers”

“I think Brock Purdy is a good frame of reference, their offensive coordinator Tom Manning has trust issues, period. You look at Purdy, best QB in school history right? and he was still a game manager as a senior. Now he’s a backup on the 49ers, he’s obviously very talented, there is a saying ‘Let Russ [Bronco’s QB Russell Wilson] cook’, and they just didn’t let [Purdy] cook.”

“He’s [Dekkers] more talented than Brock Purdy ... now what you’re seeing is a guy who’s coming in with the talent, but doesn’t have the mental part of it. They’re a little scared to let him rip it, because he’s turnover prone when he does ... 5 picks so far this season”

“He has tons of eligibility ... in 3 years, he may be one of the best QBs in the Big 12, but for this season specifically, he’s a guy that they’re trying to work around offensively”

On X

“Iowa State has a great receiver, highly draft-able, like top 50 [15? hard to hear] wide receiver in Xavier Hutchinson”

“That’s going to be one of the big factors in this game, if Iowa State is going to get some of those big chunk plays to a guy like Xavier Hutchinson”

“Xavier Hutchinson is a guy that will catch it for 8 yards and then take it 50, because that’s how physical he is, big yards after catch guy. if [Kansas defenders] have bad tackling days after the catch, KU is gonna be in for a long day”

On Kansas Offense

“Iowa State is making teams a lot more one-dimensional, this is a game where you’re going to need Jalon Daniels to try to complete some big passes.”

“I think Kansas sees a lot of 3rd and shorts and 4th and shorts and that’s where this game will be won”

“We have geniuses back there putting together plays for us [Kansas] and it’s worked every time so far”

On Heisman Predictions

[blind resume comparison of Jalon Daniels to top 5 Heisman odds QBs]

“If this kid [Jalon Daniels] was at a bigger school, he’s top 3 Heisman odds”

“We’d have to win like what? 9 games? for him to even be considered?”

On ISU Defense

“Has Iowa State played an offense even remotely close to us [Kansas]?”

“I think that [Iowa State] defense is one that, with the secondary especially, it lends itself to a lot of busted coverages, that just happens. It’s why ISU fans just want to gouge their eyes out at it”

“[Iowa States defense] is forcing you to spill everything wide ... it forces you outside, it’s really hard with that front, to run between the tackles, to run downhill, it can be difficult to pull your guards”

“[Kansas] cannot just line up and run [inside] and beat them [Iowa State], they have to get creative and get out on the edge”

On Will McDonald

“Will McDonald closing in on Von Miller’s sack record ... He’s a game-wrecker, if he has a really good game, and he draws two holding calls those are two drives I think Kansas will have to punt”

“What happens when it’s 3rd and long and Will McDonald is bearing down on him [Jalon Daniels]?”

On the Iowa State Secondary

“This is the best secondary Kansas is gonna play this year, you have West Virginia and Houston who’s secondary's aren’t very good, then you have Tennessee Tech who doesn’t count, I mean Duke’s starting cornerback was Datrone Young who got run off at Iowa State”

“Their best corner moved to safety so now you basically have three corners playing in the five defensive backs”

On the Iowa State Linebackers

“Iowa State’s front is fascinating, they’re playing with three MIKE linebackers, Reeder their SAM linebacker is doing kinda the “Mike Rose role” but if you go 4 wide he has to cover a [wide receiver] probably a mismatch there, then you look at Gerry Vaughn, who’s playing in the boundary, he was O’rien Vance’s - the MIKE linebacker - back up last year! So speed is where this game will be won”

On Kansas Wide Receivers

“This will be a big test for KU’s wide receivers, I think they’ve been one of the unsung parts of the offense [this season] ... Iowa State will be a good litmus test”

On Kansas Secondary

“They’ve gotta be better at the catch point ... you want to bother an inconsistent quarterback? [DBs need to] play consistently down the field”

On Kansas Defense

“It feels like our defense is going to have a big game”

On Expectations

“Before I watched ISU/Baylor, I thought this would be the first time Kansas stumbled this year. It’s just hard to win week after week after week after week”

“If Kansas wins this game the conversation becomes ‘Is Kansas a Big 12 title game contender?’”

“I was saying we’d be 5-1 after these next two, but there’s no way we’re 4-3 after the OU game”

Predictions

“I think this is where Kansas gets its first loss, if they don’t have at least a B+ game. Iowa State 35 - Kansas 31”

“I think Kansas is about to play their best game of the year ... I think you’re gonna get a very focused version of this [KU] football team this week, this is the BEST version you’re going to see from the first 5 weeks, I think it’s enough to beat Iowa State, I don’t think they’re world beaters 31-28 Kansas [wins]”

“We’re +3.5, which is wildly disrespectful, if you don’t put money on that line you’re a coward. Hawks 24, Iowa State 21 ... [several mins later] ... I’m changing my prediction, I’m disgusted with myself for saying we wouldn’t hit 30 points, so 30-24 Hawks [win]”

“I’m all in on this blowout, $&*@ pump, boat race, whatever you want to call it. The score that keeps popping into my head is 45-17 Kansas [wins]. You didn’t rank us, our QB is still 30:1 Heisman odds, you think we’re just this cute story, we’re gonna show you we’re the real f’ing deal and we’re gonna go out and blow the $&*@ out of Iowa State”

“I don’t see this team scoring less than 30 on anyone, so let’s go 30-27 KU [wins]”

On Happiness

“We’ve been waiting for this boys, we were like 13-14 year old kids the last time KU won more than three games, and it’s the best feeling in the world. KState fans, I know they don’t want us to be happy, but we have every right to be insanely happy right now and have our hopes all the way up and this just feels so good. We’re 4-0 we have a winnable sold out game at ‘the Booth’ [KU stadium] and dude like football is king man! basketball is awesome and all but what football does for your school is crazy” [Editor’s note: this part was actually kinda heart-warming, long time Iowa State fans knows what he means]

See you next week!