Jayhawk report

First quarter

The key: KU was down 3-0, with Iowa State knocking on the door for another score at the Kansas 24. But Fish Smithson jumped in front of a pass at the 10, nabbing an interception before going out of bounds. That takeaway set up KU’s first scoring drive to take a 7-3 lead.

Second quarter

The key: On fourth-and-2 at Iowa State’s 37, coach David Beaty called a timeout and was seemingly planning to go for the first down. But quarterback Carter Stanley took the snap and ... punted. Fans booed, and momentum flipped to Iowa State, which scored on its possession to trail 14-10.

Third quarter

The key: The Jayhawks had a one-point lead when Ke’aun Kinner ran 39 yards for a touchdown. That gave KU a 24-16 lead and more cushion against an ISU offense that kept catching up.

Fourth quarter

The key: Iowa State’s 13-play, 41-yard drive that ate up 5:38 of clock in the final quarter, led mostly by running back David Montgomery, gave the Cyclones their final lead.

Report card

Offense: C. The Jayhawks’ running backs — Kinner and Taylor Martin — combined for 35 carries for 235 yards and two touchdowns. And Stanley, in his first career start, went 26 of 38 for 171 yards and a touchdown. But the offense stalled in the second half, and Stanley threw an interception on what could have been a game-tying drive in the fourth quarter.

Defense: D. Iowa State is eighth in Big 12 offense but put up 31 points and 458 yards on Kansas, including 238 on the ground (5.2 per attempt).

Special teams: D. Already with a negative return average on punts, KU didn’t get any better when LaQuvionte Gonzalez fumbled the first punt Iowa State sent at him. It set up ISU at the KU 8.

Coaching: C. David Beaty’s decision to punt (with its quarterback) on fourth-and-2 at the Iowa State 37 drew boos from fans.

Player of the game

Kinner rushed 18 times for 152 yards and a touchdown, finishing with an 8.4 yards-per-carry average on the day.

Reason to hope

The run game — powered by the Kinner-Martin duo — finished with 257 yards and found its way Saturday, albeit against a struggling defense.

Reason to mope

Kansas held a 14-3 lead over a team winless in the Big 12, yet the Jayhawks still ended the day with a loss.

Looking ahead

The Jayhawks play host to Texas at 11 a.m. or 2:30 p.m. next Saturday in the home finale.

Ashley Scoby

This story was originally published November 12, 2016 at 5:20 PM with the headline "Jayhawk report."