<table> </table> For a Kansas offense that hasn&#8217;t featured a 100-yard rusher yet this season, the Iowa State defense couldn&#8217;t be coming along at a better time.</p><p>The Cyclones have allowed an opposing running back to reach the 100-yard mark in each game this season and have given up an average of 187.5 rushing yards. The Jayhawks spent much of their bye week trying to bring their ground game to life, and KU coach Mark Mangino moved leading rusher Angus Quigley into the starting role for the Big 12 opener.</p><p>&#8220;The running game sets the tempo for the game,&#8221; Quigley said. &#8220;You come out and you&#8217;re able to run the ball, it sets up everything. We need to establish the run in conference play, and we need to start that this Saturday.&#8221;</p><p>Quigley will get the opening carries, but the KU coaching staff is planning to play Jocques Crawford and Jake Sharp as well. The guy with the hot hand will get the most time in the second half.</p><p>KU offensive coordinator Ed Warinner, despite seeing his offense average just 119 rushing yards per game, doesn&#8217;t think the running game has struggled as much as some may think.</p><p>&#8220;It wasn&#8217;t as bad as people were making it out to be,&#8221; Warinner said. &#8220;I know what our level of consistency is running the ball on first down. I know what our overall run game consistency is. The thing we&#8217;ve lacked really is just big plays in the run game. We&#8217;ve run the ball pretty decent for 4 to 6 to 7 yards. We just haven&#8217;t had the big plays.&#8221;</p><p><hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> <strong><span class="infobox-head">No. 16 Kansas at Iowa State </span></strong><br /> <strong>&#8226;WHEN/WHERE:</strong> 11:30 a.m. today at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa</p><p><strong>&#8226;TV/RADIO:</strong> Versus, KCSP (610 AM) &#8195;&#8195;&#8195;&#8195;&#8226;<strong>THE LINE</strong>: Kansas by 11 1/2</p><p></div> <hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> <strong><span class="subhead">Other story lines</span></strong></p><p><strong>&#8226;HOW MUCH WILL KENDRICK HARPER PLAY? </strong>Harper, a senior cornerback, has missed the last two games recovering from an undisclosed injury that sent him off the field on a stretcher against Louisiana Tech on Sept. 6. He considers himself fully recovered.</p><p><strong>&#8226;WILL MIKE RIVERA GET BACK ON THE FIELD? </strong>Rivera, a senior linebacker, was one of the Jayhawks&#8217; best players a season ago. But Mangino has expressed dissatisfaction with Rivera&#8217;s play in 2008. As of Tuesday, Mangino said Rivera was not in the starting lineup. </p><p><strong>&#8226;WILL KERRY MEIER KEEP HIS LEAD? </strong>Meier leads the nation in receptions per game with 9.3 per game. Will the Cyclones be able to keep him in check?</p><p></div>