by Team Del Genio
Friday, Sep 29, 2023The Kansas Jayhawks opened their season with a 48-17 win against Missouri State before beating Illinois, 34-23. In week 3, Kansas played their first game on the road and survived a 31-24 victory at Nevada in a final score that should not have been that close. The Jayhawks held the Wolf Pack to 263 yards while gaining 442 total yards themselves. Kansas got inside Nevada’s 40-yard line seven times yet only came away with 24 points in those trips. Junior quarterback Jalen Daniels was injured to begin the season but he was back at full strength in that game after completing 21 of 27 passes for 298 yards.
Yet the Jayhawks probably planned on revving up their rushing attack in preparation for their game against BYU with heavy winds expected up to 16 miles per hour in Lawrence at kickoff. Led by junior Devin Neal, Kansas was averaging 5.4 yards per carry and ranked 24th in the nation in rushing success rate. Neal had rushed for more than 300 yards already while averaging 3.8 yards after contact. If weather impacts the passing games for both teams, the Jayhawks would probably have the advantage.
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BYU had allowed their last eleven opponents last year to average 31.1 points per game and 6.1 yards per play. The Razorbacks' 38 points and 5.7 yards per play that they put up the week before was a return to that concerning level of play on the defensive side of the field. The Cougars allowed 408 yards per game which ranked 93rd in the nation for FBS programs.
BYU was on the road to play an explosive Kansas offense that ranked 20th in the nation by averaging 35.6 points per game. The Jayhawks opened the game by recovering a Cougars fumble and returning it for a 22-yard defensive touchdown. They traded touchdowns before the Cougars scored the final ten points to go into halftime with a 17-14 lead.
Yet the Jayhawks immediately responded in the second half by picking off a Kedon Slovis pass for a 30-yard interception that was returned for a second defensive touchdown. Kansas extended their lead to a 35-20 margin early in the fourth quarter before cruising to a 38-27 victory.
Daniels was effective under center by completing 14 of 19 passes for 130 yards with three touchdown passes and no interceptions. He added 54 yards on the ground. The Jayhawks were able to control the game with their rushing attack with 221 yards on 37 carries. BYU ended the game with only nine rushing yards. Despite their favorable opening two games of the season against Sam Houston and Southern Utah, BYU went into that game averaging only 2.5 yards per carry in their rushing attack. They ranked last of all FBS teams in success rate in their ground game before playing Kansas.
With their victory, the Jayhawks improved their record to 4-0 with a showdown in Austin against Texas looming on Saturday. Kansas opened last season with five straight victories before losing three in a row and six of their final seven games after a 55-53 loss to Arkansas in Liberty Bowl.
The road gets much tougher with the heart of the Jayhawks' Big 12 schedule looming. The oddsmakers have installed Kansas as an underdog in the 17-point range against the Longhorns on Saturday. Yet with home against Central Florida, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and Kansas State still pending, head coach Lance Leipold's team has a good chance to not only reach their second straight but end the season with a winning record.
Good luck - TDG.
Yet the Jayhawks probably planned on revving up their rushing attack in preparation for their game against BYU with heavy winds expected up to 16 miles per hour in Lawrence at kickoff. Led by junior Devin Neal, Kansas was averaging 5.4 yards per carry and ranked 24th in the nation in rushing success rate. Neal had rushed for more than 300 yards already while averaging 3.8 yards after contact. If weather impacts the passing games for both teams, the Jayhawks would probably have the advantage.
.
BYU had allowed their last eleven opponents last year to average 31.1 points per game and 6.1 yards per play. The Razorbacks' 38 points and 5.7 yards per play that they put up the week before was a return to that concerning level of play on the defensive side of the field. The Cougars allowed 408 yards per game which ranked 93rd in the nation for FBS programs.
BYU was on the road to play an explosive Kansas offense that ranked 20th in the nation by averaging 35.6 points per game. The Jayhawks opened the game by recovering a Cougars fumble and returning it for a 22-yard defensive touchdown. They traded touchdowns before the Cougars scored the final ten points to go into halftime with a 17-14 lead.
Yet the Jayhawks immediately responded in the second half by picking off a Kedon Slovis pass for a 30-yard interception that was returned for a second defensive touchdown. Kansas extended their lead to a 35-20 margin early in the fourth quarter before cruising to a 38-27 victory.
Daniels was effective under center by completing 14 of 19 passes for 130 yards with three touchdown passes and no interceptions. He added 54 yards on the ground. The Jayhawks were able to control the game with their rushing attack with 221 yards on 37 carries. BYU ended the game with only nine rushing yards. Despite their favorable opening two games of the season against Sam Houston and Southern Utah, BYU went into that game averaging only 2.5 yards per carry in their rushing attack. They ranked last of all FBS teams in success rate in their ground game before playing Kansas.
With their victory, the Jayhawks improved their record to 4-0 with a showdown in Austin against Texas looming on Saturday. Kansas opened last season with five straight victories before losing three in a row and six of their final seven games after a 55-53 loss to Arkansas in Liberty Bowl.
The road gets much tougher with the heart of the Jayhawks' Big 12 schedule looming. The oddsmakers have installed Kansas as an underdog in the 17-point range against the Longhorns on Saturday. Yet with home against Central Florida, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and Kansas State still pending, head coach Lance Leipold's team has a good chance to not only reach their second straight but end the season with a winning record.
Good luck - TDG.
