Three keys for Kansas Jayhawks Football against the Oklahoma State Cowboys

The Kansas Jayhawks acquired a a lot wanted bye, and in addition get to return residence to tackle the Oklahoma State Cowboys with bowl eligibility on the reside. And the Jayhawks have some fairly necessary items returning, as head coach Lance Leipold noting that quarterback Jalon Daniels and cornerback Cobee Bryant have returned to apply. 

The Cowboys confirmed some vulnerability on the highway in opposition to Kansas State final week, and the Jayhawks have an opportunity to make it two straight losses. However with a view to do this, I am searching for three key issues on Saturday.

Defensive Strain

The Jayhawks have been ready to make use of the bye week to heal up and put together for the remaining video games on the schedule. If he is ready to return, cornerback Cobee Bryant could be a lift to this secondary that has been examined with accidents. Extra importantly, Cowboys quarterback Spencer Sanders left the sport in opposition to Kansas State with an higher physique harm, and it’s at present unknown if he’s accessible for Saturday. The following quarterback on the depth chart is Gunnar Gundy. Gundy stepped in for Sanders within the loss and was 2-out-of-7 for 16 yards and an interception. With Gundy beneath heart, a key to this sport is defensive stress.

Defensive finish Lonnie Phelps has had time to recoup and shall be recent to tackle the Oklahoma State offensive line. Phelps at present has 6.5 sacks which ties him for twenty fourth in school soccer. Making use of stress in opposition to a freshman quarterback may lead to some questionable decision-making. However even Sanders has proven some issue coping with stress this season, and preventing an harm is not possible to assist. The Jayhawks have 19 sacks on protection for a complete of 121 yards which ranks them forty eighth within the nation.

Jayhawk Devoted

The Jayhawks shall be returning residence to Lawrence, Kansas, and shall be taking part in their first residence sport since October eighth in opposition to the TCU Horned Frogs. I talked about this throughout the bye week as a key for the rest of the yr. The Jayhawk devoted want to indicate up and assist a soccer workforce that’s one win away from turning into bowl eligible. Like defensive stress, the gang is a key to a victory. Head coach Lance Leipold talked concerning the residence crowd noise saying, “One in all our assistants talked to an opponent (we’d performed at residence) & they admitted they’d not ready for crowd noise, and it wound up being an element within the sport.”

The group is usually a issue for not solely a freshman quarterback, but additionally a complete Oklahoma State workforce that has by no means seen a overvalued Memorial Stadium. Not solely can the protection apply stress, however so can the house crowd. If Kansas is ready to qualify for his or her first bowl sport since 2008, the gang will have to be an enormous a part of that.

Elite Offense

Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki opened his presser by saying “It is November 1st immediately and I need everybody to know it is okay to start out listening to Christmas music beginning immediately.” We as Jayhawk followers is perhaps getting some items early as Jalon Daniels returned to apply which may point out he’s making ready to start out in opposition to the Cowboys. Whether or not it’s Daniels or Jason Bean this offense has to proceed taking part in at an elite stage.

We now have seen some unimaginable play from the offense and within the first eight video games, the offense has averaged 420.9 yards per sport and a powerful 7.1 yards per play. By means of the air, Daniels and Bean have accomplished 128 out of 197 passes for 1855 yards. On the bottom, the Jayhawks have rushed 274 occasions for 1512 yards. The explanation it is a key for this sport particularly is that this.

The Oklahoma State protection has given up essentially the most yards with 3,642 within the Massive 12 which is 455.3 yards per sport. The Cowboys’ protection has additionally surrendered 249 factors and a mean of 31.1 factors per sport which locations them ninth out of the ten groups within the Massive 12. The Jayhawks’ offense may make the most of this poor defensive opponent and assist safe a win permitting the Jayhawks to change into bowl eligible.

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