Film Room Favorites: KU vs. UCF
The Kansas Jayhawks put together one of their most complete, dominant performances of recent memory when they crushed the UCF Knights on Saturday. They were able to maximize their combined offensive skill set for a full 60 minutes while getting as clean of a defensive performance as you could realistically hope for.
There was plenty to dig through for this week’s Film Room Favorites, featuring dazzling performances from the stars on both sides of the ball. Frankly, after a game like that, Kansas fans should expect nothing less.
THE REAL DEAL DOES IT AGAIN
We'll start with arguably the best running back in the Big 12, Devin Neal, and the latest in his eye-popping catalog of game-breaking runs.
In KU’s win over Nevada, Neal caught a short throwback and took it for a huge gain, showing off his full arsenal of skills and moves on his way to the one-yard line. This is a similar play in the sense that it’s a huge gain that showcases why No. 4 is going to make an NFL team very happy in next year’s draft.
We'll get to more on the offensive line later, but here they get a great push at the point of attack (look at Dominick Puni clearing bodies like he's heavy machinery) and carve out a sizable running lane for RB1. Neal freezes the defensive ends with his subtle backfield cut, then shows good burst as he hits the hole. Thirty yards downfield, while mid-sprint, he puts a defensive back on skates with a cutback and finishes the play by hitting top speed and outracing the rest of the UCF defense. That's a fast unit the Knights have and Neal outran all of them. This run was the total package, with an impressive collection of jukes, burst and breakaway speed for a 75-yard touchdown. “Real Deal” isn’t just a rhyming nickname, it’s an apt descriptor.
RUN THEM OUT OF TOWN
KU's entire stable of running backs played well in Saturday's dominant effort, but its offensive line deserves a ton of credit for how well the ground attack did. This next clip illustrates some of the superior blocking we saw from both the line and the receivers.
This is just beautiful. It’s hat on a hat all across the board. With the center and right tackle pulling right, KU has two blockers for one defender right after the toss to Daniel Hishaw. Bryce Cabeldue clears the outside linebacker while Mike Novitsky gets to the next level and swallows up the pursuing cornerback from the boundary. Luke Grimm crashed in from the right slot and slowed down a safety who never recovered. Toss in another downfield block from Lawrence Arnold and Hishaw is free for another explosive run.
To me, this is cinema.
If you’re going to rely on your running game to be the most dynamic element of your offensive, you need athletic linemen and willing downfield blockers. Clearly, the Jayhawks have both. Beautiful scheme combined with winning every individual assignment is a simple strategy for big-play success.
SCREEN GAME SUCCESS
As long as Jason Bean is starting for the Jayhawks, one of the biggest goals for the offense has to be making his job as easy as possible. By finding consistent success in the screen game, KU can do just that.
There is so much going on here, but it all serves a purpose. We start with play action, which has well-documented success at all levels regardless of how good you actually are at running the ball (it just so happens Kansas is very good at that part of the game). Now, look at the top of the screen and the stack of receivers. Grimm drops back behind Bean with a blocker remaining in front. With this action, you're selling both the bubble screen as a route itself as well as a potential double pass trick play. Your safety to the right side of the offense recognizes that and pursues from the defensive backfield.
On to the bottom of the screen. UCF is blitzing its cornerback here while the other safety drops into coverage as Arnold pushes upfield vertically. With all of this going on around the perimeter of the play, Neal slips into the right flat. Two offensive linemen release downfield with just one linebacker to block. Neither gets to him immediately but he still over pursues and runs himself out of the play. Neal is free with blockers out in front and picks up the first down.
The Jayhawks will probably need more from Bean through the air going forward, but giving him easy completions and chances for explosives will do the whole offense wonders. It’s fair to expect even more from the screen game in the near future, but this is as well-done as you could hope for.
PUSHING IT DOWNFIELD
Of course, Bean can throw downfield, too, and offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki knows how to use leverage, releases and alignments to get easy, vertical passes for his quarterback.
There's nothing unique about this route from Grimm, it's just a slot corner to the field-side boundary. But what's especially useful about this play is how he lined up.
He gets a free release coming out a stack with Neal. While Neal stays shallow, Grimm pushes upfield and gets behind the dropping zone defenders. The vertical route by the No. 1 receiver to the field side pushes the corner out of the play and Grimm is wide open for a big gain. The offensive line gives Bean a clean pocket and he has a clear window to drop the ball into.
If the running game is tearing up the opposing defense like it did against UCF, you don’t need to do much in the deep passing game. Being able to sprinkle it in can be a dangerous weapon, however, and this is a great example of how pre-snap alignment can lead to easy reads post snap.
BOOKER DOES IT AGAIN
We’re getting close to making a permanent section in the film room for Austin Booker clips. He has been sensational this year and is only getting better.
You can’t ask for more from your defensive end’s pursuit. Patrick Joyner gets the initial pressure, but it's Booker who finishes the play and attacks UCF quarterback Timmy McClain. What stands out the most here is how Booker gets the strip sack. He doesn't just blast the quarterback or put his head down and happen to dislodge the ball. Instead, he keeps his hands up and attacks the ball. Worst case scenario: You just grab the quarterback and sling him down. Best case scenario? Exactly what happens here.
Booker already has five sacks through just five games played this season. Coach Lance Leipold said on Monday that there are still some things Booker needs to work on, but as long as he plays with a motor like this he’s going to make plays all season long.
After a tough game against the Texas Longhorns, this past week’s win over UCF was a perfect bounce-back effort for Kansas. This was one of the best versions of the Jayhawks offense we’ve seen in this era, and finding more ways to marry explosive runs with open, structured completions will continue to elevate this program.
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