Wednesday Walkthrough: BYU Week
The Kansas Jayhawks couldn’t have asked for a better run through non-conference play, even if their win over the Nevada Wolf Pack last week was far closer than the spread indicated it should be.
But the games will only get tougher from here, including the Big 12 opener against the BYU Cougars this weekend. KU is hot and will have the benefit of a sellout home crowd behind it, but BYU is also 3-0 so far this season and is coming off a statement win on the road against the Arkansas Razorbacks last weekend.
With excitement at a fever pitch and an important Big 12 on the line, let’s dive into what Kansas coach Lance Leipold had to say about the Cougars this week.
LISTENING IN ON LANCE
"I think what's probably made a lot about is, of course, the age and maturity of the team. I think the average age of the roster is 22 years old or something versus what a traditional college roster is, so the size and maturity and those things, the experience.”
Some BYU fans didn’t take this initial comment from Leipold especially kindly, but if you know anything about the KU coach then you know that he never, ever speaks negatively about an opponent ahead of a game. Comments about the age of BYU players aren’t new, but this was clearly an attempt to spin that as a positive for the Cougars, and there’s legitimacy to that given that program’s reputation for strength and physicality this season.
“We better embrace victories around here, and some aren't going to be as pretty as others. Wins have been pretty darn tough to come at the University of Kansas for quite a while, and we need to make sure that we embrace them and then take it and go coach it, coach harder and play harder and get it corrected and go."
Leipold was asked about comparing this season’s start to last year’s, and mentioned that it says a lot about the Jayhawks program that they’re 3-0 for the second straight year for the first time since 1991-92. That brought on this comment about appreciating the team’s success as it comes. However, he added that he’s less concerned about comparisons and more worried about just looking ahead game to game.
“Oh yeah, we fumble too much ... We drill it, we've got to keep emphasizing it."
KU has a fumbling issue, there's no way around that. The Jayhawks have fumbled in each of their first three games this season and have fumbled 26 times in their last 16 games. There's nothing groundbreaking here, but Leipold and the coaching staff are fully cognizant of the problem, and hopefully that extra drilling will eventually yield positive results. Kansas needs that badly.
“Collectively, as a group, you see an incredible amount of relentless play ... You see they know what they're doing, they don't have mental errors, they're obviously well-coached and they know what they're doing."
Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki made just like Leipold and lavished BYU with praise when he spoke this week. We’ll get to more on the Cougars in a moment, but Kansas will certainly have its hands full offensively on Saturday; BYU’s defense is ranked 44th in the country by Stats Perform’s TRACR metric, with its run defense grading out as its stoutest element on that side of the ball. For a KU team that thrives on the ground, that presents an especially difficult matchup.
KNOW YOUR ENEMY
When: Saturday, Sept. 23 at 2:30 p.m. CT
Where: David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, Kansas
Spread: Kansas -9.5
Last week, BYU won a thriller over Arkansas, beating the Razorbacks 38-31 after holding defensively at the end of the game. More specifically, the Cougars held them scoreless on their final six possessions to aid in the victory. Penalties and turnovers were arguably the most important stats in the game, considering BYU won despite getting outgained by 143 total yards, having fewer first downs and less time of possession. It did win the turnover battle 2-1, however, while Arkansas was also flagged 14 times for 125 yards.
Kedon Slovis is the Cougars starting quarterback, his third program in three years after starting his career with the USC Trojans and spending a year with the Pitt Panthers. The former Pac-12 Freshman of the Year has been certifiably "OK" this season, completing 61.1% of his passes for 660 yards and six touchdowns, only throwing one interception in the process. BYU's rushing attack hasn't been overly impressive, either; the Cougars are averaging just 78.3 yards per game on the ground and just 2.7 yards per carry.
Per Vegas Insider, the spread for this game has actually moved further in KU’s direction since opening up at 8.5 points. The total has also gone up from 54.5 to 55.5, although it's worth noting that Saturday's tilt could be impacted by potentially inclement weather. There's a 50% chance of rain in the forecast on game day, with wind gusts up to 25 miles per hour possible.
JAYHAWK TO WATCH
As mentioned above, BYU’s defense is stronger against the run than it is against the pass. In fact, TRACR grades the Cougars as having the 96th-ranked pass defense in the country. There should be opportunities for Kansas to move the ball and rack up explosive plays through the air.
Enter Luke Grimm, KU’s second-leading receiver this season and the program’s highest-graded wide receiver according to Pro Football Focus. Next to Devin Neal, you can easily argue that Grimm is the Jayhawks' next most reliable offensive weapon.
Grimm provides positive value as both a possession receiver and a deep threat, and in a matchup that’s perceived to be close between two new conference foes, a couple big plays could swing the game. He has a knack for making big plays in big moments (We all remember this gem from the Illinois game), so don’t be shocked if he plays the role of hero again this week.
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