Will Lance Leipold's Bye Week Success at Kansas Continue Against West Virginia?

Kansas has won four straight games off the bye under head coach Lance Leipold, but will that trend continue on Saturday against WVU?

Sep 6, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Lance Leipold reacts during the first half against the Missouri Tigers at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The Jayhawks' quest for a perfect season ended 11 days ago when Kansas suffered a major fourth-quarter collapse on the road against Missouri. Some teams struggle to overcome such a heartbreaking loss, and other teams regroup the following week and bounce back.

KU didn't have a chance to bounce back last week because they were idle, but if there's one thing head coach Lance Leipold has done well since he arrived in Lawrence, it's win off the bye or when given 12 or more days to prepare for his next opponent.

The Jayhawks have won each of their last four games off a bye or 12 days or more of rest. And two of those wins have been over ranked opponents. Last year, KU blew out Houston on its first bye and then upset No. 17 Iowa State on its second bye.

The year before that, Kansas beat UNLV in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, a game the Jayhawks had more than a month to prepare for, and before that, handed No. 6 Oklahoma its first loss of the season after beating the Sooners 38-33.

And in 2022, KU nearly won both its games off the bye or 12 days or more of rest. The Jayhawks lost a shootout to Arkansas, 55-53, in overtime in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl to close out the season, but demolished No. 16 Oklahoma State in the regular season.

Granted, it's certainly not the largest sample size, but few college coaches are as successful as Leipold currently is when given extra time to prepare for an opponent.

And that shouldn't change this week against West Virginia. Yes, the Mountaineers are coming off a major upset over Pitt, but few teams can replicate that type of success back-to-back weeks.

It took just about every ounce of energy for Rich Rodriguez's squad to take down the Panthers last week, and don't be surprised if WVU comes out a little flat this week.

West Virginia definitely isn't as bad as they were last year, especially now that Rodriguez is back, but don't write the Jayhawks off just because of one loss. Jalon Daniels is still one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the country and a potential Heisman finalist, and don't be surprised if KU takes it to WVU on Saturday.

Rodriguez certainly has had Kansas' number over the years, but considering it's his first year back in Morgantown, and Leipold's successful track record off the bye, going against KU is a risky approach.

Kickoff between the two teams is at 5 p.m. (CT) from David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.