Big 12 Football Game of the Week: Kansas vs. BYU
If you told me at the beginning of the year that I would be writing a Game of the Week preview on Kansas versus BYU and that it would be an undefeated matchup, there's a pretty good chance I would not have believed you.
But here we are nonetheless. A game that I would have categorized as having "fun" potential a few weeks ago now has potentially major conference implications.
Let's start with BYU. I owe BYU an apology. Going into this season, I was not very high on the Cougars, although I did like Kedon Slovis and the offense's potential. Turns out that offense is better than I thought. After putting up just 14 points on Sam Houston State in Week One, the Cougar offense turned around and scored 41 against Southern Utah and, more impressively, 38 against Arkansas.
Slovis has been good, but not necessarily great. He threw for 348 yards against Southern Utah, but in the other two games, he has not eclipsed 170 yards. LJ Martin, the freshman running back from El Paso, scored two touchdowns in BYU's win over Arkansas but has not accounted too much else, so it is hard to see where these points are coming from. And it turns out, you have to look at the defense to know.
The BYU defense, a unit I had little hope for before the season, is in large part responsible for the Cougars +2 turnover margin, which ranks fifth in the country. The Jayhawks rank 83rd with a -.5 differential, so this is an area of importance. BYU has forced seven turnovers in three games which has given the offense a short field and momentum (if that is something you believe in; I do, but I don't want to offend our analytic friends).
Kansas' offense is carving up just about everyone it faces. Jalon Daniels is one of the best quarterbacks in the country and is continuing to prove it each week. I probably also owe the Jayhawks an apology for my preseason projections, but I am not going to give it to them because 1) it's early, and things can change quickly -- see Kansas Jayhawks 2022 -- and 2) I just don't want to.
Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels
Devin Neal, the Kansas running back, has rushed for 303 yards and five touchdowns in the first three games and has looked semi-unstoppable. He is going to cause problems for any defense, but especially a defense like BYU's. Kansas has evenly spread production in the receiving room, which is both a testament to the talent it has and Daniels' ability to distribute the ball.
If you are looking for some entertaining football, tune into this one. Vegas is giving Kansas an 8.5-point advantage, but I am not so sure this won't be a close game. Neither defense is great, and both offenses are. Kansas may win, but I would pick it to be a close game.
BYU at Kansas kicks off at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Lawrence, Kansas on ESPN.
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