Kansas First Quarter Report Card: Defense

Note: this is the second installment in the first quarter grade series, where we grade offense, defense, and special teams/coaching. Our offensive grades can be found here.

Through the first quarter of the season, KU fans may feel that defensive coordinator Clint Bowen’s defense hasn’t improved at all, or even gotten worse. Others may see their extensive time on the field and poor field position and believe they’ve been given nearly no chance to succeed by the offense or special teams. So which is it?

Run Defense

There is no doubt that the Jayhawk defense has struggled most against the run. In their first three games, the Kansas defense has allowed nearly 235 yards per game, only 110^th in the country. The efficiency numbers haven’t been much better, as Bowen’s defense is giving up 4.9 yards per carry, only 104^th in the nation. The level of competition doesn’t seem to matter either for the KU run defense. They allowed 4.3 per carry to the hapless Rhode Island team, 5.8 against Ohio, and 4.4 against Memphis. Outside of Ohio, the run defense has not performed terribly, but not stellar, either.

As much as these numbers aren’t satisfactory, they’re actually a big improvement from 2015. Last year, the Jayhawks allowed 267 yards per game rushing, 125^th in the country. They also allowed 5.7 yards per attempt, ranked 123^rd in the NCAA, which is even worse considering sack yardage is included. At the same point last season, Kansas was giving up 5.1 yards per carry, so this season is a definite improvement, though not nearly where fans want the defense to be.

Grade: C-

Pass Defense

This is where Bowen and co-Defensive Coordinator Kenny Perry’s work has really paid off. Through three games, Kansas is ranked 9^th in the country in pass defense, only allowing 135 yards per game on 48% completion. This number is helped somewhat by Rhode Island’s putrid 6-23 for 49 yards, but the Jayhawks also haven’t allowed more than 189 passing yards in any game so far. Shockingly, the pass defense is allowing fewer yards per attempt than the rush defense, at 4.8 vs. 4.9. I don’t look for this trend to hold, especially with the very low completion percentage. Entering Big 12 play, look for all these numbers to rise considerably.

The comparison to the 2015 edition of the Jayhawks is striking. Last year, even in the pass-happy Big 12, the Jayhawks were awful defending the pass, giving up 294 yards per game on 66.4% completions. The numbers even hold when considering just the non-conference schedule. South Dakota State, Rutgers, and Memphis combined for a 69% completion percentage and 288 yards per game. It’s safe to say every level of the defense is vastly improved from a season ago, at least in the passing game

Grade: B+

Overall

Based on the statistics, there’s little doubt that the Kansas defense is much-improved from a year ago, coming from dead last in the country in total defense (561 yards per game), to 62^nd so far in 2016, at 370 per game. When looking at the better measure of defensive performance, yards per play, the picture becomes even clearer. This season, the Jayhawks are 39^th in the country in yards allowed per play, at 4.9. Last season, the Jayhawks allowed an astounding 7 yards per play, next to last in America. At the same point in the season, KU even allowed 5.4 yards per play against poor competition.

This is not to say things are where fans should, and do, expect them to be. The defense has been sloppy so far, making too many mental mistakes with penalties and missed tackles, costing the Jayhawks dearly at crucial points in games. For a talent and depth deficient defense like Kansas’s, turnovers are key. David Beaty said as much in his introductory press conference, where he described a defense that is “aggressive that wreaks havoc and confuses offenses, and a defense that creates takeaways.” In this department, the Jayhawks have not been very good, only forcing four in three games so far. To reach their potential, Kansas should force almost double that in order to get off the field and let the offense work. It is early, but Jayhawk fans do have reason to be relatively optimistic compared to 2015.

Grade: C+

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