Kansas Football First Half Report Card: Offense

Before the season, Kansas football head coach David Beaty promised a better offense as he took over playcalling duties. How has he fared so far? We grade the offense.

Total Offense

When looking at points and yardage, the offense has struggled, especially in the second quarter of the season. The Kansas offense has managed to score only 16 points per game over its last three games against Texas Tech, TCU, and Baylor. Additionally, they’ve only gained 328 yards per game. On efficiency measures, the offense has not progressed well over the course of the season. Over their last three games, the Jayhawks have only gained 4.1 yards per play, a putrid 123^rd in the country. On third down, the Jayhawks have only converted 32.7% of opportunities, 103^rd in the country.

There have been very good moments for the offense. Against TCU, the Jayhawks gained 470 yards and scored 23 points, before narrowly losing to the Horned Frogs. However, that seems to be the exception to the rule so far. The Kansas offense only managed 296 and 217 yards against Texas Tech and Baylor, respectively. One of the biggest reasons the offense has struggled so far is turnovers. Over the last three games, Kansas has turned the ball over two, four, and five times. Eight of these 11 turnovers have been interceptions.

Passing Game

Over the last three games, Ryan Willis has been the quarterback taking most of the snaps for the Jayhawks. And as such, he’s been quite a disappointment. Since taking the reins of the offense, Willis has completed 55 of 90 passes (61%) for 849 yards. That line isn’t bad unto itself, but the most important stat for quarterbacks has been. Willis has thrown six interceptions against only one touchdown in his last three games. In a close game against TCU, Willis’s three picks and a fumble likely cost Kansas the game, even with the struggles in the kicking game.

Even in his attempts, Willis has not been particularly efficient. So far, he’s averaged only 6.9 yards per attempt, good for 88^th in the country. Overall, his passer rating is 116.3, 104^th in the nation. There are a few reasons for this low number. First is the number of incompletions and turnovers Willis has committed this year. His 61% completion percentage and seven interceptions are poor for collegiate standards.

This is not to put the entire passing game’s struggles on Willis. The offensive line, long considered a work in progress, has not protected Willis well since he became the starter. In the last three games, Willis has been sacked an astounding 4.7 times per game, tied for 121^st in the country over that span. David Beaty’s playcalling has also been suspect. He’s been overly reliant on junior receiver LaQuvionte Gonzalez for big plays, and on the horizontal passing game for big plays. For the Air Raid to reach its potential as a scheme, offenses have to take their share of deep shots to loosen the coverage underneath. So far, the Kansas offense has not done that. In part, that’s because of the poor offensive line.

Running Game

The running game has been my biggest disappointment on the offensive side of the football for the Jayhawks. They have a deep stable of running backs, and enough talent on the offensive line for the rushing attack to be at least serviceable. However, the production has been anemic. Over their last three games, Kansas ranks 122^nd in the country with just under 84 yards per game on the ground. The efficiency stats are even worse, believe it or not. In the second quarter of the season, the Kansas rushing attack ranks dead last in the country, with only 2.1 yards per attempt. This number is reduced somewhat, as it includes the Jayhawks’ sack yards allowed.

The Kansas running backs have actually performed fairly well behind a poor line. Starter Ke’aun Kinner has rushed for 264 yards on a 4.8 yards per carry average. Backup and true freshman Khalil Herbert has rushed for 150 yards, a 5.2 YPC average, and leads the team with two rushing touchdowns. Kinner, Herbert, and sophomore Taylor Martin have done an admirable job in 2016.

On the playcalling front, I would like to see Beaty call more running plays. He has a talented stable of backs, and the offensive line is capable of effective run blocking, like in the second half of the TCU game. In 2016, Kansas has only run the ball 44% of the time, 111^th in the country. In part, this is the result of KU being behind and needing to throw, but a bigger commitment to the running game can only help the passing attack.

Bottom Line

There’s no question the Kansas offense has struggled all season, with the major problem being an inexperienced and undermanned offensive line. However, Beaty hasn’t helped his players succeed with suspect playcalling and a lack of attention to the running game. To improve, Beaty should attack defenses downfield, and commit to building at least an average rushing attack. Ryan Willis needs to progress, and stop making the same mistakes over and over. The bottom line is KU’s offensive performance is simply not good enough. There are enough bright spots for a final grade of D-.

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