Kansas football: Defense improving, but David Beaty struggling

If you’re looking for signs of improvement with the Kansas football program, even the most pessimistic of fans, have to appreciate this team is making some strides. Now, will those gains be enough to nix the firing of Head Coach, David Beaty at some point this season? Not a chance.

Though I’ve been harsh on Kansas football head coach David Beaty, he deserves props for making this a closer game than I thought for his teams Big XII opener. Even though the Baylor Bears defeated the Jayhawks 26-7, his defense made significant improvement in the second half, limiting Baylor’s high-powered offense to a single field goal over the final two quarters.

Sadly, Beaty continues to get an ‘F’ for his rotating quarterback circus. Peyton Bender started, Miles Kendrick relieved him, then left the game with an injury. Bender came back in leading Kansas to its only touchdown drive of the game. Then for some strange reason, Beaty put Carter Stanley in the game in the fourth quarter, who quickly threw an interception.

Beaty’s primary goal when he was hired at Kansas was to find, develop and produce a winning college football quarterback. After four years, he’s done nothing in that regard. Bender is the best of the lot but he’s inconsistent at best. Stanley, who played well at times a year ago, isn’t the answer. Kendrick is the best of the three, but he’s not the passer this offense needs to complement its power running game.

What’s sad about KU’s low offensive output on Saturday was it wasted the effort of the defense, that time and time again, gave the football to the offense to bridge the scoring divide. Even though that’s a defensive moral victory, this team isn’t going to be judged on anything but wins and losses to determine Beaty’s future.

In all honesty, Beaty, has done about as much with the Kansas Football program as one could under the circumstances – knowing he’s going to be fired at some point this year. Despite a 2-2 overall record, he had a good chance to win at Baylor on Saturday. But the losing culture within the program is so deep, he’s not the man to pull them from the depths of another potential winless conference season.

The Jayhawks remaining schedule is daunting at best. After losing, their best chance to get a conference road win this season against Baylor, they’ll face Oklahoma State Saturday in Lawrence. The Cowboys were taken to the wood shed at home versus Texas Tech, 41-17, so they’re going to lay the smack down on the Jayhawks this weekend.

After that loss, Kansas has remaining road games at West Virginia, Texas Tech, Kansas State, and Oklahoma. After the Cowboys invade Lawrence this weekend, KU’s remaining home games include TCU, Iowa State and Texas.

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If KU’s offense plays like it did Saturday, there isn’t a victory in sight for Beaty and his Jayhawks at home. Granted Iowa State could be vulnerable on the defensive side of the ball, but their offense is light years ahead of Kansas. Add that with the fact, they have a terrific coaching staff, Baylor was Beaty’s best chance to win a conference game in 2018.

In the end, KU’s woes are not attributed to the effort these young men are displaying on the field. This team plays with heart, passion and puts forth an effort that doesn’t run parallel with a losing team. However, as the leader of the program Beaty is failing outside of the effort his kids have displayed this season. Kansas has talent on both sides of the ball to win two or three conference games this year but that’s not going to happen.

With Beaty’s poor offensive game plans, schemes, clock management and personnel blunders on full display Saturday, it does not give fans hope he can build a winning program at Kansas.

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