Kansas Football: What improvements can the Jayhawks make for week two?

Kansas football picked up their first win of the 2019 season last Saturday against the Indiana State Sycamores by a score of 24-17. A win is a win, but the Jayhawks have plenty of room to improve before taking on Coastal Carolina in week two.

While Kansas football has made strides since the 2018 season, the Jayhawks still have a long way to go before being able to compete with the best of the Big 12 and college football. So, let’s break down a few things that Kansas can look to improve upon during their game next Saturday.

Turnovers

Kansas had three turnovers during the game, all three being fumbles. One fumble by Carter Stanley led directly to a score, and that’s a costly mistake that can’t happen. Turnovers are going to happen in a game, they’re almost inevitable. However, three turnovers of the same type is a trend that can’t continue. It allows teams like Indiana State to hang around and be competitive in games they shouldn’t have a chance in.

Third Down Conversion Efficiency

The Jayhawks were only able to convert on 4/12 of their third downs. Only being able to move the chains 25% of the time on third down is something that needs to be addressed by the coaching staff. It seemed like Kansas continued to try and throw short screens on third down rather than downfield. Hopefully, with the return of Pooka Williams, Kansas will have another weapon to help open up the offense.

Quarterback Pressure

There were times during the game where it seemed like Indiana State QB Ryan Boyle had all day to throw. While the Kansas defense did a good job of keeping Boyle contained, he very rarely was forced to make a quick decision. The Jayhawk defense totaled one QB hurry along with three sacks over the course of the game. Being able to bring consistent pressure will do wonders for this defense and ultimately lead to mistakes by opposing offenses.

Offensive Line

It was the first week of the season, so it’s expected that there will be some hiccups on the offensive line. Still, it’s worrisome when the unit gives up two sacks, two QB hurries, and 11 tackles for loss. Both run blocking and pass protection will need to improve before Kansas starts Big 12 play in a few weeks. The coaching staff and team do have time to get this corrected though since it was only the first game and mistakes are to be expected.

The coaching staff has a week to get the team ready to go, and it’ll be intriguing to see how how the Jayhawks adjust and improve during their next game against Coastal Carolina. Be sure to get to The Booth for the 6:00 PM kickoff.