Kansas football is on the rise. The Jayhawks are 1-0 and have a chance to be 2-0 for the first time in over five years. Still, where’s the smart money when it comes to Kansas vs. Coastal Carolina?
Last week at home, Kansas football covered the 4.5 point spread against Indiana State by a score of 24-17. Coastal Carolina on the other hand, dropped their season opener at home to Eastern Michigan by a score of 30-23. New head coach Jamey Chadwell is now 0-1 in his first season as the Coastal Carolina head coach, while Les Miles is starting his tenure 1-0.
So what about this week? Well, Kansas opened as about a 10 point favorite, but that number has slowly been dropping. The Jayhawks are only about an 8 point favorite now on most books including FanDuel. So, are the Jayhawks a good bet?
First, let’s break down Kansas’ offense against the Chanticleers defense.
Kansas Offense vs. Coastal Carolina Defense
There’s no longer a question mark at the QB position for Kansas football with Carter Stanley taking the job as the full-time starter. Also, Pooka Williams will be making his return from suspension this week. Williams was the Jayhawks’ biggest playmaker last season with 1,414 yards from scrimmage after missing the first game of the season last year. The Kansas receiving corps also shined last week with Andrew Parchment and Daylon Charlott making athletic catches throughout the game.
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Last week, the Coastal Carolina defense forced one fumble, had one sack, and one QB hurry. Not the scariest statistics in the world. Still, the Chanticleers did hold Eastern Michigan to only 291 total yards, yet still gave up four touchdowns. Big plays were a problem for this defense, as three players on Eastern Michigan averaged over 10 yards per catch, with one player averaging 21 yards.
The advantage has to go to the Kansas offense. With the return of Williams and the emergence of Stanley, the Jayhawks have a chance to boat race the Coastal Carolina defense. Also, the prolific Kansas receiving corps should have a field day against the weak Coastal Carolina defense.
Kansas Defense vs. Coastal Carolina Offense
The Kansas defense was solid last week, only allowing 10 points to the Indiana State offense. The Jayhawks came up with two interceptions including a pick-six by Hasan Defense. Despite a good week, the Kansas defense did receive a few breaks. Indiana St. missed two field goals in the contest.
Coastal Carolina sophomore QB Fred Payton completed 67% of his passes for 304 yards and two touchdowns last week. He also threw four interceptions to Eastern Michigan. Interestingly, the Coastal Carolina offensive line only allowed one sack and two QB hurries throughout the game. The Chanticleers rushed 30 times last week only picking up 74 yards on the ground.
Coastal Carolina’s ineffective ground game and the unreliable passing game should work to Kansas’ favor. Last week Chanticleers were essentially a pass-happy offense that couldn’t throw the ball. The Jayhawks return a talented secondary featuring three 2018 All-Big 12 honorable mention recipients and the 2018 Big 12 defensive freshman of the year. The Kansas defensive backs should go off this Saturday and make big plays throughout the game. The advantage goes to Kansas, who should force plenty of turnovers, as well as, stuff the Coastal Carolina run game.
Despite being only an eight-point favorite, it’s hard not to see Kansas football winning by more than two scores.
The official Through the Phog prediction: take Kansas -8. Score prediction: 28-14 Kansas.
Through the Phog season total: 1-0