Kansas football: Run defense must improve this week vs. Oklahoma State
Kansas football takes on the #25 Oklahoma State Cowboys this Saturday at 11 AM. If Jayhawks are going to have a chance, their run defense must improve.
With the Jayhawks sitting at 3-6, their odds of reaching a bowl game in Les Miles’ first season are slim to none, but that’s okay. Kansas football hasn’t won more than three games in a season since 2009, so getting just one more victory this season would signal that the program is better off now than it was.
Getting a win over #25 Oklahoma State this week isn’t going to be easy, especially given the Jayhawks’ weaknesses and the Cowboys’ strengths.
Kansas is ranked #126 out of 130 in the nation (FBS) in rushing defense, along with being ranked #129 out of 130 in third down conversion defense. The Jayhawks allow their opponents to convert on third down 53% of the time, which as Kansas football fans know is incredibly frustrating to watch.
On the flip side, Oklahoma State has one of the best rushing offenses and running backs in the country. If Kansas can’t slow down Oklahoma State and force them to throw, the Jayhawks won’t stand a chance.
The Cowboys have the ninth-best rushing offense in the country, thanks to sophomore running back Chuba Hubbard. In nine games this season, Hubbard ranks second in the nation in rushing touchdowns with 18, and he also leads the nation in rushing yards with 1,604 yards so far this season. It’s likely that Hubbard rushes for over 2,000 yards this year, as he only needs to average 132 yards per game over his next three games.
If you haven’t gathered it yet, this is not a good matchup for Kansas football. Essentially, it’s going to be similar to the Kansas State game all over again with the Jayhawks being unable to stop the run.
Of course, many Kansas football fans will point to the offense and say: “hey, we have a decent offense now, maybe we can win in a shootout!”
How’d that work against Kansas State?
While Oklahoma State’s defense isn’t as good as the Wildcats’, keeping pace with the Cowboys is going to be extremely hard if the defense gives up points every drive. Or better yet, can’t get off of the field. Kansas State absolutely dominated the time of possession against Kansas, so the offense was barely even on the field.
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Similar to the Jayhawks, Oklahoma State is also coming into this game after a bye week. The Cowboys won their most recent game over TCU 27-34.
As of now, Oklahoma State is a 16.5 point favorite over Kansas (odds courtesy of The Action Network), and surprisingly, the odds have actually shifted slightly in favor of the Jayhawks. Still, Kansas football will need to play nearly perfect to beat Oklahoma State on the road.
The bye week will certainly help Brent Dearmon and the Kansas offense, but a lot will need to happen for the Jayhawks to be competitive in a shootout. Quarterback Carter Stanley will have to play at a high level, and running back Pooka Williams will need to have a big game on the ground.
Of course, the defense will need to get stops and do whatever they can to limit Chuba Hubbard, which looks nearly impossible considering he’s averaging 178 yards per game.
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The last time the Jayhawks got a road win over a ranked opponent was in 2007 when Kansas beat number 24 Kansas State in Manhattan. It’s going to take major adjustments on the defensive side of the ball for Kansas to win this, and at this point, it’s pretty unlikely the Jayhawks come away with a win.
Then again, nobody thought the Jayhawks would beat Boston College or Texas on the road either. The game kicks-off at 11 AM central time this Saturday in Stillwater and will be broadcast on FS1.