Kansas football: Jayhawk backfield yields significant advantage vs. Baylor
Kansas football running backs Velton Gardner and Pooka Williams Jr. could give the Jayhawks a fighting chance this Saturday in Waco.
If a week off from the turf is what Kansas football needed to get back into shape, let’s hope it was worth it. The home opener for the Jayhawks was a disappointing 38-23 loss, where the Jayhawks went 4-11 on 3rd down and turned the ball over 3 times on offense.
As hard as it was to watch, we did see an impressive 81 rushing yards from sophomore running back, Velton Gardner, who gained an average of 7.4 yards per carry.
Pooka Williams Jr. saw 12 touches for a decent total of 67 yards, this wasn’t enough to keep Kansas’ in contention though, as the running game had been halted by the 4th quarter.
It may be the obvious choice to rely on our experienced receiving core. Making his mark, senior receiver Andrew Parchment, posted 63 yards and a 14-yard touchdown. Another pair of trusted hands would be senior receiver Kwamie Lassiter II. Lassiter had 6 receptions for a total of 63 yards and a touchdown.
Despite these reliable numbers, it’s apparent to most Kansas fans that our situation at quarterback is a dire one. While we do not know the current starting quarterback for this Saturday, we can only hope our offensive line can step up to protect the pocket. Regardless of whether we see Thomas MacVittie or Miles Kendrick jump into the hot seat, this could very well create holes for our rushing attack.
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If nothing else, head coach Les Miles should at least expect some consistency on the ground. While Miles will continue to evaluate what works at quarterback, he will have to utilize his running advantage in order to give Kansas any kind of chance against Baylor. Staying on the ground will also be key to avoiding the Bears’ air defense, the same defense that led the Big 12 in interceptions in 2019.