Kansas football: What to expect from the South Dakota Coyotes

Kansas football kicks off the 2021 season against the University of South Dakota this Friday at 7 p.m. CDT at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. In what hopes to be the start of the biggest turnaround in modern-day college football, the game marks the first of the Lance Leipold era at Kansas.

South Dakota is an FCS school that plays in the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC). The Coyotes were picked to finish eighth in the conference in the 2021 preseason MVFC poll.

The Coyotes didn’t play in the fall of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but they did play a delayed season this February and March, where they finished 1-3 (Several games were canceled due to the pandemic).

Despite not having a full 2020 season and only getting to play four games in the spring, that might work as an advantage for the Coyotes when they come to Lawrence this weekend.

KU had spring practices under the direction of interim head coach Emmett Jones, but Leipold wasn’t hired until the day before the spring game. He and his new assistants had zero time to implement schemes and coaching philosophy, while South Dakota played four full games just five months ago.

Another possible advantage for the Coyotes is they return 21 starters between offense, defense, and special teams.

Offense

All five starters along the offensive line are back, which should help pave the way for their second-leading rusher from a season ago, Travis Theis. Theis is a local product from Pratt, Kan., returning for his third season at South Dakota. He had 37 carries for 151 yards and two touchdowns this spring.

Having the entire offensive line back in the fold should also help their returning starting quarterback Carson Camp.

This past season, Camp became the first true freshman to start at quarterback in school history and did so in an impressive fashion. In the first game of their COVID-shortened spring season, Camp was 20 of 35 in the air and threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns in an upset win over No.7-ranked (FCS) Illinois State.

Camp started all four games for the Coyotes this spring and threw for a total of 967 yards, three touchdowns, and four interceptions. That performance earned him a spot on the Missouri Valley All-Newcomer Team.

Despite the solid throwing numbers for Camp, it does not appear that he’s much of a ground threat. This spring, he ran the ball 30 times for -39 yards, good for an average of -1.3 yards per carry.

Senior wide receiver Caleb Vander Esch – a preseason second-team all-conference selection – is also a player to watch for. The senior had 23 catches for 273 yards and one touchdown in the spring.

You can bet the Coyotes will try to throw the ball, and KU’s secondary needs to be ready for that. If they can shut down Camp and Vander Esch, they’ll have a great chance of winning this game.

Defense

Defensively, KU should find success running the ball. The Coyotes gave up more than 200 yards per game on the ground during their four games this spring. That should create a great opportunity for KU’s trio of running backs–Velton Gardner, Amauri Pesek-Hickson, and freshman Devin Neal–to set the pace, control the clock, and lead this offense.

It also means some good running opportunities for whichever quarterback ends up winning the starting job, as all three have shown the ability to make plays with their legs.

Special Teams

KU will also need to be sound on special teams.

Senior punter Brady Schutt is a preseason FCS All-American and preseason first-team all-conference selection who averages almost 43 yards per punt.

KU’s special teams play was one of the larger weak spots of last year’s team, and they’ll need to show improvement starting Friday night. For this team, special teams could easily be the difference between winning and losing.

Summary

The Coyotes have some pieces working in their favor, but this is a game that Kansas should win. The Jayhawks have superior talent and superior coaching. Hopefully, they’ll have a superior home atmosphere to top it all off.