Coming off of a 17-14 win against South Dakota, 1-0 Kansas Football travels to Conway, South Carolina, to take on 17th-ranked Coastal Carolina.
In Week 1, the Chanticleers took care of The Citadel 52-14. Offensively, Coastal Carolina generated 614 yards, presenting a balanced attack, all without turning the ball over.
The Citadel runs the wishbone, but Coastal’s defense still impressively held the Bulldogs to 237 yards and 3 of 12 on third down.
To pull off its first win against a top 25 opponent since 2010, Kansas Football will need to execute in all three phases. Here, I highlight three keys Kansas must execute to win.
Establish the run
Kansas Football boasts a strong backfield, led by Velton Gardner. With Amauri Pesek-Hickson returning from injury and Devin Neal looking to become more involved, there is plenty of depth at running back.
The Jayhawks looked to build the running game against South Dakota but only mustered 82 yards on 41 carries. Surprisingly, quarterback Jason Bean was KU’s rushing leader for the night.
The offensive line struggled to find a rhythm against the Coyotes defensive front. With a run-first offense and a new quarterback learning the system, Kansas must establish the running game.
The Citadel averaged 4.1 yards per carry against the Coastal Carolina defense. If Kansas could generate even that kind of attack, it would create short-yardage situations, opening up the playbook and providing a lift for the passing game.
Generate the pass rush
Coastal Carolina’s offense is most dangerous through the air, led by quarterback Grayson McCall. In 2020, McCall was named Sun Belt Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and made first-team all-conference.
McCall put together another strong performance against The Citadel with 262 yards and one touchdown on 16/19 throwing. McCall is a capable runner if he needs to escape the pocket.
Kansas Football’s defensive line put together a solid effort in Week 1 but only got one sack in the game. The Jayhawks need to ramp up the pressure to throw off McCall to limit the passing game.
If the defense can force McCall to get rid of the ball or leave the pocket early, he can be forced into an incompletion or a mistake.
Win the turnover margin
One positive takeaway from the South Dakota game is that Kansas Football’s offense avoided any costly turnovers. Jason Bean avoided risky throws, and the ball carriers avoided fumbling, putting Kansas in position to secure the victory late.
Against a ranked opponent, Kansas needs to gain the edge in the turnover margin. With limited scoring opportunities offensively already, KU cannot afford to give the ball away.
If the defense can force turnovers out of Coastal Carolina, it would give the offense extra opportunities to control the clock and capitalize on those mistakes.