Kansas football: 3 keys to victory for the Jayhawks in Sunflower Showdown

Kansas football has the biggest game of the season up next on Saturday. The Sunflower Showdown is always a game that is circled on the calendar every year for both Kansas and Kansas State.

The series started back in 1902 and has been a continuous rivalry game since 1911. It is the sixth longest successive rivalry game in sports. The Kansas Jayhawks lead the all-time series 64-51-5 over the Wildcats.

The rivalry hasn’t been a very competitive game for the last 14 years as the Wildcats have put together a 14-game winning streak while the Jayhawks were the worst Power 5 football program for the better part of the last decade.

The game on Saturday is set up to be the most anticipated Sunflower Showdown since 2007, where the Jayhawks won 30-24.

Let’s look at the three keys to victory for Kansas football in the Sunflower Showdown on Saturday.

Kansas Football Key No. 1: Control the Line of Scrimmage

Kansas State’s 14-game winning streak has seen them dominate on the LOS on both sides of the ball. The Wildcats have been bigger, stronger, and more physical than the Jayhawks in the trenches for the better part of the last 14 years.

The Jayhawks are averaging 5.2 yards per carry this season thanks to an elite running back duo of Devin Neal and Daniel Hishaw. Lance Leipold has preached in press conferences about wanting to be more physical and has made it a goal this season to make strides in doing that.

On the flip side, the Kansas defensive line will have to make plays in the running game. DJ Giddens and Treshaun Ward have been a staple in the Wildcats’ offense this year, similar to how Neal and Hishaw are for KU. The Wildcats are averaging 5.0 yards per carry on the season.