Last season, the Kansas Jayhawks struggled to create much offensive momentum when the game mattered the most. It’s a reason why Kansas ultimately finished the season No. 77 in total yards per game at 368.8 and, more importantly, with a 5-7 record.
When the offseason began to take shape for most colleges in the nation, the Jayhawks looked to an old friend at Penn State, offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, to get themselves back as one of the game’s best offenses.
What made Kotelnicki such an attractive hire for the Nittany Lions following the 2023 season was that, during his time at KU, he had transformed a dormant offense into one of the most exciting in the nation.
During his final two seasons in his first stint with the Jayhawks, Kansas averaged 432.8 and 433.6 yards per game, a far cry from where they finished the 2025 campaign.
Following two years in Happy Valley, Kotelnicki is back and has already made an impact
While week one pitted the Jayhawks up against FCS opposition in the LIU Sharks, there were still plenty of reasons to believe in what fans saw during the 51-6 blowout. Despite a slow 6-0 start that dragged through the first quarter, Kansas quickly turned up the heat, finishing the game with 613 total yards, 336 passing yards, and a further 277 on the ground.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Isaiah Marshall made his first-ever collegiate start, where he shined for 246 yards through the air and 2 passing touchdowns. On the ground, Syracuse transfer running back Yasin Willis bustled for 72 yards and 2 more scores.
Buffalo transfer Nik McMillan stole the show, however, with his 130 yards across 6 receptions and one touchdown.
Mizzou head coach heaps praise on Kotelnicki
Earlier this week, when speaking with the media, Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz spoke on what Kotelnicki offered as an offensive coordinator, with the Border Showdown mere days away.
“I think he does a really good job with his guys. I think he's got a really complex-looking schematic that's very difficult on defense, but it's pretty easy for his quarterback and for his offensive players, which I think is the hallmark of a really good coordinator...And he does a really good job of that.”
Former Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula spent one season with Kotelnicki at Penn State. During his media availability, Drinkwitz relayed that he and his staff looked at how Pribula was used with the Nittany Lions for tips on how to use the dual-threat quarterback with the Tigers.
“He's got plays off of plays. So, you know, he's going to give you the same shift, same motion this week, and then next week he's going to have an explosive pass off of it or an explosive quarterback run off of it or a trick or a special, or he's going to have you hunting things.”
“...So you're constantly having to ask yourself what's next and you're hunting ghosts, which I think is what, you know, you're supposed to do as an offensive coordinator. And he does a really good job of it.”
The Border Showdown is set to kick off this Friday, September 11, at 7 p.m. CT, with streaming available on FOX.
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