The Jayhawks are about to begin an intense end-of-season stretch. This weekend marks theri last bye week of the year, and with a 4-3 overall record, which includes a .500 2-2 conference mark. The final five games have the potential to tell a massive story over this Kansas team, which has shown an equal amount of bright and dim spots.
“…I think that one thing that we continue to keep doing is no matter what's happening, if we are up 30 or down 30, we're going to keep doing what we're doing,” quotes Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels after last week's 42-17 loss to the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
“...Like I always say, ‘own what's on film,’ at the end of the day, if you don’t watch film and own what's on film and get better from it, then at the end of the day you’re only cheating yourself. So we’re going to own what's on film, come in Monday, you know, take another day to be able to get another stride to be able to get better.”
The Jayhawks’ offense currently sits 32nd in the nation in terms of yards per play with an impressive 6.1 per play. Daniels has been able to reel in his best statistical season to date with 18 touchdowns to just two interceptions. Combine that with 1,752 yards through the air and a 69.9% completion rate, and the maturity of the redshirt senior is on full show.
Overall, with the pecking order of things pretty much fully established, another standout for this offense has been Emmanuel Henderson Jr. The Alabama transfer wide receiver has scored four touchdowns this season, along with 75 yards per game. Henderson’s big-play ability also shows in the return game, as his one kick return touchdown flexes his ability to contribute anywhere on the field.
While things on the offensive front appear consistent enough (despite a paltry third-down conversion rate of 30.56%, which ranks 119th in the nation), the defense is where the majority of the problems are really evident.
The Jayhawks have given up a monster 436.3 yards per game, which sits 112th in the nation. Combine that with 6.2 third downs given up per game (103rd-worst in the nation), and there lie some subtle numbers that paint a very up-and-down defense.
Lance Leipold’s defense has already given up three 500-yard games to opponents this season, and it is no coincidence that all three of those games were losses to Missouri, Cincinnati, and the Red Raiders. This isn’t to say that Kansas doesn’t have the tools necessary to pose a stronger defense. West Virginia transfer Trey Lathan has immediately gotten up to speed with his 49 tackles, three passes defended, 1.5 sacks, and one interception.
To sound like an old football coach who you would mute during halftime media with the sideline reporter, Kansas just doesn’t show a lot of complementary football. When the offense does well, the defense can sometimes falter, hence two massive scoring shootouts this season already, with a 42-31 score against Missouri and a 37-34 score against the Bearcats.
With such an important part of the year now coming together, now is the final chance to put the right things together and to turn things around. The question becomes, can Kansas do it?
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