Kansas Jayhawks College Football Preview 2021: Keys To The Season
Kansas Jayhawks Biggest Key: Offense
The offensive line can’t be totally abysmal in pass protection. Does Kansas have the skill players to improve? It’ll be hard to tell if the offensive front can’t block anyone.
It was lousy in 2019, but the 23 sacks allowed in 12 games and the 30 given up in 2018 were cute compared to the whopping 47 given up in just nine games in 2020.
The Jayhawks gave up four sacks or more in every game including nine against Oklahoma, and allowed a ridiculous 96 tackles for loss. How bad was this?
Fresno State, Akron and UNLV are the only other teams that allowed four sacks or more per game, but no one else gave up more than five.
The 5.22 given up per game were the most sacks per game allowed in over a decade, and it was the only time since Rutgers gave up 5.02 per game in 2010 that anyone allowed five more more.
Kansas Jayhawks Biggest Key: Defense
Quit getting steamrolled over. The Jayhawks caught a break against the better passing teams because everyone had so much success on the ground.
Kansas has had some miserable run defenses in the past, but 2020 was the worst year ever by the D since allowing 5.83 yards per carry in 2011.
2011, though, was a bit more about feast-or-famine instead of the steady crushing that last year’s D endured. Kansas State and Coastal Carolina are the only two teams to not get to 200 yards on the ground, but the Wildcats hung 55 points on the board and the Chanticleers ran just fine.
Kansas Jayhawks Key Player To A Successful Season
DT Sam Burt, Sr.
The Kansas defensive front needs a whole lot of help, but it has a leader and veteran to work around in the 6-4, 288-pound Burt. He might not be massive, and he only has 30 tackles and 1.5 sacks in his two years, but he’s least been around. For a gutted defensive front, he’s a part to start a rebuild with.
Kansas Jayhawks Key Game To The 2021 Season
at Coastal Carolina, Sept. 11
Oh for heaven’s sake, Kansas, just beat this team already.
Forget about coming up with a win in the Big 12 or even dreaming of a crazy upset against an Oklahoma or Texas, the Jayhawks have to figure out how to beat the Chanticleers.
Coastal Carolina shocked KU in a 12-7 win early in 2019 and last year ended the Jayhawk season before it could get started with a second-straight 38-23 win in Lawrence. There’s a date with South Dakota to start the season and then there’s a trip to Conway.
Assuming the Jayhawks can beat the Coyotes, they’ll be going into the Coastal Carolina game with a shot to start a season 2-0 for the first time since 2011.
– Kansas Football Schedule Analysis
2020 Kansas Jayhawks Fun Stats
– 1st Quarter Scoring: Opponents 106 – Kansas 23
– Sacks: Opponents 47 – Kansas 9
– Punt Return Average: Opponents 16.5 yards – Kansas -1.2 yards