Tag: Devin Neal

‘Physical makeup of the team’: Kansas sports reporter on why Leipold’s Jayhawks are different

To get ready for the Oklahoma Sooners matchup with the Kansas Jayhawks we talked with The Topeka Capital-Journal sports reporter @JordanGuskey.

A decade and a half ago, Mark Mangino and Todd Reesing helped elevate the [autotag]Kansas Jayhawks[/autotag] to the national conversation. They became Big 12 title contenders behind an offense that was able to keep pace with just about everyone.

But that was a long time ago. In the aftermath, Kansas became one of the worst programs in the country, cycling through Turner Gill, Charlie Weis, David Beaty, and Les Miles. They couldn’t replicate the success of the Mangino-Weiss era, failing to reach bowl eligibility for 13 consecutive seasons.

Then the Miles era abruptly ended and the Jayhawks went all the way up to Buffalo to bring Lance Leipold to the Power Five and to a program in desperate need of resuscitation. Coming in late in the spring, Leipold didn’t have much of a chance to find success that first year, but they were a team that was far more competitive than they had been in a long time despite the two-win season. One of those two wins came on the road against Texas.

Then last year, the Jayhawks started strong, earning their first bowl bid since 2008, and in 2023, they are 5-2 and on the verge of reaching a bowl game for the second straight season.

And while they head into their matchup with the Oklahoma Sooners as a double-digit home underdog, there’s a sense this Jayhawks team could cause some problems for the Sooners.

To get ready for the 114th meeting between the Oklahoma Sooners and Kansas Jayhawks, Sooners Wire had the pleasure of discussing the matchup with Jordan Guskey, a Sports Reporter covering the Kansas Jayhawks for The Topeka Capital-Journal.

No. 6 Oklahoma at Kansas Jayhawks: Sooners Wire Staff Predictions for Week 9

The Oklahoma Sooners get set for their 114th meeting with the Kansas Jayhawks. Here are this week’s Sooners Wire Staff Picks.

The undefeated Oklahoma Sooners go on the road to face the [autotag]Kansas Jayhawks[/autotag] in a Big 12 showdown that has title game berth ramifications.

The Sooners control their own destiny to get back to the title game after a two-year hiatus. Go 1-0 each week and the Sooners will get there. But each week will present unique challenges for the No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners. And that includes this week against the Kansas Jayhawks.

Kansas is on the verge of bowl eligibility for the second straight season. With two losses in conference play, they’re also fighting for Big 12 title game survival. It’s unlikely they’ll reach the title game, but they certainly can’t afford another loss in conference play and still make it.

The Sooners will face an impressive run game and a quarterback very capable of making plays in the passing game.

Will the Sooners keep their undefeated season alive on the road in Lawrence? Will Oklahoma maintain its historical dominance over the Jayhawks, or will Kansas thwart the Sooners’ Big 12 national aspirations?

Sooners Wire Staff Predictions and more from the College Wires

5 Jayhawks to know ahead of Oklahoma vs. Kansas

Get ready for Oklahoma’s road trip to face Kansas by getting to know these 5 Jayhawks.

Oklahoma’s quest to Arlington for the right to play for one final Big 12 title continues again this week as the Sooners travel to Lawrence, Kansas, to take on Lance Leipold’s Jayhawks.

Kansas has had a renaissance of late. They are no longer the sport’s worst program and can undoubtedly give Oklahoma a fight. There’s an avenue for KU to win, especially if the Sooners play like they did against UCF.

Kansas (5-2, 2-2 Big 12 play) will try to get back on track vs. No. 6 Oklahoma (7-0, 4-0) after suffering a loss in their last game on October 14th against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The bye week came at a perfect time. The Jayhawks will be motivated and rested to try and knock off a top-10 team at home and secure bowl eligibility for the second straight season.

Oklahoma will have their hands full, especially defensively. Kansas has a dynamic offense. KU averages 212 yards on the ground per game on 5.6 yards per carry. The most dynamic aspect would have been their talented signal caller, Jalon Daniels, but he will not play. Instead, senior Jason Bean will lead the way.

Who are the players to know for a team that Oklahoma can’t take lightly? We’ve got you covered below.

By the Numbers: No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners vs. Kansas Jayhawks

Get a By the Numbers look at the Oklahoma Sooners matchup with the Kansas Jayhawks.

Saturday marks the 114th meeting between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Kansas Jayhawks. It’s a series the Sooners have dominated, holding a record of 80-27-6 against the Jayhawks.

Over the last two decades, that dominance has been on display, with the Sooners winning the last 18 matchups. However, that doesn’t tell the whole story.

The Jayhawks have been improving since Lance Leipold took over in the spring of 2021. Though no one would mistake Kansas for a national title contender, it has seen a drastic upswing in performance. Leipold holds a 13-19 record in two-plus seasons on the job. But since the start of 2022, the Jayhawks are 11-9.

They’re a good offensive team that has a defense that can make some plays, even if they do give up a ton of yardage.

Regardless of the history, this Saturday’s game could be a completely different story. The Jayhawks have closed the gap significantly on the Sooners. If Oklahoma isn’t ready to play from the outset or experiences lulls like we saw against UCF, it could be a long day in Lawrence.

Here’s a look at the statistical breakdown of this week’s matchup.

Louisville statistical leaders through five games

Does anyone here scare you?

Louisville cracked the rankings just in time for Notre Dame to come visit it. On one hand, the timing couldn’t be better for the Irish as a strong season for the Cardinals could mean a chance to bolster their College Football Playoff chances with a win. On the other, it’s the third straight quality opponent for the Irish with another one coming next week in USC, so the schedule isn’t getting any easier. They need a breather as much as anyone in the country.

Take a look at the Cardinals, and you’ll see some players in particular putting up big numbers. One could argue that’s because the Cardinals haven’t really played anyone yet. Whatever the case, this isn’t a team the Irish can afford to relax against. In fact, it’s a borderline trap game.

Here are the players on Louisville’s roster most likely to put their team in the best spot to succeed:

College football’s top performers in the Big 12 during Week 1

Who stood out in the Big 12 as the 2023 season began?

The Big 12 kicked off the season during Week 1 with a matchup featuring newcomers, the UCF Knights on Thursday. It wasn’t much of a matchup as UCF rolled past Kent State, 56-6.

The Kansas Jayhawks, Oklahoma Sooners, Iowa State Cyclones, Texas Longhorns, Cincinnati Bearcats, Houston Cougars, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Kansas State Wildcats, and BYU Cougars all joined them in the win column.

It wasn’t all sunshine and daffodils for the conference as West Virginia, Texas Tech, Baylor, and TCU all fell in Week 1.

As we wrap up Week 1 and look forward to Week 2, here are the top performers across the Big 12.

Pair of Sooners included in ESPN’s top 100 college football players for 2023

Ahead of the 2023 season two Sooners were included in ESPN’s top 100 players along with several players they’ll face this season.

The Big 12 may not get the respect that the SEC or the Big Ten do, but there’s a lot of talent in the conference that will be on display every Saturday in the fall.

The Oklahoma Sooners have a pair of players that are among the most talented in the league heading into 2023. Dillon Gabriel and Danny Stutsman will lead the way for their respective sides of the ball this season and were featured on ESPN’s top 100 players for the 2023 season.

Let’s take a look at where they landed in addition to the players Oklahoma will face this season that were also included in the top 100.

Who are the best players and position groups Oklahoma will face in 2023?

Who are some of the players that could give the Sooners the most problems in 2023?

The 2023 Oklahoma Sooners schedule leaves much to be desired. After canceling the game against Georgia Bulldogs, there aren’t many games that move the needle.

Georgia would likely have the most talented players at each position. Losing the back-to-back national champion certainly kills Oklahoma’s strength of schedule.

But the Sooners still face teams with talent, such as the Texas Longhorns and the TCU Horned Frogs. There’s some talent joining the Big 12 this year as well.

So, who are some of the players Oklahoma fans should be looking out for, and what position groups could give the Sooners the most problems heading into the season?

Let’s take a look at the best player or position group the Sooners will face in 2023.

2023 Season Preview: Can the Jayhawks send Oklahoma to the SEC with a loss?

When the Oklahoma Sooners travel to Lawrence to face the Jayhawks for the final time, the defense will face a huge test vs. Kansas and quarterback Jalon Daniels.

After what we believe will be a hard-fought game versus the UCF Knights, the Sooners will travel to Lawrence to take on the Kansas Jayhawks in one of the most intriguing matchups on the schedule.

Kansas has a lot of production coming back from a 2022 team that took another step, second in the nation per ESPN (ESPN+). They return 91% of their offensive production from a year ago returning and 80% of their defensive production.

The Jayhawks went 6-7 on the season and made a bowl game for the first time since 2008. They started the year 5-0 before star quarterback Jalon Daniels went down with an injury. He returned, but it was a setback that upended the momentum they had early in the year.

Daniels was recently voted the preseason offensive player of the year for the Big 12 while earning first-team quarterback selection.

In Kansas’ fast start to the 2022 season, Daniels was beginning to garner some Heisman hype before being slowed by injury and losses. Still it was a strong season for the upstart Jayhawks in Lance Leipold’s second season at the helm.

Jalon Daniels completed 66.1 percent of his passes for 2,014 yards, 18 touchdowns, and only four interceptions. He also ran for 425 yards and seven scores.

So, the Sooners will face their worst nightmare two weeks in a row; a dual-threat quarterback.

The Jayhawks bring back 1,000-yard rusher Devin Neal. They also bring back their top two receivers, Lawrence Arnold and Luke Grimm. The Jayhawks spread the wealth in 2022 with four players gaining at least 400 yards receiving and five players with at least four touchdown receptions.

They were a top 35 offense a year ago, even with Jalon Daniels missing time. This offense should be very good again.

Defensively they finished 127th in the nation. But with returning 80 percent of their defense, they hope to see much improvement.

Lance Leipold is one of the best coaches in the conference. He has Kansas on a steady trajectory since taking over late in the spring of 2021.

Similar to Oklahoma, can they improve enough to be a top-80 defense? I’m not sure they can. Oklahoma has better athletes and one of the best defensive minds ever working for them.

They return eight of their 10 leading tacklers from a year ago, including safety Kenny Logan Jr. who led the team with 106 tackles a year ago. Logan is a legit playmaker in the secondary that can change a game in a hurry.

The big loss is Lonnie Phelps, who led the team with seven sacks last season. They also lost Caleb Simpson, who finished fourth in sacks.

All in all, this team will go as far as this defense can take them. If the defense is poor again, the Jayhawks will be staring at another six-win season. They also have to keep Daniels healthy. They were able to mitigate the loss with stellar play from Jason Bean, but it didn’t last, and the Jayhawks weren’t the same when Daniels came back from injury.

If Daniels plays last season, the Jayhawks have a chance to upset Oklahoma in Norman. The Sooners scored 21 unanswered points in the second quarter to go up 35-14 before a touchdown in the final seconds trimmed the score to 35-21 before halftime.

The Jayhawks rallied in the fourth quarter with a pair of touchdowns to make things interesting, ultimately falling short.

This isn’t the same old Jayhawks and this is a very dangerous game for Oklahoma. In back-to-back weeks we will find out how much improvement the defense has made.

Score Prediction: 55-41 Oklahoma

Predicted Record: 7-1

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Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Oklahoma Sooners at Iowa State Cyclones: Stream, injury report, broadcast info for week 9

Trying to figure out where to find the Sooners game on Saturday? Here’s how to watch, stream or listen to Oklahoma vs. Iowa State.

Oklahoma (4-3, 1-3 Big 12) will face Iowa State (3-4, 0-4) on Saturday, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

The Sooners look to pick up their second Big 12 win of the season when they travel to Ames, Iowa, to face the Cyclones. Ames can be a tough place to play for Oklahoma, but an 11 a.m. kickoff on a Saturday is better than the Thursday night date originally scheduled.

Coming out of the bye week, both teams should be fresh and ready to go for this week’s matchup.

Historically, Oklahoma has dominated the matchup, but during the Lincoln Riley era, Iowa State picked up two wins, including one in Norman in 2017, the first season of Riley’s tenure.

Brent Venables is hoping to avoid the same fate as his predecessor by beating an Iowa State team that has been pretty good on defense. If the Sooners can get an improved effort from their win over Kansas two weeks ago, then Oklahoma should come away with the win.

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Here’s when you should tune in to see the game:

  • Date: Oct. 29, 2022
  • Time: 11 a.m. CT
  • TV Channel: Fox Sports 1
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch here)
  • Listen: Sreaming on the Varsity App

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Oklahoma vs. Texas injury report:

Oklahoma

[autotag]T.D. Roof[/autotag], LB: Out for season (Elbow)

[autotag]Shane Whitter[/autotag], LB: Out for season (Shoulder)

[autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag], S: Doubtful (Knee)

[autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag], RB: Questionable (Ankle)

Iowa State

No Injuries disclosed

Players to watch:

Oklahoma

[autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], QB: 65.1% for 1,215 yards, 13 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. 35 carries, 163 yards and 3 touchdowns.

[autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] WR: 32 receptions for 542 yards and 3 touchdowns.

[autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag], TE: 20 receptions for 330 yards and 5 touchdowns.

[autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag], RB: 97 carries for 695 yards, 5 touchdowns at 7.2 yards per carry.

[autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag], RB: 72 carries, 316 yards, 4 touchdowns  at 4.4 yards per carry.

[autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], LB: 62 total tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 3 passes defended.

[autotag]David Ugwoegbu[/autotag], LB: 62 total tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks.

Iowa State Cyclones

[autotag]Hunter Dekkers[/autotag], QB: 67.7% for 1,843 yards, 13 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. 50 carries, 34 yards and 2 touchdowns.

[autotag]Xavier Hutchinson[/autotag], WR: 67 receptions for 758 yards and 5 touchdowns.

[autotag]Jihrel Brock[/autotag], RB: 80 carries for 398 yards, 2 touchdowns at 5 yards per carry.

[autotag]Will McDonald[/autotag], DE: 18 total tackles, 4.4 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks.

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Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.