Les Miles is convinced Kansas has potent football offense: ‘We’re a dangerous group’
Les Miles still has high hopes for his 2020 Kansas football offense — the same unit that scored three touchdowns and suffered three early turnovers in a disappointing season-opening loss to Sun Belt member Coastal Carolina on Sept. 12 in Lawrence
“We’re a dangerous group,” Miles, KU’s second-year coach, told KU fans four days after that 38-23 loss on his weekly Hawk Talk radio show. “We will make plays and we will score,” he added.
The Jayhawks, who have three unproven quarterbacks and an inexperienced offensive line to go with accomplished running backs Pooka Williams and Velton Gardner and productive receivers Andrew Parchment, Kwamie Lassiter, Takulve Williams and Stephon Robinson, will try to improve on the 367 yards gained against mid-major Coastal Carolina in game two Saturday at Baylor.
Kickoff is 6:30 p.m. in Waco, Texas, with a live telecast on ESPNU.
“Do I think we’ll play better? Yes,” Miles said. “They’re going to work hard to be there and be in the game and they will win their share.”
The oddsmakers remain skeptical.
KU is more than a two-touchdown underdog, which makes sense considering the Jayhawks have dropped 49 consecutive Big 12 Conference road games — the last victory, 35-33, on Oct. 4, 2008 at Iowa State.
Baylor, which annihilated KU, 61-6 on Nov. 13, 2019 in last season’s league finale at Booth Memorial Stadium, has won 10 in a row over the Jayhawks.
BU’s 55-point victory a year ago followed wins of 26-7 In 2018, 38-9 in 2017, 49-7 in 2016, 66-7 in 2015, 60-14 in 2014, 59-14 in 2013, 41-14 in 2012, 31-30 (OT) in 2011 and 55-7 in 2010. KU last beat Baylor in 2007, 58-10, in Lawrence.
The Bears, who are 9-0 versus KU in Waco, are led by first-year coach Dave Aranda, who worked for Miles at LSU.
The Aranda-led Bears, who are hoping to finally play their season opener after having games against Louisiana Tech and Houston called off because of COVID-19 coronavirus, were picked to finish fifth in the Big 12 in the preseason league media poll. KU was picked last in the 10-team league.
“He was very confident in things that he did. I was thankful to work with him,” Miles said of Aranda. “The time we spent together was fruitful. He did a great job. One thing about him, he has a great sense of having his feet on the ground. His instincts are good. I think he will be a great coach for a long time.”
Aranda, the defensive coordinator on last year’s LSU national championship team, was hired on Jan. 16, 2020 to replace Matt Rhule, new coach of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers.
“I owe coach a lot,” Aranda said of Miles. “He’s one of the nicest, best people I know, family included. I have so much respect for him. He does it the right way. I know coaches on that staff that really respect him. They love working for him. I owe him quite a bit.”
According to burntorangenation.com, Aranda’s preferred defensive scheme “consists of a three-man front, extra defensive backs and hybrid position players.”
“We’re not going to manufacture another offense,” Miles said of attacking the BU defense, which has all new starters on the defensive line this season. “This (KU offense) is a very technically capable offense. We just have to get them to read.
“Several times, one of the quarterbacks (Thomas MacVittie, Miles Kendrick, Jalon Daniels) just did not read the play as it was supposed to be read (in the opener). If you want to run into somebody, you keep it, and then if he’s not there, you give it. We made a couple of those mistakes. Those are things that are first-game issues.
“We’re going to be a good football team,” Miles added. “We have recruited well. This is a high-school dominated team. So here we come. I’m just telling you this is a team that is going to play extremely hard.”
The Bears are led by senior quarterback Charlie Brewer, who has suffered multiple concussions in the past. Backup is sophomore Gerry Bohanon.
“I think we did fairly decent,” KU linebacker Kyron Johnson said of the defense in the opener. KU allowed just 318 total yards vs. Coastal. “It’s all about being willing to do more.”
Noted senior cornerback Kyle Mayberry: “We’ve got to do a better job of tackling. Coastal Carolina was a run-first, run-heavy team They took it to us. All credit to them. We’ve got to do much better tackling, being a lot more physical. That’s what we’re harping on.”
KU will meet Oklahoma State at 2:30 p.m. a week from Saturday at Booth Memorial Stadium.
This story was originally published September 25, 2020 at 9:44 AM with the headline "Les Miles is convinced Kansas has potent football offense: ‘We’re a dangerous group’."
