Kansas football vs. Texas Longhorns: Five things to know about Jayhawks’ next game
The Kansas football team earned a decisive conference win on Saturday against a formidable BYU squad.
The Jayhawks defeated the Cougars 38-27, and Kansas is now ranked No. 24 in the latest AP Top 25 college football poll.
KU quarterback Jalon Daniels finished 14-of-19 passing for 130 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions, while running back Devin Neal ran for 91 yards and had 14 yards receiving.
The Jayhawks (4-0, 1-0 Big 12 play) are now 4-0 in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1914-15. Naturally, the feat has led to some excitement from the KU players.
“It’s a very special moment for us,” Kansas safety O.J. Burroughs said. “We had this opportunity last year; we know how it felt, so we’re not going to let it get away like how (it) did last year.”
Kansas faces its most challenging opponent of the season in No. 3 Texas, who the Jayhawks will meet on the road in Austin.
Many experts believe the Longhorns (4-0, 1-0 Big 12 play) are contenders for the College Football Playoff and runaway favorites for the Big 12 title.
Let’s get to the matchup…
Game Details
Kickoff: 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30
Where: Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium (Austin)
TV: ABC
Radio: Jayhawk Radio Network; WHB (810) in Kansas City
Early betting line: Texas is a 17.5-point favorite
Five things to know
1. Texas has historically had KU’s number. UT is 17-4 all-time against Kansas. Still, two KU wins have come in recent years (2016 and 2021). In fact, the Jayhawks defeated UT 57-56 in an overtime shootout just two years ago. That game was Jayhawk QB Jalon Daniels’ coming-out party — he threw for 202 yards with four total touchdowns.
2. It’ll be a battle of star quarterbacks between Texas’ Quinn Ewers and KU’s Jalon Daniels. Ewers has had an excellent season, with 12 touchdowns (nine passing) and 1,033 passing yards in just four games. Daniels has also put together a great season but doesn’t quite have the gaudy statistics that Ewers has — Daniels has thrown for 705 yards and five touchdowns in three games.
3. UT’s defense has been stellar. The Longhorns have only allowed 12.5 points per game, ranking No. 14 overall. Texas does an excellent job of limiting teams on the ground, allowing just 87.3 yards per game on 2.7 yards per carry. By comparison, the KU run game is averaging just shy of 218 yards per game on 5.5 yards per carry, so that may be a key matchup on Saturday.
4. Unlike KU, Texas is well-disciplined. The Texas offense only averages 1.5 penalties per game, while the defense averages one a game. So far this year, penalties have been an issue for the Jayhawks. KU’s offense averages two penalties a game, and the defense is averaging 2.3 — including a couple of notable targeting ejections. UT has the talent advantage, so the Jayhawks cannot let the home team off the hook with careless penalties.
5. Kansas coach Lance Leipold has talked all offseason about not being satisfied with last season’s bowl appearance. After all, the Jayhawks have been in this position before. They started 5-0 last season but won just one game the rest of the season. For KU, this matchup against Texas on national TV is an opportunity for the Jayhawks to make a statement. Previous KU teams might not have stacked up to this Texas squad, but the current KU team has a high level of internal belief heading into the upset bid. Let’s see if it matches the on-field play.
This story was originally published September 25, 2023 at 9:23 AM with the headline "Kansas football vs. Texas Longhorns: Five things to know about Jayhawks’ next game."
