Kansas football vs. UCF Knights: Five things to know about Jayhawks’ next game
The Kansas football team has plenty to improve upon from its 40-14 loss to Texas on Saturday.
Starting quarterback Jalon Daniels re-aggravated his back injury hours before KU’s game in Austin, so backup Jason Bean started in his place. Under those circumstances, Bean struggled, going 9-for-21 passing with 136 yards and one touchdown.
The Jayhawks (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) will look to get back on track against Big 12 newcomer UCF on Saturday. The Jayhawks have already defeated one new Big 12 foe in BYU, thanks in part to two big plays from star cornerback Cobee Bryant.
The Knights (3-2, 0-2 Big 12 play) enter Saturday’s game off a heartbreaking 36-35 loss to Baylor. UCF led 35-7 in the third quarter and 35-10 in the fourth.
Here’s everything you need to know before Saturday...
KU football vs. UCF: Game details
Kickoff: 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7
Where: David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium (Lawrence)
TV: FOX
Radio: Jayhawk Radio Network; WHB (810) in Kansas City
Early betting line: Kansas is a 3-point favorite
Five things to know
1. After starting QB John Rhys Plumlee injured his leg against Boise State, backup Timmy McClain took over. McClain has done an admirable job — with 872 passing yards and seven passing touchdowns to two interceptions. UCF has scored 31 and 35 points the last two weeks. However, according to Stephen Leonard of 247Sports, Plumlee may be nearing a return.
2. This game is the first-ever matchup between the two teams. The Knights are looking for their first-ever Big 12 victory since joining the conference in July. So far, the four Big 12 newcomers have struggled in conference play, with a combined record of 1-7. The lone win was BYU’s 35-27 victory over Cincinnati.
3. UCF’s offense is lethal. The Knights rank 20th in the country in points (37.6). The offense does an excellent job of putting pressure on opposing defenses with both the pass and the run. UCF averages 545.8 total yards per game and 255.2 yards on the ground. That includes more than 400 total yards (and 31 points) against K-State.
4. UCF has struggled defending the run. Opposing teams are averaging 156.8 rushing yards per game (4.2 yards per carry) against UCF. That bodes well for the Jayhawks, who have had a dominant run game this year. KU’s run game is averaging just shy of 200 yards per game on 5.4 yards per carry, so that may be a key matchup on Saturday.
5. UCF star WR Kobe Hudson will test KU’s defense. Hudson has already had three games with more than 130 receiving yards, but he’s coming off his worst game thus far against Baylor (one reception for 5 yards). Still, Kansas allowed 325 passing yards to Texas QB Quinn Ewers, one week after BYU hit Kansas for 357 passing yards with two passing scores.
This story was originally published October 2, 2023 at 10:35 AM with the headline "Kansas football vs. UCF Knights: Five things to know about Jayhawks’ next game."
