Kansas Jayhawks Q&A: KU basketball’s IARP case, Jalon Daniels & the game plan vs. OSU
Boy, it’s been quite a week for the Kansas Jayhawks. Let’s talk about it.
First, a six-year investigation into KU’s infractions case finally ended.
The result? There is no postseason ban or further penalties for Kansas coaches — as good a result as any Kansas fan could have hoped for, I think.
On top of that, the Kansas football team finds itself in familiar territory.
If KU beats Oklahoma State on Saturday, the Jayhawks will be bowl-eligible for the second straight year.
Last season, the Jayhawks, led by Kansas backup QB Jason Bean, became bowl-eligible by beating OSU.
Did somebody say deja vu?
Now, it’s time for another Kansas Jayhawks Q&A. As always, thank you for the questions!
At the moment, it seems like he’s improving — judging by the fact he’s considered doubtful instead of out.
If I had to guess, I think Kansas hopes to get him back after the bye, but that’s just me speculating. As for him transferring out of KU? I don’t see it.
I talked to Daniels this summer for a feature story and he reiterated he’s never felt doubts about his future with Kansas football, including when Kansas went 0-9 his freshman year.
I don’t buy the rumor that he wants to transfer whatsoever.
OSU had two players suffer season-ending injuries in its 29-21 win over Kansas State. The first player is linebacker Justin Wright, who suffered a knee injury.
OSU’s leading receiver, De’Zhaun Stribling, is also out for the year with a wrist injury
“That’s a big deal,” OSU offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn told media. “He was our leading receiver going into the game and he already missed a game — he was in there for four or five plays, then he was out the rest of the day against South Alabama. That was a big hit.”
I think the strategy for the Cowboys will be to lean on star running back Ollie Gordon, who’s averaging 6.3 yards per carry, to put points on the board.
On defense, OSU will try to force Jason Bean into making mistakes and limit KU’s potent rushing attack.
KU’s run game needs to be on point on Saturday. That means getting out to an early lead in a hostile environment in Stillwater.
That’ll take the pressure off Bean to force throws or play outside his game. I expect Kansas to lean on short and intermediate passes alongside the run game. That will open up some deep-ball opportunities for Bean.
I think the key to success is ensuring Bean is protected by the offensive line and not facing a large deficit.
Why?
Bean tends to force throws into tight windows when he feels pressured to create offense, leading to inaccurate passes and interceptions. That was on full display in KU’s game against Texas.
The best version of Bean is when he’s not over-analyzing the field and rather playing on instinct. That’s certainly a difference between Bean and Daniels, the latter of whom is an expert at processing the field.
This story was originally published October 13, 2023 at 11:19 AM with the headline "Kansas Jayhawks Q&A: KU basketball’s IARP case, Jalon Daniels & the game plan vs. OSU."
