LAWRENCE — Kansas football will face No. 8 BYU on the road Saturday during Big 12 Conference play.
The Jayhawks (3-6, 2-4 in Big 12) are coming off a win at home against a ranked Iowa State team. The Cougars (9-0, 6-0 in Big 12) are coming off a win on the road against Utah. Last season, when these two sides met, Kansas won the matchup against BYU in Lawrence.
What are the Jayhawks’ coaches considering before kickoff? What could the Cougars do that could cause them problems? Ahead of the 9:15 p.m. (CT)-scheduled kickoff in Provo, Utah, check out this scouting report and prediction for the game:
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Kansas football head coach Lance Leipold previews BYU
Kansas coach Lance Leipold described BYU as balanced on offense, and praised the Cougars’ quarterback for how physical he plays and his attempts to gain more yards. Leipold also highlighted BYU’s wide receivers, and the ability of the Cougars’ defense to record interceptions. Clearly, BYU is playing with a lot of confidence, and entering the weekend with the most interceptions in the Big 12 certainly helps.
Kansas football offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes previews BYU
Jeff Grimes, Kansas’ offensive coordinator/assistant head coach, outlined to reporters how much respect he has for BYU. Grimes is no stranger to the Cougars, especially considering he used to be an assistant coach there. That praise includes Jay Hill, who is BYU’s associate head coach/defensive coordinator/safeties coach.
Grimes described the Cougars as being very multiple, including the number alignments they use up front. He added they’ll play hard, tough and physical. The ability BYU has had to intercept so many passes, from Grimes’ perspective, comes from an ability to take advantage of its pass rush, take advantage of certain situations and vary its coverages.
Kansas football defensive coordinator Brian Borland previews BYU
Brian Borland, Kansas’ defensive coordinator, noted to reporters the Jayhawks have put a fair amount of emphasis on BYU’s option game. Borland doesn’t think the Cougars are weak in any aspect of their game on that side of the ball. He thinks BYU runs the ball better than it did a year ago, and is more physical, as it seems to embody a mindset of relying less on finesse.
Prediction: Kansas 41, BYU 31
BYU has been on a significant run this season and could very well make the College Football Playoff. The Cougars have survived a number of close games. However, that run should end Saturday against Kansas as the Jayhawks win 41-31.
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
