Kansas heads to Wembley Stadium on Saturday for a rare stage and a fresh conference opener, taking on Arizona State in the first-ever Power Four football game played in England. Big Noon Kickoff will be there for the Union Jack Classic pregame, and FS1 will carry the game at 11 a.m. CT, which is 5 p.m. local in London.
For Kansas, the spotlight starts with Isaiah Marshall. If the Jayhawks want him settled early, the run game has to do some work first.
Against Missouri, KU managed just 3.0 yards per play on first down, and that left the offense chasing the sticks and asking Marshall to carry too much of the load on early downs. Kansas did have a promising design when Marshall was asked to throw a short hitch to Nahzae Cox, but the throw should have been completed.
The bigger issue is whether KU can create cleaner, more predictable situations for its quarterback before the game gets away from rhythm.
That matters even more because Marshall’s first two starts have followed a similar pattern: a little too amped up, a little off target early. Entering his third start, Kansas would love to see him settle in faster and avoid those shaky opening series. Better early-down rushing would help open the door for more manageable throws and, in turn, a steadier performance from the quarterback position.
Defensively, Kansas is staring at a major test on the outside. Arizona State brings two receivers who can change the game in Reed Harris and Omarion Miller.
Harris showed it against Texas A&M, making deep catches and winning on tougher shorter routes. Miller gives the Sun Devils another problem for a defense to solve, whether it’s on screens or on vertical shots.
That makes the Kansas secondary a key part of this matchup. It has already been a concern, and this is the kind of game where that weakness gets examined quickly. KU has to find some way to keep Harris and Miller from taking over.
The other pressure point is at quarterback. Kansas cannot allow Cutter Boley the kind of time Austin Simmons had last week.
If Boley sits back comfortably, he can make teams pay. At Kentucky last season, though, he showed vulnerability when pressured, with a turnover worthy play on roughly 12% of his throws under pressure.
For comparison, Jalon Daniels’ number last year was 6%. Boley’s 12 interceptions were tied for second-most in the SEC a year ago.
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The next chance to measure it comes against Arizona State, and that matchup is shaping up as the most revealing one yet for a group that has taken visible steps forward. Kansas already showed it can handle a physical rushing team in a way that was not always there last season, but this is the kind of game that can show whether those gains are real progress or just a promising start. [Read more 🡒]
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Kansas Opens Big 12 Play With Availability Concerns Fans Will Notice
Kansas footballs first Big 12 availability report of the season arrived with the kind of detail fans have been waiting for as conference play begins against Arizona State. Under the leagues standardized disclosure policy, both schools have to reveal player status before kickoff, giving a clearer picture of who might be available and who wont be part of the rotation on a given Saturday.
For Kansas, the report immediately raised a few eyebrows because several names landed in the out, doubtful or questionable categories, a reminder that the Jayhawks are already managing early-season attrition as the schedule tightens. Arizona States report carried its own list of unavailable and probable players, so the opener comes with roster uncertainty on both sides, and Kansas depth will get an early test before anyone has even kicked off a conference game. [Read more 🡒]