Kansas and Arizona State are both trying to shake off Week 2 losses to SEC opponents, and now they get an unusual stage for the reset: the inaugural Union Jack Classic at Wembley Stadium in London.
Arizona State comes in as a 5.5-point favorite, but the setup makes this feel like anything but a clean read. Both teams have crossed the Atlantic and now have to deal with the kind of travel and time change that can flatten a team’s edge in a hurry. On top of that, Kansas is headed into a game with plenty of pressure hanging over the program after another rivalry loss.
The Jayhawks are also dealing with a tricky football adjustment. Kansas plays on turf at home, but Wembley is grass, and that matters when a team is already trying to settle itself after a rough week. The source material also points to the coaching situation around Lance Leipold, noting that the seat is only getting hotter as the team heads into its final bye week of the season.
Arizona State brings a few things to the table that Kansas will have to account for. The Sun Devils have a more proven defense and two of the best receivers in the conference, and they nearly stayed with a top-10 Texas A&M team for three quarters at Kyle Field before things slipped away in the final 15 minutes. Kenny Dillingham’s team is described as better coached and better built for this kind of setting.
Kansas, though, is walking into this game with major questions at quarterback and even less margin for error. Isaiah Marshall’s play in the loss to Missouri was rough, and the Jayhawks will also be without backup Cole Ballard after he injured his shoulder on an unusual trick play in that game. The emotional and physical toll of that loss only adds to the challenge of playing an international game so soon after.
One of the main paths for Kansas is obvious: get the run game moving early. Yasin Willis and Dylan Edwards combined for just 7 carries in the first half against Missouri, and by the time Kansas tried to lean on them later, the game had already gotten away. If the Jayhawks can use both backs from the start, that could help Marshall settle in and keep Arizona State’s defense from dictating the game.
That said, the matchup still has the feel of one that could swing either way depending on how it starts. Arizona State has the kind of outside weapons that can punish a secondary for 60 minutes, and if this turns into a shootout, that leans toward the Sun Devils. Still, one of the predictions in the source material takes Kansas to bounce back, noting that Leipold is 5-1 after rivalry games at KU and expecting the Jayhawks to get to 2-1.
The three score predictions from Kansas on SI’s experts point in different directions, but they all circle the same truth: this is a strange spot for both teams, and the team that handles the travel, the surface, and the pressure best may walk away with it.
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For Lance Leipold, the frustration is starting to pile up because the results keep looking too much alike. The Jayhawks have been close in enough of these games to make the margin feel especially costly, and the latest setback only sharpened the sense that small mistakes are carrying outsized consequences at the worst possible time. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Had A Few Bright Spots In An Ugly London Loss
Kansas came away from Wembley Stadium with an ugly 24-17 loss to Arizona State in the Union Jack Classic, and the score line only told part of the story. The Jayhawks had a few individual bright spots in a game where the offense sputtered and special teams hurt them, but the overall performance never found much rhythm as mistakes piled up on both sides of the ball.
Tate Nagy provided one of the few positive plays on offense with a touchdown and 61 receiving yards, while the defense got steady work from Leroy Harris III, who was around the ball often. Even so, Kansas could not overcome the combination of poor punting, multiple fumbles and a general lack of consistency, leaving plenty for the Jayhawks to sort through after a disappointing trip overseas. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Just Turned A Winnable Trip Into A Bowl Pressure Problem
Kansas turned a long trip to London into a missed opportunity Saturday, falling 24-17 to Arizona State at Wembley Stadium and slipping to 1-2 on the season. The Jayhawks had their share of momentum swings in the Union Jack Classic, including a 72-yard punt return touchdown by Tate Nagy, but they also gave away too many chances in a game that could have helped steady an early-season push.
Instead, the loss leaves Lance Leipolds team looking at a tougher road to bowl eligibility than it had before kickoff. With turnovers and decision-making under scrutiny and a challenging schedule ahead, Kansas now has little margin left to turn promising moments into the kind of wins it needs to stack fast. [Read more 🡒]