Kansas got the result it needed against Baylor, and the next step is a tougher road test in Fort Worth.
After picking up their first Big 12 win of the season on Saturday, the Jayhawks will head back out for another conference matchup, this time against TCU. Early betting numbers aren’t doing Kansas many favors: the Horned Frogs opened as 5.5-point favorites.
Kansas found a way to beat Baylor in a tight game, leaning heavily on special teams. The Jayhawks blocked two kicks, including one that would have given the Bears the game-winning field goal. That was enough to push Baylor to move on from Dave Aranda on Sunday.
The biggest spark from that win came from Blake Herold, who was named Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week after swatting away what would have been the deciding kick. It was the first blocked kick of Herold’s career, but not the first for Kansas this season. The Jayhawks now have four blocked kicks this week, which ranks No. 2 in the country and is their most since 2013.
That kind of disruption could matter again against TCU, especially if the game stays tight late. Kansas has built one of its rare recent bright spots through hustle and chaos on special teams, and that edge may need to show up again.
Offensively, the Jayhawks will have to lean on the run game again, with Dylan Edwards leading the backfield charge. Kansas is averaging just 105.4 rushing yards per game, so the ground attack will have to do heavy lifting if the Jayhawks want to stack a second straight conference win.
TCU, though, brings a defense that has made life difficult all year. The Horned Frogs are allowing only 13.9 points per game, and in their three Big 12 losses they haven’t given up more than 24 points. That includes a 17-point outing allowed against BYU.
The matchup sets up as Kansas’ toughest defensive challenge of the season, which helps explain the early line. The Jayhawks are trying to ride the Baylor momentum into another upset-minded performance, but the numbers say they’ll have to do it the hard way.
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