Kansas is walking into the kind of night that tells you a lot about a team.
The Jayhawks are fresh off a 55-0 demolition of MTSU, but that momentum gets put to the test immediately with a road trip to Utah, where the No. 12 Utes are unbeaten and widely viewed as the team to beat in the Big 12. Kansas technically opened conference play last month in London against Arizona State, but this is the first official Big 12 game on the schedule, and it comes against a Utah group that has looked far more battle-tested than anyone the Jayhawks have faced so far.
Our Kansas on SI staff weighed the matchup from every angle and landed in the same neighborhood: Kansas should make things interesting early, but Utah is the safer pick.
One of the biggest variables is the setup around the game itself. Schulman pointed to the late kickoff, the expected extreme winds and the possibility of rain from the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel as factors that could muddy the evening for Kansas.
He also noted KU’s special teams issues, which could loom large in a game where clean execution matters. Schulman doesn’t see Kansas winning outright, but he does think the Jayhawks can hang around for a while before Utah’s defense takes over in the second half.
Davis was even more direct about Utah’s edge. The Utes have already handled every opponent by double digits this season, and with a bye week behind them, they arrive rested and undefeated. He highlighted Devon Dampier as one of the league’s best quarterbacks and said Kansas’ defense is likely to get a reality check in Salt Lake City.
Springer focused on how the game could start, especially with Isaiah Marshall making his first true road start in a whiteout primetime setting. Utah has been relentless in opening quarters, outscoring opponents 54-3 in the first quarter so far this season, so Kansas will need to answer that early surge.
Springer said the Jayhawks have to establish the run to help Marshall, because if the game turns into a night where he has to win it primarily with his arm, that’s a dangerous place for KU. He also pointed to DK McDonald’s defense facing its toughest assignment yet, with Wayshawn Parker coming off a huge showing against Iowa State and Dampier taking care of the football.
Even with those challenges, Springer sees Utah defending home turf and setting itself up for Arlington in December.
The common thread is clear: this is a measuring-stick game for Kansas, and one that should reveal a lot about how the Jayhawks stack up against the conference’s best right away.
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Utahs First Whiteout Just Got More Complicated For Utes Fans
Utahs first whiteout was already set to give Saturday night in Salt Lake City a little extra color, with fans asked to wear white and the Utes unveiling new hand-painted helmets for the visit from Kansas. The matchup had been pegged for a late 8:15 p.m. MT kickoff, which fit the big-stage feel of the event and gave the crowd plenty of time to build toward what was supposed to be one of the seasons more distinctive home-game atmospheres.
The schedule, though, has gotten more complicated. The kickoff has been moved up to 6 p.m. MT because of weather concerns, including the chance of lightning, and the broadcast picture is still not fully settled, even though the game will be available in its entirety on the ESPN app. For fans planning around the whiteout, its a reminder that the night is now starting much earlier than expected, with the television details still to be announced. [Read more 🡒]
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Utah is the one that stands out first because of what it brings into the conversation on offense, where Devon Dampier has been setting the pace in passing efficiency and Wayshawn Parker has been a reliable source of touchdowns. However Colorados staff chooses to frame the study session, the Utes are part of a three-game scouting window that could tell Sanders a lot about how quickly his team can tighten up before the schedule gets less forgiving. [Read more 🡒]
Utah's Third Quarter Problem Is Starting To Feel Risky
Utah has kept winning, but the third quarter keeps looking like a stretch where the offense loses its grip for a while before settling back in. Head coach Morgan Scalley and offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven have pointed to execution and balance as the main issues, a familiar combination for a group that has shown enough through the first half of recent games to build leads, then too often struggles to keep the pace once the break ends.
The concern is not just about one player or one drive, either. Against Iowa State, junior running back Wayshawn Parker was central to Utahs early success, but the way touches were spread around later reflected the staffs desire to keep multiple options involved rather than simply ride the same answer over and over. It is a workable approach when the offense is humming, though the longer the third-quarter lull hangs around, the more it starts to feel like a problem that could catch up with them. [Read more 🡒]