Steven Johnson: An early look at TCU’s next opponent, No. 19 Kansas

Steven Johnson
·4 min read

If I told you before the season that TCU and Kansas would be a battle of ranked, unbeaten teams that would also host ESPN College GameDay, would you have believed me?

Don’t lie either.

Well we’re here now and despite the Horned Frogs already facing Oklahoma and SMU, the Horned Frogs’ toughest road contest could be Kansas.

This was already going to be a tricky game for the Horned Frogs after it took a late field goal to survive 31-28 against the Jayhawks last year at Amon G. Carter stadium.

Both teams are better and the atmosphere could be the best it’s ever been with GameDay on the scene. It’s an early candidate for the Big 12 game of the year and could determine who should be considered a favorite in the conference along with Oklahoma State.

Here’s four things to know about Kansas:

Daniels the Heisman candidate?

Every year in college football there’s a surprise challenger for the Heisman that emerges in September. Consider Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels to be that player this season. Yes it’s early, but that doesn’t change how effective Daniels has been. Daniels has taken the next step under coach Lance Leipold. His yards per attempt has increased from 10.8 from 7.4 last season.

He’s the Jayhawks leading rusher with 335 yards. He averaged 2.5 yards per carry last year; that’s up to 7.3 now. With 983 passing yards, Daniels has over 1,300 yards of total offense and 16 total touchdowns in five games. His 95.6 QBR is the best in the country according to ESPN. Daniels is coming off his worst game of the year in the narrow win against Iowa State.

The Cyclones held him to 102 total yards and one touchdown. Every game he’s had a QBR in the mid 90s, but it was 43.4 on Saturday. TCU already knows how good he is after he carved up the defense last year. Can the Horned Frogs replicate Iowa State’s defensive gameplan?

Elite rushing attack

One thing you can bet on with a Leipold team is their willingness and effectiveness at running the ball. At over 220 yards per game on the ground, Kansas has a Top 15 rushing offense in the country. Daniels plays a big part in that, but the Jayhawks have a depth.

Devin Neal is behind Daniels with 333 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Daniel Hishaw Jr. has five touchdowns and 262 yards of production. Hishaw, Neal and Daniels have at least 44 carries and average at least six yards per attempt. Sevion Morrison is a change-of-pace back that is averaging 9.2 yards per carry. The Jayhawks have a good offensive line which has led to a productive rushing attack.

Kansas has also been good in pass protection as Daniels has only been sacked twice this year. There’s an obvious caveat as Daniels has only attempted 25 or more passes one time. That came in the Jayhawks’ double-overtime victory against West Virginia. Can TCU jump out to an early lead and make Daniels have to beat them from the pocket?

What about Kansas defensively?

The Jayhawks have improved. Last year Kansas allowed opponents to score more than 42 points per game. That average has dropped 24. Take out the opening win over Tennessee Tech and the number only moves slightly to 27.5.

It’s not a dominant unit, but it’s certainly will be better than last year’s. One thing Kansas does well is get after the quarterback and force turnovers. The Jayhawks lead the Big 12 with 15 sacks and are tied with TCU with four interceptions forced. Four different Jayhawks have at least two sacks led Lonnie Phelps who has five. It should be noted three of them came against Tennessee Tech.

Cobee Bryant was a major recruiting win for Leipold and he’s emerged as one of the leaders in the secondary. He has two interceptions and returned a blocked kick for a touchdown. Kansas has done enough on that side of the ball to bolster the explosive offense. Can it slow down TCU’s?

Other names to know

Known as the heart of the Kansas defense, linebacker Rich Miller leads the team with 38 total tackles and 22 solo. No other player has more than 30.

Daniels spreads the ball around at receiver with Luke Grimm being the leading pass catcher with 19 receptions for 208 yards and two touchdowns. Lawrence Arnold and Quentin Skinner are two more receivers with at least 100 yards. There’s no Marvin Mims or Rashee Rice in this group which could free up Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson to be used differently in coverage.

Kenny Logan Jr. is a hard-hitting safety that is second on the team with 27 tackles and also has an interception.

Mike Novitsky is considered the team’s best offensive lineman. Pro Football Focus has him graded as a Top 10 center in the country.

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