BYU (3-0) vs. Kansas (3-0)
Kickoff: Saturday, 1:30 p.m. MDT.
Venue: David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium (Capacity: 47,233).
TV: ESPN
Livestream: ESPN.com/watch
Radio: KSL 1160 AM/102.7 FM/BYU Radio Sirius XM 143.
Series: Kansas leads, 1-0
Weather: Scattered thunderstorms throughout the day with temperatures in the mid-80s at kickoff and throughout the game. Wind gusts up to 16 mph and 58% chance of rain mid-afternoon.
The trends
For BYU: The Cougars have won seven straight games dating back to last season, a remarkable turnaround after they lost all four of their games in October 2022. Their winning streak began with a victory over Boise State and continued last Saturday with a 38-31 conquest of Arkansas after trailing 14-0 early and 31-21 in the third quarter. BYU’s defense has carried it most of the season, while the offense has been efficient and explosive but has not been able to sustain long drives.
For Kansas: The Jayhawks have started 3-0 in consecutive years for the first time since the 1991-92 season and have won seven straight games played in the month of September, dating back to last year when they got off to a 5-0 start. Kansas downed Missouri State and Illinois in impressive fashion at David Booth Stadium to open the season, then edged Nevada 31-24 last Saturday at Wolfpack Stadium in Reno to remain undefeated.
What to watch for
Having been invited to the Big 12 in September 2021, the Cougars are playing in their first-ever Big 12 game against a team picked to finish ninth in the league. It is the first matchup since Kansas beat BYU 23-20 in the Aloha Bowl in Hawaii on Christmas Day in 1992. The Cougars finished 99-56 in the independence era, with the 99 victories tied for No. 18 in college football over those 12 seasons. BYU is 24-23 all-time against the current Big 12 makeup.
BYU will look to get its running game going to take some pressure off fifth-year senior quarterback Kedon Slovis. The Cougars are rushing for just 78.3 yards per game, which ranks 124th in rushing in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
For Kansas, quarterback Jalon Daniels, the Big 12 preseason offensive player of the year, stirs the drink. He will probably be the best all-around quarterback the Cougars will face this season. BYU’s much-improved defense will be put to the test against an offense averaging 500.3 yards through the first three games. Third-year coach Lance Leipold’s offense has produced more than 500 yards of offense nine times in the last 16 games.
Key player
Kedon Slovis, Sr., BYU quarterback: Slovis has been somewhat of a game manager in BYU’s first three games, completing 55 of 90 passes (61.1%) for 660 yards and six touchdowns with just one interception. He went over the 10,000-yard passing plateau in the season opener against Sam Houston.
The Mesa, Arizona, product will probably have to carry more water for the Cougars to be successful in this one, as it figures to be a shootout. He will have a full complement of receivers, including fellow Arizonan Darius Lassiter, whose brother Kwinton is a defensive back for the Jayhawks. That will be a fun matchup to watch if the brothers ever go head-to-head.
Quotable
“So I am looking forward to the opportunity for our team to get better and to improve from last week. I feel like we have improved every week and we need to improve even more in a lot of different ways. A lot of fixable things we can get done today. I said that last week. I say that every week. I think Kansas, they do some really cool things on offense. They were able to get about 500 yards of offense and tons of points on the board. Defense does a great job being physical in rallying (to the ball) and tackling well. So I think we got our work cut out for us and we will be excited for the challenge.” — BYU coach Kalani Sitake.
“You know, they had a big win. That was a big road win for them. You know, to be down two scores on the road, and to come back and win, in the fashion that they did, you can tell they are well-coached, poised. That maturity that you are looking for. For them to come here for their first Big 12 game, I am sure they are going to be excited about the opportunity. There are 30-plus undefeated teams in the country right now, and they are one of them. So it is going to be a great challenge.” — Kansas coach Lance Leipold.
Next up
BYU: Cincinnati at BYU on Sept. 29.
Kansas: at Texas on Sept. 30.
BYU schedule
- Aug. 31 — BYU 14, Sam Houston 0.
- Sept. 9 — BYU 41, Southern Utah 16.
- Sept. 16 — BYU 38, Arkansas 31.
- Sept. 23 — at Kansas (1:30 p.m. MDT, ESPN).
- Sept. 29 — vs. Cincinnati (8:15 p.m. MDT, ESPN).
- Oct. 14 — at TCU (TBA).
- Oct. 21 — vs. Texas Tech (TBA).
- Oct. 28 — at Texas (TBA).
- Nov. 4 — at West Virginia (TBA).
- Nov. 11 — vs. Iowa State (TBA).
- Nov. 18 — vs. Oklahoma (TBA).
- Nov. 25 — at Oklahoma State (TBA).