Game Preview: Kansas

After a scare in Norman against the Golden Knights, the Oklahoma Sooners are going to Lawrence, Kansas (on their homecoming weekend) to play a game that has sold out against the Kansas Jayhawks. If anyone thought the tests for the Sooners were over after the Texas game, they would be sorely mistaken. This one won't be easy.

Photo credit to The Saturday Blitza.

Oklahoma

The Sooners are coming off an upset scare against the UCF Golden Knights, where OU won 31-29. The offense struggled, and the defense fell for gadget play after gadget play. They played well enough to win but gave UCF every chance they could to stay in the game. Below are the statistical leaders from week eight:

• Passing: Dillon Gabriel, 25-38, 253 yards, three touchdowns, one interception.

• Rushing: Marcus Major, 18 rushes, 82 yards.

• Receiving: Nic Anderson, five receptions, 105 yards, two touchdowns.

• Tackling: Danny Stutsman, 12 tackles, five solo, one tackle for loss.

The offensive line has to play better this week. They kept the running backs from going anywhere for most of the game and gave no protection to Dillon Gabriel. We are going up against another high-powered offense this week who will capitalize when they keep us out of the end zone. That said, we found something in the run game in the fourth quarter. I'm predicting we see yet another high dosage of the run game. The return of Javonte Barnes and the emergence of Gavin Sawchuck should give our offensive line the extra motivation they need to allow Oklahoma to run the ball effectively. Dillon Gabriel will likely try to rebound from the performance last week. Numbers-wise, he played well, but he missed several key throws and kept throwing into coverage he should not have thrown into. Through the air, I'm expecting to see maybe a few shots downfield (as is typical with any Jeff Lebby offense), but mostly passes that are caught 5-10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. These passes are a great way to calm a QB down and help them remember to make consistent decisions. We will likely see a 60-40 or 65-35 run-pass ratio.

The Oklahoma defense didn't play as poorly as numbers might lead you to believe. The two longest plays of the game (gadget plays) gained 140 yards and led to 14 points. The rest of the game combined, UCF earned 257 yards. That's 35.26% of their yardage on two plays and almost half their points (they didn't score on their long run, but they scored on the drive). I doubt we'll see anything too different from the defensive scheme this week. We will see a lot of pressure up the middle and run blitzes. Kansas loves to run the ball, and the Oklahoma defense wants to make a statement against the Kansas run game. I would also anticipate OU putting a spy on the QB for most of the game. This is a run-first offense we are facing, including the quarterback. Allowing a QB to run the ball is a surefire way to lose a game you shouldn't. Combine heavy pressure with a solid zone defense, and you have a solid defensive strategy.

Kansas

The Kansas Jayhawks are coming off a bye week following a heartbreaking loss to the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Jason Bean had an excellent performance, but an offensive collapse combined with turning the ball over in the fourth quarter gave the Jayhawks their second loss. Below are their statistical leaders from week seven:

• Passing: Jason Bean, 23-34, 410 yards, five touchdowns, two interceptions.

• Rushing: Devin Neal, 13 rushes, 66 yards.

• Receiving: Mason Fairchild, five receptions, 95 yards, two touchdowns.

• Tackling: JB Brown, nine tackles, seven solo.

Lance Leipold has done a tremendous job turning this Kansas program into a team you can't afford to ignore, and it all starts with the offense. They average 231.1 yards per game passing and 212 yards per game rushing. Although their starting QB Jalon Daniels is expected to miss another game this weekend due to injury, Jason Bean, the expected starter, is no significant drop-off. Throwing for over 400 yards in their last game, he has a great arm and can fly with the football. I'd expect to see a lot of play-action passes and option runs. Jason Bean is the lifeblood of their offense. Without him, they can't move the ball very well. Given their successful option runs, we will likely see a lot of that on first and third downs. Second downs will likely see a lot of play-action to catch Oklahoma biting on the run defensively. Something to note about Jason Bean: he has been the Kansas QB the last two times we have played them. In those two games, he threw 33-50 for 511 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions. He ran the ball 24 times for 100 yards. Playing against Oklahoma is no new experience for Bean, and we can expect to get his best effort.

The Kansas defense doesn't play too well statistically, allowing almost 400 yards per game. Despite this, they play a very physical brand of football. On their first snap in their first conference game of the year, they destroyed a BYU player, forcing a fumble and returning it for a touchdown. With better talent on the defense, they have the potential to be a top-50 defense. This season, they've sacked opposing QBs 18 times, forced nine fumbles, and intercepted seven passes. This unit knows what they're doing. I'm anticipating a lot of blitzes from this defense. Given how the OU offensive line has struggled this season, they will see more than enough weaknesses to exploit. Pressure is the key to allowing their offense the opportunity to keep up with Oklahoma. So we are going to see a lot of it.

Prediction

As previously mentioned, this week will be another tough test for the Sooners—a test I expect OU to pass with flying colors. I'd imagine we see a near-identical performance to the 2017 regular season matchup between OU and TCU. We'll score a lot in the first half and control them defensively throughout the game to comfortably relax throughout the fourth quarter.

Score Prediction: Oklahoma 38, Kansas 20

Oklahoma Yardage:

• Passing Yards: 260-300

• Rushing Yards: 150-180

• Total Yards: 410-480

Kansas Yardage:

• Passing Yards: 220-250

• Rushing Yards: 90-120

• Total Yards: 310-370

I'm prepared for OU to stop allowing themselves to have scares in the fourth quarter. I'm also ready for OU to go to the sold-out stadium of the Jayhawks on homecoming day and show them that the Big 12 is still Oklahoma's for the taking. Boomer Sooner!

All stats above courtesy of ESPN.