Distribution of Gameday: KU football vs Rutgers

– Kansas (1-1) vs Rutgers (1-1) • Kick-off at 11 am at David Booth Memorial Stadium in Kansas • Part prediction: 82 degrees, mostly sunny, 7% chance of rain • TV: Net FOX Sports • Radio: KLWN, FM 101.7 / AM 1320

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Touches for Kansas

1. Embrace Pookamania

Considering a program that has spent nine years still losing in games outside of Lawrence, who won on the road in the second week, Kansas should stick to what worked in its win in central Michigan . The Jayhawks' hasty attack – and first-division striker Pooka Williams in particular – caused a 46-game road accident.

KU (1-1) only asked top quarterback Peyton Bender to throw the ball 26 times at the CMU. The Jayhawks 'throwing trio, led by Pooka Williams' 125-yard run and two touchdowns in 14 races, had 33 runs and 186 yards. The second, Dom Williams, offered 32 yards on 10 runs and the junior Khalil Herbert 29 on nine.

Add four Deron Thompson runs late in the game for 32 yards, four QB for a total of 14 yards, Miles Kendrick, and even a one-yard loss to receiver Kerr Johnson Jr. and Kansas made 43 calls for 233 yards ( 5.5 yards against 27 assists (Kendrick made his only throw) for 145 yards (5.4 yards per game).

The KU's 216 rushing yards at CMU easily gave the team its best ground performance since beating West Virginia for 367 in 2017 and opening the Big 12 in 2017.

The integration of Pooka Williams in the attack is not an easy decision, it is a decision that gives confidence to the Jayhawks.

"I think every time you do something and you gain a little more success with it, you obviously want to keep doing it," Beaty said of the players' interest in the race. "Now, a lot goes to the guys before. They also did good things on Saturday. I do not want you to understand badly. But I can not say enough about the guys on the perimeter, because when you have long touchdowns, this is still attributed to the receivers on the good guys who are pursuing the shoulders throughout the field. "

Pooka Williams' ability to play big, Beaty added, is not possible if linemen and receivers are not involved in blocking the race.

"The KU coach said," We asked four guys to have body shots on this game, and that's what's happening, right? These are transformed into notation blocks. And you take a guy who takes a game and that guy is attacked. "

KU proved that he could launch an offensive attack against a MAC team. Now, the Jayhawks must play this type of demonstration against a Big Ten opponent, Rutgers (1-1).

2. Do not let the new QB become familiar

Rookie quarterback Artur Sitkowski (UK) should face Kansas, despite a right shoulder injury seven days earlier when he was sacked at the Ohio State.

In the first game of the Scarlet Knights season, a 35-7 win over Texas State, Sitkowski made a 20-to-30 run in the air during his first college start, 205 yards and a touchdown . But when he starts at KU, he will throw with the same shoulder that he injured him a week ago and came out 6-in-18 at the Ohio State, with only 38 yards per interception.

A four-star recruited by ESPN, who ranked the nation's No. 9 pro-style quarterback, the six-foot-five Sitkowski could give KU problems if he is able to pass without pressure early and develop a rhythm.

In two games, KU has only two sacks and two quarters of a quarter, and none of them has come from defensive linemen. Senior defensive tackle Daniel Wise will have to take the lead and change the trend. Defensive coordinator Clint Bowen will continue to prepare players like Joe Dineen, Keith Loneker Jr and Kyron Johnson (who plays a D-Hybrid). line / linebacker) to enter the backfield and disrupt Sitkowski, playing only his third college match.

3. Capitalize on the good position on the ground

While KU convincingly won 31-7 at the CMU, the Jayhawks actually left some points on the board.

Three times during the rare victory on the road, KU started a race in the Chippewas territory, and the three fights allowed to accumulate three points. Senior kicker Gabriel Rui scored 36 yards. 7 yard line.

These three relatively unsuccessful practices started in good position thanks to a defensive offer.

"When we are able to capitalize on and get business numbers, we have to capitalize aggressively and put those things in the final zone," Beaty said. "We could not do that last week. We missed two goals on turnovers that were close at hand and that's not right. "

At the beginning of the third quarter, Rui missed a 39-yard attempt in the wind to clinch a series open 24 yards from the goal line.

"We had two goals on the ground. We missed one and made one. We have to be able to score touchdowns, "Beaty said. "We love Rui, but we hate the goals on the ground. We like touchdowns. And he must be there to take care of it when we do not do it. But we want to see less of him and more of him on extra points. "

If the Rutgers errors place the KU attack in favorable positions, the Jayhawks will have to deliver.

"And that's a lot of importance as we move forward this week, because we've seen the video, that was all for us," Beaty said of the failures of the offensive following shipments defensive. "It really does not have much to do with the opponent."

Mega Matchup

Kansas O-line against the Rutgers defensive front

Some of Rutgers' most experienced playmakers are lined up on the front of the defense.

Especially since KU is probably counting on his quick attack, the KU offensive line will have to prove that it can stand up to the successful linemen and linebackers in the Big Ten.

Redshirt senior defensive end Kevin Wilkins leads the pack with 12 career tackles. He is one of four players from the UR who have played in 38 games since 2015.

Senior linebacker Trevor Morris was second in the Big Ten and 18th at the national level with 9.8 tackles per game in 2017 and is the league's leading tackle. During the second week, Morris made 11 tackles, including a bag, atop the Ohio State.

Senior linebacker Deonte Roberts made 104 tackles a year ago, 79 against the race. Roberts, 8.7 per game, finished fifth in the Big Ten and 43rd national.

Wilkins, Morris and Roberts will face off to surpass a KU offensive line that has often turned his guards and center at the CMU, while tackles Hakeem Adeniji (left) and Kevin Feder (right) have played most clichés.

Beaty describes himself as "excited" by KU's ability to rotate the inner aligners of Week 2.

"Because I think we have some depth there. I think we have comparable guys. I do not think we have a big crash when the second group started, which was good, "said the KU's fourth-year coach. "I'm not sure we have a group of elite guys, but I think we have a bunch of dirty work guys with whom you can do the work when they believe it."

Alex Fontana started at the center during week 1 but was replaced by Andru Tovi at the CMU, where Fontana played as a reserve. Malik Clark (left) and Dwayne Wallace (right) took the lead and were supported by Api Mane and Chris Hughes.

"But I'll say, we need to get better in this area," Beaty added. "I mean, this is an area where, if we can improve that, we have a good chance of being in attack. But we do not have a lot of time to do it right. We must start now.

Rutgers has 16 tackles for the loss and five sacks across two games, having five and two in those categories at the same point last season.

Jayhawk Pulse

It's not often that KU players and coaches get ready by making the most of the victory. This week, the Jayhawks have done just that leading up to a really winning home game against a Power Five opponent. These do not come very often either.

With a palpable momentum – at least by KU standards – and knowing that the Big 12 game is imminent, KU needs a win in his final non-conference to show that it can be competitive in a match. A loss, on the other hand, could potentially lead to a fall in the season, as each opponent is on time to be better than Rutgers.

Tale of the band

KU … .. UK

KU Run D vs RU Run Game √

√ KU pass D vs RU pass game

√ KU game against RU executed D

KU pass vs RU pass D √

√ special teams

Prediction

Rutgers 24, Kansas 23