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Kansas Football: What to watch vs Baylor in second game of 2020

By Leigh Oleszczak

LAWRENCE, KANSAS - NOVEMBER 30: Quarterback Charlie Brewer #12 of the Baylor Bears passes as defensive end Jelani Arnold #91 of the Kansas Jayhawks defends during the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Memorial Stadium on November 30, 2019 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
LAWRENCE, KANSAS - NOVEMBER 30: Quarterback Charlie Brewer #12 of the Baylor Bears passes as defensive end Jelani Arnold #91 of the Kansas Jayhawks defends during the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Memorial Stadium on November 30, 2019 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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Kansas football hits the road for the first time in 2020 and will look to rebound after their embarrassing loss to Coastal Carolina two weeks ago.

The Kansas Jayhawks are down, but they’re not out. After losing to Coastal Carolina in their first game of the season, the Jayhawks need to go down to Waco and prove they can hang with their conference foes this season.

The good news for them is that they’ll face a team who has yet to play a game yet, as Baylor had to postpone their original season opener due to positive COVID tests. That gives them an advantage over Baylor, as the Jayhawks have played a game already and that will help them.

Something else that helps the Jayhawks out is that Baylor has a new head coach after Matt Rhule departed for the NFL, meaning it’ll be a new look team in Waco.

With all of that in mind, let’s take a look at what KU fans should be keeping an eye on this weekend as they look to get their first win of the season.

Can the run game pick back up from where it left off?

One of the reasons Kansas was able to steal a few extra wins last year was because of their run game and they’re fortunate to have both Velton Gardner and Pooka Williams back this season. Garnder had 81 yards and a touchdown in KU’s opening season loss while Williams had 67 yards.

Getting the run game going early on will be key for the Jayhawks, especially early on. If they fall behind quickly into the game, Les Miles will likely opt to get away from the run game and KU is at their best when they’re running the ball and not throwing it.

Speaking of…

Who will shine at quarterback (if anyone)?

When we last saw the Jayhawks in action, Miles Kendrick was outshining Thomas MacVittie at the quarterback spot. MacVittie got the start, but was incredibly underwhelming while Kendrick threw for two touchdowns and made things a little more exciting down the stretch.

Kendrick is the better option between the two, but will he play well against the Bears on Saturday? Will MacVittie get an opportunity this week again? It’ll be interesting to see who Miles picks to start this game and if they play well, if he still switches things up.

Can the second half defense be the one that shows up?

The first half did not go well for the defense against Coastal Carolina, as they allowed four touchdowns and put KU in a hole they eventually couldn’t climb out of. The Jayhawks D settled down in the second half, allowing just 10 points on the evening and playing much better.

The Big 12 is very much a “defense is optional” conference, but that doesn’t mean Kansas can continue to allow their defense to play terribly, especially if the offense is also going to struggle. Last year the Jayhawks defense surrendered over 60 points to Baylor, but it was a much better Baylor team.

Hopefully things will be different this time.

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Without multiple non-conference games, it’s going to be hard for Kansas football to win many, if any, games this season. They played their lone non-conference opponent two weeks ago and lost by double digit points, so it’s going to be hard for them to get a win against their Big 12 foes.

Baylor is undergoing some changes this offseason, but they’re still big time favorites in this one. It could be another tough loss for Kansas football and an 0-2 start seems likely.

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