LAWRENCE — Kansas football is in dire need of a win this weekend against Baylor at home in its next Big 12 Conference matchup.
The Jayhawks (2-4, 0-3) have lost back-to-back games and have yet to win a league contest. Lose this matchup, and the path to reaching a bowl game becomes much more difficult. KU coach Lance Leipold’s squad has missed out on a bowl game in each of the past two years and is in need of some momentum.
Baylor (4-2, 2-1) is a group Leipold described as having an excellent defense with a physical line and the offense is led by junior quarterback DJ Lagway. Defensively, Leipold expects Baylor to rotate in a lot of guys to keep everyone fresh. Offensively, he expects the Bears to play at a high pace — meaning KU’ll need to be committed to lining up quickly and communicating. It’s just a matter of which team executes better than the other, as each side looks to bounce back this fall.
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Here’s what else KU’s coaching staff had to say about Baylor, ahead of Saturday’s noon CT kickoff inside David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium:
Andy Kotelnicki, associate head coach
Kansas’ offense is coming off of another inconsistent performance, this time at Kansas State, and associate head coach Andy Kotelnicki acknowledged the frustration of what he sees as quality practices not translating to games. KU started each half well but critical errors stymied the Jayhawks’ efforts in a close game. Speaking with reporters this week, he highlighted a need to be able to run the ball more consistently.
When it comes to Baylor, Kotelnicki also sees a talented defense led by defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman. KU fans will remember Klanderman, also safeties coach for the Bears, from his time as an assistant at Kansas State. Baylor has a formidable front, with some of the most havoc-creating defensive linemen Kansas will have faced.
Kotelnicki sees a defense that, when you get into a predictable passing situation, excels at rushing the passer. That doesn’t have to be only third down. Also, with how the Bears operate up front, there’s an effort to stop the running game so an offense is calling second-and-10 plays instead of second-and-5.
D.K. McDonald, defensive coordinator
Physicality was an issue for Kansas in its loss against Kansas State, and defensive coordinator D.K. McDonald didn’t shy away from that. McDonald said it’s a mentality a team has to have and the Jayhawks have to coach it better. Regardless of the scheme you use, if you aren’t physical you’re in for a difficult day.
Against Kansas State, KU had way too many missed tackles which allowed far too many extra yards. McDonald highlighted that, especially when it comes to the Jayhawks’ defensive line, players need to understand the positive publicity that group received early in the year means opponents are going to come with an enhanced level of energy in order to prove who, really, is better.
McDonald, who wants to see his leading linebackers live up to the talent they have, sees a Baylor offense that can be explosive and plays through its quarterback. Just look at how well Lagway played in the Bears’ rout of Arizona State, and you can see that when he’s rolling that group is hard to stop. McDonald described Lagway as likely the best pure-thrower of the ball in the Big 12 he's seen so far.
McDonald will look to rattle Lagway, both with pressure and KU’s coverage. Of course, that’ll mean getting the best of an offensive line that’s caught McDonald’s attention. Regardless, Kansas is also preparing for Baylor’s pace of play.
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: What Kansas football assistants see in Baylor ahead of Big 12 matchup