Kansas-Utah Kickoff Time Released for Big 12 Showdown
Kansas football now knows when it will take the field for its first Big 12 road game of the season.
The Jayhawks will travel to Salt Lake City to face the Utah Utes on Saturday, Oct. 10, with kickoff scheduled for 9:15 p.m. CT at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN, giving Kansas another opportunity to play on a major television network this season.
The matchup will come after Kansas hosts Middle Tennessee on Oct. 3 for Family Weekend. That game is scheduled for an 11 a.m. CT kickoff, meaning the Jayhawks will have a significant change in their preparation and game-day routine when they head to Utah the following week.
For Kansas, the Utah game will be its third night game of the season. The Jayhawks previously played night games against Long Island and Missouri, but this matchup will present a different challenge because it will come on the road and inside one of the Big 12's more recognizable stadiums.
The game will also be Kansas' first appearance on ESPN this season.
Utah enters the matchup with a 4-0 record and is ranked No. 13 nationally. The Utes opened Big 12 play with a 31-17 victory over Iowa State on Sept. 26 before entering their bye week. Kansas, meanwhile, is 1-2 and will have one more game against Middle Tennessee before traveling west.
The Jayhawks and Utes have met five times previously, with Utah holding a 3-2 advantage in the all-time series. Utah has won three consecutive meetings, including a 31-21 victory over Kansas in Lawrence last season. This will be the sixth meeting between the two programs and Kansas' first trip to Salt Lake City to face Utah since 1996.
The late kickoff could create an interesting atmosphere at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Utah has announced that the game will be a whiteout, with fans encouraged to wear white for the conference matchup.
With the kickoff time now set, Kansas knows exactly what awaits it in Week 6. The Jayhawks will first need to take care of business against Middle Tennessee before turning their attention toward a ranked Utah team and their first Big 12 road test of the season.
The Oct. 10 matchup will provide Kansas with another chance to make an early statement in conference play, this time under the lights in Salt Lake City.
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Jimmy Adeniran is a contributor to JayhawksROUNDTABLE. He can be reached at [email protected]
