What Lance Leipold Wants Kansas to Improve During the Bye Week
After starting the season 1-2, Kansas football has an important two weeks to regroup and make adjustments before returning to the field against Middle Tennessee on Oct. 3.
The Jayhawks have shown flashes during the first three games, but their 24-17 loss to Arizona State in London exposed several areas that need to improve. With a bye week ahead, head coach Lance Leipold has an opportunity to get his team ready for the second half of the season.
One of the biggest areas Kansas needs to improve is consistency on offense. Before the Arizona State game, Leipold said he wanted to see the Jayhawks run the ball more consistently and perform better on first and second down. He also wanted the offensive line to give quarterback Isaiah Marshall more time to make throws down the field.
Kansas did show improvement in the rushing game against Arizona State, finishing with 179 rushing yards. However, the offense struggled to consistently finish drives and made several costly mistakes.
Turnovers will also be a major focus during the bye week. Kansas turned the ball over three times against Arizona State, while the Sun Devils did not turn the ball over. One Kansas fumble helped set up an Arizona State touchdown, while Marshall also threw an interception.
Leipold has talked about the importance of consistency throughout the season, and that remains a major goal moving forward.
“Consistency is an issue right now on that side of the ball, but we continue to see enough flashes that it has a chance to be successful,” Leipold said following the loss.
The Jayhawks also need to improve in critical situations. Kansas went 0-for-3 on fourth down against Arizona State and missed a 44-yard field goal. Those missed opportunities were important in a game decided by seven points.
Special teams will likely receive attention as well. Tate Nagy provided one of the biggest plays of the game with a 72-yard punt return touchdown, but Arizona State answered with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to open the second half. Kansas also had a 17-yard punt late in the first half that helped give Arizona State strong field position.
Injuries will be another concern during the bye week, particularly at running back. Yasin Willis left the Arizona State game, leaving Kansas with fewer healthy options in the backfield. Leipold acknowledged that the position has become a concern for the Jayhawks.
Kansas now has two weeks to recover, correct mistakes and prepare for Middle Tennessee. The bye gives the coaching staff time to evaluate what has worked and what has not.
For Leipold and the Jayhawks, the goal is not to completely change the team. Instead, Kansas needs to turn the flashes it has shown into more consistent football when it returns to the field.
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Jimmy Adeniran is a contributor to JayhawksROUNDTABLE. He can be reached at [email protected]
