The BYU Cougars have had a number of interesting betting lines this season, but the Kansas Jayhawks game line does not seem to be a mistake.
Currently, the Kansas Jayhawks are just three-point underdogs against the Cougars in Provo a week after upsetting Iowa State. The Jayhawks are 3-6 this season but play up to their competition, putting together great performances against ranked opponents. For the Cougars, the Jayhawks are not a team to take lightly and become complacent around.
Over the past three games, the Jayhawks have looked like the dominant team from last season with quarterback Jalon Daniels shining. Previously, Daniels was someone who many analysts thought could be benched, but has now returned to his form. The quarterback has recorded nine total touchdowns, one interception, and a quarterback rating of 86.7 over his last three starts.
Turning the page to the Kansas game for BYU:
They terrify me. In their last 3 games, KU is playing at a level similar to when they were ranked last season.
QB Jalon Daniels is the #1 graded Big 12 per PFF the last 2 weeks.
BYU needs to guard themselves vs a letdown. pic.twitter.com/hCB3qFqnaN
— Nick Lee 🇺🇸 (@NickLee51) November 12, 2024
Kansas was a team I thought would be a CFP dark horse this year and they struggled mightily first couple months. But they’re playing more like the team I envisioned them being right now…
Scary game for BYU.
— Corbin K. Smith (@CorbinSmithNFL) November 12, 2024
Daniels is an effective dual-threat quarterback and has been one of the premier quarterbacks in college football the past few weeks. Daniels has also had his fair share of struggles, including a game-sealing fumble against Kansas State. The Jayhawks record might not reflect a strong team with a very capable quarterback, but Kansas is no joke currently with how Daniels has performed.
This past weekend, the Jayhawks upset the #17 Iowa State Cyclones in stunning fashion but putting up 45 points, ten more than the previous highest total on the season for the Cyclones.
How Can the BYU Cougars Stop the Kansas Jayhawks Offense, Quarterback Jalon Daniels?
The BYU Cougars might not be a big favorite on paper, but on the field a path to a big victory is very possible against the Kansas Jayhawks.
If there is one thing the past three weeks have taught the college football world about the Jayhawks, it is that they can score at will at times. If left unchecked, Kansas can seriously run up the score against some of their opponents.
However, that does not mean that the Jayhawks are invincible or unstoppable by any means, as BYU can shutdown the offense with a few key aspects of the game.
First, the BYU Cougars defense must pressure Daniels and utilize a spy otherwise the quarterback will find a way to make a play. Daniels is a creative playmaker and the combination of his speed on the ground and his arm strength makes the quarterback dangerous. When pressured, however, Daniels is a totally different quarterback and often panics in the moment trying to make a big play occur.
The second key is going to involve limiting the big-play offense that the Jayhawks love to utilize this season. Kansas is going to take big shots down the field and aim to utilize plenty of pre-snap motion to create confusion amongst the Cougars’ defense. The BYU staff and players will need to stay strong and avoid falling into the traps that the Jayhawks will aim to set up on offense.
When both Daniels and the offense cannot fully expand the playbook, the Jayhawks look like a different team and often make mistakes. A good example would be the Illinois-Kansas game, where the Fighting Illini limited the Jayhawks offense for the most part. Daniels was sacked once, pressured four times, and had four total turnovers trying to make big plays occur in the 23-17 loss.
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