Q&A: Get To Know The Kansas Jayhawks

The Cowboys head back out on the road after the bye week and face a reeling KU Jayhawk football team. While the Big 12’s perennial cellar dweller, KU has an improved defense and some playmakers on defense that could pose a serious challenge if the Cowboys hit the snooze button on Saturday morning before the 11 a.m. kickoff.

We get caught up with Topeka Capital Journal writer Matt Galloway who had some great insights on the Jayhawk football team he covers.

1. The Jayhawks have been playing well at home, coming close to some signature wins that would really kick-start the rebuild. What are your thoughts midway through year two of the David Beaty era?

Obviously, the 1-5 record — with the sole victory coming against Rhode Island, maybe the worst FCS-level team in the country — is nothing to be proud of. But Beaty inherited a mess from Charlie Weis.

Recruiting has been on an uptick, particularly in areas like Texas and Louisiana. The team’s defense and special teams are respectable after a disastrous 2015 for both units. They’re really going to regret not ending up on the winning side of that one-point game against TCU two weeks ago, but I still think the program is at a place where wins and losses don’t really matter … yet.

Once Beaty’s foundation has been set and the Jayhawks start playing more competitive games, then his coaching decisions can be more properly analyzed. That is, assuming those two things ever happen.

2. At the quarterback position, Ryan Willis looks to still have the job while Coach Beaty says that competition is “always open.” Can you talk a little about his progression at quarterback and the differences in the offense when he or Montell Cozart are under center?

Truthfully, I’m not sure who will play quarterback for KU against the Cowboys. Willis has committed seven turnovers in his last seven quarters of play. Montell Cozart, who started the team’s first four games, was inaccurate and really unraveled under pass rush.

Carter Stanley has played well in mop-up duty but is a redshirt freshman and far from a finished product. Beaty admitted Tuesday that none of the quarterbacks are where he would like them to be six games into his second season.

3. While he’s struggled some the last couple of games, Ryan Willis has made some really nice throws this season and the trio of backs in Kinner, Martin and Herbert have shown some promise. What are the keys for the Jayhawk offense to really get going?

The biggest key for the KU offense is to just stop shooting itself in the foot. The offense has committed an FBS-worst 22 turnovers, which has put its improved defense in a bind. The running game has been a low-key disappointment, averaging 94.8 yards per game (123rd in the nation) and 2.83 yards per carry.

If the running game can do anything and the team can stop turning it over at a breakneck pace, the Jayhawks might have a shot Saturday as they did against TCU.

4. The KU defense has been playing aggressively a lot this year, being almost top five in the country in tackles for loss. Would you say the Dorance Armstrong-led front seven and stopping the run is the strength of the defense?

Stopping the run is a strength … at times. Tackling has been an issue for the Jayhawks at other points, as seen in Seth Russell’s fourth-down touchdown run early in KU’s 49-7 loss last week at Baylor. That was a poor game for the Jayhawks in terms of tackles-for-loss, too.

I’d say just getting penetration, putting pressure on the quarterback and playing fundamentally sound under defensive coordinator and former interim coach Clint Bowen are the unit’s biggest strengths so far. It’s amazing how far the defense has come after being far and away one of the worst in the country last year.

5. LaQuvionte Gonzalez and Steven Sims, Jr. seem like a really talented pair of receivers that can be dangerous if given space and Dorance Armstrong and Cameron Rosser are producing a lot on the defensive side. Who on this Jayhawk team do you see having NFL-type potential?

Armstrong is probably the team’s best NFL prospect. He showed flashes last season, but he really worked on his conditioning in the offseason and looks the part already as a sophomore.

Sims is a legit talent. Interestingly, offensive lineman and Alabama transfer Charles Baldwin is a load the coaching staff raves about, but he is sitting this season out. He’s a former five-star prospect at Rivals.com and could make a big impact next year.

6. Fish Smithson is one of the best safeties in the conference and Steven Sims has been on a tear this season out wide. Who are some players on this KU team that will impact the game that Cowboy fans might not have heard of but need to keep an eye out for on Saturday?

The Jayhawk defensive line has been one of the sharpest units this season after a disappointing 2015. ProFootballFocus.com has actually graded defensive tackle Daniel Wise and defensive end Armstrong among the best in the nation at those positions at various points this year.

Linebacker might be KU’s deepest positions, as the unit hasn’t really missed a beat since the Week 3 injury of junior captain Joe Dineen (who Beaty said likely won’t play against the Cowboys).

Freshman safety Mike Lee should be a senior in high school right now but instead lead KU in tackles last week.
While KU is 110th in total points allowed per game (35.7), that’s mostly been due to the turnovers. The Jayhawk defense is legit.

7. While expansion appears to be on hold for the time being, what seems to be the general consensus for the Jayhawk nation as far as preference to expand/who they would add?

I can’t claim to speak for KU fans, but my unscientific browsing of social media and message boards seemed to put Houston, Cincinnati and BYU at the top of the list. Houston and Cincinnati would add large markets, while BYU is a national brand. All three pose problems though, which is ultimately why I think we saw the conference shelve the whole debate.

As an aside, if KU fans could pick any two programs to join the Big 12 — and were being truthful about it — I think old rivals Missouri and Nebraska would top the list.