Halftime Musings: Kansas Jayhawks vs Missouri State Bears

Some thoughts after a half of play for the Jayhawks in their season opener.

Well, that was ... interesting. The Kansas Jayhawks have played one full half of a game in the 2023 season, and there are already some strong opinions to be had. There were actually some positives, but if you are a Kansas fan, I wouldn't blame you for feeling terrible right now.

Let's look at what I noticed that is worrying in that first half:

Interior Offensive Line Play

The Jayhawks had a good offensive line last season.  While they struggled against the bulkier defensive lines in the conference, there was never a worry about being able to scheme a way to success. But so far in this one, the interior of the offensive line is getting no real push at all. 

There were [four] plays in the first half where a running back took the ball into the middle of the line. All four times, the Jayhawks were hit immediately and were held to a very small gain. Missouri State does not have a huge advantage in physicality, so it is concerning.

This is where the transition of Dominick Puni from the interior to the tackle spot might be a bit worrisome. He was an anchor on the interior, and it seems like his replacement isn't quite able to pick up the slack.

Defensive Play Calling.

It was announced before the game that Brian Borland was not with the team due to a family situation. But I don't think that explains why we've seen a lack of creativity in the defensive fronts. The Jayhawks started well, with pressures all over the place in the first two drives.

But after that, the defensive front was the same look play after play. It may be the first year for the Missouri State coaching staff, but I can't imagine any coaching staff would have a problem finding some way to deal with the same looks over and over again.

Offensive Miscues

Jalon Daniels was announced as the starter. He didn't appear at all in the first half. Daniel Hishaw had a couple early runs, but fumbled the ball with minimal contact. This time he wasn't able to fall on it. Jason Bean seemed reserved through the first quarter before opening it up in the second quarter.

But when Kansas did try to run novel looks, they didn't do them right. A Jared Casey direct snap was saved by a Missouri State timeout as he had his knee on the ground when he received it. A direct snap to Devin Neal was sniffed out immediately. Every time the Jayhawks tried to get creative, it didn't work.

Some seem to think that the coaching staff was being secretive with everyone in the locker room when they knew that Daniels wasn't likely to play. I'm not at that point yet, but it is clear that Bean didn't expect to start tonight, and it took him a while to get going. Hopefully now that he's woken up the team can blitz through the second half.

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