Jayhawk Encore? Kansas Football Looks to Spoil No. 7 BYU’s Magical Run

A trip to Utah is in the cards for the Jayhawks. Can they do the unthinkable?

Nov 9, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas Jayhawks coach Lance Leipold leads the team onto the field for the game against the Iowa State Cyclones at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images / William Purnell-Imagn Images

For the Kansas football, history is within reach.

Riding high off their electrifying upset of No. 17 Iowa last week, Kansas is eager to secure back-to-back wins over ranked opponents for the first time in program history.

Standing in their way this Saturday: a trip to Provo, Utah, to take on No. 7 BYU, who boasts an undefeated season and College Football Playoff dreams. The showdown will kick off at 9:15 p.m. CT on ESPN.

The Jayhawks haven’t shied away from ranked opponents in recent years.

Last season, they knocked off No. 6 Oklahoma, and in 2022, they toppled No. 18 Oklahoma State. This week’s matchup with BYU marks the first time the two teams will meet on BYU's turf, and with the stakes higher than ever, Kansas could spoil BYU's unbeaten season and potentially shake up the playoff race.

The Jayhawks lead the all-time series against BYU 2-0, with the most recent victory coming last year in Lawrence, where Kansas handed BYU a 38-27 loss.

Their first meeting took place in 1992, when Kansas edged out BYU 23-20 in the Aloha Bowl in Honolulu. But in Provo, the Jayhawks face a tougher challenge: BYU’s brutal home crowd and a Cougars team that narrowly escaped with a 22-21 victory over Utah last week to keep their perfect record intact at 9-0.

For Kansas, Saturday’s game is about proving that their win over Iowa State wasn’t a fluke.

After a season of ups and downs, the Jayhawks appear to be finding their rhythm, and they’ll need every bit of that momentum to take down BYU on their home turf. Spoiling BYU’s season would be a monumental feat, and it’s getting more and more clear that the Jayhawks have the determination to try.

Will Kansas pull off another upset? It’s anyone’s guess. You can bet they won't go down without a fight, though.

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