KANSAS

Kansas vs. Arizona State: Jayhawks Got 99 Problems But Blocking Aint One

For all that went wrong for Kansas in September, the O-line has been one of the bright spots so far.

Rich Cirminiello

Sep 10, 2022; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Kansas Jayhawks running back Daniel Hishaw Jr. (20) runs the ball for a touchdown and celebrates with Kansas Jayhawks offensive lineman Bryce Cabeldue (77) during the fourth quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images
Sep 10, 2022; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Kansas Jayhawks running back Daniel Hishaw Jr. (20) runs the ball for a touchdown and celebrates with Kansas Jayhawks offensive lineman Bryce Cabeldue (77) during the fourth quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images / Ben Queen-Imagn Images
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There's no sugarcoating it... Kansas is off to a rocky start. And at 1-4, with the only win coming against the Lindenwood Lions, this week's trip to Arizona State is a must-win for Lance Leipold and the Jayhawks.

If Kansas is to regroup and have a meaningful second half of the season, it'll have to do so around an offensive line that's been the team's best unit through five games. The Jayhawks rank 16th nationally in rushing for reasons that extend beyond talented veteran backs Devin Neal and Daniel Hinshaw Jr.

The best-kept secret in Lawrence is that KU has an outstanding O-line as well, with multiple linemen blocking at an All-Big 12 level.

The 6-6, 315-pound tackle tandem of Bryce Cabeldue and Logan Brown form one of the most underrated bookends in the country. Plus, LG Michael Ford Jr. and C Bryce Foster, a touted Texas A&M import, are excelling on the interior.

Cabeldue is a veteran of 43 career starts, so his start is not a huge surprise. However, Brown's emergence has been one of the brightest of the season so far.

Brown is a former can't-miss Wisconsin recruit who never met expectations in Madison. In last year's KU debut, an injury limited him to two games. Now that he's healthy, though, his feet and his athleticism have jumped off the tape and caught the attention of NFL scouts.

What makes Saturday's game so interesting is the strength-on-strength matchup at the line of scrimmage. Kansas boasts a physical O-line whose chemistry just keeps getting better. But Arizona State and its active back seven is yielding just 2.5 yards per carry and 82 rushing yards per game.

In what figures to be a tight game, whoever controls the line of scrimmage when the Jayhawks have the ball is going to bank an important Big 12 win at Mountain America Stadium

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Rich Cirminiello
RICH CIRMINIELLO

I've been the VP of College Awards for the Maxwell Football Club since 2008. I oversee and manage all aspects of the Maxwell Award (CFB Player of the Year), Bednarik Award (Defensive POY) and Munger Award (CFB Coach of the Year), including creating watch lists, steering the selection committee and choosing players of the week. I appear weekly on SportsGrid TV to discuss college football, both as a guest and a co-host of various live shows. I oversee and manage two additional college awards, outside the purview of the Maxwell Football Club - former Seattle Seahawk RB Shaun Alexander's Freshman of the Year Award & the Buddy Teevens Award, which was created by Peyton Manning, Archie Manning and Omaha Productions in honor of the late Dartmouth coach. I'm contracted out each May by Phil Steele to help edit the magazine and write select articles leading up to the publication of his annual College Football Preview in June.

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