Wednesday Walkthrough: Kansas State Week

The final week of the regular season is here, so we're listening in on what Lance Leipold had to say ahead of the Sunflower Showdown

In a year that's been full of historically important weeks and moments, this is maybe the biggest such week yet for the Kansas Jayhawks. They have a chance to knock off their in-state rivals for the first time since the Prince of Darkness reigned in Manhattan, simultaneously giving the Jayhawks a chance to keep the Kansas State Wildcats out of the Big 12 Championship Game.

But for as big as the game itself is, on a grand scale it pales in comparison to the importance of KU reportedly agreeing to a contract extension with Lance Leipold, keeping the architect of the program's turnaround in Lawrence for the long-term future. It's hard to quantify just how vital that is for the Jayhawks' continued growth, but a good way to start doing so would be to ride this wave of positive momentum into a strong Sunflower Showdown performance on Saturday.

Leipold is a National Coach of the Year candidate after leading Kansas to bowl eligibility for the first time since 2008. The new deal, combined with $300 million in facility investments announced in Oct., are signs of Kansas' substantial commitment to football moving forward.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 23, 2022

LISTENING IN ON LANCE

"Right now, he went through everything again today ... Jason practiced as well, so it's the first time I think they both really, fully practiced in a while."

In response to a question about how quarterback Jalon Daniels responded physically to his return to the lineup against Texas, Leipold indicated that he was able to go through normal practice procedures to start the week, while the staff will continue monitoring his progress as the week goes on. He also mentioned that Daniels didn't want to leave the loss to Texas early as he knew there was still some rust he had to knock off.

It's also important to note that quarterback Jason Bean was able to participate fully in practice, too, after he missed some practice time last week.

"There were some big numbers between missed tackles, yards after contact, bad angles and some things that really accounted for a major, major chunk of their total yardage for the day."

There's no hiding how bad the Kansas run defense was in the loss to Texas this past Saturday. Leipold even said it's not good to allow a career day to a running back like Bijan Robinson who's had plenty of huge games in his career. But, Leipold said that in practice the team has addressed their run-game deficiencies and that the defense has taken the need to improve to heart. That will be important against Kansas State this week, a team that's got another All-American caliber running back.

"Coach Klieman and his staff have done an outstanding job. They have an excellent football team, they have a lot to play for and they've earned that right. And they've got a lot of weapons, one of the best defenses in the country. So, it's going to be a big task to go in there."

Leipold has been highly complimentary of K-State coach Chris Klieman and the way his program has been run, so it's not a surprise that he offered plenty of compliments for the Wildcats this week (then again, Leipold regularly praises all of the Jayhawks' oppnents). He does have a point, though; K-State still has a legitimate chance to play for a conference title and has put together a strong, well-rounded 2022 campaign. That program is 12th in the latest College Football Playoff rankings for a reason.

"Probably some recruiting aspects to it, it's us playing well and showing the way that we're taking steps. You look again at how well they've played all year and what they've done, it'll be a chance to knock off another ranked opponent."

This line was spoken in a typically subdued Leipold tone, but it's clear that a Sunflower Showdown win would be a massive boon for a still developing Kansas program. It would end 13 years worth of bragging rights-related agony and would add an exclamation point to a regular season that's ended with far less fanfare than it began with.

KNOW YOUR ENEMY

Where: Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan, Kansas

When: Saturday, Nov. 26 at 7:00 p.m. CT

Spread: Kansas +11.5

Obviously, history in this matchup is on the side of the purple team. K-State has dominated KU head to head for over a decade, with just two of the 13 games during the Jayhawks' losing skid in the rivalry being decided by one score. 

The Wildcats are starting Will Howard at quarterback due to an injury to former starter Adrian Martinez, but similarly to how Bean has played for the Jayhawks, Howard hasn't looked like a reserve since he started getting regular playing time. Still, though, while Howard has increased the explosiveness of the K-State passing game, that unit is still led by running back Deuce Vaughn, one of the premiere players at his position nationwide. Last week, KU had to deal with the physicality and unique athleticism of Robinson. Now, it will have to manage the elusiveness and multifaceted threat Vaughn poses.

Leipold was complimentary of K-State's defense during his press conference on Monday and you can understand why. The Wildcats are second in the Big 12 in scoring defense and total defense, and they rank 18th in defense in the latest SP+ numbers from Bill Connelly of ESPN. K-State is 11th overall in SP+ this week.

KANSAS @ KANSAS STATE pic.twitter.com/8t6nJnPzFS

— parker fleming (@statsowar) November 22, 2022

JAYHAWK TO WATCH

It's going to take a group effort from the Jayhawks to come away with an upset victory this weekend, but we'll focus on the defensive side of the ball. We know Vaughn is going to be dangerous, but K-State has gotten a lot of production from a handful of pass catchers recently, too.

Craig Young has been tremendous for the balance of this season, both playing a more traditional linebacker role and dropping into coverage both in the slot and even occasionally on the boundary. In a contest that could see numerous Wildcats ushered into the spotlight, from running backs to wide receivers to tight ends, look for arguably the Jayhawks' most versatile defensive player to take on an even bigger role than normal.

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