Three Keys for the Kansas Jayhawks Against the BYU Cougars

Here is what we need to see from the Jayhawks in their Big 12 opener against one of the new conference members

Normally, conference play brings familiar locations and opponents that you know pretty well. But this year, the Kansas Jayhawks open conference play with a brand new foe: the BYU Cougars.

But even though the team is unfamiliar, what Kansas needs to do to be successful is not. So here are my top three keys to Saturday's game in David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.

Hold on to the ball.

Kansas has a fumbling problem. Last season, they had some insane luck and were able to jump on a large number of them, but not so much this year. And those fumbles have killed some really big drives.

The BYU defense has made their living on turnovers, and the offense has helped out by holding onto the ball themselves. They have a +5 turnover margin in just three games. The Jayhawks have been able to have success despite not winning the turnover margin, but this BYU team is talented enough to make them pay if they continue that trend.

Push the Run

This one doesn't seem like it is a stretch at all, but BYU allows less than 100 yards per game rushing to their opponents. The running game is such an important part of the Kansas offense, and getting that going will make it even easier for Kansas to push their advantage in the passing game. The big question here is if the BYU defense is really that good against the run or if they just haven't played a team with the type of rushing game that Kansas has.   .

Pressure

The Cougars haven't really handled pressure well this season, as both Sam Houston and Arkansas were able to disrupt the BYU offense in their own way. Apply enough pressure early, and it won't matter how well they adjust to it later. Bring it in different ways and it will lead to some big mistakes. Get enough of those and this one gets put away early.

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