Wednesday Walkthrough: West Virginia Week
After a Week 1 demolition of Tennessee Tech, there's plenty of momentum behind the Kansas Jayhawks as their Big 12 opener looms in Week 2. That includes a trip to Morgantown, West Virginia and a date with the Mountaineers this weekend, a team that KU hasn't knocked off since a surprising 2013 upset.
But this is a different, more talented, overall better Kansas roster than has taken the field in any season over the past decade. A strong showing against a conference foe could go a long way toward proving these Jayhawks are a legitimately formidable program this year and not just a preseason hype merchant.
LISTENING IN ON LANCE
"It's very humbling and appreciated. Travis Goff and chancellor Girod, they've seen some of the progress we've made in the program as a staff ... To announce it before we kicked off is good because it ends a little bit of speculation that some of you all may have and things like that, and we get to go back and do what we need to do."
Last week, coach Lance Leipold and KU agreed to a one-year contract extension, which keeps him with the program through 2027. He addressed the extension on Tuesday, both his appreciation and the "casual conversations" which led to the deal.
"In true coaching fashion, we saw plenty of things that have to improve, and those are being addressed already and we will continue to do that."
Leipold was complimentary this week about the way the Jayhawks performed overall in the opener, being relatively polite toward Tennessee Tech as he described the way KU emphatically handled its business. However, while he didn't divulge anything in particular (the end of his answer was even interrupted by a rogue phone call), he also indicated that the next step toward cleaning up miscues from Week 1 is already underway.
"Do you want to go on the road Week 2 to a conference game? ... That's not ideal, but we have to do it and we'll handle it and then we've just got to find a way to go out and play well."
KU has a big swing between Weeks 1 and 2 in terms of level of competition, going from a lesser FCS program to a conference opponent on the road. Leipold said that while facing West Virginia this week isn't an ideal situation, he does prefer playing a Big 12 opponent at this point to having a bye this early in the year.
"They find a way to keep you off balance, they're going to take their shots downfield, they're going to get the ball out to the perimeter, and now they've got a couple backs but one big, physical back that was able to hit some creases as well, so you've got to be able to defend the whole field."
Defensively, Kansas was excellent against Tennessee Tech, but West Virginia poses a far different kind of challenge. Leipold was asked specifically about what sort of challenge the KU front seven will face this Saturday, but took the time to say the whole defense needs to tackle well and rally to the ball against the Mountaineers.
KNOW YOUR ENEMY
When: Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. CT
Where: Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, West Virginia
Spread: West Virginia -13.5
West Virginia opened the 2022 season with a valiant albeit fruitless showing against its archrival, Pitt, in the renewal of the Backyard Brawl. Coach Neal Brown's Mountaineers even led 17-10 early in the third quarter before the Panthers scored 28 of the game's final 42 points. It was a crushing blow for WVU, one which included some controversial coaching decisions.
The season opener was also the West Virginia debut for J.T. Daniels, the well-traveled former elite quarterback recruit who's looking for a fresh start after losing the starting job at Georgia last season (and at USC before that).
WVU's defense flashed plenty of potential and physicality up front last Thursday as well, which included tallying three sacks and eight tackles for loss.
In Bill Connelly's latest S&P+ rankings update at ESPN, West Virginia checks in at 62nd in the nation.
JAYHAWK TO WATCH
Defensive end Lonnie Phelps is the easy choice this week as he looks to follow up a sensational KU debut last Friday night.
Phelps was utterly dominant against Tennessee Tech, recording seven tackles, four tackles for loss and three sacks in his first game since transferring from Miami (Ohio). That was enough to earn him Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors, the first Jayhawk to get that recognition since Joe Dineen in 2018.
Now, the question is if he can repeat that performance, or anything close to it, against far superior competition than what the Golden Eagles presented. If he can, Phelps could be one of this weekend's biggest game-changing pieces.
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