Kansas Jayhawks Offensive Players to Watch vs. Texas Tech
The Texas Tech Red Raiders have had an up and down season in their first year under coach Joey McGuire, entering Saturday's matchup against the Kansas Jayhawks with a 4-5 record.
In their matchup against last season, the Red Raiders made light work of the Jayhawks as they cruised to an easy 41-14 blowout victory. They outgained Kansas 438 yards to 273, having no trouble shutting down the offense.
However, the Jayhawks offense is a different beast this season and will be much harder to slow down. The Jayhawks currently boast one of the best offenses in college football, averaging 37.9 points per game on 435.7 yards of total offense.
Here at RedRaiderReview.com, we will be offering an in-depth look at the Jayhawks ahead of Texas Tech's matchup with them on Saturday.
Today, we look at three offensive playmakers that could make life difficult for Texas Tech's defense come Saturday.
QB Jason Bean
When quarterback Jalon Daniels went down with an injury against TCU, there was some worry that the offense would take a step back with Jason Bean running the show. However, that was far from the case, as the offense has not skipped a beat with Bean at quarterback.
This season Bean has thrown for 986 yards and 11 touchdowns with only three interceptions, completing 66 percent of his passes. As well, he's rushed for 212 yards and three touchdowns, showcasing an ability to hurt you both through the air and with his legs.
RB Devin Neal
In their loss to the Red Raiders last season, Jayhawks running back Devin Neal could not get anything going for Kansas on the ground. The Red Raider defense stiffled the back throughout the game, holding Neal to a mere 54 rushing yards on 13 carries for a miniscule 3.6 yards per rush.
If they want any hope of winning this game, the Red Raiders must slow down Neal once again. He's rushed for 761 yards and seven touchdowns, and is averaging an impressive 6.4 yards per carry. In the Jayhawks upset win over Oklahoma State on Saturday, Neal rushed for 224 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries.
WR Luke Grimm
Much like Neal, receiver Luke Grimm was slowed down considerably in the Jayhawks' loss to Texas Tech last season. While he did record a touchdown in the loss, he only managed to bring in three receptions for 33 yards in what was an otherwise quiet day for the receiver.
Grimm doesn't lead the team in receiving yards or touchdowns this season, with only 365 yards and three touchdowns respectively, but he does lead the team in receptions at 33. If he and Bean can get a connection going quickly, it will help keep the Red Raiders defense honest and open up the rest of the playbook for the offense.
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Connor Zimmerlee is a writer and reporter for the FanNation network. Zimmerlee received his Bachelor's of Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and graduated from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism with a Master's of Science in Journalism with a Specialization in Sports Media.