February 8, 2025
Kansas Jayhawks vs. Illinois: Five things to know for Friday’s prime-time football game

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The Kansas Jayhawks took care of business on Friday in their season opener against Missouri State.

Despite missing their starting quarterback, Jalon Daniels, and defensive coordinator Brian Borland, the Jayhawks defeated Missouri State 48–17.

Backup quarterback Jason Bean was 22 of 28 for 276 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. And four KU running backs – Devin Neal, Daniel Hisshaw, Sevian Morrison and Dylan McDuffie – scored touchdowns.

“I think (my start) went pretty well,” Bean said. “I felt like we had a good week of preparation. I feel like we’ve taken it aggressively at all levels. The offensive line played really well, the running backs ran the ball really well and the receivers ran their routes well. I think it was a good game overall as a whole offense.”

Now the Jayhawks are preparing for a more formidable opponent in Illinois. Not an FCS school like the Illinois Bears; But a member of the Big Ten.

Illinois came to Lawrence on Friday after earning a 30-28 win over Toledo. The Illini are projected to finish fourth in the Big Ten West and should give the Jayhawks their first real test.

Description

launch: Friday, September 8 at 6:30 PM

Where: David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, Lawrence

TV: ESPN2

radio: Jayhawk Radio Network; WHB (810) plus Sirius (106/199), SXM app (953) in Kansas City.

Initial Betting Line: Kansas is a 3.5-point favorite.

five things to know

1. Both KU and Illinois got off to strong starts last season. The Illini won seven of their first eight and were ranked No. 14 in the AP Poll. Unlike the Jayhawks, Illinois finished in the top half (second) of their division, with a record above .500 of 8–5. Both the teams know the importance of starting the season strong.

2. Defense has been the Illini’s calling card, but… Illinois is ranked No. 1 overall in defense and allowed only 12.8 points per game last season. But former defensive coordinator Ryan Walters is now the head coach at Purdue and lockdown cornerback Devon Witherspoon went 5th overall in the NFL Draft. It remains to be seen what kind of defense this team will have in 2023.

3. Don’t overlook the Illini because they almost lost to Toledo. The Rockets (9-5, 5-3 MAC) won the MAC West last season, so this wasn’t your typical cupcake first week matchup. Toledo quarterback Dequan Finn threw for more than 2,600 yards and ran for 600 more during the 2022 season — and didn’t miss a play in his team’s 2023 opener.

4. Kansas and Illinois have a history. These teams have played five times, with KU winning the first meeting in 1892, 26–4. The Illini then won their next three games. The teams’ most recent meeting took place in 1968: KU won 47–7. The schools announced a home-and-home series in January so they would play again in 2024 in Champaign, Illinois.

5. KU’s defense could put on a rise against Illini QB Luke Altmaier. Throughout the offseason, Jayhawks’ defensive coordinator Brian Borland and his players praised the improved appearance of KU’s defense. Limiting dual-threat QB Altmaier on the ground and through the air would validate his valuation. Altmaier isn’t the best QB Kansas will face this season, but he is a capable signal-caller and thus should provide the Jayhawks with a good measuring stick.

Source: www.bing.com

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