The 10th-ranked Texas Tech football team is a two-touchdown favorite over Kansas as the Red Raiders prepare to host the Jayhawks for homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 11.
Tech (5-0, 2-0 in the Big 12) and Kansas (4-2, 2-1) kick off at 6:30 p.m. at Jones AT&T Stadium. The Red Raiders have won four in a row in the series and 23 of 25 all-time.
For insight into the Jayhawks, we visited with Jordan Guskey, who covers Kansas football for The Topeka Capital-Journal.
Previewing Texas Tech football vs. Kansas
Question: Kansas’ Devin Neal and Texas Tech’s Tahj Brooks each set their school’s career rushing record last year, then were chosen nine picks apart in the NFL draft. How is the Jayhawks’ run game faring in Neal’s absence, and how does it look different?
Jordan Guskey: It feels as if there’s another level to this running game that Kansas can unlock. It’s not quite as much of a standout part of the offense as it was a year ago, when Devin Neal led the way.
But part of that has to do with how well quarterback Jalon Daniels is throwing the ball, and the fact that the running back position has had to deal with injuries to date this season. The running game can be better, but as valuable an addition as Iowa transfer Leshon Williams has been, it doesn’t help that Daniel Hishaw Jr. has missed the past two games, and it’s unclear when he’ll be back.
Q: In an age in which so many players transfer, Jalon Daniels is in his sixth year at Kansas. He needs only three touchdown passes to break his single-season career high of 18. How do you think he’ll be remembered?
Guskey: Daniels will be remembered as one of the faces of the rebuild coach Lance Leipold has led since taking over ahead of the 2021 season. When Daniels moves on and takes the next step, this program will be in a better place than he found it, and he’ll be a key reason why.
There’s no denying that Daniels has had to deal with injuries during his tenure, and people will wonder what might have been possible for certain Kansas teams had he been able to stay healthy. But even with those hurdles that he’s had to overcome, and the team’s had to overcome, there’s been a level of success during his time in Lawrence that the program hadn’t enjoyed in years, and he’s a significant part of that.
Q: Emmanuel Henderson Jr. has certainly gotten the Big 12’s attention as a big-play receiver. Surprising, given that he had 5 career catches the previous three years, or not so surprising considering he transferred in from Alabama?
Guskey: Emmanuel Henderson Jr. came into the season with so much hype, at least locally, that it’s not necessarily that much of a surprise that he’s been so productive. Of course, coming from Alabama and having the standing he did coming out of high school played into that to a degree, but a lot of that attention around him also came from how he proved himself during the offseason.
Kansas needed an influx of talent at the wide receiver position after the 2024 season, and that meant there were catches and yards up for grabs. Henderson has capitalized on his opportunity and has been a factor in the return game as well.
Q: Against its two best opponents so far, Kansas gave up right around 600 yards each to Missouri and Cincinnati and couldn’t hold leads. What are the main things the Jayhawks need to fix?
Guskey: The main thing that Kansas needed to fix coming out of those matchups was finishing games, and it was able to do that this past weekend against UCF. The Jayhawks didn’t just get one defensive stop late in the fourth quarter, which it couldn’t get in the loss against Cincinnati the week before, but two defensive stops to secure a win in a one-score game.
Now, the question is, can KU sustain that kind of effort moving forward if more one-score games occur? Even with that win against UCF, Kansas is only 2-6 in one-score games dating back to the 2024 season.
Q: This has no bearing on Saturday’s game, but what are the coolest features of the new-look David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium?
Guskey: My favorite part of the new stadium is the structure of the venue, and how it feels as if fans are much more on top of the action. When it’s a high-profile moment in a game, it feels more intense watching a play unfold in that respect.
That’s why it’s intriguing to think about what the stadium will look like when the second phase of the Gateway District project is completed. The stadium isn’t even finished yet.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football preview: 5 questions with Kansas football writer Jordan Guskey
Reporting by Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
