GAME BREAKDOWN
KEY MATCHUP: In two games, RB Pooka Williams has 283 rushing yards and an 8.8-yard average per carry, so the question going into the Baylor game is whether the true freshman can be just as effective against Big 12 rivals. The Bears could be the weakest league opponent the Jayhawks face. Baylor was shelled in the first half of a Sept. 15 loss to Duke and could not recover. This marks a road test to determine if Kansas is for real, but if Williams gets untracked and the defense remains opportunistic, the Jayhawks have a decent chance at giving fourth-year coach David Beaty his second Big 12 win.
DRAFT SLANT
–S Mike Lee gained a reputation as a fierce tackler soon after arriving at Kansas and playing as a true freshman. Fundamentals, however, have been considered a weakness for Lee, particularly a tendency to be out of position on some plays that opponents bust for big gains. Lee was solid, though, through nonconference play, offering a 39-yard touchdown return of an interception as one of several Kansas defensive highlights in the romp over Rutgers.
ROSTER REPORT
–DT Daniel Wise limped off in the second quarter of the win over Rutgers with an undisclosed injury. The All-Big 12 tackle returned in the second half but was still affected and played sparingly. Wise has been cleared to play in the Sept. 22 game at Baylor.
–QB Miles Kendrick moved into the QB role at the beginning of the second half against Rutgers. Starting QB Peyton Bender did not play in the second half but will draw the start against Baylor. The Jayhawks used four quarterbacks against Rutgers.
–RB Pooka Williams, who sat out the opener and was cleared to play at Central Michigan just hours before the Sept. 8 game, should no longer encounter any eligibility issues, according to Kansas coach David Beaty.
