Sports

Lance Leipold on Kansas’ rapid rise from boxing football to Big 12 contender


Via Bryan Fischer
FOX Sports College Football Writer

During his 16 seasons as head coach, Lance Leipold rarely knows a time when he wasn’t busy doing this or worrying about that.

However, this week, the guy in charge Kansas football is “the good kind of busyness”, as the No. 19 Jayhawks are having their best start since 2009 and are set to host No. 17 TCU (Noon ET Saturday on FS1 and the FOX Sports app) for a game that can, rather, have Big 12 Meaningful championship game down the road.

The school is not uncommon to hear its name mentioned in headline discussions, but that is often associated with a much more prominent basketball program. Although the calendar has moved to October, the chatter among KU’s fanbase has not yet reached its final stages – even as preparations are made to hang another banner at Allen Fieldhouse next month.

No, the story surrounding Lawrence is certainly about what is happening with a team that has been picked to die last in the preseason conference standings in a decade of running. Against the Horned Frogs, David Booth Memorial Stadium will sell out for the third consecutive game, the first time that has happened in 14 years.

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Even on a weekend with the appearance of the famous Red River Cavalry between Texas and Oklahomaand the reason for Jimbo Fisher and Nick Saban’s eternal feud is that the Sunflower State is somehow playing host to one of three ranked versus ranked matches in the sport. .

The college football world is marveling at the Rock Chalk revival of epic proportions, occurring in just Leipold’s sophomore year after arriving from Buffalo.

“This was probably the most unexpected thing,” Leipold, 58, told FOX Sports of his team’s 5-0 start and top 25 ranking. “At the same time, we have to make sure we’re in the moment of daily and weekly preparation, and routine has gotten us to this point. We have to make sure we stay true to it. and went on. And I think our players had it.”

Leipold definitely has an ally in his subordinates Jalon Daniels, his general for this campaign, who ranks seventh in effectiveness over FBS. The double-threat midfielder is one of only 11 signal callers with double-digit touchdown passes and fewer than two interceptions, plus he ranks in the top 30 in the nation for rush touchdowns and measure each execution.

However, amid the bright lights and growing attention, Daniels is giving his best and looking forward to each challenge taking place on Saturdays.

“If you’re trying to enjoy it right now, you’re not really focusing on what else could happen,” Daniels said earlier this week. “You’re not necessarily focusing on the future, you’re focusing more on the past. Focusing on the past isn’t what I’m really interested in. I like to focus on the present, stay on my feet. and keep striving.”

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The Southern California native introduced himself to most of the country last year by producing a memorable 57-56 overtime loss to Texas, but took his game – and Kansas’ – to the next level. another in 2022. For the first time since Todd Reesing left campus in 2009, there’s even a little buzz about the Heisman Trophy around the position at KU.

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Leipold said: “Jalon is an outstanding young man and how he did it. “He’s been a huge part of our success. It’s hard to say where we would be without him.

Daniels’ development underscores the rebuilding effort taking place on what was once one of the worst Power 5 teams of the past decade. He arrived at school as a little-known three-star player in Les Miles’ only full recruiting class, a late change from Middle Tennessee State. The teenager has started six of the Jayhawks’ nine games during the 2020 pandemic season, but agreed to wear the red shirt last season after an arm problem in camp left him behind North Texas transfer Jason the bean, the bean in the order of QB surgery.

That’s the plan at least. As the Kansas players – some in their eighth coaching positions in three different modes – can tell you, plans change.

Bean was injured last November in a match against Kansas Stateand backup Miles Kendrick went down just two seconds later. That forced Daniels to return to the field ahead of time, with the midfielder enthusiastically blasting the red shirt proposal following the win over the Longhorns a week later.

The Jayhawks haven’t been that way since. The signal caller, who previously failed to win in six center starts, has now guided the team to six wins in their last eight and is threatening to end a five-year drought. 2008.

Both Daniels and his head coach put a lot of credit on letting an employee know what victory is like, even if the feeling was only fleeting in Lawrence’s lap. Most coaches have been with Leipold from his championship teams at the Wisconsin-Whitewater Division III champions.

Quarterbacks coach Jim Zebrowski is on his third tour under the head coach and has guided a number of players to win all-round titles. Veteran trainer Scott Fuchs led a remarkable change in the trenches, as the Jayhawks made their way from the dead last through FBS in permissioned sacks before he arrived to give up just two who is so far in 2022. Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki has been on the team for a decade and receives rave reviews from others for his plan that incorporates the full options concepts of RPO and a good old fashioned downhill running game.

On the other side of the ball, coordinator Brian Borland has overseen a defense that has dropped 42.2 points per game to just 24 points per game this season.

The staff have also been strategic about using the transfer portal to strengthen needed positions and identify the exact right positions to add to a roster that is often under-talented before they take over. Defense is over Lonnie Phelpsfor example, coming from Miami (OH) and ranked sixth nationally with five sacks.

Then there’s the unannounced guard Dominick Puni, a transfer from Division II Central Missouri, who became one of the team’s best-performing members. If Kansas continues to roll over the grid to a bowl game or beyond, the forebear could well be celebrated around Lawrence as the second-best frontiersman in Warrensburg (a century or so after). a certain Phog Allen performs the same action).

“You know, there are times on each side of the ball where you can see this team playing better. I said to my wife, ‘We’re better, but I don’t know how much better,'” Leipold said. “Everybody has the opportunity to improve their two depths with the portal. But with that said, when you’re improving, you don’t know how much the competition is getting better.

“The improvements we’ve made, as much as we had with our first group, is that we play with a lot of kids and the fact that we drop out from the first unit down to the second. It’s not necessarily for a young freshman anymore. That’s what has really helped us make the strides that we have.”

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We’ll see how far they’ve come on that front against the TCU outfit under new coach Sonny Dykes rolling into town just rolling out a message to 55-24 dismantling Oklahoma. The Horned Frogs are averaging 8.33 yards nationally per play if fouled, and they’ve made as many passes as they can to finish into their end zone.

This will be the toughest test ahead for Daniels, Leipold and the rest of the Jayhawks. That’s why the team has been steadfastly focused on getting the pitch ready this weekend, with a lot of extra work going on despite all the noise pouring in on Lawrence ahead of a game. Big 12 matches are especially meaningful.

For the first time in a long time in Kansas, they’re busy at the heart of the football season, remembering it’s sweet that it’s also the kind of busy time that’s good this time of year.

Read more:

– What we’re watching in Michigan-Indiana and other games this week

– Can Kansas, UCLA or Tennessee be undefeated?

– Red River Showdown: The Storyline to Watch in Oklahoma-Texas

– Inside the magic touch of Steve Sarkisian develops QBs

– Michigan-Indiana, Oklahoma-Texas: CFB Week 6 by the numbers

– Big Noon Kickoff: Everything you need to know about Michigan-Indiana

– When elite teams reveal flaws, opportunities appear for Ohio State, USC, others

Bryan Fischer is a college football writer for FOX Sports. He’s been pursuing college athletics for nearly two decades at outlets like NBC Sports, CBS Sports, Yahoo! Sports and NFL.com among others. Follow him on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.


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