Memphis @ Kansas preview

Memphis had an easy time in its season opener, holding Missouri State to 125 yards of total offense in a 56-point rout. But the Tigers are going to face a much more powerful offense Saturday when they travel to Lawrence to take on a Kansas squad that had nearly 600 yards of offense last week, but still lost.

The Jayhawks rallied from a 31-7 deficit to nearly pull off the win before falling 41-38 against South Dakota State, and this week should be another high-scoring affair. The Tigers’ offensive output of 519 yards was actually a little misleading since they took a 28-point lead in the first quarter and starting quarterback Paxton Lynch was done for the day before halftime. Memphis has a potent ground attack – as shown by 317 yards in the opener – but Lynch is what makes the team really go, and he’ll have to be at his best to keep up with Kansas’ breakneck pace on offense. Quarterback Montell Cozart passed for 291 yards and rushed for 94 in the opener, showing off his versatility and how dangerous he can be with the ball in his hands.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN3. LINE: Memphis -13.5

ABOUT MEMPHIS (1-0): Memphis' offensive output last week was all the more impressive when you realize that the Tigers were starting a freshman at center in Drew Kyser. Coach Justin Fuente has all the confidence that Kyser is going to continue to be solid despite his lack of collegiate experience. "He's highly intelligent and this is very important to him," Fuente told reporters. "He's a tough, hard-nosed kid and obviously he's not going to be perfect but I think he's got a bright future."

ABOUT KANSAS (0-1): While the Jayhawks were pleased with their offensive output in the opener, the defense had its troubles - especially in the early going. A unit that had a number of new faces on the field recorded 16 missed tackles - or 70 percent of possible tackles made - when the goal is at least 90 percent. “We did not tackle very well at all, and it was a lot of different types of tackles,” Kansas defensive coordinator Clint Bowen told the Lawrence Journal-World. “We didn’t take good angles to the ball-carrier, and when we got to the ball-carrier, we didn’t do a good job of bending out knees and hitting through and finishing tackles off.”

EXTRA POINTS

1. Memphis has dropped 19 straight games to schools who reside in Power 5 Conferences.

2. The Jayhawks ran 91 offensive plays in their opener - 40 passes and 51 rushes.

3. Kansas junior RB Ke'aun Kinner rushed for 157 yards and two touchdowns in his collegiate debut last weekend.

PREDICTION: Memphis 38, Kansas 24