South Dakota State @ Kansas preview

After spending last season as Florida's offensive coordinator, Charlie Weis debuts as the head coach at Kansas. Weis posted a 35-27 record in five mediocre seasons at Notre Dame from 2005-09 after serving as offensive coordinator on the New England Patriots' three Super Bowl-winning teams. He spent 2010 as the Kansas City Chiefs' OC. Weis has his work cut out in Lawrence. Following a successful run under Mark Mangino, Kansas endured two miserable seasons under Turner Gill, going 5-19, including 1-16 in the Big 12. Last year, the Jayhawks were 2-10, losing their final 10 games. They were picked last in this year's Big 12 preseason poll. Weis' biggest challenge may be improving Kansas' porous defense, and he was not known as a defensive genius at Notre Dame. South Dakota State, a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference, is coming off a 5-6 year and was tabbed sixth in the conference's preseason poll.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Jayhawk Television Network Line: None

ABOUT KANSAS (2011 record: 2-10, 0-9 Big 12): Former Notre Dame quarterback Dayne Crist, a fifth-year senior who suffered two serious knee injuries in South Bend, will run the offense with JUCO transfer Turner Baty serving as the backup. Kansas averaged just 167 yards through the air last season. Even worse, however, is that it ranked last in total defense in the FBS, allowing 516 yards and 43.8 points per game. The Jayhawks surrendered 60 or more points in lopsided losses to Georgia Tech (66-24), Oklahoma State (70-28) and Texas A&M (61-7). Kansas' other non-conference games are against Rice (Sept. 8) and Northern Illinois (Sept. 22), so the Jayhawks have a chance to surpass last year's win total even if they struggle mightily in the Big 12.

ABOUT SOUTH DAKOTA STATE (2011 record: 5-6, 44 MVFC): Austin Summer set a MVFC freshman record last season by throwing for 2,382 yards. He broke the previous league mark of 2,369 yards set by Illinois State's Matt Brown in 2009. Three Jackrabbits were named to the MVFC preseason team: senior wide receiver Aaron Rollin, senior tackle Bryan Witzmann and senior defensive back Winston Wright. Rollin led the team last season with 61 receptions for
906 yards and seven TDs.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Kansas' only previous game against South Dakota State came in 1947, when the Jayhawks posted an 86-6 victory in Lawrence. That ranks as Kansas' second-largest margin of victory in school history. The Jayhawks defeated Washington 83-0 in 1923.

2. Kansas junior running back James Sims, the Jayhawks' leading rusher the past two seasons, will serve a school-imposed three-game suspension at the start of the season following a spring DUI arrest.

3. On Nov. 17, South Dakota State closes its regular season against South Dakota in the first meeting between the state rivals since 2003. The schools first met in 1889, when they played to a 6-6 tie.

PREDICTION: Kansas 35, South Dakota State 10