Texas @ Kansas preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 2, 2013 ) Kansas 13, Texas 35

Texas plays its first road game of the season Saturday when it travels to Kansas in the Big 12 Conference opener for both schools. Surprisingly, it's the Jayhawks who enter this one with the better record (2-1) thanks to a 24-10 victory over Central Michigan last week, only the third win over an FBS school in three seasons at Kansas for coach Charlie Weis, who was pleased with the way his team pulled away with two fourth-quarter touchdowns. "This is new territory for our team and hopefully it will carry over going into the Texas game," Weis told reporters.

It has already been a tumultuous first year for Texas coach Charlie Strong, who has suspended four starters - including both starting offensive tackles - and lost three other first-stringers to injury including quarterback David Ash, who decided to quit football because of multiple head injuries. Sophomore Tyrone Swoopes replaced Ash at quarterback and had the crowd howling "Swoooopes" during a 20-17 loss to UCLA two weeks ago when he completed 24-of-34 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns in his second career start. "He has had two games under his belt and he's playing a lot better," said Strong, adding that he plans to open up the playbook more this week.

TIME: 4 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1. LINE: Texas -13.5

ABOUT TEXAS (1-2, 0-0 Big 12): The Longhorns rank tied for 104th in the nation in scoring (20.7) and 98th in rushing (123.7). A big reason for that has been the suspension of starting offensive tackles Desmond Harrison and Kennedy Estelle for unspecified violations of the team's core values, and the loss of starting center Dominic Espinosa for the year with a broken ankle. Running back Malcolm Brown is rated highly by NFL scouts, but has gained just 162 yards in three games, including 69 yards on 14 carries against UCLA.

ABOUT KANSAS (2-1, 0-0): Quarterback Montrell Cozart threw for a career-best 226 yards on 23-of-33 passing against Central Michigan, including two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to secure the win. Tony Pierson had a 74-yard touchdown run just 18 seconds into the game and also leads the Jayhawks with nine receptions for 124 yards. Linebacker Ben Heeney, who compiled more than 200 tackles over the last two seasons, had seven tackles - two for loss - and a forced fumble to lead the defense against the Chippewas.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Texas ranks sixth in the FBS with 13 sacks in three games.

2. Texas leads the series 11-2, with the only losses coming in 1901 and 1938 in Lawrence.

3. Heeney, a preseason All-American and two-time all-Big 12 honoree, is second in the Big 12 in tackles with an average of 11 per game.

PREDICTION: Texas 27, Kansas 14