⚡ CFB Dashboard

Kansas and Arizona State will face off at Wembley Stadium in the first-ever Power Four football game played in England. Big Noon Kickoff will be on hand to highlight the Union Jack Classic pregame and the game will be televised on FS1. It's an 11 a.m. CT (5 p.m. local) kick in London as both teams open their conference campaigns.  Let's dive into this week's 2-4-7 heading into the Union Jack Classic. We'll go over some key points for coordinators, players to watch and other thoughts on the game... TWO KEY POINTS FOR THE COORDINATORS (Photo: Getty) Offense: KU has to get Isaiah Marshall into a rhythm early in the game. To me, that starts with the run game. Against Missouri, KU averaged 3.0 yards per play on first down. It put KU behind schedule and there was more pressure on Marshall to make plays — either with his legs or with his arm — on early downs. KU needs to run the ball more successfully on early downs to create unpredictable situations for the Arizona State defense. I thought the play KU ran for Marshall to throw it to Nahzae Cox on a short hitch was a nice idea. It's a throw Marshall should have completed. But can KU find ways to get Marshall in a rhythm early on? In both of Marshall's starts, he has been a little amped up and inaccurate during the first drive or two. Now that he's entering his third start, you'd like to see him a little more settled down early in the game. If KU can run the ball better on early downs and set up some clear throws for Marshall, perhaps we see a more consistent performance. KU needs its quarterback to play better and this is a potential path to it. Defense: KU has to find a way to slow down Arizona State's top two wide receivers. Reed Harris and Omarion Miller are without a doubt two of the best wide receivers in the conference, and they could play at some big-time P2 schools. Harris had a big game against Texas A&M, with some nice deep catches and some tough grabs on shorter routes. Miller is a dangerous player and he can be used on screens or deep shots.  The secondary has been a concern for KU and this is the game where it's going to be tested in a big way. I don't know what has to change or what tweaks KU has to make, but you can't let those two guys go off against you. For starters, KU can't give Cutter Boley time to throw like Austin Simmons had last week. He can tear you up if he has time to throw. Now, Boley had some issues against pressure at Kentucky last season. He averaged a turnover worthy play on roughly 12% of his throws under pressure last season. For some perspective, Jalon Daniels' number was 6% last year. Furthermore, Boley's 12 interceptions were tied for second-most in the SEC a year ago. But, those stats don't matter if KU's defensive backs aren't close to the receivers. KU has to be better in coverage this week.