KU Jayhawks football vs. Kansas State: Prediction, kickoff time, TV info

Texas running back Bijan Robinson shredded the Kansas football defense for 243 yards on 25 carries and four touchdowns in the Longhorns’ 55-14 rout of the Jayhawks last Saturday at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.

Now, one week after that onslaught, the (6-5, 3-5 Big 12) Jayhawks face another talented back in Kansas State’s Deuce Vaughn, a 5-foot-6, 175-pound junior from from Round Rock, Texas.

Vaughn, like Robinson, is one of 10 semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award. He has gained 1,148 yards on 220 carries this season and has scored six rushing touchdowns heading into Saturday’s Sunflower Showdown vs. KU (7 p.m., Bill Snyder Family Stadium, to be shown on FOX). Vaughn ranks 14th nationally in scrimmage yards (rushing plus receiving) per game at 128.5.

He’s also caught 38 passes for 266 yards and three more scores for K-State (8-3, 6-2).

“He’s lightning quick and they’re smart enough to know how to use him in a lot of different ways: ... obviously running the ball, but also getting him out in some pass patterns,” said KU defensive coordinator Brian Borland. “(They) find ways to get the ball in his hands with some space because he’s really quick and tough to tackle when in a one-on-one showdown situation.

“Yes he’ll be another handful and we can’t let him get away from us for sure. If we do, then it’s going to be hard to win. If we can bottle him up a little bit, then obviously they’ve got other their good players, but he’s certainly a catalyst for them.”

Vaughn this season became the third player in school history with multiple 1,000-yard seasons (Darren Sproles: 2002, 2003, 2004; Daniel Thomas: 2009, 2010). Vaughn ranks second nationally among running backs with three receiving touchdowns this season, while he is fifth in catches (38) and 14th in receiving yards (266) at the position.

Texas outgained KU 539 yards to 346. The Longhorns had 427 rushing yards on 57 carries.

“Obviously, probably one of the biggest things is our tackling was not what it needed to be, so we missed a bunch of tackles, and they got a bunch of yards after we missed,” Borland added. “That kind of spells defeat.

“We’ve got to keep shoring that up. Obviously, (Texas) had a good running back (and) they made a decision to give him the ball. ... He’s a good player, but yet we probably made him look better than he is sometimes. We had a lot of chances to get a guy on the ground and didn’t do it. So that’s on us, and we’ve got to own that part and just got to keep getting better at it going forward here.”

Of course KU will counter with a talented running back of its own. Sophomore Devin Neal has rushed for 1,002 yards on 155 carries and scored seven rushing touchdowns this season. He has caught 17 passes for 150 yards and one additional TD. Last year, Neal rushed for 707 yards and eight touchdowns.

Kansas State is favored by 12 points.

Prediction: Kansas State 28, Kansas 20

Last game prediction: Kansas 38, Texas 31 (actual Texas 55, KU 14)

2022 record on picks: 6-5

2022 record vs. spread: 4-7