KU Jayhawks football vs. Texas: Prediction, kickoff time, TV info for senior day
Lance Leipold is eager to recognize the dozen University of Kansas football players who plan on participating in the senior day ceremonies before Saturday’s KU-Texas football game at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.
The Jayhawks expected to make their final home appearances in the Big 12 battle are: Jelani Arnold, Jason Bean, Earl Bostick Jr., Sam Burt, Zion DeBose, Malcolm Lee, Caleb Sampson, Eddie Wilson, Lorenzo McCaskill, Monte McGary, Mac Copeland and Spencer Roe.
“I’ll forever be grateful for them, for their efforts, their work, their attitude,” second-year KU coach Leipold said Monday at a news conference called in advance of Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. kickoff between the Jayhawks (6-4, 3-4) and Longhorns (6-4, 4-3). The game will be shown on FS1.
“You’re mentioning outstanding young men who have been through a lot. We say that often in these (news conferences): to watch their consistent approach and demeanor and attitude and leadership and then their belief in where this program is heading as we went through last season, ... to want to stay and be part of it.”
Leipold expressed his gratitude for those who stuck with the team after a 2-10 campaign in Leipold’s first season in Lawrence. Among the returners from that team, there are several players eligible to return for a super-senior season, meaning they have exhausted four years of eligibility but were at the college level during the COVID-19-altered 2020 season, for which every player was given an additional year to play.
Two of the veterans — Bostick and Burt — are now completing their sixth campaigns and figure to either head to pro football or the business world.
“Earl (Bostick) may go down in a game, but he’s always finding a way to get back in the game, and that’s the way he’s been, and I really appreciate that,” Leipold said of the NFL offensive line prospect who is listed at 6-6, 310 pounds. “And Sam (Burt), there’s a young man who’s married, and to delay the next chapter to play one more year says a lot about him and his loyalty to this football program and university.”
Leipold also mentioned, “Caleb Sampson (super-senior defensive lineman), all those guys, had a lot of thoughts to process (in order) to stick around, and Malcolm Lee (super-senior defensive lineman), some of those guys have been here a while, or before our arrival. It says a lot.”
Burt, a 6-4, 295-pound defensive lineman hails from Abilene, Kansas. He desperately wanted to play for a KU team with a winning record before moving on.
“I think a big reason I wanted to come back was because of these coaches,” Burt said. “Now, I feel good about knowing it’s my time because it’s like, ‘Yes, I’ve left (the program) better than I found it.’”
He has played in 55 career games, most of any active KU player.
“I feel at peace,” Burt said.
Texas leads the all-time series vs. KU, 16-4. KU won the last meeting, 57-56, in overtime in Austin, Texas. That was Steve Sarkisian’s first season as UT coach.
The Longhorns have won eight of the last 10 meetings. However KU has prevailed in two of the last five — and competed in a 50-48 loss in the first year of the Les Miles era. The Longhorns are coming off a 17-10 loss to TCU last Saturday in Austin.
Texas is a 9.5-point favorite.
Prediction: Kansas 38, Texas 31
Last game prediction: Kansas 41, Texas Tech 34 (actual Texas Tech 43, KU 28
2022 record on picks: 6-4.
2022 record vs. spread: 4-6.
