Liberty Bowl: Kansas Jayhawks focusing on game plan, not new-look Arkansas roster

The Kansas football team has practiced around a dozen times in December for their Liberty Bowl matchup against the Arkansas Razorbacks.

In that time, Arkansas has reportedly had 23 players enter the transfer portal, including five who started at least one game.

The Razorbacks also had several players opt out of the game in preparation for the NFL Draft: linebacker Drew Sanders, wide receiver Jadon Haselwood, center Ricky Stromberg and linebacker Bumper Pool.

The Jayhawks (6-6, 3-5 Big 12) will face new-look Arkansas (6-6, 3-5 SEC) at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee.

Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels isn’t too concerned about the Razorbacks’ high roster turnover affecting KU.

“We don’t know what they are going to come out in,” Daniels said on Monday. “Only thing we can do is focus on what they’ve been doing schematically on film this season. They definitely have the ability to go out this Wednesday and do something different.

“For us, it’s just focusing on our little keys, focus on what we’ve been practicing. If they do come out with something different, be able to have the ability to adjust on the fly.”

The Jayhawks practiced at Memphis’ indoor football practice facility on Monday. Daniels felt the practice went great as the KU offense focused on each play’s minute details and overall intent.

That attention to detail will come in handy against an Arkansas defensive front that is not only big in stature but also athletic.

“They have the ability to create a lot of pressure up there,” Daniels said. “Multiple linebackers come from places. Multiple people in the secondary (come) from places. They do a pretty good job of disguising where these pressures are coming from and they have faith in their corners’ ability to leave them one on one.”

The Jayhawks’ offensive line has only allowed nine sacks all season but will have its hands full against the Razorbacks, who led the SEC in sacks (39).

“Those big guys up front do a good job of protecting us quarterbacks,” Daniels said. “As long as we are able to stay on the same page with the quarterback and center and what protection is going where (we’ll be OK).

“(We have) to communicate with our running backs: who’s going to be the extra hit and knowing who is going to be the extra hit if we don’t have blockers.”

On the offensive side of the ball, Arkansas features a one-two punch of dual-threat quarterback KJ Jefferson and running back Raheim Sanders. The duo combined for 17 touchdowns and 1,936 yards on the ground this season.

“I think their strength is their strength — big, strong,” said KU defensive coordinator Brian Borland on Monday. “Jefferson the quarterback has been sacked a lot, but he’s probably got out of as many attempted sacks. He’s a hard guy to bring down.

“We’ve certainly got to control the line of scrimmage, and (when we have) a chance to get guys on the ground, we better get them on the ground. That’s been easier said than done from what I can see.”

Borland knows Sanders can shift the momentum of games.

”The running back is much of the same (as Jefferson),” Borland said. “He’s a good size guy and he runs well. He’s got a good make-you-miss ability. He runs through a lot of tackles.”

Ultimately, the game could come down to the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.

“In the games that we have (played) really well, we have controlled the line of scrimmage, played physical upfront and tackled well,” Borland said. “In the games that haven’t always gone our way, we have struggled in those areas.”