Andy Kotelnicki on the offense's uptick, Jalon Daniels and WVU

After jumpstarting the offense behind quarterback Jalon Daniels, Kansas will aim to close out its 2021 schedule in the win column against West Virginia.

KU fought to the final bell in Forth Worth last week, but came up short on a last-second field goal try from TCU. Assistant Andy Kotelnicki said he’s group’s resilience in the second half was a very reassuring sign.

“It was evident on film,” Kotelnicki said. “I’ve been apart of teams where we haven’t been able to do that. The mentality of the guys hasn’t been that way. So for them to do that, in my mind, is a big step in the right direction that you want to go as a program.”

Building an offense with prolonged endurance appears to be one of Kotelnicki’s main goals.

“We have to be able to do that again, week after week,” Kotelnicki said. “It’s about consistently being able to do that. But to be able to do that a couple of weeks in a row, there are some signs that that’s the right direction and it’s trending that way.”

Since Daniels got the start against Texas, he’s stirred up some new energy with the offense. But Kotelnicki says his athleticism isn’t the only element at play for the sophomore.

“What they’re probably not seeing is he’s starting to become a leader,” Kotelnicki said. “And I’m in the press box, so I don’t see, but all the coaches down there are like ‘Coach man, Jalon’s all over these dudes, getting them going.’”

The pracitce environment has changed as well, with Daniels taking on a more vocal role.

“How he’s handled practices, he’s kind of embraced being the man,” Kotelnicki said. “He’s acting that way, he’s been able to perform that way. That’s what really stuck out to me lately in the last couple weeks. Especially at a young age because that’s challenging.”

Original starter Jason Bean sustained an ankle injury after the matchup with Kansas State, and has since been involved in a different way after Daniels landed the one spot.

“He’s handled really well and professional,” Kotelnicki said. “I’m sure there’s some disappointment and discouragment. He’s still taking a lot of reps at practice and performing at the level we want him to. I think he’s happy for the other guys’ success as they go and he knows you snap your fingers and your role changes.”

Kotelnicki is interested in exploring new ideas as his offense picks up a working knowledge of what's expected on the field.

"They understand the base offense well enough now that they kind of just roll their eyes at, 'Oh, hey, here's Coach K calling that play again,'" Kotelnicki said. "You can continue to stack on some of those creative things because you don't have to invest as much time throughout the week because they have a lot of banked reps at a certain place."

Continuing to integrate new guys into the offense as well, Kotelnicki has placed an increased emphasis on keeping names ready for the opportunity to be plugged in on a dime with little to no warning.

"It's a next-man-up mentality," Kotelnicki said. "Jalon (Daniels) said it best when he was on The Rich Eisen Show, he said 'Ballers are going to ball.' Guys are going to stay ready so they don't have to get ready."

He continued: "We got a good group of guys at a lot of those spots that kind of embodied that and doing it. Sometimes, quite candidly, they'll surprise you when given an opportunity. All they need is an opportunity. And then some guys never look back. Those are definitely stories around college football, and all sports, really."

WVU’s defensive line has faced some injuries throughout the season, forcing different names to switch in and out throughout games. Kotelnicki’s looking for his group’s speed to give Kansas an edge offensively.

“We have to do a good job of 'simplify and execute' so our kids can play fast and come off the ball,” Kotenlicki said. “And try to meet all the stuff they're doing in the box with some good ole fashioned force.”

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