Kansas turned in one of its best defensive performances last Saturday, coming away with four interceptions, seven sacks, and 12 TFLs. The Jayhawks will look to build on that performance against a complete Kansas State offense.
Defensive coordinator Brian Borland spoke to the media on Wednesday about what he’s seen from the Wildcats, the pass rush game, Cornell Wheeler, and the emerging roles of Taylor Davis and Kaleb Purdy.
Kansas State offense “good at everything”
The Wildcats lead the Big 12 in yards per play at 6.9 and are third in scoring at 33.3 points per game. The league’s second-highest rushing offense relies on a trio of impressive runners in DJ Giddens, Dylan Edwards, and quarterback Avery Johnson.
“I’m really impressed with the quarterback and really the running backs that they have,” Borland said. “So, you know, you have to be able to defend them and not let them get in open spaces because they're all really hard to tackle.”
Kansas State’s offense is not one-dimensional, and Johnson continues to develop as a passer. He threw for 298 yards and three touchdowns against West Virginia while not running the ball once. Borland called Johnson both accurate in the pocket and on the move.
However, the quarterback run will still be part of Johnson’s game and a big point of emphasis for the Kansas defense. Dual-threat QBs have given the Jayhawks trouble all season and the Wildcats might choose to run Johnson more as he heals from an injury suffered two weeks ago against Colorado.
“He still ends up running the ball a bunch because he scrambles around and does stuff,” Borland said. “So whether it's by design or not, you still got to stop him. You know, we'd be foolish not to defend some of the quarterback run plays that they've shown… Whether he does it or not I guess we’ll see, but we should be ready for it if he does.”
JB Brown a major factor in blitz game
Kansas’ sack leader comes from the linebacker position in JB Brown. He has four on the season and had two against the Cougars on Saturday. His skillset aligns with a successful pass rusher, as Borland said he impressed from the defensive end position when they tried him out there last season.
“He's powerful, he's dynamic,” Borland said. “He's just got a knack and he doesn't tiptoe. He just goes and then he can react to things that happen. So I think that's probably as much as anything. He blitzes like you want a guy to blitz. Like when you think about it in your mind, that's what you want to see and that's what he does.”
Overall, the Jayhawks brought a lot more blitzes against Houston than they do traditionally. Borland said there were things within the week that could have led to the increased pressures.
“You realize that some things are working pretty well,” Borland said. “So, you know, I think we always try to be a little bit aggressive and just felt like certain situations we could do it and they struggle a little bit with it, which, which they did.”
Cornell Wheeler gives defense confidence in his return
Kansas got the vocal leader of its defense back, as Wheeler returned after missing two games. His impact on the field was felt by an interception, but Wheeler also adds a ton of leadership as a captain and the Mike linebacker.
“It’s good confidence for our defense to have him back out there,” Borland said. “As much as anything, just maybe for me but I believe our defense, just knowing the guy’s out there and he’s back more or less. I think that’s very helpful.”
Borland said Wheeler hasn’t been limited in practice and is getting back to the state where he’s full go every rep.
Taylor Davis and Kaleb Purdy continuing to see more time
As Wheeler gets back healthy, injury issues remain in Kansas’ secondary. The safeties are especially beat up, with Mason Ellis, Jalen Dye, and Devin Dye all missing the game against Houston.
However, young players Taylor Davis and now Kaleb Purdy have emerged as contributors. Borland called both of them competitive and good athletes.
“Taylor Davis is probably one of the best athletes we have just in the secondary back there,” Borland said. “He just didn't really have the experience doing it, so I think he's got a million reps over the last two, three weeks, so I think that only helps him.”
Purdy has impressed on the mental side of the game. If the two are counted on going forward, Borland feels confident in their abilities.
“He's probably our smartest guys back there, so he knows it and he can communicate it and shoot he corrects me once in a while back there, so, I know he knows what's going on,” Borland said. “And again, that's probably the first real experience that he's had in his career. And I thought he responded well to that. So if that's the nature of things going forward, then, I feel good about those guys out there. I don't feel like we're taking huge steps backwards.”
