Notebook: Bean talks second start, Arnold on Baylor, and more

Kansas and Baylor, two programs listed in the AP Top 25 in previous weeks, are both win-hungry heading into Week 8. After each suffering back-to-back losses, the pair will meet in Waco on Saturday before the Jayhawks head into the bye week.

The KU offense proved effective last week in Norman behind backup Jason Bean. Bean’s thrown for four touchdowns and at least 260 yards in consecutive games since stepping into the pocket after starter Jalon Daniels exited the TCU game with a right shoulder injury on Oct. 8.

Kansas tied last week’s game at 14-14 early on, but never rounded the curve and took a lead vs. the Sooners. When asked about the team’s urgency, Bean - who’s expecting family to be in town for the game - identified play-call confidence as a key factor for the Jayhawks on Tuesday ahead of the road trip.

“Knowing exactly where we’ve got to be, where we’re lining up – I think that’s the main thing for us,” Bean said. “I think one thing that we’ve tried to emphasize this week is continuing to come out fast and play with that intensity early. I’m excited about this week to be able to go back to Texas and Play against a great Baylor team.”

Bean feels the role Daniels plays on the sidelines and the communication between the two after each play is critical to his success.

“I think he’s a great help,” Bean said of Daniels. “He’s the second set of eyes for me, being able to come off the field and talk to him and ask him questions about what he’s seen on the sideline and maybe things that I’m not seeing on the field. I think he’s almost like a second coach.”

Kansas receiver Lawrence Arnold, a redshirt sophomore, racked up a game-high 113 receiving yards against Oklahoma and is growing a reputation as a dependable target.

Facing a strong-eyed Bears defense this week, Arnold talked about what he saw on tape on Tuesday:

“I see guys that can swarm to the ball,” Arnold said. “They're faster and physical. I feel like as far as, with our offense, it’ll be a challenge for them. I feel like we've got to come out, start fast, start off aggressive upfront, and we'll have their game.”

Arnold added that he’s plenty comfortable working with Bean to get the job done.

“Even when Jason wasn't starting, we always took reps (from him),” Arnold said. “He always took reps with the (first-string receivers)... The chemistry has always been there, even like last year when Bean was starting. That chemistry is never left.”

The KU secondary took a hard blow last week when cornerback Cobee Bryant, a sophomore, injured his right ankle heading into halftime.

Already part of the rotation, cornerback Kalon Gervin feels confident in taking on a heavier duty this week in Waco and stepping up for his teammate. Gervin said on Tuesday that he’s talked with Bryant and visited with him after the Oklahoma game.

“It's not like if I hadn't played or I haven't been playing you know,” Gervin said. “It's not a huge change. It might be a slight change in reps as far as that corner. But that's about it.”

Gervin says he’s put in valuable minutes at the corner and the slot so far this season and hopes to dig into his toolkit of experience on Saturday when his number’s called. Gervin contributed three solo tackles against the Sooners last weekend.

“It's cool just being versatile and being able to have the ability to play both (corner and slot),” Gervin said. “You’ve got to have the mind to play it. It’s overly challenging, but I'm up to all the challenges. I love it, honestly.”