BYU at Kansas Prediction - College Football Picks 9/23/23

• Freshman back LJ Martin gained 77 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns in the win over Arkansas, and he leads BYU in rushing yards (195). 

• Sophomore receiver Chase Roberts scored for the second week in a row last time out, and he leads BYU in receptions (13), with 138 yards.

• Junior tight end Isaac Rex is first on the team with 184 receiving yards after leading the Cougs with 57 yards against the Hogs.

The BYU defense is allowing 15.6 points per game.

Kansas Jayhawks Preview

Kansas enters at 3-0 after defeating Nevada by a touchdown, 31-24. The Jayhawks avoided a real disaster after walking into Reno as 28-point favorites, and they’ll look to open Big 12 play up on a strong note here. The Kansas offense is scoring 37.7 ppg, while passing for 283.7 ypg, rushing for 216.7 ypg, and converting 62.9% of their third downs.

KU Player Notes

• Jalon Daniels was solid in the win over Nevada, passing for 298 yards, but he failed to produce a touchdown for the first time in recent memory. The junior quarterback looked much better against a stronger Illinois defense, so a return home should do him justice, but he will face another stiff unit here with BYU. Daniels has thrown for 575 yards, with two touchdowns to one interception through two starts. 

• Junior back Devin Neal played a vital role against Nevada last week, totaling 148 all-purpose yards (89 rush, 58 rec), while finding the endzone three times. Neal leads KU in rushing yards (303) and touchdowns (5), with 131 receiving yards and a score through three games. 

• Sophomore RB Daniel Hinshaw scored for the third week in a row, and he’s up to 175 yards for the season.

• Third-year wideout Lawrence Arnold leads the team in receptions (14) and receiving yards (212), after catching four passes or more in all three games.

The Kansas defense has allowed 21.3 points per game.

BYU vs Kansas Trends

• BYU is 1-2 against the spread, with a 2-1 O/U record. 

• KU is 1-2 ATS, with a 1-2 over/under record.

• Kansas has hit the 1H Moneyline in 4 of their last 6 games at home

Corey’s Free Pick

The Big 12 will be a very interesting conference this season, as you have longtime powers Texas and Oklahoma thriving on their way out, a fresh influx of talent through new schools, and there are still a few familiar faces set to contend. BYU and Kansas both enter their conference opener undefeated with quality non-conference wins under their belt, and this will be the ultimate clash of styles. BYU will be looking to make a splash in their first contest in the Big 12, and while I don’t believe they’ll hand Kansas their first blemish, I do think they're going to bring the fight in Lawrence. Similar to their matchup with Illinois, KU’s advantage on the offensive side at home should be enough to move to 4-0, but let’s spot BYU the points after picking up a strong road win last weekend. The Cougars finding a way to defeat Arkansas and Kansas back-to-back would be very interesting as well, so don’t shy away from giving the ML a look.