Via Kansas Athletics
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Following its first loss of the season, Kansas (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) returns home to David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium to host UCF (3-2, 0-2 Big 12) on Saturday, Oct. 7 at 3 p.m. CT for the first-ever meeting between the two teams.
The game will air on FOX with Jason Benetti (Play-by-Play), Brock Huard (Analyst) and Allison Williams (Sideline) on the call.
Saturday’s contest against UCF also serves as the Ring of Honor induction ceremony for two Kansas football legends, Tony Sands and Nick Reid. The Kansas football Ring of Honor is the highest honor bestowed upon Kansas football letterwinners, as Sands and Reid become the 24th and 25th members to be inducted into the Ring of Honor. The Ring of Honor induction will take place during halftime of the UCF game on Saturday.
UCF is one of the four newest members to the Big 12 Conference, as the Jayhawks and Knights square off for the first time in program history. Both teams are coming off losses, as Kansas fell to No. 3 Texas, 40-14, on Sept. 30, while UCF has dropped back-to-back Big 12 games against Kansas State (Sept. 23, 31-44) and Baylor (Sept. 30, 35-36).
Kansas is 3-0 at home this season with wins against Missouri State (Sept. 1, 48-17), Illinois (Sept. 8, 34-23) and BYU (Sept. 23, 38-27). Since the start of the 2022 season, Kansas is 7-2 in its last nine home games. UCF makes its second trip to the State of Kansas over a span of three weeks.
Kansas is led by an offense that is averaging 442.4 yards of offense per game and 199 rushing yards per game. The Jayhawks were without quarterback Jalon Daniels in the loss at Texas, who was named the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year. Kansas’ rushing attack of Devin Neal and Daniel Hishaw Jr. have combined for nine rushing touchdowns this season, while Hishaw has scored 10 touchdowns (9 rushing, 1 receiving) over his last nine games played.
Defensively, the Jayhawks have the ninth most tackles-for-loss nationally (41), bolstered by defensive ends Jereme Robinson and Austin Booker. The KU duo has combined for 8.5 sacks through five games this season, which is the third-most among teammates in the NCAA this season. Kansas defensive backs Mello Dotson and Cobee Bryant have held down the secondary for the Jayhawks with Dotson ranking fifth nationally in passes defended, paired with Bryant’s two interceptions this season.
UCF enters the weekend with the No. 1 offense in the Big 12 Conference, averaging 545.8 yards per game through the first five games. Quarterback John Rhys Plumlee has missed the last three games due to injury, as Timmy McClain has stepped in to complete 50-of-82 for 872 yards and seven touchdowns. UCF is coming off a 36-35 loss to Baylor, in which Baylor overcame a 29-point deficit to defeat the Knights in Orlando.
Following Saturday’s contest with UCF, the Jayhawks will be back on the road on Saturday, Oct. 14 when they travel to Stillwater, Oklahoma to take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
Tickets are available for Kansas’ game vs. UCF or any of the Jayhawks’ remaining four home games by clicking here.
