Will off field controversy cause Kansas to lose their focus?

With the majority of the week seemingly being taken up by conflicts between the football and basketball teams at KU, coach Mark Mangino may have his work cut out for him as the Jayhawks prepare to take on Southern Mississippi.

The Golden Eagles come into Lawrence with a 3-0 record and fresh off a come from behind 37-34 win over Virginia.  As Mangino has tried to tell his team this week,  Southern Miss is not a team to be taken lightly and much better than the first three opponents they’ve faced this season.

Kansas has yet to put together a complete ball game.  Last week against Duke the defense had early breakdowns that cost a touchdown and the receivers dropped way to many passes.

This week, KU will face a Southern Miss team that can throw the ball with effectiveness.  QB Austin Davis has a big target in sophomore DeAndre Brown, who is 6-6 and 231 pounds.  His height advantage could pose problems for the smaller Kansas cornerbacks.

Running back Jake Sharp will apparently be a game time decision this week.  He’s still hampered by a leg injury suffered over a week ago in practice.  If he can’t go, freshman Toben Opurum will get the bulk of the duty again.  He was solid and versatile last week gaining over 120 yards running and receiving, but the Jayhawks missed Sharp’s speed and quickness.

This will no doubt be the best test to date for the defense to show they can stop a team with a solid running attack and continue to produce a pass rush with their defensive line against a higher caliber opponent.  The real question is are the Jayhawks focused on the game and not the issues off the field that have been swirling on campus?  

We’ll find out early since they have another 11am kickoff.  Hopefully, they’ll be awake for the start of this contest.  If not, they could be in for a surprise.