Kansas found its footing with a dominant rushing performance last Saturday. Now comes the harder question: how much of that success can travel to unbeaten, No. 12 Utah? The Jayhawks ran for 480 yards in their rebound win over Middle Tennessee, but the Utes bring a defense we rate highly and a productive ground game of their own. With Utah a 15.5-point favorite, Kansas needs more than renewed confidence—it needs that rushing attack to hold up against a tougher opponent.
Kansas has a foundation—and a much bigger test
Kansas beat Middle Tennessee 55-0 to end a two-game losing streak and improve to 2-2. Dylan Edwards rushed for 137 yards and three touchdowns, while quarterback Isaiah Marshall added 110 yards on 11 carries. That gave the Jayhawks two productive rushing threats rather than leaving everything to one player.
The defensive performance was just as striking: Kansas allowed only 136 total yards and seven first downs. Still, Utah is a different assignment. Our grades give the Utes an A- on defense, compared with a B for Kansas’ offense. The shutout gives Kansas something encouraging to build on, but carrying that progress forward means handling a much stronger opponent.
Our rushing projection for Kansas is roughly 140 yards here, a substantial step down from last week’s breakout. That makes the ground game the useful checkpoint: can Edwards and Marshall keep Kansas moving consistently, even when the big gains are harder to find?
Utah’s balance comes with a warning from its last win
Utah improved to 4-0 by beating Iowa State 31-17 on September 26, then had a weekend off before this home game. Wayshawn Parker supplied 174 rushing yards, 65 receiving yards and three total touchdowns, while Devon Dampier threw for 206 yards and two scores. Parker’s production in both phases gives Kansas more to account for than a rushing threat alone.
We project about 225 rushing yards and 235 passing yards for Utah, suggesting Kansas will have plenty to handle on the ground and through the air. But the Iowa State game also offers a useful counterweight: Utah punted on its first three possessions after halftime, and a 24-3 lead narrowed to 24-17 before the Utes answered. Sustaining drives matters when the spread asks for more than a narrow victory.
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What matters against the spread
The current DraftKings spread sets a demanding bar for Utah. The Utes have covered in all four games this season, and across their last 10 games, spanning 2025 and 2026, they have eight covers, one loss against the spread and one push. That’s a strong recent record, although those games came against different opponents and different lines.
Utah’s consistency and production in both phases make it a demanding test for Kansas. The Jayhawks’ strongest counterweight is the rushing threat they showed last week, backed by a defense coming off a shutout. Kansas’ ability to sustain drives against Utah’s stronger defense is the key to carrying that rebound into this matchup. For the Utes, their advantages are clear, but avoiding another extended lull matters when they need to create separation.
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