Kansas vs. Memphis: Three-minute college football preview

When/where: 6 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence

TV/radio: TimeWarner Cable SportsChannel; KCSP (610 AM)

The series: First meeting

The line: Memphis by 13 1/2

KANSAS (0-1, 0-0 Big 12)

MEMPHIS (1-0, 0-0 American)

What’s at stake

In short: A chance for Kansas to move on after a disappointing opener. But this is not the woeful Memphis program of last decade. Coach Justin Fuente, a rising star in the profession, guided the Tigers from 3-9 to 10-3 last season, including a victory over BYU in a wild Miami Beach Bowl. The Jayhawks, meanwhile, are trying to build on a strong offensive performance in last week’s loss to South Dakota State. The Jayhawks gained 576 yards and put up 38 points, but they lost after falling behind 31-7 and committing two early turnovers. KU is a double-digit underdog at home. Get ready to hear those words a lot.

Cheers if …

Those offensive fireworks you saw in week one were not a mirage. KU offensive coordinator Rob Likens had to be encouraged by the early returns. The Jayhawks backed up the up-tempo talk by running 90 plays, the seventh-most in the country last week. Likens, though, believes the Jayhawks can go faster. How fast? Likens believes Kansas can hit 100 plays in a game soon enough.

Jeers if …

The Jayhawks’ tackling is shaky again. According to the coaching staff, the Jayhawks missed at least 15 tackles against South Dakota State. Kansas had some trouble containing the Jackrabbits’ power running game. That will have to improve against Memphis.

Three things about Memphis

1 In a season opener against Missouri State, the Tigers racked up 519 total yards in a 63-7 victory. It was the program’s eighth consecutive victory, dating back to last season. Memphis, though, has also lost 19 straight games against teams from the power-five conferences.

2 Memphis coach Justin Fuente, 39, is one of just seven coaches under the age of 40 in the Football Bowl Subdivision. A former Oklahoma quarterback in the mid 1990s, Fuente cut his teeth as an offensive assistant under Gary Patterson at TCU.

3 Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch is on the preseason watch list for the Maxwell Award, given to the nation’s best player. Starting safety DaShaughn Terry is a Blue Springs native and the younger brother of former KU defensive back Keeston Terry.

Key matchup

Memphis QB Paxton Lynch vs. KU’s defense: Lynch, a returning starter, is listed at 6 feet 7 and 245 pounds. As a sophomore last season, Lynch finished with 3,031 yards passing, completed 62 percent of his pass attempts and added 321 yards rushing. At first glance, it looks as if Lynch should be suiting up for Memphis’ basketball team. The Jayhawks’ defense must find a way to measure up.

KANSAS OFFENSE

KANSAS DEFENSE

MEMPHIS OFFENSE

MEMPHIS DEFENSE

Rustin Dodd’s pick: Memphis 44-31

This must be an odd feeling for Memphis. The Tigers haven’t defeated a team from a power-five conference since taking down Mississippi in 2004. Now they are a double-digit favorite on the road. The big question: How will Kansas respond after a loss in a winnable game last week?

This story was originally published September 10, 2015 at 11:27 AM with the headline "Kansas vs. Memphis: Three-minute college football preview."