Kansas at Rutgers: Three-minute college football preview

When/where: 11 a.m. Saturday at High Point Solutions Stadium in Piscataway, N.J.

TV/radio: Big Ten Network; KCSP (610 AM)

The series: First meeting

The line: Rutgers by 12  1/2

KANSAS (0-2, 0-0 Big 12)

RUTGERS (1-2, 0-1 Big Ten)

What’s at stake

The number has been recited ad nauseam by now, but here it is again: Kansas has lost 30 straight true road games — and suffered 33 straight losses away from Lawrence. This could be the Jayhawks’ best chance to snap the streak. Rutgers sits at 1-2 and its head coach, Kyle Flood, is in the midst of a three-game suspension. The Scarlet Knights have lost a home game to Washington State, a team that also lost to an FCS team in its season opener. The Jayhawks are catching Rutgers at the right time. Will it matter?

Cheers if …

Kansas quarterback Montell Cozart connects on some deep balls. For parts of three seasons, Cozart’s biggest liability has been his accuracy — and the weakness is most evident on deep balls. Cozart said this week that the issue stems from his footwork. He’ll need to fix it to keep teams from stacking the box against the run.

Jeers if …

The Jayhawks’ passing defense continues to struggle. In two games, Kansas is surrendering 331.5 yards per game in the air, which ranks last in the Big 12. In addition, opponents are averaging 11.1 yards per attempt.

Three things about Rutgers

1 The quarterback position is complicated. Junior quarterback Chris Laviano was suspended for the first half of the season opener, but returned to start Rutgers’ last two games. Laviano is completing 72 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and three interceptions, but LSU transfer Hayden Rettig, who started the opener, has a strong arm and appeared solid in the opener. He’s making a push for more time.

2 Before being suspended for three games earlier this month, Rutgers coach Kyle Flood had guided the Scarlet Knights to three bowl games in his first three seasons. That run included an 8-5 record last season — the program’s first year in the Big Ten.

3 Some history: One of the oldest college programs in the country, Rutgers has been called “The Birthplace of College Football.” On Nov. 6 1869, Rutgers edged Princeton 6-4 in what is widely considered the first college football game.

Key matchup

Rutgers’ rushing attack vs. the KU defense: The Scarlet Knights have two rushers — Josh Hicks and Robert Martin — averaging more than 6 yards per carry. Hicks, a 5-foot-11, 215-pound sophomore, is logging most of the heavy work, rushing 41 times for 258 yards in three games. To notch an upset, the Jayhawks’ defense has to be sound in filling the run gaps.

KANSAS OFFENSE

KANSAS DEFENSE

RUTGERS OFFENSE

RUTGERS DEFENSE

Rustin Dodd’s pick: Rutgers 38-20

Rutgers is a program wading through some early-season wreckage. Kansas is a team that desperately needs a road win. The Jayhawks are still young, though, and that win probably won’t come this week. Watch the offense, though. Will we see another quarterback besides starter Montell Cozart?

This story was originally published September 24, 2015 at 10:04 AM with the headline "Kansas at Rutgers: Three-minute college football preview."