KU Football: Navigating London Travel and October Road Traps
A detailed game-by-game breakdown of the Kansas Jayhawks' October 2026 football schedule, featuring travel dynamics, opponent matchups, and score predictions.
In this episode of Pay Heed, host Nick Springer previews the middle three-game stretch of the Kansas Jayhawks’ 2026 football schedule, evaluating matchups against Middle Tennessee State, Utah, and Kansas State.
The October slate opens with a non-conference home game against Middle Tennessee State on October 3. Coming off a bye week that follows an overseas trip to London to play Arizona State at Wembley Stadium, Kansas must manage potential jet lag and physical fatigue. Despite the emotional hangover and early execution concerns, Kansas holds a major talent advantage and is expected to secure a 27–17 victory to reach a 4–0 start.
The schedule rapidly intensifies with back-to-back road tests against physical conference rivals. On October 10, the Jayhawks travel to Salt Lake City to face a Utah squad under new head coach Morgan Scalley. Dual-threat quarterback Devin Dampier presents a major threat to a Kansas defense that historically struggles with mobile signal-callers, leading to a projected 28–20 defeat. The stretch concludes on October 17 in Manhattan for the Sunflower Showdown against Collin Klein’s Kansas State Wildcats. Facing a hostile environment and a 17-game series losing streak, Kansas ultimately drops a 34–24 decision, bringing their record to 4–2 heading into late October.
Key Takeaways
Post-London Travel Impact: A bye week after playing Arizona State in Wembley helps mitigate fatigue, but early execution against Middle Tennessee State remains a potential trap.
Salt Lake City Road Test: Utah’s dual-threat quarterback Devin Dampier and physical defensive front create a difficult environment for the Jayhawks’ first Big 12 road test.
Sunflower Showdown Mental Hurdle: A hostile atmosphere in Manhattan alongside a 17-game series losing streak against Kansas State presents a steep psychological barrier for Kansas.
This recap was produced in part by AI.