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Undefeated in the Les Miles Era, the Kansas Jayhawks look to move to 2-0 when they host Coastal Carolina on Saturday.
The game (7 p.m. ET start time) won’t be on regular TV anywhere, but you can watch it live right here on ESPN+, the digital streaming service from ESPN that also includes Miles to Go (documentary series about Les Miles and Kansas football), dozens of college football games and other live sports every week, all the 30-for-30 documentaries and additional original content (both video and written) all for $4.99 per month.
You can sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then watch Kansas vs Coastal Carolina live on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone (Android and iPhone compatible), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or other streaming device via the ESPN app.
Coastal Carolina vs Kansas Preview
Kansas’ first game of the Les Miles era last weekend was probably a bit more exciting than they were hoping for.
The Jayhawks carried a 16-3 lead into the fourth quarter against Indiana State, but after the Sycamores scored back-to-back touchdowns to take a one-point lead, Kansas needed a late touchdown drive to avoid the upset. Senior QB Carter Stanley delivered, leading the eight-play, 75-yard drive to secure the 24-17 win for the Jayhawks.
“I think we’ll learn to win games like this without this much drama,” said Miles. “I think we can throw the football to a number of guys and rush the football better and more efficiently than we did today and that would make — might distance ourselves from the opponent.”
The rushing game, in particular, was a bit shaky. Khalil Herbert started off incredibly strong with 78 yards on his first seven totes, but Kansas’ effectiveness quickly wore off, and he picked up just 10 yards on his final 10 carries.
The return of Pooka Williams should help in that regard. As a true freshman last year, Williams piled up 1,125 rushing yards (7.0 YPC), 289 receiving yards (8.8 YPR) and nine total touchdowns on his way to Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and All-Big 12 First Team honors.
He was suspended for the entire offseason and last week’s opener stemming from a domestic battery charge in December, so it’s unclear how much he’ll really be involved against Coastal Carolina, but the Jayhawks believe they’ll be able to quickly work him back into the gameplan.
“We’ll have to incorporate him into the team again,” Miles said, “and yet he’ll give us some Pooka plays. We’re looking forward to having him back. I can tell you that. He’s enjoyed by his teammates. We’ll enjoy him in the huddle.”
Coastal Carolina lost their opener against Eastern Michigan, 30-23. They were able to out-gain the Eagles, 378-291, but four interceptions from quarterback Fred Payton proved to be too much to overcome.
To make matters worse as the Chanticleers attempt to fix those problems, they were forced to move their practices this week to avoid Hurricane Dorian.
“The efficiency part of it makes it harder, but as far as doing the job or getting the things done you need to get done, we’ll figure it out,” Coastal Carolina coach Jamey Chadwell said. “You work hard to get them in a routine, now you’re out of it. How do we adjust to that? Then being the first time on the road. That’s the biggest difference, when you have to evacuate. That’s the biggest challenge in my opinion.”
A win for Kansas, who is favored by seven, would give the Jayhawks their first 2-0 start since 2011.