Kansas Keys To The Game vs. North Dakota State

Attack on Defense

since the departure of James McClinton and Aqib Talib Kansas has turned into a sit on your heels and wait for it to come to you defense.  Clint Bowen drew a tremendous amount of criticism for this style but the problem is this was a top down decision.  Bowen didn't deserve to shoulder all the blame. Regardless Kansas has struggled to generate a pass rush, they struggled to stop the run and they struggled in nearly every facet of the defense due to a variety of reasons not just the lack of aggressiveness. 

Saturday represents an opportunity to change.  Coach Torbush and the Jayhawks have made it clear that they want to attack, they want to play aggressive, force turnovers and create mistakes.  There are more questions defensively than anyone cares to think about, but if Kansas can find a way to generate an attacking identity early it can help build confidence and generate some momentum for the rest of the season. 

Just like the running game, this is an area that represents a marked shift from the past regime and if the Jayhawks can't accomplish it against NDSU, it's going to be tough to do it anywhere else.  Throw in the fact that the Bison are young offensively and had a tendency to turn the ball over last year as it is and Kansas needs to make a statement with their style of play on the defensive side of the ball.