Coming off their first loss of the season, the Kansas Jayhawks return home to take on West Virginia in their conference opener. The Missouri loss was a tough one, there’s no way around it. Losing to a bitter rival, especially after leading by 15 at one point, is hard to swallow. However, that will likely end up being one of the best teams the Jayhawks face all season, and showed that they can hang with teams of that caliber. West Virginia, with all due respect, is not that caliber. They are coming off a big win over Pittsburgh in the Backyard Brawl, but they scored just 10 points in a loss to Ohio the week prior. While no game left on the schedule should be considered an easy win, the Jayhawks should absolutely be looking at this game as a chance to right the ship as they get into Big 12 play. With that in mind, let’s jump into this 2025 game preview for this Kansas vs. West Virginia contest.
Kansas Jayhawks vs. West Virginia Mountaineers: Matchup History
History is not on the side of the Jayhawks in this matchup. The two teams have met 13 times, with the Mountaineers winning 11 of them. The meeting last year was also their Big 12 opener, and one of many heartbreaking losses for Kansas.
The Jayhawks took an 11-point lead with less than six minutes left in the game. After a West Virginia scoring drive, Kansas got the ball back with about three and a half minutes to play. A single first down likely would have ended the game. Instead, they went three-and-out and punted the ball back to the Mountaineers before the two-minute warning had even hit. Seven plays later, West Virginia was in the end zone again and took the lead with 26 seconds on the clock. A 36-yard pass gave the Jayhawks hope, but Jalon Daniels was stripped on the next play, and the Mountaineers recovered to end the game. The loss marked the Jayhawks’ third in a row and would be the first of three straight losses to open their conference schedule.
Kansas vs. West Virginia 2025 Preview: Keys to the Game and Predictions
Key Players for Kansas
The run game was absolutely stellar for the Jayhawks in their first two games, collecting 492 yards on an average of six yards per carry. In the loss to Missouri, however, that portion of the offense was virtually non-existent. Daniels led the team with 25 rushing yards, 19 of which came on one play. Daniel Hishaw had just 11 yards on six carries, and Leshon Williams had -5 yards on three carries. Granted, they faced arguably the best defense they will see all season, but that is still an inexcusable number for any team against any defense.
The Jayhawks are at their best when the run game is a threat, which allows Jalon Daniels to face defenses that are less focused on him. In the season opener, Hishaw and Williams combined for 126 yards on 6.6 yards per carry. Williams didn’t play in the second game, but Hishaw handled the lead-back duties to the tune of 89 yards on 6.4 yards per play. Those two have proven that they can be a formidable duo, and they’ll need to be just that for this team to reach its ceiling. West Virginia allowed Ohio to run for 182 yards and gave up almost five yards per carry to Pittsburgh’s top two rushers, which means that there is an opportunity for the Kansas run game to have a bounce-back performance on Saturday.
Key Players for West Virginia
The Mountaineers offense has multiple players to look out for. On the ground, they have two players with more than 100 rushing yards and three touchdowns already this season, as well as four other players with 50-plus yards. In the pass game, it’s a heavy dose of Cam Vaughn. The Jacksonville State transfer has already surpassed 200 receiving yards this season, highlighted by a 127-yard performance in the season opener against Robert Morris. He has been held in check more in their previous two games, but he has shown that he can be a game-changer.
Defensively, they have forced six turnovers in their first three games. Three different players have an interception and six different players have either a forced or recovered a fumble. Add in eight players with a sack and you’ve got a defense that can make plays from just about every way imaginable.
Keys for a Jayhawk Win in Week 4
The biggest factor for the Jayhawks getting back in the win column is re-establishing the run game. Daniels is an electric quarterback, but his job is much tougher when the defense can focus on him and not have to worry about a rushing threat. The Mountaineer defense has struggled to stop opposing running backs, so this is a great chance for Hishaw and Williams to assert their dominance and carry the workload for the offense.
The Jayhawks are 2-2 in Big 12 openers under Lance Leipold, with one of those losses coming to West Virginia. Starting the conference schedule on the right foot would be a huge step in the right direction for the rest of the season.
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Kyle Jones
Kyle joined The League Winners in May of 2024 and is currently covering the Kansas Jayhawks, while also dabbling in the Kansas City Chiefs. He is a born and raised Chiefs and Jayhawks fan, as well as the Royals. When he's not watching and writing about sports, Kyle enjoys reading, playing video games, and spending time with his wife and dog.