Kansas Jayhawks vs. UNLV: What to know about Friday’s KU vs. UNLV football game

The Kansas Jayhawks had a game to forget last Saturday.

KU lost 23-17 at Illinois ... after being favored by 5.5 points.

But Jayhawks coach Lance Leipold isn’t ready to panic just yet.

“We are going to see what we are made of,” Leipold said to reporters after the game. “We’ve got 10 more games to play — this is a nonconference football game. ...

“We’re barely into the season yet ... This is what it is, but we are going to see what kind of team we are, what kind of resolve we have, what kind of leadership we have — starting with the head coach on down.”

Kansas has a sooner-than-usual shot at some redemption. The Jayhawks play a Friday game this week, hosting UNLV at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan.

If UNLV sounds like a familiar foe, it should: KU beat the Rebels in the late-December Guaranteed Rate Bowl.

Here’s more about this week’s game:

KU football vs. UNLV game details

Kickoff: 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13

Where: Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City, Kan.

TV: ESPN

Radio: Jayhawk Radio Network; WHB (810) in Kansas City; Wichita 92.3

Early betting line: Kansas is a 7-point favorite.

Five things to know.

1. The Jayhawks lead this series 2-1. KU defeated UNLV 49-36 in the December 2023 Guaranteed Rate Bowl. That game featured lots of offense. Kansas City, Kan., is about to join Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Lawrence as sites in which these teams have tussled.

2. UNLV receiver Ricky White III is a handful. He had 97 receiving yards and a touchdown vs. the Jayhawks in December, but now the hype around White is at an all-time high. He earned a preseason AP All-America nomination this past offseason, and the native of Marietta, Georgia already has 122 receiving yards and three TDs through two games this season.

3. UNLV comes into this game red-hot. The Rebels opened the season by defeating Big 12 foe Houston 27-7. Then they had even better game against Utah Tech, winning 72-17. The Rebels rolled up a school-record 695 total yards of offense in that one, so they can move the ball.

4. KU must keep the Rebels’ run game in check. The Jayhawks did an excellent job of limiting Illinois QB Luke Altmyers’ scrambles last Saturday. He managed just 18 yards as KU defenders swarmed him and cut off his running lanes. Kansas needs a repeat of that effort against Rebels QB Matthew Sluka, who rushed for 70 yards vs. Utah Tech ... while UNLV ran for 503 yards as a team.

5. UNLV is better this year. Just ask Leipold. Said the KU coach: “They’re playing extremely confident and feel they should be a Top 25 team.” It’s only been two games, but the Rebels do seem to have taken a step forward on both sides of the ball. But even last December, they were able to bottle up Jayhawks running back Devin Neal a bit. He averaged 3.6 yards per carry for a total of 71 yards in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. That might not be good enough Friday; KU will be looking for ways to get Neal more involved this time.