Kansas Football Steamrolls West Virginia: What's Next for Jayhawks?

Kansas football took care of West Virginia 41-10 on Saturday evening to move to 3-1 on the year and open conference play with a win.

The Jayhawks have five home games and four road games in Big 12 play this season, giving them a considerable advantage in the league slate.

They'll follow up this victory with another game in front of The Booth's home crowd next week against Cincinnati. Players and coaches will now turn their focus to the Bearcats with an early kickoff time set for 11 a.m. CT.

What Should Kansas Expect From Cincinnati Next Week?

It's hard to gauge just how good Cincinnati is at this point. The Bearcats opened the season with a loss to Nebraska, then looked shaky again against Bowling Green State the following week.

They followed that up with a dominant 70-0 win over FCS Northwestern State, but no one is realistically putting much stock into that result.

So where do they really stand? Cincinnati currently sits at No. 45 in the ESPN FPI rankings, well ahead of West Virginia at No. 64. Even if Nebraska isn't exactly a powerhouse right now, it did take Michigan down to the wire today in what nearly turned into a major upset.

Against the Cornhuskers, UC quarterback Brendan Sorsby struggled through the air, completing just 13 of 25 passes for 69 yards and an interception.

However, he impressed with his legs, rushing for 96 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. Sorsby is one of the better dual-threat quarterbacks in the Big 12 and could pose problems for Kansas' defense.

MORE: Kansas vs. West Virginia: A Few Instant Takeaways From Jayhawks’ Win

West Virginia's offense wasn't able to do much with pocket passer Nicco Marchiol under center, but when Rich Rodriguez inserted backup quarterback Jaylen Henderson in for a couple of drives, he ran rampant on the Jayhawks with 79 rushing yards on seven carries including a touchdown.

If Sorsby isn't able to hurt Kansas with his arm, he may very well do it with his legs, and that might actually be a bigger concern. The Jayhawks need to figure out how to defend dual-threat quarterbacks before they take the field next week, because Cincinnati is a much stronger opponent than West Virginia.

Some players to keep an eye on against Cincinnati are running back Tawee Walker, who has rushed for 151 yards and a touchdown this season while averaging 6.3 yards per carry.

Tight end Joe Royer has been productive with eight receptions for 138 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and wide receiver Cyrus Allen has tallied 12 catches for 144 yards and three scores. These three have emerged as the Bearcats’ key offensive playmakers.

On the defensive side, Cincinnati has totaled nine sacks and four forced fumbles, but the unit is still searching for its first interception. Outside of cornerback Matthew McDoom, the secondary is not particularly impressive.

That could give Jalon Daniels and the KU offense an opportunity to air it out. Expect Kansas to lean on a pass-first approach next week, especially since the Bearcats’ defensive line is one of their stronger position groups.