Leipold preparing KU football to face ‘physical’ Illinois team

LAWRENCE ( KSNT ) — For the second straight season, Kansas football has a week-two meeting with the Fighting Illini.

KU got the best of Illinois in 2023, winning 34-23 on its home turf in Lawrence. However, head coach Lance Leipold is aware playing on the road in Big 10 country is very different, as is the nature of both teams this year.

“We need to go on the road to a Power Four conference school and find a way to win a football game,” Leipold said. “And that probably hasn’t happened here in a while.”

Leipold and Illinois head coach Bret Bielema go back to the days when Leipold was coaching DIII football at Wisconsin Whitewater and Bielema at Wisconsin.

One thing Leipold knows Bielema preaches in his locker room is being physical. He acknowledged the size and forceful front the Illini bring on the offensive line, as well as their use of tight ends in the run game to up the physicality on offense.

“Goes on everybody,” Leipold said of his defense’s responsibility on Saturday. “Fitting gaps, recognition of formation, formation strengths, extra people so we’re not unsound, but then you’ve got to be physical when [the Illini] bring in the bigger bodies. And I’m sure that’s still part of Bret’s beliefs and rightfully so, because he’s won a lot of football games with that mentality.”

Leipold and the Jayhawks head to Champaign, Illinois. on Saturday, Sept. 7. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.

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