LAWRENCE — Season openers can be a little tricky. There’s no film on your opponent so coaches often emphasize playing to your strengths.
For the No. 22 Kansas Jayhawks, who open the season against Lindenwood at 7 p.m. Thursday at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan., that means limiting mistakes and playing up tempo football.
“We expect to stay disciplined, play fast and not try to do too much and just fall back on what we’ve been doing all day long,” KU senior defensive end Jereme Robinson said Sunday as the team got an early start on game week.
Robinson, who had 25 tackles and 4.5 sacks last season, said Lindenwood should not be overlooked even though they only won three games last season.
“They’re a good team,” Robinson said. “They’re a team that’s going to try to get the ball out to the perimeter and use their athletes and go from there.”
The Jayhawks will be playing without edge rusher Austin Booker, who had eight sacks a season ago and was a fifth-round pick by the Chicago Bears. KU, of course, will be counting on Robinson to help pick up the slack.
Robinson played much of last season with a torn labrum and finally had surgery following the bowl game. Robinson missed all of spring ball but has looked good in fall camp.
“He’s extremely steady and a good football player,” KU coach Lance Leipold said.
With the construction of a new football field taking place on campus, the Jayhawks have had to move their home schedule to Kansas City, where they will play two games where Sporting Kansas City plays then four games at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Chiefs.
KU has practiced at both venues, busing back and forth. And though Children’s Mercy Park only holds about 18,000 fans, Robinson said it looks much bigger than that and he’s looking forward to playing there.
“From the stands, it looks huge,” Robinson said. “Once you’re in there it’s like everybody is on top of you. This whole fall camp and since the stands here have been torn down, we’ve been having these distractions, but we’ve been adjusting really well. Fall camp went smooth, and we’ve been doing a good job. So I think we’re going to be OK.”
