Kansas University football fans only had to sit through the Jayhawks’ season opener once.

KU’s coaching staff, on the other hand, dissected the videotape of last Saturday’s 45-3 loss at Iowa State at least three times Sunday, looking for answers in preparation for this Saturday’s game at Nevada-Las Vegas.

One of the biggest questions facing KU coach Mark Mangino and his staff is who to start at outside linebacker after Banks Floodman injured his right knee in the second quarter against ISU. The sophomore starter was to undergo an MRI on Sunday.

“We’re hoping to know something (this) afternoon, no later than Tuesday morning,” Mangino said Sunday.

Mangino, however, usually won’t share specific injury information with media, and Floodman’s parents could not be reached for comment Sunday at their Wichita home.

Floodman made eight tackles before he hurt his knee while covering a punt with less than three minutes left in the first half. He returned to the sideline in uniform for the second half but did not play.

He said after the game that the knee was starting to feel better, but he didn’t know the extent of the injury.

A severe injury to Floodman could be devastating to KU. The Jayhawks already lost two starters  receiver Harrison Hill (chronic dehydration) and offensive lineman Kyle Grady (knee)  in the offseason.

“When you take all the qualities you’re looking for in a good defensive player, Banks has it,” Mangino said. “He’s quick. He’s very smart. He’s tough. He runs very well. He can be a physical tackler. He can cover. He’s probably our best all-around defensive player.”

So who will Kansas turn to if Floodman can’t play at Las Vegas?

Backup Glenn Robinson was suspended for the season opener for unspecified disciplinary reasons and didn’t travel with the team to Ames, Iowa, but Mangino said the junior will play at UNLV.

With Floodman and Robinson out of action, true freshman Nick Reid was forced into action against Iowa State. Mangino had planned to use the former Derby High standout for limited defensive duty and on special teams, but Reid played extensively in the second half and made four tackles  including two sacks of ISU quarterback Seneca Wallace.

Reid had practiced at linebacker about five times since switching from safety  the former quarterback’s second position change of the preseason.

“We just broke the staff meeting, and we were talking about Nick Reid in there and what a bright future he has here for us,” Mangino said. “We’re really excited. He’s so intelligent and so athletic that he’s able to pick things up quickly and adjust mentally very quickly, faster than the average freshman.”

Despite the lopsided loss, KU’s players remained optimistic.

“This is only one game out of 12,” Floodman said Saturday. “We have 11 left. We have to see what we did wrong and get it corrected. By next week we’ll play a lot better than we did today.”

The Jayhawks’ defense played well at times against ISU, but it was worn out by a lack of depth and a KU offense that mounted only one sustained drive.

“Overall, I still believe we have a chance to be a solid defense because there were just too many good things that happened in the game,” Mangino said. “If you can do it once, you can do it all the time.”

As for the offense, KU managed only 69 yards rushing and turned the ball over three times. Quarterbacks Bill Whittemore and Zach Dyer each threw an interception, and so did Curtis Ansel on a fake punt. All three turnovers set up ISU scores.

“This is not the way we’d like to be playing,” Mangino said. “We’ve got a long way to go.”

Mangino, who yanked Dyer in the second half, said he hadn’t decided which quarterback would start against UNLV. Both made their share of mistakes. The coach said Whittemore put KU in the wrong play more than once, and Dyer did not do a good job of reading the defense before passing.

Dyer completed 6-of-14 passes for 50 yards, while Whittemore was 4-of-17 for 31. KU’s receivers contributed to the problem with several dropped passes, and the Jayhawks also experienced breakdowns with an inexperienced offensive line.

Whittemore proved to be the more mobile quarterback with 29 yards on seven carries. Dyer lost 16 yards on seven carries.

As for UNLV, the Running Rebels are coming off a 27-7 home loss to Wisconsin that ended because of a power failure in the fourth quarter. Heralded UNLV quarterback Jason Thomas threw two interceptions and fumbled twice.

Saturday’s game is scheduled for 9 p.m. CDT at Las Vegas.