When Kansas has the ball

Kansas rush offense vs. Texas A&M rush defense

The Aggies have held opponents to 67 yards rushing or fewer in four of six games this season and are giving up an average of just 77 yards per game on the ground. In the two games that A&M gave up more than 100 yards rushing (115 to Florida International and 132 to Arkansas), A&M’s opponent needed an average of 38 attempts to break the century mark. Though the Jayhawks are averaging more than 135 yards per game on the ground, their yards-per-attempt number is barely higher than the Aggies are yielding, at 3.5 yards per tote.

Edge: Texas A&M

Kansas pass offense vs. Texas A&M pass defense

If the Aggies have a weakness on defense, it’s in the secondary, where opponents have been able to average 253 yards per game through the air this season. A&M’s opponents have been forced to complete an average of 25 passes per game to reach that total, which equates to a 6.9 yards-per-pass average. Kansas has some weapons in its passing game but KU quarterback Jordan Webb (26-of-46 vs. K-State) has struggled with his accuracy in recent weeks.

Edge: Texas A&M

When Texas A&M has the ball

Texas A&M rush offense vs. Kansas rush defense

Even though the Jayhawks have been more sound against rushing teams than passing teams this season, the Aggies get the edge in this category because of the many different ways in which they can gain yards on the ground. Three A&M players have gained more than 200 yards rushing already this season, including tailback Christine Michael, who leads the team with 581 yards and four TDs on 113 carries. The Aggies have gone for an average of 152 yards per game and have tallied seven rushing touchdowns this season. KU is giving up more than 200 yards per game on the ground and has allowed its opponents to score 12 rushing TDs.

Edge: Texas A&M

Texas A&M pass offense vs. Kansas pass defense

The biggest reason Texas A&M has started off with a 3-3 record, including an 0-2 mark in Big 12 play, is turnovers. Through six games, A&M has committed 18 turnovers, with nine of those coming via interceptions thrown by QB Jerrod Johnson. Despite the turnovers, Johnson remains a weapon under center. He has thrown for an average of 306 yards per game and has 14 touchdowns to go along with a completion percentage above 56 percent. The Jayhawks have just two interceptions through six games and have allowed opponents to complete 67 percent of their passes.

Edge: Texas A&M

Special teams

Some weeks, the Jayhawks’ special-teams unit has provided a spark for a team in desperate need of one. However, since Big 12 play opened three weeks ago, the Jayhawks have been rather quiet in the special-teams department. Place kicker Jacob Branstetter missed the only field goal he has attempted in the past three weeks, and the KU punt and kickoff returners have been bottled up by the bigger, faster and stronger Big 12 foes. On the positive side, punter Alonso Rojas has averaged 42 yards per kick over his last 11 punts. On the flip side of things, A&M has hit eight of 10 field goals on the year, including a 4-for-4 mark in the past three games. The two have been pretty equal in kick returns.

Edge: Texas A&M