After a trip across the Atlantic to play Arizona State in London on Sept. 19, Kansas Jayhawks is preparing for nine straight games without a bye to close out the 2026 regular season.

First up, the Jayhawks (1-2) host Middle Tennessee (2-2) on Saturday in Lawrence, Kan.

"I thought the open week was good," Kansas coach Lance Leipold said.

"I thought we moved around decently (Sunday); I felt good about our attitude and energy, but we'll see how it plays out."

Kansas fell to the Sun Devils 24-17 in the Union Jack Classic, dropping to 0-1 in Big 12 Conference play.

In roster news, Leipold confirmed that the Jayhawks have added defensive lineman Clifton Thompson and running back Chase Belcher, who earned a fifth year of eligibility through an injunction in an Indiana lawsuit against the NCAA.

Thompson was an all-Northeast Conference honoree in 2025 for Central Connecticut State, recording two sacks and seven tackles for loss over his three seasons with the Blue Devils. Belcher ran for 566 yards and two touchdowns last season for Kennesaw State.

Middle Tennessee coach Derek Mason was formally reprimanded by Conference USA on Monday after sharply criticizing the officials following the Blue Raiders' 23-13 loss to Jacksonville State last weekend. He said Middle Tennessee submitted 17 plays it believed featured missed holding calls to the conference.

"We've got to get to a point where these damn referees show up and do their damn job," Mason said.

"I'm not one to ever get in front of the media and talk about these types of things," he added. "But at the end of the day, man, these referees have to be better."

Middle Tennessee running back Antonio Martin Jr. is third in Conference USA with 345 rushing yards, crossing the century mark in three of the team's four games. He ran for a season-high 106 yards on 17 carries against Jacksonville State.

This will be the first all-time meeting between Kansas and the Blue Raiders.

--Field Level Media

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