LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) - Dave Campo has a national championship, three Super Bowl rings and 23 years of NFL experience.

So what's he doing at Kansas?

Taking on the challenge of his life.

A year ago, the Jayhawks were ranked 120th nationally in total defense. Eight games into this season, Campo's defense has climbed to 81st and is ranked 58th against the pass.

Perhaps the biggest improvement under Campo has been in the red zone. While the Jayhawks are still just 1-7, and 0-5 in the Big 12, they've been in a handful of games into the fourth quarter due in large part to a defense that is only allowing teams to score 69 percent of the time.

That statistic is a conference-best and ranks 13th in the nation.

The next step is for those improved defensive numbers to add up to victories.