KU football grades vs. K-State: Quarterback Daniels is a bright spot in blowout loss
Freshman Jalon Daniels showed his potential as an effective dual-threat quarterback on Saturday at Kansas State.
Daniels, a 6-foot, 200-pound freshman from Lawndale, California rushed for 51 yards on 13 carries and scored on runs of 8 and 4 yards in the Jayhawks’ 55-14 blowout defeat. He also was sacked four times for 24 yards.
Daniels — in playing the entire game he showed no effects of the foot injury he suffered in the first quarter against Oklahoma State on Oct. 3 — also completed 22 of 39 passes for 207 yards, no touchdowns and one ill-advised pick-six interception.
“When he goes to throw the ball, he can make all the throws,” KU coach Les Miles said after the Jayhawks fell to 0-5 overall and 0-4 in Big 12 games. “He needs to get more confidence. When he steps into the ring and steps into a game, he needs to say, ‘This is what we’re going to do to get it right.’ He does that, he’ll be a talented quarterback.”
Asked if running was Daniels’ No. 1 attribute, Miles said: “It is not his biggest weapon. He can really throw it. He just needs to get more confidence there and spend some time throwing the ball. He is going to give us as well a very mobile, very confident runner.”
In all, eight Jayhawks caught passes from Daniels on Saturday.
Kwamie Lassiter had seven catches for 58 yards, Ezra Naylor four catches for 40 yards, Steven McBride three catches for 17 yards, Velton Gardner three catches for 10 yards, Mason Fairchild two catches for 38 yards. Luke Grimm, Daniel Hishaw and Kameron McQueen each had a catch. Three of the team’s top receivers — Stephon Robinson, Lawrence Arnold and T.K. Williams — were inactive.
Robinson, who had surgery last week on his leg, will miss “a couple, three weeks,” Miles said. Arnold will “be ready in the next two weeks,” while Williams “should be healthy next week,” Miles said.
“His (Daniels) practice during the week is what won the spot,” Miles said, noting quarterbacks Miles Kendrick and Thomas MacVittie both warmed up before the game and were available. “What he (Daniels) did was he showed his abilities to hit balls that were tight throws. He had a really good week, competed extremely well. We anticipate his accuracy will pick up.
“At times we ran with pace, tempo. That’s what you can expect from him — move his feet, throw the ball, get it lined up.”
THE GRADES
Offense: C: KU, playing its first game without Pooka Williams, gained 320 yards to KSU’s 381. The Jayhawks had 18 first downs to the Wildcats’ 17.
Daniels looked good, except for his roll right, throw left pass that was picked off and returned 24 yards for a score by Justin Gardner to give K-State a 20-0 lead in the second quarter.
Williams’ replacement, Velton Gardner, gained 72 yards on 16 carries with a long run of 27 yards. Daniel Hishaw had 14 yards on six carries.
Defense: C: It wasn’t the defense’s fault K-State led, 34-7, at halftime. In fact, the Wildcats scored 14 points in the first half on a pair of Phillip Brooks punt returns for TDs. K-State also had a field goal set up by a Brooks punt return. The Wildcats also scored on the interception return. The only TD scored by K-State’s offense the first half was a 16-yard pass from Will Howard to Sammy Wheeler. KU linebacker Kyron Johnson and safety Kenny Logan had six tackles apiece. Johnson had KU’s only sack. Linebackers Steven Parker and Denzel Feaster had five and four tackles respectively.
The Jayhawks, who were playing without starting linebacker Dru Prox and starting safety Davon Ferguson, allowed a respectable 381 yards.
Special Teams: F: The unit draws the failing grade for allowing a pair of punt returns for scores from Brooks, who scorched KU for 189 yards off four returns — two for scores.
But it has to be taken into consideration the Jayhawks were without regular punter Kyle Thompson, who was injured and did not dress for the game. Also, backup punter Donovan Gagen was hurt in the second quarter. Third-team punter, freshman Reis Vernon, punted five times for a 34.6 average. Gagen punted three times for a 36.7 average. Even QB Daniels punted one time for 34 yards, pinning K-State deep in its own territory. KU coach Miles said some other unnamed players on the special teams units were not available for the game. Jacob Borcila missed his only field goal attempt of 40 yards in the first half.
Also, Lassiter had a huge fumble of a punt that came with the score 20-7. It led to a K-State touchdown.
Coaching: C: KU was playing without a batch of key performers, including two-time all-Big 12 running back Pooka Williams, who has opted out of the rest of the season to be with his mother, who is battling illness in Louisiana. Miles said after the game that Williams told him he’d be back in Lawrence in January, lending the possibility Williams could return to the KU backfield next season. Considering where KU’s program is right now, there’s no way Miles and his staff had a chance versus K-State on the road missing Williams, three receivers, the starting punter and two key defenders.
NEXT UP
KU will meet Iowa State at 11 a.m. Saturday at Booth Memorial Stadium in Lawrence.
