Game report: West Virginia 33, Kansas 14
First quarter
Key play: Just before the end of the quarter, West Virginia QB Clint Trickett hit Kevin White down the right sideline for a 63-yard touchdown to break it open and give the Mountaineers a 16-0 lead.
Key stat: White’s three catches were each for more yardage than the Jayhawks’ offense picked up in the quarter.
Second quarter
Key play: T.J. Semke blocked a 47-yard West Virginia field goal attempt with 11:07 remaining. The ball was recovered by Isaiah Johnson and gave the Jayhawks some hope.
Key stat: Kansas only had one play in West Virginia territory in the entire first half, a third-and-4 from the Mountaineers’ 48 on the drive after the blocked field goal.
Third quarter
Key play: West Virginia’s Jordan Thompson muffed a punt that was recovered by Austin Barone and gave Kansas its best starting field position of the game at the Mountaineers’ 18. It led to a Corey Avery touchdown for the Jayhawks.
Key stat: Kansas allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown for the first time this season.
Fourth quarter
Key play: Nick Harwell returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown with 2:23 remaining.
Key stat: Kansas did not turn the ball over for the first time since the season opener against Southeast Missouri.
Player of the game: White changed the game with his 63-yard touchdown catch at the end of the first quarter. He finished with six catches for 132 yards and the lone score.
Reason to hope: The Jayhawks’ defense did suffer a couple of breakdowns in the passing game — they were flagged for pass interference a couple of times and got burned deep by White — but despite allowing 557 yards they were consistently able to stop the high-octane Mountaineers and forced five field goal attempts in the first half.
Reason to mope: The Kansas offense appears to be in disarray. There was very little flow and less continuity as the team changed quarterbacks from Montell Cozart to Michael Cummings to start the second half in an effort to jump-start the stagnant attack.
Looking ahead: KU will host Oklahoma State this week. The Jayhawks have lost their last four against the Cowboys, nine of their last 10, dropped five straight to them in Lawrence and have not defeated Oklahoma State at home since Oct. 29, 1994.
Report card
F+ | Offense | It was obvious from the opening snap that Kansas was going to have problems moving the ball against the West Virginia defense. Quarterback Montell Cozart was largely ineffective and was replaced at halftime. Gaining 176 yards isn’t going to get it done in the Big 12. |
B- | Defense | Yes the defense allowed 557 yards and gave up a couple of big plays, but the damage could have been considerably worse had the team not toughened up in the first half and limited West Virginia to field goals instead of touchdowns. That unit also didn’t allow a point in the second half. |
B- | Special teams | This would have been higher had KU not given up a kickoff return for a touchdown. Nick Harwell returned a punt for a touchdown late in the game, and T.J. Semke blocked a field goal early in the second quarter. The Jayhawks punted 14 times in the game to set a record for most punts by a West Virginia opponent. |
A- | Coaching | It would be hard to be too critical of Clint Bowen and his staff just a few days into their regime. This was not an easy team to prepare for, but they did a remarkable job of getting the Jayhawks to come together, especially in the second half. Bowen also deserves kudos for having the temerity to pull his starting quarterback at halftime in his first game running the team. |
This story was originally published October 4, 2014 at 10:37 PM with the headline "Game report: West Virginia 33, Kansas 14."