Grades from KU Jayhawks loss in football to Baylor Bears and looking ahead to Duke
Here are grades for all three Kansas units, a highlight from Saturday’s 45-7 loss to Baylor and a look ahead to next week’s game against Duke.
Play of the game
Going the other way: A big reason KU remained competitive in the first half was a standout play by safety Kenny Logan late in the first quarter.
During an extended Baylor drive, Logan tackled receiver R.J. Sneed by putting the crown of his helmet on the football, jarring it free so KU cornerback Ra’Mello Dotson could scoop it with a 14-yard return.
It was one of two fumble recoveries on the day by the Jayhawks, who now sit at a plus-two turnover margin through three games.
Grades
Offense: F. In 11 non-half-shortened drives, KU had exactly one possession that progressed more than 25 yards. The Jayhawks had six three-and-outs. Coach Lance Leipold left frustrated with his team’s blitz pickups, while once again, KU struggled to gain any consistency in the run game outside of quarterback Jason Bean. KU mustered just 57 passing yards; to put that in perspective, only two non-military-academy FBS teams had posted a lower total than that in a game coming into the week. The simplest way to put it: 3.3 yards per play is going to get you blown out most every week, and that was a huge contributing factor in the Jayhawks getting routed Saturday.
Defense: D-: The two forced turnovers keep this from a failing grade, as KU’s defense was over-matched on a down-for-down basis. Baylor had explosive plays through the air while averaging 14.2 yards per completion. The Bears also bullied the Jayhawks in the trenches, uprooting defensive linemen and swallowing up linebackers while gashing away for 6.8 yards per carry. Leipold bemoaned KU’s poor tackling, and Baylor QB Gerry Bohanon was rarely moved off his spot while completing 19 of 23 passes. There doesn’t appear to be any easy answers or quick fixes here for defensive coordinator Brian Borland, as his group has now been outclassed by more experienced foes in consecutive weeks.
Special teams: D. Baylor, which entered last in FBS in punt return yardage, brought back three for 62 yards, which included Trestan Ebner’s 50-yarder in the first quarter that flipped the field. The Bears had a holding call bring back another 86-yard punt return that would’ve gone for a touchdown, but it’s difficult to ding KU’s special teams too much for that, as replays showed the (blatant) hold opened up Ebner’s running lane. Punter Reis Vernon averaged an impressive 47 yards on eight punts, while Tabor Allen continues to consistently boom kickoffs through the end zone.
Next up
KU will play a road game against Duke at 3 p.m. Central on Saturday, Sept. 25 at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, North Carolina. The game will be televised on ACC Network.
This story was originally published September 19, 2021 at 9:00 AM.
