Grades from KU Jayhawks football’s loss to TCU and looking ahead to West Virginia
Here are grades for all three Kansas units, a highlight from Saturday’s 31-28 loss to TCU and a look ahead to West Virginia.
Play of the game
Walk-on for the tie: Fullback Jared Casey — a preferred walk-on from Plainville — was part of KU’s biggest play for a second straight week, as he pulled in a 10-yard touchdown reception late in the fourth quarter to help tie the game at 28.
The call was a clever use of personnel by offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, who split out left tackle Earl Bostick while making Casey a tackle-eligible receiver. That appeared to confuse TCU’s defenders, who did not cover Casey when he first released on his route.
Grades
Offense: A-. There’s really little to complain about here other than Jalon Daniels’ interception in the second quarter. Daniels, outside of that, was fantastic again, completing 22 of 30 passes while showing off arm strength on some throws that few quarterbacks in KU history have had. Casey showed he wasn’t a one-hit wonder either, pulling down a one-handed catch and setting up a few big runs with crushing blocks. KU’s receivers also had a standout game, with Kwamie Lassiter breaking bunches of tackles for additional yardage, while Luke Grimm had a touchdown catch and some noteworthy blocks of his own. KU’s offense wasn’t quite the same after running back Devin Neal left the game in the second quarter with a shoulder injury, but the fact that it still churned second-half touchdowns without him shows just how much progress has been made from earlier in the season.
Defense: C+. KU’s defense, for a second straight week, was extremely opportunistic, coming up with clutch plays to buoy what was otherwise a bleh effort. Jacobee Bryant had an interception for a second consecutive game, and this one was impressive, as he brought it down with one hand in the end zone. The Jayhawks were more stout in goal-line situations, which included a crucial fourth-and-1 stand in the second quarter. On the negative side, KU’s tackling was poor, and while KU’s pass rush was improved, the defensive line didn’t do enough to stop TCU’s running backs. That only put more pressure on the back end, where outside of Jeremy Webb and Kenny Logan, KU’s secondary players did not appear to want to play with physicality to stop the Horned Frogs’ run plays. TCU posted a healthy 7.6 yards per play, so there’s still plenty of growth still available for this KU defense holistically.
Special teams: F. Look, 45-yard field goals are not gimmes, but KU fans had to be left wondering how the outcome might’ve changed if Jacob Borcila was able to make his long attempt late in the second quarter. Borcila has now made 7 of 13 field goals, and while many have been 40-plus-yard attempts, it doesn’t change the fact that kicking inconsistency has hurt the Jayhawks this season. Punter Reis Vernon also had a rough day, averaging 34 yards on three punts, with his long of 42 being helped by a fortuitous roll. For many games this season, special teams hasn’t impacted KU winning or losing the game. That couldn’t be said Saturday.
Next up
KU will play TCU at 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 27 at Booth Memorial Stadium in Lawrence. The game will be televised on FS1.
