Three takeaways from Kansas football’s Week 2 win against Illinois
Kansas coach Lance Leipold jogged to the locker room at halftime with a hearty grin.
And who could blame him.
The Jayhawks (2-0) gave Leipold plenty to smile about on Friday night, dominating all facets of the game early. Then, KU withstood a late Illinois rally to win 34-23 in a prime-time matchup at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.
“It was a good performance,” Leipold said. “I think there’s a part of that second half where momentum gets away from (us) ... but I think when I watch the game tomorrow I’ll appreciate the effort and getting the turnovers.”
Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels finished 21-of-29 passing for 280 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. KU running back Devin Neal added one touchdown while running for 120 yards.
Daniels missed KU’s opening game against Missouri State due to back issues, and there wasn’t any actual confirmation he would play against Illinois. So naturally, the Jayhawks used that to their advantage.
The Jayhawks started their first offensive drive with some trickery — Daniels and backup Jason Bean, who started the opener, lined up next to each other. But Daniels took the snap, faked to Bean and then converted a 10-yard pass to KU wide receiver Lawrence Arnold.
The offense was off and running.
Daniels led a 10-play, 82-yard touchdown drive that put Kansas up 7-0. KU scored another two touchdowns before Illinois even got on the board. Later, the Jayhawks needed all of 36 seconds to drive 75 yards in four plays and end the half with a 28-7 lead.
Illinois (1-1) showed signs of life in the second half. After two KU drives ended in field goals, Illinois answered with two straight touchdowns and converted both 2-point plays to cut Kansas’ lead to 11 (34-23).
With Illinois marching down the field late in the fourth quarter, Kansas cornerback Kwinton Lassiter ended the comeback bid with an interception — his second in two games.
Kansas will travel to Reno to play Nevada next Saturday.
Here are three takeaways from the Jayhawks’ Game 2 win ...
Jalon Daniels doesn’t miss a beat.
Jalon Daniels is a magician.
Or at least he looked like it Friday night against Illinois. After battling a back injury most of fall camp and missing KU’s first game, Daniels didn’t play with any apprehension.
He was surgical in his decision-making with the right reads on option plays and maneuvering out of trouble for positive yards. He looked Patrick Mahomes-esque at times.
“Those throws were amazing,” Leipold said. “I think he played with extreme confidence.”
Daniels led three 10-play drives of 80-plus yards in the first half, each ending with a touchdown. That feat has only happened three times in the last 20 years of college football, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Aside from the interception, Daniels played as well as KU could have hoped.
“He was on,” Leipold said, “and that’s impressive.”
KU defense impresses
Kansas’ defense faced its first real test of the season in Friday’s game. Well, the Jayhawks certainly answered the call.
The Jayhawks’ defensive line made Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer’s life difficult. KU often won the line-of-scrimmage battles, leading to six sacks.
Altmyer struggled to get anything going in the passing game; he finished 19-for-28 passing for 202 passing yards and two interceptions. Perhaps the most impressive play by the defense was KU cornerback Mello Dotson wrestling the ball out of an Illinois receiver’s hands to earn an interception.
The only real blemishes for KU’s defense came late in the third quarter. First, Kansas allowed Altmyer to scramble practically untouched for a 72-yard touchdown.
Then, KU defensive end Austin Booker and defensive back Cobee Bryant earned targeting penalties, the first by Booker on a 2-point attempt and the second as Bryant launched into a receiver.
Both will now miss the first half of KU’s matchup against Nevada next week.
Bryant earned All-Big 12 honors for his play last year.
Kansas wins line-of-scrimmage battles
Leading up to Friday’s clash, KU players spoke about how physical and big the Illinois offensive and defensive lines were.
The Illinois lines didn’t look as physical against Kansas. KU’s offensive line protected Daniels, allowing only two sacks and five tackles for loss. The KU offensive line created big holes for Neal and Daniel Hishaw, who combined for 218 of Kansas’ 262 rushing yards.
On the other side, KU’s defensive line overpowered a beefy Illinois front. Altmyer never looked comfortable on passing plays and was sacked six times. Illinois only had 139 rushing yards, while allowing nine tackles for loss.
“I feel like we matched up with them pretty well,” KU linebacker JB Brown said. “Our defensive line did what they had to do.”
Kansas winning the line-of-scrimmage battles against a Big Ten opponent is a positive sign as the Jayhawks roll into their nonconference finale at 2-0.
This story was originally published September 8, 2023 at 10:15 PM.
