Who’s got a brighter future: KU or K-State? What’s Jason Bean’s legacy? It’s Q&A time
University of Kansas quarterback Jason Bean ended his collegiate career in grand fashion Tuesday night, leading the Jayhawks to a 49-36 win over the UNLV Rebels in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.
He tied Todd Reesing’s KU record of six passing touchdowns in a single game, finishing 19 of 28 for 449 yards with three interceptions.
The victory had to be extra-satisfying for KU and Bean after last season’s Liberty Bowl ending — a triple-overtime loss to Arkansas.
This year’s showing overall was a bit of a fairytale season for the Jayhawks. And the more I think about it, the more I realize how important Bean is in the story of Kansas football.
After star quarterback Jalon Daniels played just three games and then missed the rest of the season due to back spasms, Bean led Kansas to six wins and two losses. KU earned a nine-win season for just the sixth time in program history.
Historically, Kansas has been one of the worst football programs in FBS history. For KU to have a backup QB the caliber of Bean — who elevated his play significantly when called upon — the Jayhawks were fortunate.
Without a doubt, Bean was one of the best stories in college football this season. I hope he’s remembered fondly by Jayhawks fans, as he’s set up KU to be a Big 12 title contender in 2024.
But more importantly, he gave the Jayhawks fanbase something (someone) to rally around. And that’s what sports is all about.
With that, let’s get right into another Kansas Jayhawks Q&A!
HOW DID BIG CALVIN CLEMENTS ACTUALLY DO IN THE GAME?? O-Line had some struggles, but I didn’t feel like he ever got truly beat. I’m just curious how he actually did? — @Evan859435944
I went back and rewatched the game; I came away pretty impressed. Yes, he had a holding call or two, but the true freshman held his own, for the most part. KU fans look to have a special talent in Clements.
You can add one former KU player in the NBA right now to the current KU team but only for one game, what game and what player would you add? (Must be regular season game) — @NickSpringer29
I’d go with Joel Embiid on the road against Houston. Why? He loves playing the villain; plus, I’d like to see somebody drop 100 points in a college game. I think he could do it.
Let’s talk about returning potential all-conference starters(Neal, Daniels, Bryant etc) on offense and defense compared to other Big12 programs. Do we have a huge advantage here? — @niallmcs
I think so. Continuity is a very underrated aspect of program-building and KU returns much of its roster next season. As long as Daniels is ready to go, I feel confident KU’s offense won’t miss a beat.
I know things are fluid with the portal still open, but looking ahead to 2024 and the new Big12, what should reasonable expectations be for #kufball to signal the program has taken the next step? Match 2023 in wins, conference title contenders, NY6 bowl, etc.? — @barmstrong2185
KU should challenge for a Big 12 championship (and at least post a top-three conference finish, I’d think). The Jayhawks weren’t far from playing for the Big 12 championship this year. If Daniels is healthy next season, KU could very well make it to the title game in 2024. That would be another huge step for coach Lance Leipold and his staff.
Going forward, which Kansas school has a brighter future? — @Lancer8821
Honestly, that’s a great question. I think it’s tough to say, but I’ll offer this: The fact we are talking about which school (KU or KSU) has a brighter future is a testament to the strides made by Leipold and his staff. Imagine having this conversation after his first season, when Kansas went 2-10.
