KU football grades from loss at Missouri. Did the Jayhawks give this one away?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kansas’ offense struggled on the ground, finishing with just 31 rushing yards.
- Missouri exploited the KU defense, gaining 595 yards and scoring five touchdowns.
- DeShawn Hanika led KU’s receiving corps with 74 yards and two touchdowns on six catches.
The first chapter of the renewed Border War took place Saturday in Columbia, as Kansas football lost 42-31 to archrival Missouri.
KU had plenty of chances to seize control of the game, but the Tigers prevailed. Kansas now will attempt to regroup during its first bye week. The Jayhawks will return to action Sept. 20 vs. West Virginia to start Big 12 play.
Here are our grades for all three phases of Saturday’s game for KU (2-1), plus a player of the game...
Kansas offense: C
KU’s offense has certainly had better days.
The Jayhawks finished the night with 254 total yards of offense, namely due to a non-existent running game.
KU finished with 31 yards on the ground. Running back Daniel Hishaw had 11 yards on six attempts. It’s likely to be KU’s worst rushing output of the season.
Quarterback Jalon Daniels was the only reason Kansas stayed within striking distance at times — but even he threw a late interception and fumbled twice.
Daniels finished 18-of-33 for 223 yards with three total touchdowns. His second fumble was recovered by the Jayhawks ... but in the end zone, leading to a safety. The Tigers added three more points on the ensuing drive.
The offense wasn’t great, but it’s the only reason Kansas had a chance until the closing minutes. KU also played it conservative down the stretch, which coach Lance Leipold acknowledged could draw some criticism.
Kansas defense: D+
Man, the defense was an issue.
The Tigers had 595 total yards, including 261 yards on the ground. Missouri seemed to run at will against the Jayhawks, which included a game-clinching 63-yard touchdown by running back Jamal Roberts.
On top of that, KU let Missouri QB Beau Pribula do whatever he wanted most of the game. He passed for over 300 yards and three passing touchdowns.
The only positive for KU’s defense? The forced fumble by Blake Herold that Austin Alexander scooped up and turned into a touchdown.
It was an ugly night all around filled with plenty of missed tackles for the KU defense.
Kansas special teams: B+
Punter Finn Lappin averaged 45 yards per punt, with a long of 49.
Kicker Laith Marjan was 1-of-1 on field goals, making a 26-yard attempt. He also made all of his extra points.
Returner Emmanuel Henderson had three returns for an average of 21 yards, with a long of 28. Tate Nagy returned a punt 21 yards, and the Jayhawks also blocked a PAT attempt on Missouri’s first touchdown.
Player of the game: DeShawn Hanika
Kansas tight end DeShawn Hanika was plenty valuable on Saturday. And he was a reliable target for quarterback Jalon Daniels.
Hanika finished with six catches for 74 yards and two touchdowns. He was one of the few offensive players who played well on Saturday. We’ll see if he keeps it going.
