Kansas Jayhawks football grades: Report card from KU’s tough loss vs. Arizona
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kansas lost 24-20 to Arizona; Jayhawks remain one win from bowl eligibility.
- Offense totaled 369 yards but stalled late; key field goal missed by Marjan.
- Defense generated five sacks and limited Fifita, yet allowed late 80-yard drive.
The Kansas Jayhawks were moments from clinching bowl eligibility against Arizona, before losing a heartbreaker in the last minute Saturday.
The Wildcats took the lead with 39 seconds left, ultimately winning 24-20.
“This one stings,” coach Lance Leipold told reporters postgame. “This team wants to play a 13th game, there’s no doubt about that. For us to find a way to make sure we hit that benchmark is important.”
Here are our grades for all three phases of Saturday’s contest for KU (5-5, 3-4 Big 12), plus a player of the game
Offense: B-
KU’s offense was a mixed bag.
Kansas totaled 369 yards of total offense, but the Jayhawks still punted the ball five times. The choice to kick a field goal with 2:39 left on a fourth-and-2 — with kicker Laith Marjan eventually missing — was questionable at best.
Especially because it ended in another close loss.
Daniel Hishaw had 18 carries for 70 yards.
Quarterback Jalon Daniels, meanwhile, didn’t have his best passing game. Daniels finished 15-of-29 passing for 190 yards and one touchdown. He added 74 yards and one touchdown on the ground.
Emmanuel Henderson also returned to form. He finished with five catches for 65 yards and one touchdown.
Defense: B
KU’s defense had a quality day, but could have had an excellent outing if not for two interceptions taken off the board.
Still, the Jayhawks limited star Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita to 16-for-31 passing for 158 yards and two touchdowns.
Kansas did an excellent job of getting to the quarterback, finishing with five sacks. That said, KU’s defense faltered late in the game.
The Jayhawks allowed Arizona to score a go-ahead touchdown with 39 seconds left. The Wildcats’ drive was eight plays for 80 yards and took only two minutes of game time.
Special teams: B-
Kicker Laith Marjan finally missed this season, and it came at a brutal time. He missed a 30-yard field goal with 2:39 left and the Jayhawks up three. That broke his streak of 14 consecutive makes.
That said, he went 2-for-3 on field goals, with a long of 50 yards.
Punter Finn Lapin averaged 45.8 yards on his five punts. Return man Emmanuel Henderson didn’t return any kicks.
KU player of the game: Dak Brinkley
Kansas redshirt freshman Dak Brinkley had two sacks Saturday. They were the first two sacks of his college career.
It was an important showing for Brinkley, who had plenty of hype surrounding him before he arrived in Lawrence. He picked the Jayhawks over Missouri, Texas, Kansas State and other schools.
He was part of why the Jayhawks had a shot to win this game on the road.
