Kansas football blown out by Iowa State: Takeaways & bowl game implications
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Iowa State dominated Kansas from kickoff, building a 17-0 halftime lead.
- Kansas offense sputtered early; Jalon Daniels struggled while Ballard added one TD.
- KU remains one win from bowl eligibility and faces No. 12 Utah in finale.
At no point on Saturday did the Kansas Jayhawks play like a team needing just one more win to clinch bowl eligibility.
From kickoff, Iowa State controlled the game. KU’s defense gave up big play after big play against a Cyclones team that entered with an average offense in most statistical categories.
KU’s offense, meanwhile, didn’t wake up until the second half. It was a bad showing from a group that had an extra week to prepare for the Cyclones — and the scoreboard reflected it.
“We got off to a slow start,” KU coach Lance Leipold said. “I thought we were soft and timid. When we did have moments to flip it, we didn’t make enough plays to answer that to try to make it a better football game.”
Iowa State defeated Kansas 38-14 at Jack Trice Stadium. After two consecutive losses, KU (5-6, 3-5 Big 12) remains one win from bowl eligibility, now with just one regular-season game left: vs. No. 12 Utah.
The Jayhawks have lost four of five and five of seven. This was among the ugliest of their performances.
The Cyclones dominated the first half and took a 17-0 lead into the locker room.
Four plays into the second half, KU finally got on the scoreboard. Running back Leshon Williams scored a 4-yard rushing touchdown, but ISU answered right back with a touchdown to go up 24-7.
Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels briefly exited the game midway through the third quarter with an apparent injury. The Jayhawks inched closer when backup Cole Ballard found tight end Boden Groen for a 21-yard passing score to cut the deficit to 24-14.
Daniels returned following an Iowa State touchdown on its next drive, but the Jayhawks did not score again. Iowa State tacked on two late touchdowns to win by 24.
Daniels finished 13-of-23 passing for 154 yards and one interception. Williams had eight carries for 50 yards and one touchdown. Ballard threw for 37 yards and a score.
Up next: The Jayhawks end their regular season at home vs. Utah on Friday, Nov. 28.
Until then, here are three takeaways from Saturday’s game:
KU’s defense couldn’t stop Rocco Becht
Iowa State’s quarterback entered Saturday with 2,230 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions. As those numbers might suggest, he’d been up and down all year.
The Jayhawks made him look like a star.
Kansas only had one pressure in the first half, while Becht diced up the defense, going 10-for-13 passing for 102 yards and a touchdown in that time. Carson Hansen also ran for 101 yards in the first half, as the Cyclones built a three-score lead.
Becht converted multiple third downs, and continued to show poise into the second half. He finished the game 18-of-23 passing for 241 yards and three touchdowns.
Iowa State went 9-for-16 on third down and 4-for-5 on fourth down.
“It gets difficult, but at the end of the day, we all as a team (have) one common goal and that’s to win,” KU linebacker Trey Lathan said. “We try not to take our anger out on each other, no matter what. We try to flush all the bad plays and try to rally back up to each other, go out there for the next series and try to get a stop.”
Jalon Daniels and KU’s offense struggled
KU’s offense has had better days.
The Jayhawks totaled 323 yards of offense. The receivers couldn’t separate against Iowa State’s DBs, and Daniels finished with a pedestrian day. That included a red-zone interception from the Kansas quarterback, albeit down three scores in the fourth quarter.
Saturday was, in fact, the first time Kansas has been shut out of a first half since the Texas Tech game ... in 2023.
The Jayhawks only scored 14 points in this one, and they never quite put a scare into the Cyclones.
KU’s special teams unit was a mess
Kicker Laith Marjan had a program-record streak to start the season. He’s now missed field goals in two straight games, after missing a 41-yard kick as KU trailed 14-0 in the first half.
To add insult to injury, Iowa State kicker Kyle Konrardy made a 55-yard field goal later in the quarter.
That wasn’t the worst of it.
In the first quarter, punter Finn Lappin saw a snap sail over his head. Fortunately, he chased down the ball and managed to get off a punt on the run. But the result, even after a friendly bounce, was a 27-yard boot.
Iowa State scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive. And Leipold said postgame that play contributed to the Jayhawks not playing aggressive when getting the ball back late in the first half.
This story was originally published November 22, 2025 at 2:35 PM.
