Kansas Jayhawks football grades: Report card from KU’s loss vs. Iowa State
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kansas lost to Iowa State, dropping to 5-6 as Iowa State dominated early.
- Offense stalled: Daniels forced throws, KU managed 323 yards and 14 points.
- Defense collapsed: Becht threw for 241 yards and three touchdowns.
Needing just one win to clinch bowl eligibility, the Kansas Jayhawks lost badly to Iowa State on Saturday.
The Cyclones dominated the game from kickoff. Kansas coach Lance Leipold wasn’t pleased with his team’s effort postgame.
“I thought we were soft and timid,” Leipold said of his team’s start. “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.”
Here are our grades for all three phases of Saturday’s contest for KU (5-6, 3-5 Big 12), plus a player of the game
Offense: D
KU’s offense had a rough outing.
Kansas totaled only 323 yards of offense vs. Iowa State. Quarterback Jalon Daniels struggled to get anything going in the passing attack.
Daniels finished 13-of-23 passing for 154 yards and one interception. KU’s receivers struggled to get open, leading to Daniels forcing balls into tight windows.
It was the first time Kansas has been shut out of a first half since the Texas Tech game in 2023.
The lone bright spot was the running game. Running back Leshon Williams had eight carries for 50 yards.
Still, the Jayhawks finished with 14 points, their lowest total all season.
Defense: F
KU’s defense was horrible Saturday, and Leipold broke down exactly how in his postgame comments.
At no point in the game did the defense offer resistance. Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht had one of his best games all season. He picked apart KU’s secondary to the tune of 241 yards and three touchdowns.
Iowa State finished 9-for-16 on third down and 4-for-5 on fourth down.
It was the worst defensive showing all season by KU against an Iowa State offense that entered Saturday ranked about average in most statistical categories.
Special teams: C-
Like much of KU’s play Saturday, the special teams group has had better games.
After kicker Laith Marjan began the season with a school record streak for consecutive makes, he’s now missed field goals in two straight games. He missed a 41-yard kick in this one.
That wasn’t all.
Punter Finn Lappin had a snap sail over his head. Luckily for KU, he chased down the ball and managed to get off a punt, but it traveled only 27 yards after a friendly bounce.
Primary return man Emmanuel Henderson averaged 14 yards on his two kick returns. The Jayhawks did dial up a trick play on a kick return that Cam Pickett took 38 yards.
Player of the game: Leshon Williams
Look, there weren’t a lot of bright spots for the Jayhawks in this one, but Williams was one of them.
The Jayhawks didn’t run the ball much because they were behind most of the game, but Williams averaged 6.3 yards per carry and got Kansas on the scoreboard.
Backup QB Cole Ballard also deserves a nod for his touchdown pass. He entered briefly after Daniels took a hard hit and found Boden Groen for a 21-yard score.
