KU quarterback Ryan Willis plays through more pain in TCU loss

Late on Saturday afternoon, Kansas’ Ryan Willis emerged from a locker room inside Amon G. Carter Stadium. He carried a box of food and could barely bend his left leg, walking with a noticeable limp. For the second straight week, Willis, a true freshman quarterback, played through two groin issues while taking another beating in Kansas’ 23-17 loss at TCU.

Kansas coach David Beaty said Willis’ health limited some aspects of Kansas’ offense, but Beaty praised his young quarterback’s toughness.

“He’s a tough dude,” Beaty said. “That ole boy didn’t tap out.”

As a freshman, Willis is not allowed to speak with the media, per team policy. But it appears likely he will have to battle through injuries for the rest of the year. On Saturday, he completed 20 of 41 passes for 203 yards. He added a touchdown and an interception while getting sacked three times.

“We had to do some things a little differently because he wasn’t able to move as well,” Beaty said. “Every time he took off running, you’d have to be blind not to have seen how bad it was hurting him.”

▪ TCU coach Gary Patterson said senior quarterback Trevone Boykin would likely “be back” after suffering an ankle injury during the first series on Saturday. Boykin, a Heisman Trophy contender, attempted just eight passes before exiting the game.

“We just couldn’t take a chance,” Patterson said. “It’s an ankle (injury). He’s got to get himself healthy.”

This story was originally published November 14, 2015 at 7:04 PM with the headline "KU quarterback Ryan Willis plays through more pain in TCU loss."