Kansas Jayhawks Shock Unbeaten No. 6 BYU Cougars in Upset

© Rob Gray/USA TODAY SPORTS

The Kansas Jayhawks (4-6, 3-4 in Big 12 Conference) were able to pull off one of the most exciting upsets of the season this year, knocking off the formerly unbeaten No. 6 BYU Cougars (9-1, 6-1) 17-13 in Provo, Utah on Nov. 17.

A Physical Jayhawk Effort

This game featured a rarity for Jayhawks football. That rarity was a physical, hard-hitting defense that stopped the run and didn't allow any room to breathe for a normally potent BYU offense. Many were expecting this to be a shootout with how strong both teams' offenses were, but it ended up becoming a defensive slugfest. Both teams made every inch feel like a mile for these offenses, with big plays coming at a premium.

The reason the Jayhawks were able to pull off the upset, however, was because they outclassed one of the strongest defenses in the Big 12 in physicality and played BYU's game better than BYU did. They forced errors, they blew up plays in the backfield and they forced the Cougars' hand by getting pressure and tightly covering their star receivers like Darius Lassiter and Chase Roberts. The Jayhawks held the BYU passing attack to just 192 yards, while the rushing attack, which is normally Kansas's weakness, was held to 162 yards.

That's not to say, though, that BYU just rolled over and died. It was tight to the very end, with the Jayhawks needing a fourth-down stop with less than two minutes to go to officially put the Cougars on ice up just four. The Jayhawks came up with the stop and BYU was unbeaten no more.

Jalon Daniels: For the Brand

The play that turned the game on its head came with 13 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels was set to take a snap on fourth-and-14, which caused a bit of confusion for the BYU side.

BYU eventually was prepared for what was to come next, which was a rare punt from the quarterback. Daniels has shown off his punting acumen before, but this one was something different. A 26-yard, funky-looking pooch kick sailed through the air and proceeded to hit BYU's Evan Johnson on the helmet, which signaled for a live ball and a muffed punt.

Quentin Skinner jumped at the opportunity, seizing the ball deep within BYU territory at its 3-yard line. This set up the eventual game-winning score, a Devin Neal 3-yard run. A massive special teams moment turned into a Jayhawks victory. As Pat McAfee says, Daniels is for the brand.

BYU Cougars: Unbeaten No More

The Cougars have dropped their first game of the season, and with College Football Playoff hopes becoming more and more real by the day, this certainly doesn't help their chances. If they can maintain this record and win the Big 12 title, they're likely in. Lose again, or even worse, two more times, and the Cougars may be out entirely.

A loss like this puts a dent in their resume but they can still recover should they keep course toward a Big 12 title and one-loss season. The Cougars face the Arizona State Sun Devils (7-2, 5-2) in Tempe, Ariz. on Nov. 23.

The Jayhawks keep their bowl hopes alive with another victory over a ranked team. This win pumps a lot of hope into the Jayhawks faithful, with a lot of them wondering where this team was throughout the whole season. Nonetheless, Jayhawks fans everywhere are hoping for them to win out so that they can secure bowl eligibility from the clutches of a disappointing season. The Jayhawks will play the No. 17 Colorado Buffaloes (8-2, 6-1) on Nov. 23.