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The Kansas Jayhawks took on the #4 Texas Longhorns in Austin this past weekend without their starting quarterback Jalon Daniels. Though valiantly fought for 3 quarters, the Jayhawks' wheels would 'fall off' as the Longhorns would score 20 unanswered to solidify their victory. Let's break it down.
Game Summary:
Kansas starting quarterback and Preseason Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year Jalon Daniels has been dealing with a back issue that has plagued him since Week 1. About an hour before game time it was announced that Jalon Daniels would not play due to this issue, giving 6th year senior Jason Bean the start. With little preparation and little confidence instilled in him from last year's tragic Liberty Bowl performance, Bean was not expected to come in and win, and while that didn't happen (far from it) he still turned in a better performance than expected, finishing with 1 TD and no interceptions and 136 yards as well as 7 rushes for 42 yards. Texas, however, had a field day with the reeling Kansas program and while the Kansas defense held for about 3 quarters, the Longhorns steadily chipped away until the dam broke in the late 3rd, early 4th where they scored 20 unanswered. Quinn Ewers would finish with 325 yards passing and 1 touchdown, but the story of the game was Texas's fierce rushing attack. Jonathon Brooks would finish with a monster 218 yards and 10.4 yards per carry, as well as 2 touchdowns while Quinn Ewers would have a big rushing game of his own, going 7 carries for 40 yards and 2 touchdowns. The big fear of the Kansas rush defense being suspect came true, and Brooks exposed that weakness. Kansas moves on to a home matchup against conference newcomer UCF and Texas moves on to the Red River Rivalry against #12 Oklahoma.
Turning Point of the Game:
Kansas held their ground throughout much of this game. The score will not tell you that, however one particular moment late in the 3rd quarter completely flipped the momentum. With about 4:25 left in the 3rd, Jason Bean would lose control of a handoff causing the ball to tumble out of his hands and the hands of running back Daniel Hishaw. Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron would seize the opportunity and jump straight into the quickly developing dogpile to get possession of the ball for his team in opposing territory. Texas would capitalize on the ensuing offensive possession, scoring a touchdown that would begin the 20 point onslaught.
Kansas Jayhawks Player of the Game: Damon Greaves
Unfortunately, in 26 point losses, not much is positive for the losing team. However, punter Damon Greaves showed that Kansas's special teams will not be an issue this year, unlike like last year. Greaves had a great game and helped preserve the close game throughout 3 quarters even with the offensive ineptitude. Greaves booted 6 total punts, 4 of which ended up inside the 20 yard line, and had a long of 53 yards. With Kansas having one of the worst special teams units in the nation last year, this is a welcome sight, and the Australian punter has been criminally underrated this year regarding his impact on this Kansas team trying to prove they belong in the Big 12 contention talks. He proved that this past Saturday and was one of the few bright spots this Kansas team had.
Texas Longhorns Player of the Game: Jonathan Brooks
Jonathon Brooks is quickly proving why he deserves to be in the Doak Walker conversation and has been an underrated piece to this explosive Texas offense. While all the attention goes to Quinn Ewers and this stellar receiving corps, Jonathon Brooks has quietly worked himself into the conversation of best back in the Big 12 and perhaps the nation, racking up 597 yards and 5 touchdowns on an average of 6.9 yards per carry. Brooks all but had his coming out party this past game, racking up the aforementioned 218 yards and 2 touchdowns on a whopping 10.4 yards per carry. Kansas had no answer for the bruising back and Oklahoma has been put on notice for next week. Texas has forces of nature both in the air and on the ground.
Conclusion:
Kansas may be dealing with this Jalon Daniels situation for the foreseeable future, as trainers have listed him as day-to-day and it has already been noted that Jason Bean will be taking the first team reps in preparation for UCF. With their star quarterback out, how will Kansas respond to adversity? This will be the true test of whether or not Kansas is for real. For Texas, they are quickly becoming the favorites for not only the Big 12 title, but a College Football Playoff spot as well. They look like one of the most complete teams in the nation right now and could very well run the table this year. Arguably their biggest test comes this coming weekend against #12 Oklahoma, but if they can make a statement with a big win in that game, the sky's the limit. Texas could officially be back...
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