The Jayhawks took on the Sun Devils in Tempe Saturday night in Arizona State’s Big 12 debut. The Kansas Jayhawks hoped to break their 4 game losing streak. Lance Leipold, the head coach for the Jayhawks, was hopeful coming into the game. During last week’s press conference, Leipold was nearly in tears, questioning if his team is playing too soft or too passive. He took responsibility last week for the inconsistency of the offense and the overall lacking performance of this Kansas team. The big question is: Can quarterback Jalon Daniels sharpen up his act tonight against the Sun Devils?
The Jayhawks begin the matchup strong. Kansas punts to start the 1st half. The Sun Devils go down to score on a 75 yard drive in a little over 3 minutes. After the punt from Arizona State, the Sun Devils’ defense started playing aggressively. Pass to Devin Neal, Kansas makes a good 25-yard run down the far sideline. A 22-yard rushing touchdown for Jalon Daniels plus the made extra point tied up the game with 6:24 left in the 1st quarter. The Jayhawks were able to hold the Devils on their second drive of the game. The ball went back to Arizona State after a scoreless drive for the Jayhawks. First three pass attempts fell incomplete and the Sun Devils went 3 and out. 7-7 to end the first quarter.
In a conversation with a sideline reporter after the 1st quarter, Leipold said he “likes the attitude of the team” coming off the strong start. Kansas made a big 3rd down conversion early and continued to look strong in the 2nd quarter. A 30-yard receiving touchdown from Quintin Skinner put the Jayhawks on top. The Sun Devils are unable to respond with a touchdown, and the field goal attempt was swatted down by the Jayhawk defense. A false punt on the following drive from Arizona State gains a first down. Ball popped out following a reception and recovered by the Jayhawks on the 30-yard line, what would’ve been another first down for the Sun Devils. The Jayhawks were forced to punt after an unexpected turnover, a 42-yard return on the Arizona State side. A 20-yard receiving touchdown for the Arizona State team tied up the score 30 seconds before the half.
An exciting first half for the Jayhawks: Daniels showed he still has something to prove coupled with good rushes and receptions for the offense, the first half in Tempe delighted Kansas fans. Both quarterbacks showed a lot of confidence. Score tied 14-14.
Good opening drive out of halftime for the Jayhawks results in two incomplete passes into the endzone. A targeting call on the field reviewed and confirmed by the officials brought up 1st & goal for the Jayhawks. A seemingly frustrated Leipold took a timeout on 3rd & goal. The Hawks were unable to bring in the touchdown but made the 20-yard field goal attempt. A drive to the red zone for the Sun Devils was cut short when an interception was made by the Jayhawks at the goaline. The Jayhawks were unable to cover any ground after the interception and were forced to punt it away to the Sun Devils. 1st and goal for Arizona State at the 1-yard line, 17-14 at the end of the quarter.
Arizona State scored a touchdown at the top of the 4th quarter. The Sun Devils lead didn’t last long, when the Jayhawks scored a 31-yard rushing touchdown by Devin Neal. The Sun Devils scored a touchdown, a 31-yard reception, and the lead changed again. Dispute over the unnecessary roughness call got turned over and changed to a targeting call. Clayton Smith was the second person to be ejected for targeting from the Arizona State defense during the game. Quintin Skinner made a huge 34-yard touchdown reception with a little over 2 minutes left in the game. The booth reviewed the touchdown pass, but the call ultimately stood. The Sun Devils scored a touchdown in the final 20 seconds to end the game.
Reporters say Jalon Daniels is back, and Jayhawk fans love to see it. He made some great plays Saturday night, and showed the energy fans have missed from him since the start of the season.
Kansas now has a 1-5 record. The Hawks will have a bye next week and then take on Houston at home on Saturday, October 19.
