Even in a 24-17 loss to Arizona State, Kansas got another clear reminder of what Dylan Edwards can bring to the offense. The junior running back gave the Jayhawks a steady dose of chunk plays, finishing with 89 rushing yards on 18 carries and 16 receiving yards on four catches for 105 total yards from scrimmage.
Edwards never reached the end zone, but he kept showing why Kansas views him as such a useful weapon. Early in the game, he broke loose for a 15-yard run on the Jayhawks’ second offensive drive, helping push the ball into Arizona State territory. Later, he added an 18-yard run during Kansas’ fourth-quarter touchdown drive.
That kind of production matters for an offense that has leaned on Isaiah Marshall to make plays both throwing the ball and running it. Edwards gives Kansas another avenue to generate offense, one that doesn’t require everything to run through its quarterback.
His quickness and elusiveness were on display throughout the game. Edwards repeatedly turned routine snaps into positive gains and helped Kansas stay in position to move the chains and keep pressure on Arizona State.
But the game also came with the kind of mistake Kansas can’t afford to keep making. Early in the third quarter, Edwards fumbled after a one-yard run. Arizona State recovered and returned it 77 yards to the Kansas 2-yard line, setting up a Sun Devils touchdown soon after.
That turnover loomed large because Arizona State wasted no time turning the takeaway into points. For Edwards, the next step is obvious: keep the explosive element, clean up the ball security.
Kansas finished with 414 total yards against Arizona State, including 179 on the ground. Edwards accounted for nearly half of that rushing output, underscoring how important he already is to the Jayhawks’ attack.
Now at 1-2 heading into the bye week, Kansas has a chance to keep building around him. The Jayhawks have shown they can use Edwards as both a runner and a receiver, and finding more ways to get him the ball in space could make him even harder to deal with.
Kansas returns to action against Middle Tennessee on Oct. 3, and it will need steadier production when play resumes. If Edwards keeps creating big plays while protecting the football, he can remain one of the most valuable pieces in the offense moving forward.
In Other News...
Kansas Football Suddenly Faces A Real Bowl Problem Under Lance Leipold
A 1-2 start has already put Kansas in an uncomfortable spot, and the early read on the season is forcing a sharper conversation about bowl eligibility than anyone around the program wanted this soon. ESPNs Football Power Index has the Jayhawks finishing 4-8, which would leave Lance Leipolds team short of the mark it needs if it hopes to extend its postseason run and keep building on the momentum the program has had in recent years.
The problem now is the path ahead, because the margin for error is shrinking fast and the schedule does not offer many easy fixes. Kansas is staring at a stretch that leaves very little room for mistakes, with upcoming games against Baylor, TCU and UCF looming as the kind of matchups that can either steady the season or make the bowl chase feel out of reach before the calendar really turns. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Wasted A Winnable Game In The Most Frustrating Way
Kansas had enough yardage, enough first downs and enough defensive resistance to make a trip to Wembley Stadium feel like a game it could have taken control of. Instead, the Jayhawks left with a 24-17 loss to Arizona State after repeatedly coming away empty in the spots that matter most, turning 414 total yards into far too few points and letting drives stall before they could change the flow of the afternoon.
The frustration for Kansas was in the details, from a 6-for-16 day on third down to an offense that could move the ball but not finish possessions. Arizona State did not exactly light it up either, with the Jayhawks defense holding it to 228 yards and forcing plenty of long down-and-distance situations, but Kansas could not cash in on its own chances and never quite escaped the sense of a game left there for the taking. [Read more 🡒]
Tre Whites Return Just Complicated Kansas Next Roster Decision
Tre White is back in the picture for Kansas after being granted immediate eligibility to return for his second season with the program and fifth college season. Bill Self confirmed Whites return and pointed to the offseason work he put in with the Miami Heat in NBA Summer League, a reminder that Kansas has been tracking his development even as his status remained unsettled.
Whites return also matters because it closes out the Jayhawks scholarship count for the 2026-27 roster, which is the kind of detail that can ripple beyond one player. If the rest of the offseason develops the way Kansas is hoping, that final spot may not stay simple for long, leaving Self and his staff to sort through what comes next. [Read more 🡒]