Kansas’ defense had no answer once Utah came out of halftime and that proved to be the difference in Saturday’s 41-24 loss.
The Jayhawks were hanging around at the break, down only 21-17 after a late surge that included an interception by Jalen Todd, a six-yard touchdown run from quarterback Isaiah Marshall and a field goal as time expired. But whatever momentum Kansas built in those closing minutes of the first half vanished fast, and Utah spent the second half leaning on a defense that couldn’t get enough stops.
By the numbers, the collapse was stark. Utah piled up 545 total yards, with 287 on the ground and 258 through the air, according to the official Kansas Athletics game statistics. Kansas had limited the Utes to 210 yards before halftime, which means Utah generated roughly 335 yards after the break.
The first drive of the second half set the tone. Utah went 82 yards on 15 plays over more than seven minutes before Devon Dampier found Ricky Johnson for a short touchdown. Kansas did manage to block the extra point, trimming the damage to a 27-17 score, but the Utes were still in control.
Kansas kept itself alive briefly when Marshall hit Nik McMillan on a 29-yard touchdown late in the third quarter, pulling the Jayhawks within 27-24. That was as close as they would get.
Utah answered with a 75-yard march that ended on a one-yard touchdown pass to Semi Taulanga, stretching the lead to 34-24. Then came the killer blow. After Kansas came up empty on fourth-and-goal, Wayshawn Parker burst loose for a 90-yard touchdown run that pushed the margin to 41-24 and effectively ended the game.
Parker was a problem all day, finishing with 171 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Kansas had trouble slowing the Utes’ run game throughout, and the explosive plays kept turning competitive moments into damaged control.
The loss drops Kansas to 2-3 overall and 0-2 in Big 12 play. The Jayhawks now have to turn the page quickly with in-state rival Kansas State coming up Saturday morning, and the defensive fixes are obvious: better tackling, fewer big plays and more stops on third and fourth down.
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