Kansas is heading into Saturday’s meeting with Arizona State needing steadier quarterback play, and Lance Leipold didn’t dodge the reality of what he saw from Isaiah Marshall against Missouri.
Marshall flashed in the season-opening win over Long Island, but the second start was a far rougher ride. In Kansas’ 38-21 loss to Missouri, he went 13-for-30 for 168 passing yards, threw two touchdowns, and was charged with three total turnovers. The kind of night that leaves a coach with more questions than answers.
Leipold said Monday that several factors were at play, and he pointed first to the usual growing pains that come with a young quarterback facing a faster, more talented opponent. He also said Marshall was amped up for the game and never quite settled into the kind of calm Kansas needs from that position.
"I think you can say inexperience, playing against a faster, talented team," Leipold said. "I think he was pumped and excited for this game.
When you play that position, you have to attack games different than other guys. There's a steadiness and calmness that [he didn't have].
I think he was trying to do a lot."
Leipold also said Marshall had to play through a hit to his arm early in the game. The staff even thought about pulling him before he connected on a second-quarter touchdown to Nik McMillan. Leipold didn’t hang the loss on the injury, but he did acknowledge it had an impact.
That kind of uneven performance isn’t exactly a shock when you remember Marshall had thrown only three collegiate passes before this season. Still, another outing like the Missouri game would put real pressure on his hold on the starting job.
Now the response has to come quickly. Kansas faces Arizona State on Saturday at historic Wembley Stadium in London, with FOX Sports’ Big Noon Kickoff also on site.
It’s another demanding stage for the dual-threat quarterback, and another test Kansas can’t afford to waste if Marshall keeps giving the ball away. Even so, Leipold and the staff appear to be standing behind him for now.
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