Kansas spent most of Saturday playing from behind, then stole the whole afternoon at the finish.
The Jayhawks erased an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit and slipped past Baylor 25-24 on Homecoming Day at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, ending a 14-game skid against the Bears and snapping a six-game home losing streak in the series. The winning sequence came down to the smallest of margins: Isaiah Marshall powered in from 15 yards out with 1:13 left, and Blake Herold later got a hand on Baylor’s 45-yard field-goal try with 0:18 remaining.
Marshall carried the offensive load all game and finished 17 of 29 for 212 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 31 yards on 15 carries and scored the deciding touchdown himself. Kansas moved to 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the Big 12, while Baylor dropped to 4-3 and 2-2 after losing at TCU the previous week.
The finish was Kansas’ best answer after Baylor had repeatedly seized control in the second half. The Bears turned a KU miscue into a pick-six when Devon Jordan jumped a sideline throw on the first offensive play of the third quarter and returned it 42 yards to make it 14-7. Later, an illegal-substitution penalty on Leroy Harris helped extend a Baylor march that ended with an 8-yard DJ Lagway touchdown pass to Jayden McGowan and a 21-10 lead with 6:41 left in the third.
Kansas never folded. Marshall found Nik McMillan for a 34-yard touchdown just seven seconds into the fourth quarter, then Martin Connington knocked through a 42-yard field goal to trim the margin to 21-19 at 9:45. After Baylor answered with a 42-yard field goal for a 24-19 edge, KU got one last chance starting at its own 29 with 2:33 to play.
That final drive covered 71 yards in six plays and ended with Marshall’s go-ahead touchdown. Baylor still had life, reaching the KU 27 before its last field goal attempt was blocked, preserving the one-point escape for the Jayhawks.
Kansas had opened the game with some self-inflicted frustration, too. The Jayhawks’ first possession died on fourth-and-2 from the Baylor 32 when Marshall overshot Cam Pickett and the pass was intercepted. Baylor’s first drive also stalled on a failed fourth-down attempt.
Carson Bruhn was part of both the early stumble and the response. A holding call wiped out a 39-yard Dylan Edwards touchdown run, but Bruhn bounced back by catching a 22-yard score for KU’s first points and a 7-0 lead with 8:03 left in the first quarter.
The Jayhawks also got a huge stop in the red zone when Kevin Oatis and Leroy Harris III brought down a scrambling DJ Lagway on fourth-and-2 from the KU 21, forcing Baylor off the field without points. And Baylor had some strange special-teams luck along the way: Rhett Armstrong had two extra-point tries blocked, yet both still went through.
The home crowd was not always patient. Boos followed Matt Gill’s 36-yard punt late in the first quarter, and more came after Kansas ran three times deep in its own territory in the final 1:30 of the first half. Gill’s 66-yard punt at the end of that sequence drew a loud cheer.
Before kickoff, former KU linebacker Willie Pless hoisted the flag in the southeast corner of the stadium. Pless, now 62, was a three-time all-Big Eight selection in the 1980s, later played in the Canadian Football League, won the 1993 Grey Cup with Edmonton, and was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2005.
On the sideline and in the stands, there were also several high school prospects on campus for the game, including Baron Marshall, a wide receiver from Blue Valley Northwest, and Jamal Lagway, a defensive back from Willis, Texas, and the brother of Baylor quarterback DJ Lagway.
In Other News...
Kansas Defense Is Earning Respect For One Huge Reason
Kansas defensive front has started to draw real attention this season, and for good reason. Pro Football Focus now has Leroy Harris III and David Santiago ranked No. 2 and No. 3 nationally among defensive ends, a reflection of how disruptive both have been for a unit that has leaned on its edge pressure to make plays.
Harris has filled the stat sheet with tackles, tackles for loss, forced fumbles and even a blocked kick, while Santiago has made his presence felt with sacks, tackles for loss and turnovers. Together, they have given the Jayhawks a pair of edge defenders offenses have had to account for on every snap, and that kind of production has become a big part of why Kansas defense is earning respect in 2026. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Pulled Out A Messy Win Fans Wont Forget Soon
Kansas found a way to survive a messy Big 12 night against Baylor, escaping with a 25-24 win that had all the usual ingredients of a game fans will talk about for a while. Isaiah Marshall had his rough patches with two interceptions, but he also delivered when it mattered most, guiding the Jayhawks on the decisive scoring drive and helping finish it himself with a 15-yard run.
Even with the offense leaving plenty on the table, Kansas leaned on a defense that kept Baylor from cashing in on enough of its chances. The biggest moment came at the end, when the Jayhawks blocked a field goal that could have flipped the result, turning a tense finish into a win they almost certainly had to grind out the hard way. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Fans Have Another Reason To Celebrate A Program Builder
Ted Owens has given Kansas fans plenty to remember already, and now the former Jayhawks coach has another line on his rsum. Owens was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in Kansas City, Missouri, joining a group of notable figures recognized for their impact on the college game. His time in Lawrence still stands out as one of the defining stretches in program history, with a run that included a 348-182 record, two Final Fours and six Big Eight titles.
The ceremony offered a fresh reminder of how much Owens helped shape Kansas basketball during his 1964-83 tenure, and he spent time reflecting on his career and the memories that came with it. For a fan base that already knows his place in the programs history, the Hall of Fame nod only adds to the appreciation. The bigger question now is how Kansas chooses to honor a coach whose imprint still echoes through the program decades later. [Read more 🡒]