Kansas opened the season with a lopsided 51-6 win over Long Island on Friday, and while the result was never in doubt, the game still gave the Jayhawks something far more useful than a routine blowout: a first real look at a new roster before Friday’s Border Showdown with Missouri.
The start was choppy. Kansas managed only six points in the first quarter and even had a turnover on downs, but the offense settled in after that and took control over the final 45 minutes. The ground game did most of the heavy lifting, with Yasin Willis and Dylan Edwards leading the way before Jalen Dupree and Micah Johnson handled the work once the score got out of hand.
That performance offered a clue about how this offense may want to function. Isaiah Marshall looked encouraging in his first collegiate start as a passer, but Kansas is going to ask him to do more than throw the ball. His legs look like a major part of the plan, and that threat should force defenses to account for him before they can worry about the rest of the offense.
There also wasn’t much on tape from offensive play caller Andy Kotelnicki that should alarm Missouri. His first game back in Lawrence was built around simple stuff: inside handoffs and basic route concepts.
That doesn’t mean the playbook is empty. It just means he likely saved some of the more creative pieces for the Tigers.
On the other side of the ball, the Long Island matchup didn’t tell us a whole lot. Kansas was dominant everywhere, especially up front, but that kind of success is tough to project when the opponent is Long Island.
The defensive line looked the part, though, and the ends seem to be the strength of D.K. McDonald’s unit.
Michigan State transfer David Santiago and Leroy Harris III were KU’s top two defenders of the night, according to Pro Football Focus, which lines up with the idea that Kansas may have some real bite off the edge.
The bigger question is how all of this translates against Missouri. The Tigers may be without superstar running back Ahmad Hardy, who missed their season opener and is still dealing with the aftermath of an offseason gunshot wound. Even so, Missouri still has Jamal Roberts, who needed only 13 carries to pile up 143 yards and a game-sealing touchdown run in last year’s meeting.
That game showed Kansas it could hang around. The Jayhawks were tied at halftime and had a real chance to pull the upset going into the fourth quarter, but the edge in the trenches eventually showed through. The question now is whether KU has closed that gap enough to survive the full 60 minutes.
Missouri’s SEC-caliber talent still gives the Tigers the advantage on paper. But if Kansas protects the ball, keeps Marshall moving, and strings together offense for all four quarters, it should give itself a legitimate shot to stay in the fight.
In Other News...
Kansas Blowout Put These Jayhawks On Notice Right Away
Kansas wasted no time making its season opener look like a mismatch, rolling past Long Island University 51-6 while piling up 613 total yards and holding the Sharks to 146. The lopsided result was the kind of start that can set a tone fast, and the grading from Pro Football Focus backed up what the score already suggested: this was a sharp night across the roster, with wide receiver Nik McMillan, defensive end David Santiago and backup quarterback Cole Ballard all drawing especially strong marks.
McMillans work stood out most, giving the Jayhawks a big-play presence early and a player to build around as the schedule tightens. Ballards grade also added another layer to the conversation behind center, since Kansas got more than just a comfortable win out of the opener - it got a clearer sense of which players flashed immediately and who is already forcing attention in a few key spots. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Suddenly Has A Defensive Worry Heading Into Missouri
Kansas suddenly has a defensive question mark to sort through as it turns its attention from LIU to Missouri. Linebacker Bam Crouch was injured in the first half and did not return, leaving a noticeable hole in a spot that matters even more with a rivalry game looming on the schedule.
Head coach Lance Leipold said the staff still does not know the exact severity of the shoulder-area issue, and Crouch is set to undergo further testing. For Kansas, the timing is less than ideal, because the Jayhawks are now waiting on one of the key details that could shape how they line up when Missouri arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Showed Promise But Missouri Will Test What Still Looks Shaky
Kansas looked the part in its latest outing, piling up 613 yards while holding LIU to 146 and staying efficient enough to convert eight of 13 third downs without punting. The offense finished every red zone trip, but the larger takeaway was that the game still had a sluggish feel at the start, with only six first-quarter points and an opening drive that ended on downs instead of setting an early tone.
Missouri brings a different level of stress in the Border War, and that is where the lingering concerns around Kansas become harder to ignore. The Jayhawks still need cleaner quarterback play, more reliability at linebacker and tighter coverage on the back end, and the defense's depth took another hit when Bam Crouch went out with a shoulder injury, leaving his status for Saturday uncertain. [Read more 🡒]