Kansas heads into its bye week with no shortage of cleanup work after a 24-17 loss to Arizona State at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
The defeat was the Jayhawks’ second straight, sending them back to Lawrence at 1-2 overall and 0-1 in Big 12 play. There were signs of progress against the Sun Devils, but the game also laid bare the issues Kansas has to sort out before it returns to action against Middle Tennessee on Oct. 3.
The biggest problem was self-inflicted damage. Kansas committed three turnovers, including a fumble that Arizona State recovered and returned to the Kansas 2-yard line. The Sun Devils turned that mistake into a touchdown and later stretched the margin to 24-7.
The Jayhawks also left too many points on the field. They went 0-for-3 on fourth down and missed a 44-yard field goal, a costly combination in a game that ended with a one-score gap.
Kansas needs more consistency on early downs, too. Before the game, Lance Leipold stressed the importance of getting better on first and second down and establishing the run. The Jayhawks did finish with 179 rushing yards, but there were still stretches where the offense couldn’t keep drives alive.
Special teams had both highs and lows. Tate Nagy gave Kansas a jolt with a 72-yard punt return for a touchdown, but Arizona State quickly answered by returning the opening kickoff of the second half for a touchdown. Kansas also had a 17-yard punt late in the first half that helped set up an Arizona State touchdown.
There were encouraging signs on defense. Kansas limited Arizona State to 228 total yards and 3.5 yards per play. Still, the Jayhawks allowed two touchdowns after chances to get off the field, something linebacker Trey Lathan highlighted after the game.
The bye week now gives Kansas a chance to tighten the details. The defense showed it can hold up, and the offense showed it can move the ball. The next step is putting those pieces together for four full quarters.
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