Kansas had the game in its hands, then watched it slip away in the final second.
The Jayhawks rallied from a 19-point second-half hole and briefly grabbed the lead after scoring 25 straight points, but UCF answered with a 73-yard march in the final minute and won 33-32 on Saturday when Caden Piening caught the deciding touchdown with 1 second left.
“This one stings a lot,” Kansas head coach Lance Leipold said. “It’s tough. I told the team I’m proud of them because of the way their backs were to the wall, and they found a way to dig out of it and take the lead.”
Kansas had clawed all the way back after falling behind 26-7, and for a moment it looked like the defense might finally deliver the stop the Jayhawks needed. UCF started its last possession at its own 27 with a six-point deficit, and quarterback Alonza Barnett III opened with back-to-back incompletions.
But the drive kept moving. Barnett hit Tyren Hornes for 20 yards on third-and-10, then found Chase Hinshaw for another 20-yard gain to the Kansas 33. After another incompletion, defensive end David Santiago sacked Barnett and forced UCF to burn a timeout with 19 seconds left.
Out of that timeout, Barnett connected with Josh Derry for 19 yards to the Kansas 15. On the next snap, Barnett went back to Derry in the back left corner of the end zone for what looked like the winning score, but replay ruled him out of bounds.
Kansas then got hit with a pass interference penalty that moved UCF to the 6-yard line with 4 seconds left, and Leipold used his final timeout.
“With the timeout and things like that, it was hopefully a chance to give our D-line a little extra rest for one more real good push to put some pressure on them,” Leipold said.
The last play still found the end zone. Barnett slipped a pass to Piening in the front corner for the touchdown, and after another replay review, the call stood.
“It was too close to tell,” Leipold said. “At first I thought it was a touchdown. Then when they zoomed in a little bit … I haven’t heard exactly what they felt, if it was totally controlled or not enough to see.”
Will Stone’s extra point pushed UCF ahead 33-32, and Kansas could not produce anything on the kickoff return with 1 second remaining.
Leipold also pointed to the broader issue that has haunted the Jayhawks in those late-game moments.
“I wish I had the magical answer because we’d correct it right away,” Leipold said. “There have been some plays made by the opposing team that have been pretty impressive. I think contested catches and some others, but again, just not enough at the time, and we’ll continue to look at what we’ve got to do better.”
Kansas fell to 3-6 and now has to win out to reach a bowl game. The Jayhawks return to the road next, visiting West Virginia on Saturday, Nov. 14.
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For Kansas, the challenge starts with defending the arc and keeping freshman Tyran Stokes from taking over the game. Kentuckys best path also runs through its newcomers, with Alex Wilkins and Zoom Diallo needing to settle in quickly if the Wildcats are going to match Kansas possession for possession. It is the sort of early ceiling test that can tell you a lot about both teams, even if it leaves plenty still to be sorted out. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Must Reshuffle Its Rotation After Losing A Starting Guard
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For a team still trying to settle into its rotation, losing a guard at this stage is more than a short-term inconvenience. Self is hoping Council can make it back around the start of conference play, but until then Kansas has to find a way to absorb his minutes and maintain some stability on the perimeter without one of its expected starters. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Suddenly Has A Backcourt Problem It Didn't Expect
Kansas backcourt took a hit in practice when Melvin Council Jr. suffered a fracture to the fifth metatarsal in his right foot, a setback that will force Bill Self to adjust on the fly. Council is expected to undergo surgery within the next few days, and the injury comes at a time when the Jayhawks were still sorting out how their guard rotation would settle in during the early part of the season.
Self said Council is expected to make a full recovery and hopes to be back around the start of Big 12 play, but the immediate concern is covering his absence through the rest of the nonconference schedule. For Kansas, that means more responsibility for the other guards and a little less margin for error while the team waits for one of its key perimeter pieces to return. [Read more 🡒]