Kansas walked away from Saturday with a 55-0 rout of Middle Tennessee and its first shutout since 2008, but Lance Leipold still had a clear annoyance on the postgame checklist: kickoff coverage.
That was the part of the performance that stood out most as the “biggest blemish,” according to KU Sports, and it showed up in the second quarter when Middle Tennessee returner Santana Fleming found room on back-to-back kickoffs. Fleming piled up 90 yards on those two returns, giving the Blue Raiders better field position even as their offense struggled to do anything with it.
Kansas kicker Dane Efird also had trouble delivering consistent touchbacks early, which helped open the door for Fleming’s returns. The result was a special-teams stretch that exposed issues in Kansas’ lanes and tackling, even in a game the Jayhawks controlled everywhere else.
The official game stats back up the concern: Middle Tennessee finished with three kickoff returns for 90 yards, a 30-yard average. The Blue Raiders never turned those chances into points, but the field-position swing was enough to show how quickly a breakdown in coverage can matter.
That’s the kind of detail Kansas will have to clean up before the schedule gets tougher. The Jayhawks open Big 12 play on Oct. 10 against No.
13 Utah, and that one comes on the road. Against a ranked opponent, giving away extra yards on kickoffs is the sort of mistake that can put a defense under pressure fast.
Kansas has plenty to feel good about. The defense produced a shutout, and the offense rolled up a school-record 700 yards against Middle Tennessee. Still, if the Jayhawks want to hold up against the strongest teams in the Big 12, special teams can’t be the loose end.
In Other News...
Tyran Stokes Already Gave Kansas Fans A Reason To Get Excited
A quick look inside Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday gave Kansas fans an early fall preview of what this roster can become, and it did not take long for Tyran Stokes to find his way into the conversation. About 200 fans watched a 45-minute open practice, where the freshman guard and top-rated 2026 recruit turned heads with a notable 3-point shot in the session, a small moment that still carried the kind of buzz this fan base tends to notice right away.
There was other encouraging news in the gym, too. Senior center Christian Reeves, working back from offseason labrum surgery, was active in practice, while seniors Tre White and Melvin Council Jr. also took part with the team. For a group still sorting out its pieces, the open workout offered a snapshot of depth, health and upside, even if the biggest intrigue for Kansas fans may already be the newcomer who wasted little time making an impression. [Read more 🡒]
Jalon Daniels Is Giving Kansas Fans A New Reason To Watch Sundays
Jalon Daniels gave Kansas fans a familiar name to follow on Sundays, and this week he had a result worth checking in on. The former Jayhawks quarterback picked up his first NFL victory as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers knocked off the Dallas Cowboys 24-16, with Daniels stepping in as the starter for an injured Baker Mayfield and helping Tampa Bay secure its first win of the 2026 season.
Daniels completed 19 of 25 passes for 189 yards, throwing one touchdown against one interception while also adding 23 rushing yards. For a player whose college career already made him a must-watch in Lawrence, the chance to see him handle an NFL start and come away with a win only gives Kansas supporters another reason to keep an eye on the early slate each Sunday. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Offense Faces A Brutal Road Test It Must Solve Fast
Kansas is headed into a late-night road test in Salt Lake City, where the kickoff against Utah is set for 9:15 p.m. CT on ESPN. It is the kind of setting that can expose an offense quickly, and this one will have to be ready for a defense built to force hurried decisions and difficult throws.
Under head coach Morgan Scalley and defensive coordinator Colton Swan, Utah has leaned into pressure and tight coverage, blitzing on 41.1% of snaps and playing man on 65% of them, both above Big 12 averages. For Kansas, the answer starts with winning individual matchups up front and at the skill spots, because this is the kind of defense that punishes any missed assignment before an offense gets comfortable. [Read more 🡒]