Kansas has not gotten much help from its special teams, and that has shown up in all three spots the Jayhawks rely on most: kicker, punter and return coverage.
The most glaring issue has been on the back end of the kicking game. Kansas ranks last in the nation in kickoff return defense after allowing 118 yards on just two kickoff returns, and one of those went for a touchdown.
The sample is small, but the damage has been real. That score against Arizona State was part of what created separation on the board.
There has at least been one positive on the return side. Tate Nagy, who has handled return duties for two seasons, picked up his first touchdown against the Sun Devils in week three by taking advantage of poor punt coverage.
After the 24-17 Union Jack Classic loss that dropped Kansas to 1-2, Leipold said, “I don't wanna use the word scrappy, but he's a highly competitive guy that's kind of a great feel for the game. He can make people miss in the return game.”
Kicker Martin Connington has also had an uneven start. The redshirt sophomore came over from Michigan State last season after putting up 63 points for the Spartans, including 12 field goals and 27 PATs.
He went 12-for-16 on field goals last year and was 27-for-28 on extra points. From 20-29 yards, he was 6-of-7; from 30-39, he was perfect at 5-of-5; from 40-49, he missed his only try; and from 50-plus, he made one of three.
This season, Connington has 17 points, with 11 PATs and just 2-for-4 on field goals. The misses came against Missouri and Arizona State, from 52 and 44 yards.
The miss against Missouri came with the game tied 0-0 and nearly three minutes gone in the second quarter. The one against Arizona State came with Kansas trailing 17-7, and a make would have cut the deficit to one score.
Punting has been shaky, too. Freshman Matt Gill is averaging 37.6 yards on nine punts, a number that leaves Kansas short of the kind of field-flipping impact teams want from that position.
The issue became more costly against Arizona State, when Kansas was backed up at its own 8-yard line and Gill’s punt was mishandled badly, turning into a 17-yard net after the ball ended up at the KU 25. Arizona State scored on the next play.
For Kansas, special teams has not just been a quiet part of the game. It has been a problem that has tilted possessions, field position and, in key moments, the score.
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Kansas Faces Early Pressure In Game That Could Shape Its Season
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The timing matters because this is the kind of nonconference game Kansas is supposed to handle, especially with bowl hopes still in play. It will be on ESPN News and comes with the Jayhawks favored by oddsmakers, but the bigger storyline is whether they can turn that edge into a clean win and reset the tone before the schedule tightens again. [Read more 🡒]