Kansas had enough chances to make Wembley Stadium feel like a breakthrough stage, but the Jayhawks left London with the same old problem staring them in the face: they could move the ball, but they could not finish enough drives.
That was the difference in a 24-17 loss to Arizona State. Kansas piled up 414 total yards, including 235 through the air and 179 on the ground, and finished with 22 first downs. But the Jayhawks managed only 6 of 16 on third down and went 0-for-3 on fourth down, a combination that kept promising possessions from turning into points.
The frustration was not that Kansas lacked production. It was that the offense kept running into dead ends at the worst possible moments.
After Tate Nagy’s 72-yard punt return put Kansas in front 7-3, the Jayhawks couldn’t build on the spark. Arizona State answered with a 10-7 lead late in the second quarter, then opened the second half with a 100-yard kickoff return to stretch it to 17-7.
Kansas still had a shot to flip the game in the third quarter. Down 17-7, the Jayhawks went for it on fourth-and-1 from the Arizona State 38-yard line, but Micah Johnson was stopped for no gain. Later in the quarter, Kansas lined up for a 44-yard field goal and missed.
Those wasted chances mattered even more because the defense kept giving Kansas a way back in. Arizona State finished with only 228 total yards and converted just 4 of 17 third downs. The Jayhawks’ defense held up well enough to keep the game within reach, but the offense never fully took advantage.
Isaiah Marshall threw for 235 yards and a touchdown, while Dylan Edwards ran for 89 yards. Nagy made his presence felt in multiple ways, contributing on special teams and in the passing game.
Kansas did trim the margin to 24-17 late in the fourth quarter, but Arizona State was able to manage the clock and close it out.
The lesson for Kansas was plain: yardage alone does not decide games. The Jayhawks will need sharper third-down execution and better results on fourth down when they return from the bye week to play Middle Tennessee on Oct. 3.
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