Kansas left London with a 24-17 loss to Arizona State, and the frustration lands hardest on Lance Leipold. The Jayhawks did enough in stretches to win this game, but too many self-inflicted mistakes turned a winnable matchup into another painful reminder that close losses keep piling up.
That’s especially true because the numbers don’t tell the whole story. Kansas actually outgained Arizona State 414 yards to 228, and the defense did a lot of the heavy lifting.
The Sun Devils’ QB, Cutter Boley, finished with just 95 passing yards and went 11/23 through the air. But yardage only matters if it turns into points, and KU kept handing away chances.
The biggest bright spot was Tate Nagy, who almost carried the offense by himself. He accounted for 14 of Kansas’ 17 points with two huge plays: a 72-yard punt return touchdown in the first half that put KU ahead 7-3, and a 38-yard receiving touchdown in the fourth quarter that kept the Jayhawks within striking distance.
Leroy Harris III also kept flashing all game long. He finished with 7 tackles, 6 solo stops, 2 tackles for loss, a sack, and a couple more QB pressures. Through three games, he’s already made himself one of the team’s most disruptive defenders.
Still, the blame pie is pretty clear. Leipold and the overall pattern of Kansas underperforming in tight games take the biggest slice.
Leipold has said, “It falls on the head coach” to turn close losses into bowl game appearances, and this one fit the same painful script. Kansas had three turnovers to Arizona State’s none, gave up a 100-yard kickoff return TD, and spent long stretches looking flat on offense.
At times, there didn’t seem to be much urgency from Leipold either.
The special teams mistakes were brutal. Punter Matthew Gill’s 17-yard punt out of bounds from deep in KU territory was a momentum-killer, especially with Kansas leading and Arizona State’s offense doing very little at that point.
In less than a minute of game time, the Jayhawks went from up 7-3 to down 17-7. Kansas did force back-to-back punts after that and got the ball back only down 10, but Martin Connington then missed a 44-yard field goal that could have made it a one-score game.
Isaiah Marshall gets his share too. His play was better than it was against Missouri, and his connection with Andy Kotelnicki is still new, but the limitations are obvious. He finished 17/33 passing, and Kotelnicki still hasn’t been able to open up the whole offense for him.
Center Kasen Carpenter rounds out the list after a rough day snapping the ball. He had four bad snaps, including several that sailed over Marshall’s head and forced the quarterback to scramble immediately.
Kansas gets another chance to clean things up next week against Middle Tennessee at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence. If the Jayhawks want to start stacking wins, they’ll have to stop beating themselves first.
In Other News...
Kansas Had A Few Bright Spots In An Ugly London Loss
Kansas came away from Wembley Stadium with an ugly 24-17 loss to Arizona State in the Union Jack Classic, and the score line only told part of the story. The Jayhawks had a few individual bright spots in a game where the offense sputtered and special teams hurt them, but the overall performance never found much rhythm as mistakes piled up on both sides of the ball.
Tate Nagy provided one of the few positive plays on offense with a touchdown and 61 receiving yards, while the defense got steady work from Leroy Harris III, who was around the ball often. Even so, Kansas could not overcome the combination of poor punting, multiple fumbles and a general lack of consistency, leaving plenty for the Jayhawks to sort through after a disappointing trip overseas. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Just Turned A Winnable Trip Into A Bowl Pressure Problem
Kansas turned a long trip to London into a missed opportunity Saturday, falling 24-17 to Arizona State at Wembley Stadium and slipping to 1-2 on the season. The Jayhawks had their share of momentum swings in the Union Jack Classic, including a 72-yard punt return touchdown by Tate Nagy, but they also gave away too many chances in a game that could have helped steady an early-season push.
Instead, the loss leaves Lance Leipolds team looking at a tougher road to bowl eligibility than it had before kickoff. With turnovers and decision-making under scrutiny and a challenging schedule ahead, Kansas now has little margin left to turn promising moments into the kind of wins it needs to stack fast. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Quarterback Depth Suddenly Looks Shaky Entering Big 12 Opener
Kansas heads into its Big 12 opener with a little less breathing room behind center than it would have liked. Backup quarterback Cole Ballard is out for the game against Arizona State after getting hurt in the previous matchup with Missouri, leaving the Jayhawks to adjust their depth chart as they prepare for a fresh conference test.
The injury report also shows a handful of other Kansas players either out or listed as probable, adding to the sense that availability could shape the day as much as game plan. With Isaiah Marshall set to start, the next layer of the quarterback room becomes a bigger storyline than usual, and Chase Jenkins is positioned to handle the backup duties if needed. [Read more 🡒]