Kansas coach Lance Leipold didn’t shy away from the biggest decision of the night after the Jayhawks’ 22-16 loss to TCU on Saturday. He stood by the choice to keep the offense on the field on fourth down instead of settling for points or a punt, saying the calls were driven by the numbers and by what Kansas saw on the field.
The first big moment came after Kansas opened the second half with a 13-0 lead and had a chance to push that margin to 20. Instead, the Jayhawks came away empty after failing to convert a fourth-and-goal from the TCU 2-yard line.
Leipold said the staff believed the aggressive approach gave Kansas the best shot to stretch the lead and potentially take control of the game.
"Inside there we were going to be aggressive," Leipold said. "Everything that we say that we look at, analytics, everything like that, to be inside there, the numbers said definitely was a go situation."
He also noted that Kansas had already come up with a goal-line stop against TCU before halftime, a reminder that both defenses were making plays in tight spaces.
Later, in the third quarter, Kansas faced another crucial fourth-down decision near the TCU 40-yard line. Rather than punt, the Jayhawks stayed aggressive again. That sequence ended badly when quarterback Cole Ballard threw an interception, and TCU turned it into a 60-yard touchdown return that flipped the game.
"Play conservative and try to pin it down there. I guess that's the armchair thing that says to do. We thought we had something there," Leipold said.
Leipold said the execution wasn’t there, and the interception became a major swing moment.
KU Sports’ breakdown of the loss said the fourth-down choices were backed by the numbers, even if the results didn’t break Kansas’ way. The Jayhawks had also gone 5-for-8 on fourth down against Baylor the week before, which helped explain why Leipold was willing to keep pressing.
The loss drops Kansas to 3-5 overall and 1-4 in Big 12 play. The Jayhawks now turn to UCF as they try to get back on track.
In Other News...
Kansas Got A Painful Answer In Cole Ballards First Start
Isaiah Marshalls lower-leg injury left Kansas without much of a choice against TCU, and Lance Leipold said the quarterback was not close to being available. That opened the door for Cole Ballard to make his first start, and the young passer showed enough to keep the Jayhawks moving, throwing for 285 yards and a touchdown while giving the offense a spark in a tough spot.
The problem was the other side of the ledger. Ballard also turned the ball over, and those mistakes helped swing the game against Kansas in a loss that left both quarterback and coach focused on the same theme afterward: missed chances. Leipold and Ballard both acknowledged the errors, and Ballard made clear how much the turnovers bothered him, leaving the Jayhawks with a painful but revealing answer at the position. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Just Got Another Reminder Of How Loaded This Roster Is
Kansas got another reminder this week that the roster Bill Self is putting together has real conference weight to it. Freshman Tyran Stokes and transfer forward Trey Kaufman-Renn both landed among the top 10 players in the Big 12 on Ariel Petermans preseason list, a nod that underscores how much attention this group is drawing before the season even tips off. Stokes, already named Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year, comes in with the kind of buzz that usually follows a cant-miss newcomer, while Kaufman-Renn brings a proven frontcourt presence from Purdue.
For Kansas, the appeal is in the balance. Stokes gives the Jayhawks a high-end freshman centerpiece, and Kaufman-Renn adds older, established production to a roster that is expected to be one of the leagues most talented. Having two players recognized that highly in the same preseason ranking is a strong sign of the ceiling here, and it also hints at how much pressure opponents will face trying to account for both ends of the Kansas front line. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Blew A 13-0 Lead In A Brutal Home Collapse
Kansas had the kind of first half that can make a home crowd start thinking big, controlling the game early and taking a 13-0 lead into halftime against TCU. Cole Ballard was sharp enough to keep the offense moving, and Nazhee Cox gave the passing game a real spark with a big afternoon as the Jayhawks looked in command for much of the opening two quarters.
The second half told a much different story. Turnovers and missed chances opened the door for TCU, which steadily chipped away before finishing off a 22-16 comeback win, leaving Kansas to sort through a collapse that felt especially painful on its own field. Ballard finished with 285 passing yards, but the Jayhawks could not turn that production into enough points after halftime. [Read more 🡒]