The Kansas University players and coaches said they sensed something a little different in the hours leading up to Saturday’s loss to Texas Tech.
And, judging by the way things looked on the field, they certainly were on to something.
The winless Jayhawks and their outmanned and overmatched defense entered Saturday as a 32-point underdog against one of the nation’s most potent offenses.
But instead of being steamrolled for the second week in a row, the Jayhawks battled. Led by true freshman QB Ryan Willis, the offense clicked like rarely had been seen in recent years and the defense played its heart out to keep the Red Raiders to less than half of their season scoring average.
One of the most common phrases in sports is the one that says “there are no moral victories.” But for a team like Kansas, which is undersized, understaffed and in a serious rebuilding mode, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with latching on to every moral victory you can find. And Saturday certainly was one, perhaps even two or three.
Quick takeaway
————–
It’s easy to look at Saturday’s outcome and feel pretty encouraged. Kansas played with a lot of heart and some of the youngest, most inexperienced guys on the team looked awfully sharp and played beyond their years. But there were still a ton of mistakes — silly mistakes that might have cost KU the chance to win — and this game, perhaps better than any other to this point, illustrated exactly where this program is right now. There will be progress. It will show up at unexpected times and in unexpected places, but the talent gap and lack of quality depth means the Jayhawks are going to have to play a nearly flawless game to have a shot at a victory. Had they done that against Texas Tech, the first win of the season might have been the result. But they didn’t. And now it’s on to the next one, with new lessons learned and more growing pains ahead.
Three reasons to smile
———————-
**1 – KU’s postgame notes featured 12 different entries regarding true freshman quarterback Ryan Willis,** who set freshman records for completions (35), attempts (50) and yards (330) during Saturday’s loss. It was not just Willis’ numbers that were impressive, though. For the second week in a row, the Bishop Miege High grad led the offense, played with a perfect blend of poise and confidence and, this time, led the offense to 20 points and a near upset. Willis has a strong arm, makes quick decisions and can put the ball wherever he needs to and right where his receivers like it. It’s early in his career, but Willis definitely appears to be KU’s QB of the future. And, what’s more, that doesn’t look or sound all that bad.
**2 – This offense is a lot of fun.** Offensive coordinator Rob Likens and head coach David Beaty sure have put in an entertaining and exciting offense. The Jayhawks rolled to 475 yards, put the ball in the air 50 times and did it while not completely abandoning the running game. The passes get out quickly and allow the KU play-makers to make moves in space. When the line holds up and Willis gets time to set and read, a four- or five-yard gain is almost automatic. The best part about this offense is I think we’ve only scratched the surface on what it can do and what these coaches want to do with it.
**3 – The Jayhawks may have fixed their punting issues.** It seems like a small thing, but not being able to kick the ball well and flip the field puts the Kansas defense at an even greater disadvantage on a weekly basis. Give Matthew Wyman a little more time to fine-tune his approach and I think the Jayhawks will realize they have found their punter. Wyman has a big leg, he’s a heck of a competitor and he’s a perfectionist. He’ll work at it and only get better from here.
Three reasons to sigh
———————
**1 – Wide receiver drops were a problem again.** Willis completed 70 percent of his throws and that number could have been and should have been closer to 80 percent if the KU receivers had caught everything thrown to them. We’re not talking about tough drops, either. We’re talking about easy catches that hit wide open guys in the hands. Can’t have that when you’re already at a huge disadvantage in every game you play.
**2 – Matthew Wyman may have saved the punt team, but there appears to be a significant issue with the kicking game.** Both Wyman and Nick Bartolotta missed a pair of kicks — one was even an extra point — and KU is in no position to be worried about a 22- or 34-yard field goal should it ever find itself in a game where a field goal of that length, particularly late in a game, perhaps to tie or win, could mean the difference between a win or a loss.
**3 – I guess it’s always better to be safe than sorry,** but in each of the past few games — and a couple of times in this one — there have been some interesting timeouts called from the KU sideline. This goes in line with some of Beaty’s curious fourth-down decisions and makes you wonder if the first-year head coach still has a ways to go in the area of game management. As is the case with his young team, the only way to improve in that area is to log games and go through it.
One for the road
—————-
KU’s 30-20 loss to Texas Tech on Saturday…
• Dropped the Jayhawks’ all-time record to 579-604-58.
• Included 475 yards of total offense by the Jayhawks. KU’s season-high was 576 against South Dakota State on Sept. 5.
• Featured the most passing yards (330) by the Jayhawks this season. Kansas last threw for more yards in a 342-yard performance against TCU in 2014.
Next up
——-
The Jayhawks head back out on the road next weekend, when they’ll look to snap their 35-game losing streak away from Lawrence with a 2:30 p.m. meeting with Oklahoma State in Stillwater. The game will end a stretch of four straight 11 a.m. games for Kansas.
