Kansas Football Falls to TCU, 24-23

In our preview earlier in the week, we predicted a close game between the Horned Frogs and Kansas football team. How did the game compare to our preview?

With Ryan Willis as the starter, did the Jayhawk offense come to life? There’s no doubt about that question. Willis was far from perfect, but finished 31/45 for 348 yards. Willis’s problem was in the turnover category. He turned it over four times in total, with three interceptions and a fumble. For the most part, Willis executed the offense well. He was accurate in throwing underneath and working the middle of the field, especially to senior receiver Shakiem Barbel, who finished with nine catches for 94 yards.

The Jayhawk offense’s philosophy is becoming more clear as the season rolls on. Like most Air Raid offenses, quick timing routes will be their bread and butter. The screen game was very good today, as Steven Sims, Jr. and LaQuvionte Gonzalez had terrific runs after catches in the screen game. All the underneath completions set up some deep shots, and Willis throws a good deep ball. Unlike last season, Sims and Gonzalez represent legitimate deep threats. KU took its share of shots down the field today, and the double move routes were especially effective. Gonzalez finished with eight catches for 131 yards, and Sims caught nine passes for 101 yards.

The running game is still a work in progress. Kansas ran it 44 times for only 122 yards, a 2.8 yard average. Sophomore Taylor Martin was very impressive, showing good burst and some power. Jayhawk fans should be salivating at the prospect of Martin becoming the featured back in Lawrence. Today, Martin carried 18 times for 62 yards and a touchdown. Kansas’s longest rushing play came from Willis, scrambling for a 21 yard touchdown. In the second half, the Jayhawks’ running attack came to life, carrying 20 times for 76 yards. In a great coaching move, head coach David Beaty switched the offensive line’s lineup. He flipped tackles Hakeem Adeniji and De’Andre Banks to the left and right sides, respectively. Adeniji is much more athletic, and did an admirable job on TCU defensive end Josh Carraway.

Did KU’s defense hold up? Again, the answer is undoubtedly yes. Defensive coordinator Clint Bowen’s defense (even down four starters) held the Frogs to 366 total yards, down from their season average of nearly 564. Quarterback Kenny Hill, one of the most dynamic players in the Big 12, was held to 206 yards passing, including just one touchdown and three interceptions. The Jayhawks’ scrappy defense kept Hill in check rushing the football as well, to just 36 yards on 11 carries.

The one deficient area of KU’s defense was in the running game. TCU running back Kyle Hicks carried 18 times for 104 yards, including carries of 15, 11, and nine yards on TCU’s final drive of the game. I don’t give Kansas a pass, but they simply wore down toward the end of the game. Kansas was missing both starting linebackers, Joe Dineen and Marcquis Roberts, as well as star defensive tackle Daniel Wise. The secondary was very good. Freshman Michael Lee continues to show flashes of greatness, and cornerback Brandon Stewart intercepted two passes.

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TCU has only beat Kansas by a combined ten points the last two meetings. Will the pattern of close games continue? To update this statistic, TCU has now beat Kansas by a combined 11 points in the last three meetings between the perennial Big 12 contender and basement-dweller. At his presser this week, head coach David Beaty said Kansas had to play “100% perfect” to win. They weren’t close to that, but had a great chance nonetheless.

The Jayhawks played smart football for the most part, only committing five penalties for 61 yards. The four turnovers are not acceptable, but Ryan Willis can easily correct some of those mistakes, especially the ones that were from poor reads or staring down receivers. Beaty himself was far from perfect, including a questionable playcall on 2^nd and goal from inside the TCU one yardline. He mismanaged the clock as well late in the game, wasting 20 seconds before calling a timeout before a TCU field goal attempt.

Bottom Line. Kansas played a tremendous game, and taking TCU to the wire shows just how far this program has come under Beaty. The defense continues to impress, and the offense has shown signs of life with Ryan Willis as the triggerman. If Matthew Wyman would’ve made just one more of six field goal attempts, this would be a Kansas victory. I don’t put a lot of blame on Wyman, though. A better playcall, a better throw, or the offensive line getting a better push would’ve let KU win. Next week, the Jayhawks travel to Waco for a 2:30 showdown against Baylor.

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