The Kansas football team did exactly what it needed to do on Friday against Wagner. They controlled every aspect of the game and absolutely dominated their FCS opponent.
The 46-7 victory wasn’t even as close as that. Twice, the Jayhawks turned the ball over in the end zone, preventing this game from being an even bigger blowout. That is something KU needs to clean up immediately.
Outside of the last three and a half minutes of the first half, when Kansas allowed more than half of all the yards Wagner gained on the night on one drive, the Jayhawks completely dominated the game.
What three things stood out the most in the Kansas football win over Wagner?
No. 3: Emmanuel Henderson Jr.
Henderson contributed nicely in the Kansas win against Fresno State in Week Zero with three catches and 24 yards. He was the star of the second game against Wagner. He pulled down six balls for 130 yards and scored the first two touchdowns of his career.
He proved that he can stretch a defense and that he’s a heady player. On one of the biggest plays of the game, Henderson hauled in a 62-yard touchdown pass. The ball was slightly underthrown and placed more to the outside. Henderson slowed down, faded back to the ball, and made an excellent catch for the score.
Henderson should remain a dangerous weapon for Daniels and Kansas moving forward.
No. 2: Offensive line play
The offensive line did precisely what they should have against an obviously inferior team. They kept the pressure off Daniels, Cole Ballard, and Isaiah Marshall, blasted huge holes for the running backs to charge through, and didn’t allow a single tackle for loss.
The offense wracked up 630 yards with the protection and blocking of the line. KU had 284 yards rushing and 346 yards passing on the night.
It was a dominating performance without some of the penalties the unit committed in the first game. While the opponent must be taken into consideration, the offensive line played a nearly flawless game.
No. 1: The defense
Outside of one drive late in the first half, when Waagner drove 75 yards for a score, the defense was absolutely awesome. On that one drive, Wagner turned a short sideline pass into a 45-yard touchdown when the Jayhawks lost the receiver, who scampered down the sideline unmolested.
Half of Wagner’s total passing yards on the night came on that single play, and 75 of the Seahawks’ 143 total yards were accumulated on the drive. Otherwise, the KU defense was fantastic, allowing just 68 yards and forcing 11 punts.
In two games, KU has allowed just 90 rushing yards on 57 attempts and just 269 passing yards on 49 attempts. Yes, the opponents haven’t been the best, but the defense has been incredible so far.
There are no more easy games on the schedule. The Jayhawks will reignite the Border War with Missouri next week, then will settle into the Big 12 schedule after a week off. So far, things couldn’t have gone any better for the Kansas football team.