Kansas seems to have found a pattern this season: win one game, lose the next two games. That has happened three times now, and the Jayhawks hopefully won't follow that pattern to finish off the season. Either way, Kansas came out on top with a convincing 37-14 win over West Virginia, effectively stifling the Mountaineers' high-flying offense.
This was one of the most complete games Kansas has played all season, with the offense and defense complementing each other quite nicely. Even with the craziness of the game-time change and everything that came with it, the Jayhawks locked in and got a great win to inch closer to bowl eligibility.
While there were so many great performances in the game, there were a few that left fans wanting more.
Losers
RB Dylan Edwards
Dylan Edwards lands on the losers list in an unfortunate way, due to an injury he sustained on the first drive of the game. Edwards was actually running the ball pretty well, 14 yards on three carries, but then went down with what looked like an ankle injury and never returned to the game.
Even though Edwards has been named the RB1 for the Jayhawks, the run game was in good hands with quarterback Isaiah Marshall and backup running backs Khijohnn Cummings-Coleman and Chase Belcher. The bad news is that with Cummings-Coleman and Belcher running the ball so well, Edwards' starting position could now be at risk.
Kansas wide receiver room
Today was just not the biggest day for the Kansas wide receiver room. Even though Marshall had nearly a perfect day with just three incompletions, he only had 152 passing yards, and Nik McMillan was the leading receiver with 44 receiving yards.
For the second straight week, Kansas didn't see a passing touchdown, which means the receivers are not finding the end zone as effectively as the running backs are. Marshall has proven he can throw the ball, and guys like McMillan have shown they can be a great target on the field, but the last two games have been a lot more run-heavy.
Winners
Isaiah Marshall
Marshall was by far the best player on the field between the two teams in this game. Not only did he have just three incompletions and 152 passing yards, but he ran the ball 19 times for 164 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. Marshall averaged 8.6 yards per rush in the game, showing off his talented rushing ability.
Sure, Marshall has the one interception, but really that was the only blemish on his stat line. The sophomore even had to come out on one drive when he took a nasty hit to his back and was in clear pain. The offense picked him up with a touchdown on the very next play, but to come back from that on the next drive was impressive.
Khijohnn Cummings-Coleman
It is crazy to think that Cummings-Coleman was a safety just over a month ago. It wasn't until after the bye week for the Jayhawks that he made the move to running back, and clearly, he is in the position he should have been in all along.
Coming in for the injured Edwards, Cummings-Coleman was the third leading rusher on the day with 56 yards on 15 carries and two touchdowns. Each game, Cummings-Coleman looks to be more and more comfortable in the backfield and running the ball, which is great for the Jayhawks, who hope to see the sophomore return to Lawrence next season.
Chase Belcher
Belcher was also a part of the great rushing attack for the Jayhawks against West Virginia, as the second-leading rusher for Kansas with 58 yards on 14 carries and two rushing touchdowns. As a back who is further down the depth chart for the Jayhawks, Belcher certainly earned more snaps and, depending on the nature of Edwards' injury, could see more in the final two games of the season.
Leroy Harris III
The Kansas defense deserves a lot of credit for this game as well, holding the Mountaineers to just 14 points. This West Virginia offense is one of the best in the country, and Leroy Harris III was having a heyday in the backfield. The elite Kansas defender has eight total tackles, six solo tackles, a sack, and two tackles for a loss. Harris continues to impress for the Jayhawks and increases his NFL draft stock.
Corey Gordon
Corey Gordon was the only player to have a better defensive stat line than Harris, with 11 total tackles, a team-high 10 solo tackles, a tackle for a loss, and a pass defended. Gordon was all over the field for Kansas and was a catalyst in helping stop the high-flying Mountaineer offense.
Add us as a preferred source on Google