Jalon Daniels will go down as a cult hero in the eyes of Kansas University. With the instability since the late 2000’s that is a difficult task to manage. Yet since 2020, Daniels has notched 66 passing touchdowns to his 28 interceptions, 9,095, with a healthy 22 touchdowns on the ground and a further 1,386 rushing yards.
The Lawndale, California, had totaled 21 touchdowns and three interceptions with 2,190 yards heading into today’s matchup against the Iowa State Cyclones, with performances varying but steadily consistent throughout the season. Yet by the time the final buzzer had sounded in Ames, Iowa, Daniels had finished with a meek 154 yards on 13-23 passing and one interception in what turned out ot be an ugly 38-14 loss. While of course the Jayhawks would have wanted more from Daniels, Saturday marked another example where Kansas could not string any bits of momentum together.
Despite Kansas’ fourth loss in five games, the longtime KU quarterback spoke on the importance of resetting after the loss.
“Excitement is key. Excitement is everything," Marked Daniels.
"Nobody likes to lose. Losing hurts you, both mentally and physically, when you're talking about the game of football. But excitement is what continues to make you want to go out there and do it. At the end of the day, you're going to lose motivation, but if the people around you are continuing to keep you motivated, don't let you get down, that's how you continue to go out there and play and do what you love to do on a day-to-day basis.”
After falling behind 17-0, Kansas would spring out of the second-half gates and take little time to score 14 points, yet sandwiched between those two Jayhawk touchdowns was an Iowa State touchdown that sliced the building energy and ultimately gave way for a 38-14 Cyclone victory.
The same could have been said in the first half when the Jayhawks had an opportunity to get points on the board. After what felt like no time saw they fell behind 14-0 with just over 10:30 to play in the second quarter, yet Laith Marjan could not convert a 41-yard field goal.
These two instances are microcosms of the Jayhawks' season, which has seen a lack of unity between both sides of the ball, often resulting in spurts of high-scoring scoring fluid offense met with a sluggish defense, and vice versa.
Despite whatever the result, next Saturday will mark the final regular-season game of Daniels’ career. If Kansas can pull off an emotional upset over the No. 12 Utah Utes (8-2), then Daniels would be on course for the Jayhawks’ second bowl game with No. 6 involved. With the kickoff officially set for 11 a.m. CT on ESPN against a dangerous Utes team, which is most likely vying for an out-of-conference bid to the College Football Playoff, next week is no better time than ever for the best performance of the season.
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