The No. 7 Texas Tech Red Raiders proved they were a top-10 team in the nation in their 42-17 boat race against the Kansas Jayhawks. Barring a stumble in the second quarter, which saw the Jayhawks reel off 17 unanswered points and pull the lead deficit from 21 points to just four, head coach Joey McGuire’s team was able to control the game with ease, even if it meant with a backup quarterback under center after star Behren Morton went down with an injury in the second quarter.
When you comb the gaudy stat sheet, though, you can still find consistency from a few Kansas players, the most obvious being QB Jalon Daniels.
Despite the loss, Daniels mounted 228 yards on 17-23 passing with two touchdowns as well. Considering the fact that Kansas gave up a monster nine sacks on the day, those numbers prove more impressive.
“You know, it was tough. I mean, he battled, again, I think there were some throws, probably some sacks that we wish he would have just gotten rid of it sooner. He's trying to extend plays in battle for his team,” quoted head coach Lance Leipold after Saturday's loss.
“I thought he was highly competitive again for us. I think statistically, it shows up as a decent day. But again, we just didn't sustain enough consistent drives to get us where we needed to be.”
Daniels himself would go on to echo similar sentiments over his performance, continuing that there was an instance where he tried to make his own big play and ended up taking a sack.
As a team, Kansas went just 7-18 on third downs, continuing a narrative that the Jayhawks struggle in clutch situations. The Jayhawks rank 122nd in the nation in third-down conversion rates at just 32.1%
It is hard to necessarily pin a lot of the blame on Daniels; this is a Texas Tech team that currently sits 9th-best in the country with only 256.8 yards per game given up. Last Saturday, Kansas actually put the most pressure on the Red Raiders, as the 319 yards the Jayhawks put up was the highest Tech had given up all season long.
So far this season, Daniels has totaled 18 touchdowns to just two interceptions with 1,752 yards through the air, and a further 200 on the ground with one touchdown as well.
A much-needed bye week is in route for the Jayhawks as the Dillons Sunflower Showdown is on the horizon against a Kansas State team that is finally finding its momentum, including two wins in their last three and a 3-4 overall record.
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