Blame shifts to Kansas football defense after Jayhawks lose another heartbreaker

Despite a 1-4 start to the season, the Kansas football team had a chance to wipe the slate clean in a road game against Arizona State. The Jayhawks did not turn over the ball for the first time this year and had some encouraging offensive possessions in the first half.

After entering the fourth quarter with a 3-point lead, KU fans witnessed a defensive meltdown by both squads. There were five lead changes and constant substitutions due to the extreme heat. Jalon Daniels threw a dot to Quentin Skinner for his second touchdown of the night right before the 2-minute timeout, but the Sun Devils barreled down the field to score an eventual game-winning touchdown with 16 seconds to go. This scene has become far too familiar in 2024.

Kansas football defense collapses yet again in fourth quarter

Lo and behold, Kansas played a solid game until the final 15 minutes and crumbled when it mattered most. It is the fifth consecutive contest where KU had a second-half lead at some point, yet it did not come out victorious once. UNLV and West Virginia also had go-ahead scores toward the latter stages of the fourth to beat the Jayhawks. Sitting at an abysmal 1-5 record, the hope for bowl eligibility is now a distant dream.

Unlike other losses, fans cannot pin the performance on scapegoats such as Jeff Grimes. Defensive coordinator Brian Borland and his unit have surrendered 105 points in the past three weeks. The Jayhawks allowed 313 yards on the ground, including 186 to Cam Skattebo. It was an unacceptable showing from Borland, and he should be on the hot seat as much as Grimes moving forward.

Daniels did not look great last night, but he did more than enough to put Kansas in a position to win. The run game was a bit less explosive than it usually is, so JD6 combated that by scoring three touchdowns and supplementing a monster game by Skinner.

For Leipold, now is the time to make tough decisions if he wants to keep the program’s momentum from slipping away. He has inspired hope among Kansas fans since he joined in 2021, but these meltdowns are wearing on their patience. Internal changes are absolutely necessary to show fans that Leipold is serious about winning.

We understand that Borland is a longtime friend of Leipold and came over from Buffalo with him. However, Leipold is responsible for all the personnel changes he made and the shine is quickly wearing off him.