In a surprising turn of events, the Kansas football team abandoned the run against the Missouri Tigers on Saturday. Despite success rushing the ball in their first two games, KU only handed the ball to a running back nine times against Mizzou.
During the first two games of the season, Daniel Hishaw Jr. had 27 carries for 158 yards. Against Missouri, he had six rushes for 11 yards. LeShon Williams was effective with six carries for 52 yards against Fresno State before getting injured and missing the second game. He had three rushes for zero yards versus Mizzou.
Quarterback Jalon Daniels was credited with 10 carries and 25 yards, but the yards were diminished due to a couple of big sacks.
The Kansas running backs weren’t used nearly enough against Missouri
Nine carries by running backs is not nearly enough for a team searching for any kind of balance. Still, there was a reason for so few opportunities for the backs. They weren’t being effective. The offensive line struggled to open holes when KU did hand the ball off. Hishaw and Williams gained just 11 yards on nine tries. There wasn’t much room for them to roam.
This has to be a big concern for head coach Lance Leipold and his staff. The Jayhawks can’t rely just on Daniels to save them every game. There has to be some balance, and the line has to be more effective than it was at Missouri.
As good as Daniels is, he can’t be the only playmaker on the field. The running game, outside of quarterback scrambles and designed runs for Daniels. Has to be better if Ku is going to compete in conference games.
The running backs need to be more involved in the game. The fact that KU had the ball for only a minute in the second quarter seems impossible, but that is what happened. Kansas had 49 plays and Missouri had 86. KU had the ball for only 19 and a half minutes of the game. Not only does that show a lack of ability to run the ball and control the clock, but it also puts immense pressure on a defense.
By the end of the game, the defense had to be worn out. Fatigue had to play a role in the Kansas defense giving up so many big plays. It’s no wonder KU gave up nearly 600 yards of offense to Mizzou.
Kansas must fix the running game in the future. Whether it is improving the line play or calling better plays, or both, the Jayhawks can’t be so reliant on the pass, and they cannot leave their defense on the field for two-thirds of the game. Luckily, they have an extra week to find a solution.