The Kansas football team secured its first conference win of the season with a convincing 41-10 victory over West Virginia. The Jayhawks scored on their first possession, then stalled for much of the first half before breaking the game open late in the second quarter and early in the third.
There were bright spots in every aspect of the game. The defense was stifling for most of the contest, special teams contributed throughout the game, and the offense produced 388 yards.
Kansas vs West Virginia: Game balls
No. 3: Dean Miller
Miller has been recovering from an injury and hasn’t made a huge impact yet this year - until this game. He was disruptive early and blew up a couple of plays that led to Mountaineer punts.
He had a sack, assisted on another tackle for loss, and totaled seven tackles for the game. It was great to see him play at full speed, and it is proof of how important he is to the defense.
An extra shoutout goes to Trey Lathan for a key interception and three tackles against his former school.
No. 2: Emmanuel Henderon Jr.
Henderson led the team with six receptions and was the only pass catcher with more than one. But that isn’t the main reason he gets a game ball.
On the opening kick-off of the second half, Henderson went 94 yards for a touchdown, burying any hopes West Virginia might have had about a comeback. He added another 43-yard return for good measure. These plays gave the Jayhawks all the momentum they needed to take down the Mountaineers.
No. 1: LeShon Williams
KU running backs gained just 11 yards on the ground on only nine rushes against Missouri. The Jayhawks came, dedicated to their ground attack against the Mountaineers. Although there wasn’t much success early on, the persistence paid off.
Kansas racked up 242 rushing yards, led by LeShon Williams with 129 yards on 19 carries, including an impressive 62-yard scamper for a touchdown. He gave the team a big boost with his hard, effective running.
This was the first game fans had seen him completely healthy after he suffered an injury early on in game one against Fresno State, and he proved why he was such a great addition when head coach Lance Leipold and his staff added him through the transfer portal from Iowa.
This week, Kansas hosts the Cincinnati Bearcats. Hopefully, they will play as well as they did against West Virginia.