Back-breaking mistakes sink KU football at K-State. Takeaways from Sunflower Showdown

For a moment, the Kansas Jayhawks were in control.

Kansas held a one-point lead late in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Jalon Daniels began to scramble — with a chance to ice the game on a long drive. He made it 9 yards before he was hit and fumbled. The Kansas State Wildcats recovered.

Like most of the night, K-State took advantage of KU’s missteps and converted them into points. This time, it was another field goal and fourth-down stop that sunk KU 29-27 for a 16th straight Sunflower Showdown defeat.

The Jayhawks (2-6, 2-4 Big 12) fell at Bill Snyder Family Stadium and are one loss away from being eliminated from bowl contention. The Jayhawks last defeated the Wildcats on Nov. 1, 2008.

Saturday’s game featured plenty of highs and lows for both teams.

Kansas running back Devin Neal headed to the locker room early in the first quarter but returned in time for KU’s next drive, sporting a wrap on his upper arm and shoulder. His status was especially notable as fellow running back Daniel Hishaw missed the game due to a leg injury.

Another running back, Sevion Morrison, scored KU’s first points before the game went haywire. The Jayhawks dropped an open touchdown pass, then watched as K-State woke up and scored 16 unanswered points — two touchdowns and a safety after the Jayhawks fielded a kickoff at the 1-yard line and stepped out of bounds.

KU finally stopped the bleeding when Daniels connected with receiver Luke Grimm on a 10-yard touchdown pass to cut K-State’s lead to 16-14.

The game went back and fourth into the fourth quarter, with K-State leading 23-14, then Kansas jumping ahead 27-23 (the Jayhawks missed an extra point). K-State converted two field goals to win the game.

“I thought we competed extremely hard, fought,” Kansas coach Lance Leipold said. “I thought we were extremely physical throughout the game. I thought we battled all the way through. We just once again left some opportunities out there in all three phases that prevented us from winning the game.”

Daniels finished 18-of-31 passing for 209 yards with one passing touchdown, one interception and the costly lost fumble. He also ran for a score. Devin Neal had 66 rushing yards on 13 carries and one touchdown.

Up next: Kansas has an off week before playing Iowa State on Nov. 9.

Here are three takeaways from Saturday’s game…

Turnovers ruin Jalon Daniels’ day

Jalon Daniels was trending up heading into Saturday’s game, following two of his best performances of the year. He played well overall against K-State, but two turnovers soured his effort.

Daniels, in the first half, went 11-for-17 passing with 120 yards and a touchdown. He could’ve had another, but receiver Quentin Skinner dropped an uncontested deep pass in the end zone.

Late in the first half, Daniels’ turnover issues reappeared. With the Jayhawks driving for a late score, Daniels fired a ball into double coverage that K-State’s Marques Sigle intercepted and returned 49 yards.

Daniels made other big plays, both with his arm and his legs, but the late run that turned into a fumble is what will be remembered. He chose to dive with multiple K-State defenders around, and one got a helmet on the ball and jarred it loose.

Self-inflicted (and bizarre) mistakes sink KU

If there’s one common trend this season, it’s this: KU football can’t get out of its own way.

That’s been a common trend in the Sunflower Showdown, too.

The Jayhawks’ first major mistake came when Skinner dropped a dime of a pass by Daniels in the end zone. The Jayhawks would’ve gone up 14-0 with a score.

On K-State’s kickoff after tying the score 7-7, Kansas kick returner Jameel Croft fielded the ball at the 1-yard line, toe-tapped and stepped out of bounds. The Jayhawks surrendered a safety when Neal was stuffed in the end zone on the first play of the following drive.

“We’re not going to tell a guy to go catch the ball as his momentum’s taking him out of bounds, okay, I think that would be common sense,” Leipold said. “But the young man was trying to make a play and he lost track of where he was at. Human mistake.”

Naturally, Kansas State scored a touchdown following a long return after the safety boot.

Kansas kicker Tabor Allen missed a PAT in the third quarter, and Daniels’ fumble late in the fourth quarter was back-breaking.

Moments like these showcase why KU has struggled to win games this season.

K-State’s rushing attack ran wild

Kansas coaches and players spent all week talking about how important it was to stop the Wildcats’ run game.

Well, Kansas failed to do that on Saturday. It proved costly.

Kansas State had 226 rushing yards on 38 carries with a rushing score. K-State quarterback Avery Johnson rushed for 67 yards, including a key third-down conversion to set up the winning field goal.

Dylan Edwards broke off a 44-yard run against KU, and DJ Giddens rushed for 102 yards with a long of 54. It was an area Kansas couldn’t contain on Saturday.