KANSAS

Kansas Football is Unraveling: What Went Wrong vs. UNLV

Kansas has now lost back-to-back games as a favorite. What went wrong Friday night and where do the Jayhawks go from here?

Rich Cirminiello

Sep 13, 2024; Kansas City, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Lance Leipold reacts after a play during the second half against the UNLV Rebels at Children's Mercy Park. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Sep 13, 2024; Kansas City, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Lance Leipold reacts after a play during the second half against the UNLV Rebels at Children's Mercy Park. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
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A Kansas football season with so much promise is quickly unraveling for head coach Lance Leipold. In the preseason, the Jayhawks were ranked and considered a trendy pick to win the Big 12. Now, this program is floundering after back-to-back upset losses to Illinois and UNLV.

What went wrong in Friday night's 23-20 loss to the Rebels and can Leipold get things turned around before next week's Big 12 opener in Morgantown?

3. Red Zone Production

The Jayhawks' six red zone visits in the last two games have produced four field goals and just a pair of touchdowns. That's unacceptable with dynamic playmakers like Jalon Daniels and Devin Neal in the backfield. Flip that production and this team is still undefeated.

Kansas needs more from the coaches but also the O-line, beyond C Bryce Foster who played well Friday night.

2. Halftime Adjustments

My goodness, does this program miss Andy Kotelnicki calling plays. Close games are won at halftime, when coaching adjustments are made. The Jayhawks squandered first-half leads in each of the last two games and scored just 10 combined second-half against Illinois and UNLV.

The offense has been awful, but especially so when it matters most. That falls on beleauguered first-year OC Jeff Grimes and his assistants.

1. Jalon Daniels & the Passing Game

Daniels as a runner has been solid. His 65 yards and 2 TDs on the ground staked the Jayhawks to a 17-6 lead over UNLV. But as a passer, he has regressed under Grimes. He's thrown five interceptions in the two losses while struggling to drive the ball downfield. Daniels is a more capable passer than he's shown so far in 2024 and he has quality receivers in Luke Grimm and Lawrence Arnold.

If Kansas is going to turn things around, it's up to the staff to dig deep and find a way to maximize all of Daniels' multidimensional potential.

Instant Takeaways: Kansas Football Falls to UNLV, Suffering Second Straight Loss

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Rich Cirminiello

RICH CIRMINIELLO

I've been the VP of College Awards for the Maxwell Football Club since 2008. I oversee and manage all aspects of the Maxwell Award (CFB Player of the Year), Bednarik Award (Defensive POY) and Munger Award (CFB Coach of the Year), including creating watch lists, steering the selection committee and choosing players of the week. I appear weekly on SportsGrid TV to discuss college football, both as a guest and a co-host of various live shows. I oversee and manage two additional college awards, outside the purview of the Maxwell Football Club - former Seattle Seahawk RB Shaun Alexander's Freshman of the Year Award & the Buddy Teevens Award, which was created by Peyton Manning, Archie Manning and Omaha Productions in honor of the late Dartmouth coach. I'm contracted out each May by Phil Steele to help edit the magazine and write select articles leading up to the publication of his annual College Football Preview in June.

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