Kansas Ushers in 2022 Season with 56-10 Blowout of Tennessee Tech

The Booth and the scoreboard were packed as the Jayhawks nabbed their first win of the football season.

As the program urged fans to #PacktheBooth (and nearly 35,000 came out to watch), the Kansas Jayhawks packed the scoreboard in their season opener against Tennessee Tech, starting the season with a convincing 56-10 victory.

Yet, the game started with stifling defense. It was a three and out forced by the Jayhawks defense to kick off the game, and after a bad putn, KU had the ball inside the Tennessee Tech 40. In past seasons, the third and 10 would have likely led to the Jayhawks’ own three and out, but instead quarterback Jalon Daniels found Lawrence Arnold for a first down. On the next play, Devin Neal carried the ball into the endzone and in less than four game minutes, Kansas had its first points and lead of the season.

Fans likely got a bout of deja vu on the second drive. The KU defense once again forced a punt after three Golden Eagles plays. Then Daniels hit Quentin Skinner for a 56-yard pass before Daniel Hishaw finished off the two-play drive with a nine-yard touchdown run.

Not to be left out, the KU special teams got in on the action in the first quarter, blocking a 50-yard Golden Eagles’ field goal attempt and Cobee Bryant returning it 61 yards for a touchdown and 21-0 lead with 4:42 left in the first quarter.

The second quarter belonged to Daniels, who scrambled for an 11-yard TD run on third and goal to make it 28-3 and then found tight end Mason Fairchild with 14 seconds left in the half to take a 35-3 lead into the half. Daniels was a lights-out 14-15 in the first half for 182 yards and a TD through the air and 11 yards and a TD on the ground.

It wasn’t all perfect. Luke Grimm muffed a punt that gave Tennessee Tech excellent field position, Jacob Borcila missed a 40-yard field goal attempt, and Daniels threw a pick as the result of a bad decision down the sidelines. But these were few and far between. And they were combatted by plays like Neal’s 80-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to make it 42-3.

KU’s loaded running back position was on full display, as the Jayhawks racked up 297 yards on the ground from five different ball carriers, not counting the quarterbacks. Neal finished with an efficient 108 yards on just four carries, while Sevion Morrison (eight carries for 70 yards) and Hishaw (five carries for 56 yards) both found the end zone and Ky Thomas had 15 yards in his KU debut.

Jason Bean replaced Daniels (15-18 for 189 yards, a passing TD and a pick, along with a rushing TD) at quarterback at the end of the third quarter and recorded a rushing touchdown – the team’s sixth of the night – to lead 56-3. The Jayhawks outgained the Golden Eagles 502 yards to 190. One of the big differences came on third down, where KU was an efficient 6-8 while holding Tennessee Tech to 4-17.

Lance Leipold will find out quickly how much his team has improved against quality opponents when Kansas faces West Virginia at 5 p.m. next Saturday in Morgantown.