Top Five Games of the 2022 Season – 78 Days Until Kansas Football
In recent years, trying to rank the games in a Kansas football season would be a struggle. A few games down and you would have already covered off on the two non-conference wins and that one close overtime game (or win against Texas) and then you’re trying to find optimism in a 20-point conference loss.
But not in 2022. The Jayhawks won six games and made a bowl game, and along the way made a College GameDay appearance, broke some long-running streaks, and created a ton of buzz. There’s been more positive moments and themes to talk about than the last decade combined.
OK, that may be hyperbole. But still, let’s take advantage and rank the top five Kansas games of the 2022 season.
No. 5 – 14-11 Win Over Iowa State
This was not a pretty game, and KU benefited from some kicking whiffs from Iowa State, but the stakes were major. If the Jayhawks don’t win this game – their fifth of the year and fifth straight to start the season – then College GameDay doesn’t come to Lawrence the next week for the TCU game, and given that Jalon Daniels gets injured in that game, a bowl game appearance is not a certainty.
It was also arguably the best game for the KU defense, which recorded five sacks and forced two turnovers while holding ISU to 26 rushing yards on 30 attempts.
No. 4 – 48-30 Win Over Houston
Houston was on its way to the Big 12 with a better recent track record in football than Kansas, was coming off a 12-2 season, and had a starting quarterback, Clayton Tune, who at one point was committed to KU.
But for the second time in two weeks, the Jayhawks went on the road, and unlike at West Virginia, this one wasn’t close. Daniels showed his complete tool set, accumulating more than 280 total yards and five total TDs while the defense turned Houston over twice and sacked Tune four times.
No. 3 – 55-53 Loss to Arkansas
Yes, a loss makes the top five even though KU won six games. But come on. Not only was it a bowl game, but this was where Kansas reaffirmed on a national stage that it could hang with quality teams, this one from the SEC. And it was one of the best bowl games of the entire season.
You know what happened. After getting down 24-7 in the first quarter and 31-13 at half, KU comes storming back, and its 18 unanswered points in the fourth forced overtime. And then another overtime. And then a third. Daniels was special, breaking records with his 544 passing yards and five TDs and Luke Grimm dominated with 167 yards and a TD on 10 catches.
It was a rare time when a loss to end the season actually made fans even more enthusiastic and encouraged.
No. 2 – 55-42 OT Win Over West Virginia
This was the moment the belief began. It was only the second game of the season, but it set the tone in a number of ways. KU trailed by 14 at three different points in the game but came back to win in dramatic fashion – and on the back of a high-powered offense – to break some gaudy streaks. It was the first time Kansas started 2-0 since 2011, the first Big 12 opener win since 2009, and first Big 12 opener win on the road since 2008, not to mention the first win ever in Morgantown.
The game also featured one of the signature highlight plays of the season as Cobee Bryant sealed the game with an 86-yard interception return for a touchdown in overtime.
No. 1 – 37-16 Win Over Oklahoma State
Yes, this was a game that featured two backup quarterbacks. And Oklahoma State was down in 2022 compared to expectations. Still, Kansas thrashed a ranked team with a dominating performance that sealed the long-awaited bowl appearance.
While Jason Bean stepped up with a highly efficient, turnover-free game, this could be called the Devin Neal game. Neal racked up 224 yards on the ground and a touchdown on 32 carries and then took it a step further by hauling in six catches for 110 yards through the air. With pressure to win and missing its star QB, Kansas went out and put up 554 yards of total offense and turned OSU over four times without turning it over itself. There was no need for a comeback in this one. It was the most complete performance of the season.
