The No. 19 Kansas Jayhawks lost to the Illinois Fightin Illini, 23-17, on Saturday evening at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill.
After blowing out Lindenwood last week to open the season, the Jayhawks (1-1) faced a much more significant test against Illinois (2-0). Times have really changed for Kansas. Not only did the Jayhawks go into the game nationally-ranked, the game was a sellout. It was a big, early-season test for both teams.
The lead changed four times as Kansas took the football down 20-17 with 9:27 left in the game. Kansas went three and out. The Jayhawks didn’t get the ball back until there was less than a minute left in the game after Illinois executed a long drive that ended with a field goal.
After the final play, Illini fans stormed the field as the upset a ranked team at home for the first time in five years.
Here are three thoughts on the game.
Turnovers Gonna Get You
When you go on the road, you can’t make mistakes. One, maybe. But two or more and you’re asking for trouble.
The Jayhawks had two turnovers in the first half. The first one came on the first drive of the game as Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels threw an interception. The Kansas defense did well to limit the Illini to a field goal. And KU made Illinois work for it, a 14-play, 62-yard drive.
The second turnover Kansas wasn’t as lucky. It was another interception by Daniels, and this time not only was he picked off by Illinois’ Xavier Scott, who returned it 30 yards for a touchdown to give the Illini a 13-10 halftime lead.
That hurt the Jayhawks, even though it made it a three-point game. The offense had been balanced and efficient. Running back Devin Neal had 73 yards on seven carries. The KU defense held the Illini to 132 yards and six points.
But, when you’re on the road, you can’t turn the ball over. Daniels threw a third interception in the second half, but Illinois was unable to do anything with it. Still, Kansas gave up three potential chances to score. In a six-point game, that makes a difference.
Drive Time in Champaign
One way to counteract turnovers is to possess the ball for … a … long … time. Kansas did that in the third quarter to take the lead.
The Jayhawks fashioned a 14-play, 81-yard drive that bled nearly eight minutes off the clock. It had everything. A Daniels run here. A Devin Neal dash there. A Daniel Hishaw sweep here. And a whole lot of Lawrence Arnold.
Arnold caught three passes on the drive, the last being the 13-yard touchdown catch that gave the Jayhawks a 17-13 lead. The drive gave their defense a break and put them back in charge, albeit by only a few points.
Kansas finished the game with 327 total yards, with Neal rushing for 101 yards and Daniels throwing for 141 yards. But, Daniels’ lack of efficiency — he was 18-of-32 — hurt the Jayhawks, especially in the fourth quarter. Kansas had just 13 plays in the final 15 minutes, with two three-and-outs.
KU’s Defense Looks Legit
Putting a beat-down defensively on Lindenwood, which is transitioning to FCS from Division II, is one thing. But against Illinois?
Well, that’s what Kansas did, if we’re being honest. While the Illini defense did a solid job on the Kansas offense, the Jayhawk defense worked all night.
Kansas held Illinois under 200 yards of total offense until early in the fourth quarter. The Kansas pass rush was relentless, as it sacked quarterback Luke Altmyer twice, but harassed him all evening. The Jayhawks also had nine tackles for loss. Ultimately, Kansas gave up 271 total yards and forced Altmyer to beat them in the air, as Illinois only had 79 yards on the ground.
Throw out the fact that Kansas lost the game. If the defense plays like this every week, the Jayhawks will be contenders in the Big 12 — assuming Kansas can protect the football on offense moving forward.
