Kansas Jayhawks Football vs TCU: The View from Section 7

PREGAME

It’s an 11 AM kick today. It’s cold out this morning. Starting off at 45 degrees.

Gonna try and get there in time for Hawk Walk down the hill.

Was going to take my nephew today.

Then it was a niece.

Ended up with the nephew.

We’ll have fun.

We get parked, right next to the Campanile.

Security guard says the buses are almost here. Perfect timing!

Beaty gets off the bus first. Hi fives the nephew. Shakes my hand.

“Thanks for coming out today,” he says.

Team begins it’s trek down the hill. Lots of high fives all around.

We head down to the Hy-Vee “Hawk Zone.” Nephew wants to do the inflatable games.

He goes through the obstacle course like, ten times or something.

Next is pop-a-shot. I destroy him.

Of course, he’s 8, but I play to win.

Get a picture with some KU cheerleaders.

Next up, some ski ball. Then then a football toss.

We skip the bouncy house. It’s facepaint time.

He chooses to get a snake.

I mean, it’s cool, but a snake?

The balloon animal guy makes a snake out of balloons for him.

He’s literally walking around and hissing at people now.

Kids are weird.

Back up to the car to put away the balloon snake.

Good timing, now we’ll watch the band come down the hill.

It’s already warm enough to shed a layer or two.

We follow the band down and they begin their pregame routine near the university sponsored tailgating tents.

They play a couple of the pep band usuals.

Um, now they’re playing the theme from Star Trek: Beyond.

And no, I’m not ashamed that I recognized it.

But you can bet I’ll be paying attention to the halftime show.

We all remember what happened the last time a marching band did a space-themed halftime performance!

Anyway.

Over to the Hy-Vee tent to grab some pregame hamburgers.

Into the stadium we go.

He wants to sit at the very top.

That’s fine with me, as I don’t want to look like a lobster by 3 PM.

Sucks cuz I bought him a hat, but oh well.

FIRST QUARTER

Each team has a possession, and each team has a turnover.

Ryan Willis looking a lot like Montell Cozart right now.

Nephew asks me, “When are they going to start throwing the ball toward the goal line and try to score some points?”

Out of the mouth of babes, amirite?

I mean, three minutes haven’t even come off the clock yet.

KU has a spot overturned after a review, and it looks like they should do the same here on TCU, but they aren’t going to.

Receivers are doing some decent blocking.

That second pick from Willis will share some blame with the RT. The DE made no contact and was able to sit back and wait for the ball; he waited and got his hands up and deflected it.

The nephew is really liking this make-as-much-noise-as-you-can-on-third-down thing.

SECOND QUARTER

Willis gets hit and fumbles deep in KU territory. TCU gets its first points of the day on a 1 play, 3-yard drive.

The very next drive ends with another Willis INT.

We’re sick of it.

Put in Stanley, because at this point why not?

Defense forces a TCU punt.

D is looking strong today.

KU retakes the lead on a 50-yard field goal.

And TCU marches down the field and scores.

Taking no chances, KU runs out the second quarter and we’re down 14-10 at halftime.

What the hell is this playcalling?

Being conservative isn’t going to win games for KU this year.

Need to be more aggressive.

HALFTIME

Nephew wants some lemonade.

And a pretzel.

Fine but we have to wait until the band is done.

It is indeed a space themed halftime show.

Star Wars, Star Trek, Independence Day, and ET are all heard.

There are no giant spacedicks to be seen.

Curiously, there are no logos of any teams on the field, either.

If there’s any K-State fans here, no doubt they’re extremely confused.

Off to find a pretzel and lemonade.

THIRD QUARTER

Lemonade is good.

Pretzel is... OK. Maybe a bit stale.

But not as stale as this TCU offense, amirite?

Another TCU turnover.

KU drives the field, but gets conservative in the red zone, ends up with a field goal.

Um. So I’m not sure how you lose three yards on third-and-goal from the 1-yard line, but KU did it.

Lots of armchair playcallers in the stands yelling at Beaty right now.

Another field goal and KU has the lead back at 16-14.

People are texting/Tweeting me that Kinner was in and it should have been a touchdown on second down.

A big INT gives KU the ball on the TCU 25-yard line. Two plays later KU is up 23-14 with just a few minutes to go until the fourth quarter.

This is happening.

FOURTH QUARTER

Um, what was that?

Kenny Hill swarmed by Jayhawks. Drops the ball. Nobody picks it up. Hill picks it up and takes off down the sideline.

Play stands, plus tack on a 15-yard facemask.

This isn’t happening.

TCU scores, now trail by only two, 23-21.

Jayhawks drive right back down to the redzone.

What is this playcalling? A quarterback draw on 3rd-and-15?

And we’re kicking another field goal.

And we’re missing a field goal.

This isn’t happening.

Force a TCU punt. OK.

Taylor Martin with two big runs.

This is happening!

Hey I know let’s pass the ball now!

David Beaty concurs.

So of course we have to settle for another field goal attempt.

Which misses.

This isn’t happening!

TCU driving.

KU defense holds up, but TCU has a decent look at a field goal here.

Field goal is good, but a flag down.

Referee is over talking to Gary Patterson.

“What penalty would you like for us to call, Gary? We went with offensive pass interference back in 2004.”

Leaping?

WTF is that?

Doesn’t matter, TCU won’t take the points off the board. Penalty declined.

After two completions, Willis takes back-to-back sacks.

BRO.

You can’t do that, yo.

4th-and-22. This game is over.

LOL a hook and lateral?

THIS IS HAPPENING!!!

And offensive pass interference on the next play.

This isn’t happening.

Steven Sims!

54-yard field goal attempt.

It’s worth noting that the last game my nephew came to was Louisiana Tech.

He’s going to think game-winning 50 yard field goals are the norm for KU football.

Because this is happening!

Or.... NOT.

Dangit.

It didn’t happen.

People quietly begin to file out of Memorial Stadium.

POSTGAME

Well I know RCT's David won’t be showing his face on the site for a while since the defense played so well, this time from start to finish. I guess I better get some kind of quick recap up.

We wait out traffic in the car for a few minutes while I throw together a post.

The nephew is once again hissing at people with his balloon snake as they walk by.

I only noticed cuz one lady laughed out loud.

Over to Allen Fieldhouse we go!

He is enjoying the interactive area they have.

There’s a thing to see how high you jump, one for your wingspan, and one for your reflexes.

He does each of them multiple times.

Almost time for the volleyball game against Texas Tech.

Nephew doesn’t really want to go, but when I say we don’t have to stay for the whole thing, he agrees.

VOLLEYBALL

“The band is playing the Pokemon theme!” he tells me.

Is it really?

He’s sure of it.

(Editor’s note: I looked it up, and yes. Yes it was.)

Anyway, now volleyball is cool cuz they played the Pokemon song.

And no, I'm not ashamed that I didn't recognize it. Star Trek > Pokemon

First set starts off tight, tied up at 6-6.

Jayhawks build a 12-8 lead.

And that’s the last point Tech scores in the first set.

KU goes on a 13-0 run to end the first set behind six service aces by Madison Rigdon.

The nephew is really liking this make-as-much-noise-as-you-can business after every KU point.

Second set is tighter, tied up at 12-12, but once KU stretches out to a 19-14 lead you can tell it’s over.

“Number 8 is really good!” yells the nephew.

Yes. Yes, she is. (#8 is Kelsie Payne.)

Third verse same as the second - tight early, KU gets 19-14 lead, and ballgame.

Nephew does NOT want to stay to get autographs of the volleyball girls.

I’m guessing that will change after a couple more years.

Time to head home.

All things considered, it was a good day to be a Jayhawk.