Kansas Jayhawks Football vs Texas: A (Semi) Statistical Recap

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!

Now THAT’S what I’m talking about!

It was ugly. It was sloppy - the two teams combined for 16 penalties and 8 turnovers. Both coaches made mistakes. But in the end, Kansas made plays, Texas panicked, and the Jayhawks sent Charlie Strong to the unemployment line (behind Dan Hawkins, amirite?) when Kansas notched its first win over a Big 12 opponent not named Iowa State since 2013.

The Kansas defense was the story of this one. Despite allowing Texas 403 yards of total offense, KU turned the Longhorns over six times and held Texas to just 3-17 on third downs. It seemed like UT ran all over the Jayhawks with 238 yards, but Texas finished the game averaging just 3.8 yards per carry. The defense even scored a touchdown on a pick-6 in the second quarter.

Typically, the KU offense struggled to gain much traction. However, not typically, they made plays down the stretch - enough plays to force overtime and eventually take the game from Texas.

With 2:36 left in the game, ESPN’s win probably chart still showed Texas at 96%. This was just after KU failed to convert a fourth-and-six from their own 38-yard line. But then, after the KU defense held on three straight running plays from D’Onta Foreman, Texas elected to try and convert a fourth-and-five to put the game away. They failed, Kansas drove down for the game-tying field goal, and the rest, as they say, is history.

The Good

C’mon. You’re kidding, right? Six turnovers and an INT? The defense gets all sorts of accolades for this one.

Place kicker Matthew Wyman gets a shoutout here, too, nailing three field goals, including a pressure-packed game-tying FG and game-winning FG.

The Bad

Once again, the offense, particularly the quarterback play. The Jayhawks only managed 332 yards of total offense, 2.9 yards per carry, 5.2 yards per pass attempt, and 10.5 yards per pass completion.

The Ugly

The whole game was ugly, as noted above. Kansas turned the ball over twice itself, and was flagged nine times for 85 yards, but I’m not complaining because SCOREBOARD, BABY!

The Stats

Carter Stanley earned his second start of the year and displayed some, uh, great leadership skills. The stats weren’t really there. Stanley completed 21-42 passes for 220 yards, no TDs, and one INT. There were also several other passes that probably should have been picked off - primarily that one at the very end of the game in the end zone with 12 seconds left, which I thought for sure was going to be reviewed and overturned. More on that in a minute.

Stanley also rushed/scrambled for 26 yards on 6 carries.

Ke’aun Kinner, who was almost a Longhorn himself, had 20 carries for 69 yards (nice). Even more importantly, Kinner added 68 yards on 7 receptions, three of which came on KU’s game-tying field goal drive.

Say it with me one last time:

MOAR.

KE’AUN.

KINNER.

Khalil Herbert picked up 26 yards on 10 carries with 1 TD.

Taylor Martin only saw two carries, gaining four yards.

Steven Sims Jr. was basically the hero for the Kansas offense. He picked up 79 yards on 7 receptions, but it was the catch he didn’t make that saved the game for Kansas. With 12 seconds left in the fourth quarter and KU still down by three points, Stanley lobbed a ball toward Sims in the end zone in double coverage. A Texas defender grabbed the pass in the air, but Sims ripped it away from him as he fell to the turf.

Mike Gunnoe/Special to The Capital-Journal

In addition, Sims picked up a two-point conversion for KU on a trick play in which he ended up improvising a run around the end to convert. It brought KU to within 3 point of Texas at 21-18 and set the stage for the finale.

LaQuivionte Gonzalez had 41 yards on 3 receptions, but muffed yet another punt (that’s five on the year, I believe).

Shakiem Barbel added 17 yards on two receptions.

Legacy Jayhawk Keith Loneker Jr. led Kansas with 16 tackles, 11 solo.

Fish Smithson had 12 tackles, 10 solo, a TFL, and a beautiful INT.

Dorance Armstrong Jr will haunt Texas’ dreams for quite some time. He had 11 tackles, 9 solo, 2 sacks, and 3 total TFLs.

Mike Lee also had 11 tackles, all solo, and basically ended the game with a huge INT (on which he almost scored) in overtime.

Tevin Shaw added 11 tackles, 8 solo.

Daniel Wise “only” had 5 tackles, 4 solo, but two were sacks and three were TFLs.

Brandon Stewart had just two tackles, but also had a 55-yard INT return for a touchdown that sparked KU in the first half.

Cole Moos punted 10 times for a 39.4 average with a long of 53.

Matthew Wyman will be BMOC this week after nailing three field goals of 36, 36, and 25 yards, the final two of which had all the pressure of America on his shoulders.