Kansas Jayhawks Football vs Ohio Bobcats: A (Semi) Statistical Review

Ugh.

That’s pretty much the first word that comes to mind when I think about the game on Saturday.

Ohio jumped all over the Jayhawks, building a 25-0 lead before KU even came out of the locker room - at least that’s what it seemed like. Kansas looked unprepared and uninspired, and the result on the field - and the scoreboard - concurs with that assessment.

Kansas was absolutely dominated in the first half, and ultimately all game long. (Stats per ESPN.)

In the first half, Ohio outgained the Jayhawks 359-21 and held the ball for 22:56 compared to KU’s 7:04. Ohio had 18 first downs to KU’s one.

For the game, total Time of Possession went Ohio 44:42, Kansas 15:18. First downs were Ohio 27, Kansas 9. Ohio was 6-for-7 in the red zone. Kansas never got inside the 20. Kansas was 0-for-9 on third downs and 0-for-2 on fourth downs.

Ohio rushed for 329 yards in the game with their best running back, A.J. Ouellette, on the sidelines with an injury suffered in Week 1. Kansas piled up 26 yards rushing on 15 attempts. Total offense went Ohio 496, Kansas 232. Kansas put no pressure on Ohio quarterback Greg Windham (1 hurry, no sacks).

Ohio ran 93 offensive plays. Kansas ran 44.

The Good

Ok, I’ll try. Of Ohio’s 8 scoring drives, 5 were field goals. That’s bend-but-don’t-break defense at its finest. Hey, silver linings and all, right?

The Bad

Kansas put together one scoring drive on offense for the game, 5 plays, 76 yards, capped by a Cozart to Sims 22-yard TD pass. That sounds like a good, but the key is, they only did it once all game, which against this opponent is inexcusable.

The Ugly

Special teams. Quiv Gonzalez muffed two punts, costing the Jayhawks field position, momentum, and ultimately, points. In addition, a mishandled snap on a punt attempt gave Ohio great field position on the KU 29-yard line late in the 3rd quarter that the Bobcats cashed in for yet another field goal.

There’s also the safety Ohio had in the first quarter that was a great example of terrible play-calling from your own one-yard line.

Montell Cozart started and played the majority of the game. His line wasn’t awful: 17-24, 198 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT. He threw a couple of nice balls but also overthrew at least one open receiver down the field. When scrambling, he was unable (or unwilling) to look down the field and find an open receiver, instead bringing his eyes down and running as far as he could. Cozart reportedly injured his shoulder early in the 4th quarter, and coaches held him out the rest of the game as a precaution.

Ryan Willis went 1-5 for 8 yards and an INT. He played one series in the first quarter, a three-and-out, and didn’t see the field again until the Cozart injury late in the game.

Ke’aun Kinner was again the best back on the field for KU, but that’s not saying much. Kinner got 16 yards on 5 carries. No other running back had more than two carries or more than two yards.

Steven Sims Jr was the bright spot on offense. He hauled in four receptions for 114 yards and 2 TDs with a long of 74, and was open down the field on multiple other occasions.

LaQuivionte Gonzalez caught five balls for 45 yards. Although he did have a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown midway through the second half, Quiv muffed two punts and saw Ohio recover both. It only led to six total Ohio points (two field goals), but the momentum shift was palpable.

Cole Moos punted six times for a 31.5 average with a long of 49.

SS Bazie Bates had 11 tackles, 9 solo.

LB Marcquis Roberts had 10 tackles, 9 solo, with 2 TFLs.

DL Daniel Wise was a beast with 8 tackles, 7 solo, with 4 TFLs.

LB Joe Dineen picked up 10 tackles, 6 solo.

FS Fish Smithson added 5 tackles, 4 solo, and collected KU’s only defensive turnover with an INT. Fish was also credited with two pass breakups.