Kansas Jayhawks Usher in 2022 Football Season with 56-10 Blowout of Tennessee Tech

As this system urged followers to #PacktheBooth (and practically 35,000 got here out to look at), the Kansas Jayhawks packed the scoreboard of their season opener in opposition to Tennessee Tech, beginning the season with a convincing 56-10 victory.

But, the sport began with stifling protection. It was a 3 and out pressured by the Jayhawks protection to kick off the sport, and after a nasty putn, KU had the ball contained in the Tennessee Tech 40. In previous seasons, the third and 10 would have possible led to the Jayhawks’ personal three and out, however as a substitute quarterback Jalon Daniels discovered Lawrence Arnold for a primary down. On the following play, Devin Neal carried the ball into the endzone and in lower than 4 recreation minutes, Kansas had its first factors and lead of the season.

Followers possible obtained a bout of deja vu on the second drive. The KU protection as soon as once more pressured a punt after three Golden Eagles performs. Then Daniels hit Quentin Skinner for a 56-yard move earlier than Daniel Hishaw completed off the two-play drive with a nine-yard landing run.

To not be not noted, the KU particular groups obtained in on the motion within the first quarter, blocking a 50-yard Golden Eagles’ subject objective try and Cobee Bryant returning it 61 yards for a landing and 21-0 lead with 4:42 left within the first quarter.

The second quarter belonged to Daniels, who scrambled for an 11-yard TD run on third and objective to make it 28-3 after which discovered tight finish Mason Fairchild with 14 seconds left within the half to take a 35-3 lead into the half. Daniels was a lights-out 14-15 within the first half for 182 yards and a TD by means of the air and 11 yards and a TD on the bottom.

It wasn’t all excellent. Luke Grimm muffed a punt that gave Tennessee Tech wonderful subject place, Jacob Borcila missed a 40-yard subject objective try, and Daniels threw a choose as the results of a nasty resolution down the sidelines. However these had been few and much between. They usually had been combatted by performs like Neal’s 80-yard landing run within the third quarter to make it 42-3.

KU’s loaded operating again place was on full show, because the Jayhawks racked up 297 yards on the bottom from 5 totally different ball carriers, not counting the quarterbacks. Neal completed with an environment friendly 108 yards on simply 4 carries, whereas Sevion Morrison (eight carries for 70 yards) and Hishaw (5 carries for 56 yards) each discovered the top zone and Ky Thomas had 15 yards in his KU debut.

Jason Bean changed Daniels (15-18 for 189 yards, a passing TD and a choose, together with a speeding TD) at quarterback on the finish of the third quarter and recorded a speeding landing – the staff’s sixth of the night time – to steer 56-3. The Jayhawks outgained the Golden Eagles 502 yards to 190. One of many massive variations got here on third down, the place KU was an environment friendly 6-8 whereas holding Tennessee Tech to 4-17.

Lance Leipold will discover out rapidly how a lot his staff has improved in opposition to high quality opponents when Kansas faces West Virginia at 5 p.m. subsequent Saturday in Morgantown.