Kansas football has suffered a Big 12 loss. What does that mean for the Jayhawks moving forward as they progress through the fall of 2025?
LAWRENCE — Kansas football suffered its first loss of Big 12 Conference play this past weekend, with its 37-34 defeat against Cincinnati.
Although the Jayhawks (3-2, 1-1 in Big 12) held a late lead in this matchup, they couldn’t hold on to it. The Bearcats (3-1, 1-0) stormed back late to be able to enjoy a road victory. And with that outcome, have come questions about what KU is going to be capable of moving forward.
So, as Kansas looks ahead to a pair of upcoming road games, how can coach Lance Leipold and company move forward? Are they going to be able to recover in time to have a chance at beating either UCF on Saturday or Texas Tech on Oct. 11? What is there to know about this Jayhawks squad as it prepares for those two road games ahead?
Here are a few lingering questions:
How special is the connection between Jalon Daniels and Emmanuel Henderson Jr.?
Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels turned heads against Cincinnati with his four-touchdown performance passing the ball, including 445 yards through the air, and wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr. was responsible for 214 of those yards and two of those touchdowns. One of the touchdowns went for 93 yards, and the other went for 75. According to KU, he’s the program’s first player to have two touchdown catches of at least 75 yards in a game in the Big 12 era — since 1996.
Asked about the explosive plays and what worked so well, Henderson said Daniels controls things, and when a wide receiver’s name is called, it’s just about executing. Daniels praised the hard-working attitude Henderson has had since transferring in from Alabama during the offseason. Leipold alluded to how important it was that the group had a good day against UC, given how tough they anticipated it would be to run the ball.
What did Kansas try to do to stymie Cincinnati’s passing game?
That Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby was able to help his side make some plays in the running game didn’t come as much of a shock. What might have been surprising to some was how much he and the Bearcats were able to carve up the Jayhawks’ defense through the air. He finished with 388 yards passing and a pair of touchdowns, with 128 of those yards and both touchdowns going to wide receiver Cyrus Allen.
According to Leipold, Kansas tried to mix up coverages and try different things to better rush the passer. But the execution wasn’t there to the point that KU was able to do enough against UC. Leipold also seemed to acknowledge that the Jayhawks had some younger players in the game who were facing a significant test.
How is Kansas going to approach playing back-to-back road games?
Kansas has lost its only road game so far this fall, at Missouri. Now, in the weeks ahead, it has a pair of away games at UCF and Texas Tech. It won’t have the benefit of a home crowd against either, and it’s clear both environments could prove to be a challenge — not to mention the teams themselves.
Leipold said they’ll prepare for the noise, and mentioned a KU against the world mentality as the Jayhawks have the opportunity to bond on those trips. Daniels said they’ll own the film from the Cincinnati loss, and approach the week ahead of UCF with a 1-0 mentality. Henderson was just eager to get back to work.
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas football lingering questions Cincinnati Big 12 Conference loss
Category: General Sports
