Check out Kansas football's report card as Jayhawks recover with Big 12 road win over UCF

Kansas football picked up a 27-20 win on Saturday on the road during Big 12 Conference play against UCF.

Here’s how the Jayhawks (4-2, 2-1 in Big 12) graded out from their victory against UCF (3-2, 0-2):

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Offense: Leshon Williams rushes for 3 touchdowns

It took time for Kansas’ offense to develop some rhythm and finish drives in the first half, but that recovery helped the Jayhawks remain in the game heading into halftime. Over time, the depth on this side of the ball emerged, and as a group, they seemed to exert much more control over the game. Running back Leshon Williams also finished the day with three touchdown runs, scoring every one of the team’s touchdowns on the day.

Grade: B+

Defense: A tale of two halves

UCF’s offense had four drives in the first half and scored on each one, two touchdowns and two field goals. After halftime, though, none of UCF’s drives led to points — including one drive that ended in a fumble that led to a KU score. It also certainly helped that Kansas’ defense, which came up with a pair of stops late in the fourth quarter while holding a seven-point lead to clinch the victory, got linebacker Bangally Kamara back in the second half after he wasn’t available in the first.

Grade: B-

Special teams: Laith Marjan steps up

Kansas kicker Laith Marjan came into the matchup as a game-time decision, but went on to deliver for the Jayhawks by hitting all of his extra points and both of his field goals. They didn’t leave any points on the field. Although KU’s return game wasn’t much of a factor, neither was UCF’s, and a kickoff that went out of bounds didn’t prove to be costly.

Grade: A-

Coaching: Kansas flips script in 2nd half

The fact that Kansas seemed to spend so much of the first half trying to settle in, given the emphasis it put on bouncing back from a disappointing defeat, was concerning. But coach Lance Leipold’s squad didn’t just appear more composed after halftime, as they also executed at a far higher level. Big 12 road victories are valuable, and the Jayhawks just earned one.

Grade: B

Overall grade: B

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 vs UCF grades as Jayhawks score Big 12 win