Kansas football vs Arizona grades: Jayhawks fall short in Big 12 Conference road matchup
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Kansas football lost 24-20 on Saturday on the road during Big 12 Conference play against Arizona.
Here’s how the Jayhawks (5-5, 3-4 in Big 12) graded out from their defeat against the Wildcats (6-3, 3-3):
Offense: Jayhawks try to rely on running game
Kansas’ offense skewed toward the running game in this matchup, and by game’s end quarterback Jalon Daniels — who threw for 199 yards and a score — did have 74 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. But KU needed to be better on third downs, and better at keeping Arizona from collecting as many tackles for loss as the Wildcats did. Kansas had one last opportunity to drive to win the game late in the fourth quarter, and couldn’t do it.
Grade: C+
Defense: Missed opportunities will loom large for Kansas
During the game, Kansas had one interception returned for a touchdown called back due to a penalty, and another interception overturned because it was determined it was in fact an incomplete pass. KU enjoyed stretches of success against Arizona’s offense, and standout quarterback Noah Fifita, but when it needed one more stop the Jayhawks weren’t able to come up with it as they allowed the Wildcats to take a late lead. KU did have five sacks, but even those weren’t enough.
Grade: B-
Special teams: Laith Marjan misses his 1st field goal
Kansas kicker Laith Marjan has been an asset for the Jayhawks all season, and was again during this matchup, but while he hit field goals from 46 and 50 yards out he did miss his first attempt of the season. Marjan, who connected on his extra points, didn’t hit a field goal attempt from 30 yards out. Punter Finn Lappin also had two punts finish inside the 20 yard line.
Grade: B
Coaching: Kansas falls short
Arizona never truly wrestled the momentum away from Kansas until the very end, but that’s all that matters. As much as the Jayhawks remained composed at various points in the game, the Wildcats made enough plays to outlast KU. There’ll be some game management questions that arise, as coach Lance Leipold and his program analyze why they weren’t able to reach bowl eligibility with this game.
Grade: C
Overall grade: C+
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 jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas football vs Arizona grades: Lance Leipold, KU lose Big 12 game
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