The Kansas Jayhawks opened the 2022 season with a big win last week.
A week later, on a rainy night in Morgantown, West Virginia, they won 55-42 in overtime with a high-scoring, high-pressure victory in their Big 12 opener Defeat WVU.
This was KU’s first win since beating Iowa State in October in its Big 12 opener. November 10, 2009. It also marked the first time the Jayhawks have gone 2-0 since 2011. Additionally, Kansas hasn’t outscored a league opponent by multiple points since another win over Iowa State in November 2014.
If those qualifiers weren’t painful enough for West Virginia, Saturday’s win was also KU’s first in Morgantown.
The early part of the game belonged to West Virginia, with the Mountaineers leading 14-0 early and facing little resistance from the Kansas defense. KU’s offense woke up late in the first quarter and went into the second, however, scoring their first touchdown on Devin Neal’s run.
It was Neal’s first 3-pointer of the day, and it propelled the Jayhawks’ run that seemed to keep them firmly in control until the fourth quarter. After a hot start at WVU, KU scored 42 of the next 62 in the high-flying fight.
While the Lawrence local running back scored a few points, quarterback Jalon Daniels smashed the West Virginia defense’s share with a solid performance. Whether in scrambles, triple picks or the air, Daniels played one of the best, most complete games of his career. Leading 42-34. The punt gave the Mountaineers the ball with 2:17 left, and West Virginia and quarterback JT Daniels got through the Kansas defense and scored with 35 seconds left for the necessary touchdown and two-point conversion.
KU kneels to end the game and the game goes into overtime. While this has created undeniable tension for Kansas (or at least its fans), Overtime has been a friend of the Jayhawks despite their struggles over the past decade or so. Kansas entered Saturday night with wins in its last two overtime games.
Thanks in part to a rough passing free throw from West Virginia, Kansas was able to score in overtime when Daniels hit Quentin Skinner for a touchdown in the back of the end zone.
The defense made a huge reaction of its own and the game was locked after a few minutes. On the third drop, West Virginia’s Daniels took aim at the left sideline and was selected by Kobe Bryant, who jumped the pitch and brought it all the way back with a powerful exclamation point to end the Jayhawks’ run. victory.
Jalon Daniels’ final game in the win included 18-of-29 shooting for 219 passing yards and three touchdowns, and a team-high 85 yards. Neal had 59 yards in the scrimmage and three of his points, two from the run and one from the air. KU’s lead receiver on Saturday was Luke Grimm, who completed six passes for 66 yards.
Next Saturday, the non-conference portion of the Jayhawks’ schedule resumes as they continue to face the No. 25-ranked Houston Cougars. Dana Holgorsen’s team lost to Texas Tech in overtime on Saturday.
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