Five Observations From Kansas Football’s Thrilling Walk-Off Win Over Baylor

Kansas was hoping to salvage its season this afternoon in its homecoming game against Baylor, and it did just that with a game-winning field goal block on Rhett Armstrong's fourth quarter attempt to win 25-24.

Despite trailing by 11 points at the start of the fourth quarter, KU was able to string together two touchdown drives to complete an improbable comeback. The Jayhawks now sit at 3-4 on the season with a real chance to become bowl-eligible with a couple more wins.

More importantly, Kansas snapped a 14-game losing skid against Baylor, which may have bought Lance Leipold a few more weeks of job security. Here are five takeaways from the thrilling victory in the Booth today.

5. Matthew Gill’s (Sort Of) Redemption

The lowlight of last week's loss to K-State was punter Matthew Gill's dropped snap that resulted in a safety right before halftime. It appeared that a similar scenario was going to unfold today at the end of the first half.

The Australian freshman's first punt of the day was a 36-yard dribbler that resulted in a barrage of boos from the KU faithful. You almost have to feel bad for Gill, who was visibly upset on the sidelines after his attempt.

Unexpectedly, Gill got a favorable bounce on his second punt from Kansas' own 12-yard line that traveled 66 yards and prevented Baylor from scoring any more points before halftime. The crowd followed that up with semi-sarcastic cheers. If we're going to bash him every time he has a bad punt, he deserves praise for the good ones, too.

4. Questionable Third-Down Play Calling

While the Jayhawks finished the afternoon an efficient 5-for-8 on fourth-downs, Andy Kotelnicki's offense started to become far too predictable down the stretch. Whenever KU faced a third-and-long opportunity, it was apparent that they were going to run it up the middle to make fourth down manageable.

That almost became the offense's downfall late in the final quarter when Dylan Edwards was stuffed before the line to gain, resulting in a turnover on downs a few minutes after a massive KU interception.

Kansas has established itself as an aggressive fourth-down team, and there's nothing wrong with putting a little spice into those play calls. With that said, the Jayhawks were a dismal 5-for-18 on third-down tries because it kept banking on converting fourth downs instead.

Oct 24, 2026; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks running back Dylan Edwards (1) runs the ball during the first half against the Baylor Bears at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The lack of variation in the playbook from Kotelnicki on late downs is alarming. Running it up the gut versus more talented defensive lines isn't a recipe for success.

3. Illegal Substitution Controversy

While KU's product on the field wasn't always perfect, a significant portion of the blame for this near-defeat has to go on the officiating. After a questionable Carson Bruhn holding call wiped away a touchdown in the first quarter, the refs made another costly mistake in the third quarter.

A second-down sack by Dak Brinkley would have put BU at third-and-26 from Kansas' 37-yard line, putting the Bears in a difficult spot as they tried to extend their 14-10 lead. However, the ref threw a late flag and went to the monitor to review Kansas for an illegal substitution.

Lance Leipold loses it with the officiating crew after KU is flagged for an illegal substitution that negated a big sack. pic.twitter.com/KiRoiKHlqw
— Michael Swain (@MSwain247) October 24, 2026

The line judge was supposed to prevent the ball from being snapped until both teams had a chance to make their substitutions, but Leroy Harris III was still trying to get off the field when Baylor snapped the ball. Rather than stopping the play and allowing KU to complete its substitution, the officials let the snap happen and penalized the Jayhawks for a mistake they should have been given the chance to avoid. Baylor went on to score a touchdown three plays later to take a two-possession lead.

The Jayhawks were still able to prevail in the end, but the officials royally botched this call by allowing the ball to be snapped.

2. Blown Opportunities by Isaiah Marshall

In the latter stages of the first half, Isaiah Marshall squandered two opportunities at an easy touchdown. The first came on a ball in which he slightly overthrew Nahzae Cox wide open trailing the left sideline, and the next came a few plays later when Nik McMillan was unable to secure a catch in the end zone.

You could argue that McMillan's should have been caught, but Marshall's inconsistent arm is undeniable. The Jayhawks should have been leading going into halftime had he put a little less zip on a few of his throws.

And then, you obviously have the pick-6 on a miscommunication on the first offensive play from scrimmage in the second half. That's simply inexcusable stuff from a Division I signal-caller.

thx u very much 🤷‍♂️ @devonjordan_12 pic.twitter.com/dDeCIDhinQ
— Baylor Football (@BUFootball) October 24, 2026

Considering Marshall is over halfway through his first season as a starter, it has to be accepted that this is simply who he is as a passer. Thankfully, he made up for it with his legs in this contest, particularly with his go-ahead touchdown run with a little over a minute to go.

1. Lance Leipold Finally Snaps a Losing Streak

Going into this contest, KU had a combined 0-32 record across its losing streaks against Kansas State and Baylor. That finally changed today and erased what would have been another blemish on his resume.

One of Leipold's biggest criticisms is that his teams never show up in the games that matter. Although you could argue that a home clash against a reeling Bears squad looking for a reason to fire Dave Aranda isn't a marquee win, it's still undoubtedly the biggest victory of the season for the Jayhawks.

Leipold deserves credit for getting his team in the right headspace to come back in the fourth quarter and stay alive. The defense showed up when it needed to, and Marshall orchestrated a game-winning drive to give KU its first conference win of the campaign.

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