Hawking Points: Kansas Comeback Falls Short in 16-13 Loss
That was certainly a game of football. It looked like things couldn’t get any worse, then the Kansas Jayhawks clawed back before Texas Tech slammed the door shut on a winning field goal to leave Lawrence with a 16-13 win.
Key Plays
Tech was about to take a 14-point lead late in the first quarter as Tahj Brooks ran it into the end zone again but Tech was called for holding. An incomplete pass on third and 12 forced the Red Raiders to settle for a field goal to make it 10-0.
Kansas got its first first down of the game on the next possession on an option run where Jason Bean kept it himself. Then he completed his first pass, a catch by Lawrence Arnold that got KU to midfield. On third and five, Bean took it himself and ran for a first down, but stayed down, looking to hold his ankle or knee, and freshman Cole Ballard came into the game. At the end of the first quarter, Bean ran back onto the field with a first and 10 from the Tech 34. On third and three, Bean took a shot to the end zone but it was too far for Arnold. On fourth and three, Bean tries to run and is tackled behind the line of scrimmage, giving it back to Texas Tech.
The only way the defense had stopped Tech was through a turnover. Behren Morton took a shot deep and OJ Burroughs picked it off at the one yard line. Bean went back to the locker room, so it was Ballard again leading the offense.
Daniel Hishaw ran it twice to give KU a first down and out of its own end zone. On third and 8 from the 12, Ballard threw it deep to Grimm, who took a huge hit and was down on the sideline. The officiating crew ruled it as pass interference – but no targeting – to give KU a first down at the 27. Ballard took a sack on second down but found Mason Fairchild for the first on 3rd and 11.
Ballard found Torry Locklin for a 25-yard gain down to the Tech 24. Then on third and six, Ballards scrambled for a first down inside the Red Raiders 10. Hishaw took it down to the one on second down and then Hishaw was stuffed twice to give Tech the ball. It ended an 18-play, 93 yard drive with zero points.
The Kansas defense stepped up in the second half. After Ballard’s pick gave Tech the ball in KU territory, the Jayhawks held the Red Raiders to a field goal, keeping the margin within two touchdowns at 13-0.
Kansas gave the ball back to Texas Tech, who again drove down but was held out of the end zone and then missed a field goal. That’s when the Jayhawks came to life. Devin Neal broke a 60-yard run for a touchdown to give Kansas its first points of the game.
The defense again came up huge, stopping Brooks on third and short and forcing another punt. Tanaka Scott had a bad drop on second down but then Ballard found Arnold for a 31-yard pass to the Texas Tech 44. The Jayhawks reached the Tech six yard line, but had to settle for a field goal to make it a 13-10 game with just under five minutes to play.
On third and eight for Texas Tech, Bryant was called for his second pass interference of the game to keep the drive alive for the Red Raiders. KU forced another third and eight and this time Morton throws it to the sticks and Kenny Logan lays a big hit to make him bobble and drop it.
Ballard scrambled for a first down to start the drive and then connected with Quentin Skinner to get to midfield with just less than two minutes left. Then on third and two, Ballard found Skinner again, who got down inside the 30. Then it was Tech’s turn to commit a pass interference penalty on a third and eight to keep KU’s hopes alive. A Ballard designed run on second and goal got the ball to the three with 35 seconds left. On third and goal, Neal took a direct snap and then tried a pass to Jared Casey, which was deflected. So Kansas sent Seth Keller out, who knocked in the tying field goal with 26 seconds left.
Eye-Catching Stat Lines
It looked like it was going to be a long day for the Kansas run defense. Brooks gained 70 yards and a touchdown in the first 11:34 of the game, but KU got better throughout the game as Brooks finished with 133 yards on 33 carries.
Meanwhile, Kansas picked up 207 yards on the ground, led by Neal’s 137 yards on 19 carries. Which KU needed, as the passing attack of Bean and Ballard only combined for 137 yards on 10-24 passing.
Morton was much more effective, completing 19-25 for 176 yards, though the Jayhawks did keep him out of the end zone and picked him off.
Kansas was an effective 7-15 on third down, which was much better than the Red Raiders’ 4-14, but Tech was 2-2 on fourth down, while KU was 0-2, with those coming in crucial scoring situations.
Eye-Covering Moments
One team was ready to start the game and it wasn’t Kansas. KU received the ball first and a false start turned third and four into third and nine. Bean was pressured and threw it away, going three and out. And the punt went only 24 yards, giving Tech excellent field position to start around midfield.
Then the defense got absolutely gashed by Brooks, who gained 31 yards and a TD on the first Red Raiders’ drive, which also included a pass interference on Cobee Bryant, getting Tech inside the KU 25. Texas Tech had a quick 7-0 lead 4:42 into the game.
On the next possession, Kansas again went three and out, with another third and nine leading to a Bean rollout to the right and incomplete pass.
After forcing a second Texas Tech punt to start the second half, Ballard threw an interception at the Jayhawks’ own 36 yard line.
With a tie game and 26 seconds left, Morton completes consecutive passes to get into KU territory in 13 seconds. Morton found Jared Bradley on the next play inside the KU 15. Tech’s Gino Garcia won the game on a 30-yard field goal with three seconds left.
Takeaways
That game went wrong in so many different ways. The play calls didn’t work from the start, the defense couldn’t stop the run, and important player after important player left the game due to injury. Still, the Jayhawks fought, the defense stepped up, and KU had chances to win, but ultimately made too many mistakes to come out with a win.
A lot will need to get cleaned up before K-State next week from a health execution, and coaching standpoint.
