Kansas Football’s Week 1 Opponent Dominated by FCS School in Opener

Kansas football's Week 1 opponent suffered a lopsided loss in its season opener yesterday.

Kansas Jayhawks head coach Lance Leipold watches his players during the game between Fresno State and Kansas at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Aug. 23, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Kansas football couldn't have asked for a much better result from its Week 1 opponent.

Long Island University was dominated by FCS opponent North Dakota on Thursday night, falling 42-0 before halftime. The Sharks eventually cut the deficit to 21 points, but their offense came alive too late to make a difference. Still, it's hard to come away from the performance thinking KU should have much trouble with LIU when the two teams square off on Sept. 4.

Coming off a 6-6 season, LIU was projected by the conference's coaches to finish third in the Northeast Conference standings before the campaign. Last year, the Sharks defeated their first-ever FBS opponent by upsetting Eastern Michigan on the road.

Aug 30, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Long Island Sharks quarterback Ethan Greenwood (14) throws the ball against the Florida Gators during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Fifth-year head coach Ron Cooper has completed a successful turnaround for the program, which has only competed at the Division I level since 2019. However, this certainly wasn't the start LIU was looking for with a daunting matchup against the Jayhawks a week from now.

Something else to monitor is a potential quarterback change for the Sharks. Preseason All-NEC selection Thomas Greenwood is a dangerous dual-threat signal-caller, but he finished 3-for-9 passing for 11 yards and an interception.

He was pulled before halftime, when backup Luca Stanzani entered and guided the offense to three consecutive touchdowns. It is possible we see Stanzani get the ball for the entirety of the next game against the Jayhawks.

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