Kansas vs. West Virginia: A Few Instant Takeaways From Jayhawks’ Win

The Kansas football team previously left a bad taste in fans' mouths after the rivalry loss to Missouri, but the Jayhawks bounced back in a big way with a dominant 41-10 victory over West Virginia.

KU never allowed the Mountaineers' offense to get into rhythm and stifled them all night long. Now that the Jayhawks are 1-0 in conference play, we can look at a few takeaways and what it could mean for their next few games.

Defense Corrects Its Mistakes

The defense wasn't particularly awful against Missouri, but it did struggle when it mattered most, giving up 595 total yards to the Tigers and letting Beau Pribula complete 30 of 39 pass attempts.

Thankfully, that was not nearly the case tonight. West Virginia starting quarterback Nicco Marchiol finished just 15-of-27 passing for 126 yards and an interception.

The Mountaineers also struggled on key downs, converting only 3-of-15 third downs while missing on a fourth-down attempt. That is a vast difference from the Missouri game, in which they converted 10-of-19 third downs and 4-of-5 fourth downs.

All in all, KU's defense made sure to wrap up when tackling and play with an intensity that was much needed from a group with lingering questions. Defensive coordinator D.K. McDonald drew up a solid game plan tonight and deserves credit for it.

Offensive Play-Calling Was Questionable Early On

The final score does not entirely reflect what we saw from the offense. Kansas punted the ball away four times on its first six drives and failed to capitalize on several opportunities with good field position due to questionable play-calling from Jim Zebrowski.

There were no repercussions since WVU's offense was ineffective, but for a few drives, it felt as though the Mountaineers were creeping back into the game.

Three three-and-outs in the first half is certainly not what you want to see from the Jayhawks, and it is something that will need to be cleaned up going forward.

Jalon Daniels Has Some Work To Do

That leads us to our next point, that Jalon Daniels was not very sharp tonight. Granted, he threw for three touchdowns and made plays with his legs, rushing for 69 yards and setting up a field goal drive at the end of the first half.

But beyond those highlights, he was noticeably inaccurate. The performance looked like a repeat of some of his rougher outings from last season where he just couldn't seem to hit his targets in the chest.

Daniels completed just half (12-of-24) of his pass attempts, with four or five misses going to wide-open receivers. He also struggled to throw effectively on the run and did not look like his usual self. For a player of his caliber, this outing was well below expectations.

Special Teams Unit Shines

The biggest star of the night may have been KU's special teams unit.

South Alabama transfer Laith Marjan stayed perfect on the season, drilling a pair of field goals from beyond 40 yards and converting all of his extra point attempts. He has now made his first 20 kicks as a Jayhawk and looks automatic every time he lines up.

Punter Finn Lappin also delivered a strong performance, averaging 46.0 yards across five punts.

However, the true highlight came from Emmanuel Henderson Jr., who showcased his elite speed with a 94-yard kickoff return touchdown to open the second half.

For a program that has dealt with shaky special teams play in recent years, this kind of fundamental football is a breath of fresh air for Jayhawk fans.