The Kansas Jayhawks are finally hitting their stride after winning back-to-back games over Top 25 teams, including a big win on Saturday over the previously unbeaten BYU Cougars, 17-13, on the road. It’s been an impressive few weeks for a team that had high expectations to start the season but lost their way early and often. Now, the Jayhawks have the opportunity to do something very improbable.
This weekend, Kansas will host 16th-ranked Colorado at Arrowhead Stadium, and if they can pull off an upset win, that would be the third consecutive week they beat a ranked opponent.
The team will continue to be motivated because if they win their final two games of the season, they’ll become bowl-eligible.
Why did it take this Jayhawks team so long to get to this turning point?
What Happened in That Five-Game Stretch?
After a season-opening 48-3 win over Lindenwood, the Jayhawks lost five straight games. The common theme is not being able to finish at the end of a half.
In a loss to a Top 25 team, Illinois, the Jayhawks threw a pick-six at the end of the first half to give up the lead and then allowed a field goal with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter. The final score was 23-17 and those scores were the difference in the game.
When hosting UNLV, KU led 17-6 late in the first half but allowed a 27-yard touchdown on the final play of the first half, allowing the Rebels to cut the lead to 17-13. Kansas led 20-16 late in the game but allowed UNLV to get into the end zone with 2:00 left in the game. Another heartbreaking loss, this time in a 23-20 defeat.
Against West Virginia, it was a similar story. With the game tied 7-7, the Jayhawks allowed a touchdown with 25 seconds left in the first half, giving the Mountaineers a 14-7 lead over KU heading into halftime. Kansas led 28-17 with four minutes left in the game but allowed two touchdowns in the final 3:30 to lose 32-28.
In a home game against TCU, the trend continued. KU led 17-14 but allowed the Horned Frogs to get a touchdown with 17 seconds left in the first half. That gave TCU a 21-17 lead at halftime. The game would go back and forth in the second half, but TCU scored the final 10 points of the game, including a field goal with 3:02 left in the game, to win 38-27.
In their other two losses, the blueprint played out the exact same way. In a road battle against Arizona State, Kansas led 14-7 going into the final minute of the first half. They allowed a touchdown with 26 seconds left, making it a 14-14 score at halftime. In a wild fourth quarter, there were five lead changes.
Unfortunately for the Jayhawks, it was the Sun Devils who were able to get the last laugh, scoring a touchdown with 16 seconds left in the game and picking up a 35-31 win.
Some Signs of Life
Shockingly, in their rivalry game against Kansas State, they did not allow any scoring in the final two minutes before halftime for the first time since the opening game against Lindenwood. The fanbase circulating through social media showed some optimism.
Despite overcoming a double-digit second-half deficit and taking a 27-23 lead late in the third quarter, Kansas State was able to make two field goals in the fourth quarter, including a 51-yarder with 1:42 left in the game, to give the Wildcats a 29-27 win over the Jayhawks.
Since that loss to Kansas State, the Jayhawks had a bye week and have defeated No. 17 Iowa State and No. 6 BYU. Kansas may be the best 4-6 team in college football history. Not allowing points at the end of the first half in games would have the Jayhawks at eight wins. If they wouldn’t have allowed points at the end of the fourth quarter, the Jayhawks would be a nine-win team and possibly talking about an undefeated season right now. It’s been that close for the Jayhawks all season.
Still Something to Play For
This weekend, with Colorado coming to town, there will be a sense of urgency to keep the momentum going. The Buffaloes are currently in a position to play in the Big 12 Championship, which would give them the opportunity to play in the College Football Playoff if they win that game, so there is a lot on the line for both teams.
For Kansas, it’s bowl eligibility. For Colorado, it’s the opportunity to play in the College Football Playoff for a potential National Championship run. It would be an incredible and very unlikely feat if Kansas wins on Saturday. The odds of the Jayhawks beating Iowa State, BYU, and Colorado in consecutive games were so low. No one expected Kansas to be in the conversation to become bowl-eligible, but here we are. One upset win over Colorado and a win over Baylor in the season finale would get Kansas there.
This season hasn’t gone how Kansas had hoped, but there is still a chance for the team to do something special. Kansas football has never gone to bowl games in three consecutive seasons. They have the chance to do that. While the team won’t be able to reach the goals they had before the season began, the Jayhawks can still finish the season strong and bring some joy and excitement to the fan base while messing with the top of the Big 12 standings along the way.
